In our district, we have no reading specialists. Just literacy coaches. The
literacy coach is geared to work with all classrooms (K-6) in
literacy-related areas. She takes small groups of struggling readers in
various grade levels to do reading related skill work in her office. These
children have been showing no or little growth throughout the quarter or
semester. Or they were previously ear-marked by the previous teacher. The
work that she does is created to target specific skills that all these
children need work on in the 5 areas of literacy. I do not get a copy of
any sort of lesson plan, or content area of what she does, since it is
usually supporting all areas of reading. She has tested the students prior
to this and targets one small area to work on for 6 weeks or so. Then
reassesses who needs intervention next, after her small group is done.
Reading specialists usually hold masters' degrees(although not always),
and do work with struggling readers on a multitude of issues. Sometimes,
it's one on one, sometimes its two students. Often, they have push-in or
pull out programs that work all year, or for a semester, or sometimes for a
couple of years. The reading specialist works closely with the classroom
teacher to intervene on the lessons being taught in the regular classroom.
Sometimes, the reading specialist tests the student, sometimes files a
report for the classroom teacher to submit the documents for further
testing, or for more services, or less services. Many times, the reading
specialist has a closer relationship with the classroom teacher, and often
gets the written lesson plan of how each child in her class has done in
which skill area.
Often, each district has chosen to name or rename the type of service
they want for their district. In our district, we have had the name of the
person changed and the role of the person changed a number of times, even
over the course of 5 years. Someone always seems to find a "new and more
improved" way of operating, and wants to try it out.
Just a thought,
Diane
Original Message:
-----------------
From: mimos...@comcast.net
Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 13:49:04 +0000 (UTC)
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist
Dumb question alert...Is a reading specialist the same as a literacy coach?
If not, what distinguishes each?
Thanks,
Maura
5/NJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ljackson" <ljack...@gwtc.net>
To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 2, 2009 9:19:10 AM GMT -04:00 Atlantic Time (Canada)
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist
Having been a coach in a similar position, I can tell you it was a
frustrating for her as it was for you.
Lori Jackson
District Literacy Coach and Mentor
Todd County School District
Box 87
Mission SD 5755
----- Original message -----
From: kimberlee hannan <mrshannan...@gmail.com>
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Date: Friday, May 01, 2009 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist
> WHile I haven't gone through this exact situation, but for a while a
school
> I was at shared a literacy coach over three schools. She showed up a
couple
> of times a week. She didn't have connections to the teachers, the culture
> or atmosphere of the school. She made suggestions based on a short piece
if
> time after a haphazard observation. She had no relationship with us or
our
> kids. She was never there for meetings, so she didn't know what all we
> needed to do. It was not a good situation.
> Kim
>
> On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Katie Stover
<kcarte...@carolina.rr.com>wrote:
>
> > Sandy,
> >
> > Where are you? This is very disheartening!!
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandy Stevens" <
> > sstev...@maustonschools.org>
> > To: <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
> > Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 11:46 AM
> > Subject: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist
> >
> >
> >
> > Due to the need to make budget cuts, our district is considering
> >> eliminating the position of Reading Specialist. They are thinking of
> >> using Stimulus funds to hire three part time "instructional coaches"
to
> >> work in classrooms to assist with math and reading. The assumption is
> >> that these three will replace the Reading Specialist.
> >>
> >> Anyway, there are some staff who will be coming to the next board
meeting
> >> when this will be discussed. Have any of you folks gone through
anything
> >> similar? Have there been any arguments that have helped to plead the
case
> >> in support of keeping the Reading Specialist? I hate to see our
district
> >> lose that position. I have seen other districts lose the reading
> >> specialist and it takes years to get that specialist back, if they
ever
> >> do.
> >>
> >> Sandy
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Mosaic mailing list
> >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
> >>
http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
> >>
> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mosaic mailing list
> > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
> >
http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
> >
> > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Kim
> -------
> Kimberlee Hannan
> 7th CORE-ELA & WH
> Sequoia Middle School
> Fresno, California 93702
>
> The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author
Unknown
>
> mrshannan...@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> Mosaic mailing list
> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
>
> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
>
>
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