Jennifer, I agree with what you do. It doesn't scare or worry me as so many of the approaches to RTI do. I guess I just think that as a teacher (and working in a context with colleagues as knowledgeable as I am), what you describe below would still already be part of my ongoing knowledge gained from what I do all the time. Maybe what you are describing is the extra step, probably bringing together several good people to problem solve together and also pulling together the extra help - what, where, how etc. that would be part of that problem solving process. Yes, I might dig deeper into the phonological issues but again, think I would already have done that if the question was arising in my own classroom. I will look into the TPRI as an initial early screener.
But that raises another issue for me. Yes probably to be on alert with kinders and even first. But some of the issues are in fact developmental. If children get steered into content poor strategies and programs early on, that early identification can become a problem, not a solution. Again, I trust wherever you are and work but I think this can be a big problem elsewhere. Being on alert is not a problem. Means extra good kidwatching and reading regularly and writing regularly and thinking carefully about what is happening with that particular child - no slipping betweent he cracks! I raise the issues because I have been seeing nightmare approaches going on in schools I am in every week....Just want to raise the red flags. Thanks for your careful, thoughtful reply. Sally On 10/10/11 5:48 AM, "Palmer, Jennifer" <jennifer.pal...@hcps.org> wrote: > Sally...you have described the tools we have used here to first screen > students for reading difficulties. We then determine root causes for reading > difficulties with more specific instruments such as phonemic awareness > inventories, letter/sound tests, etc. if the screenings show decoding > difficulties. For comprehension, we sometimes need to consider whether or not > the comprehension issues are due to lack of strategy knowledge OR something > else, like poor vocabulary, poor fluency etc. Not all kids with fluency > problems have comprehension problems...but there are some kids who spend so > much mental energy decoding that the comprehension suffers as a result. Those > students have different intervention than those kids who decode beautifully > but understand nothing because they fail to understand that they should be > thinking while reading!! > > Every kid is so different and learns so differently... it is just so important > for us to realize that when we work with kids. > > In our district, we only use an outside 'screener' (TPRI- Texas Primary > Reading Inventory) in Kindergarten which does a great job identifying which > kids could potentially be at risk. TPRI avoids nonsense words and timed tests, > but does assess phonemic awareness and letter/sound knowledge and listening > comprehension early on and has helped us identify kids who need extra > attention at the beginning. It is quick, down and dirty, and does not > encourage inappropriate instructional techniques such as teaching for speed... > > Jennifer L. Palmer > Instructional Facilitator, National Board Certified Teacher (EC Gen) > > Magnolia Elementary School (Home School) > 901 Trimble Road, Joppa, MD 21085 > Phone: (410) 612-1553 > Fax: (410) 612-1576 > In EVERY child...a touch of GREATNESS!!! > Proud of our Title One School! > > Norrisville Elementary School > 5302 Norrisville Rd > White Hall, MD 21161 > Phone: 410-692-7810 > Fax: 410-692-7812 > Where Bright Futures Begin!!! > > ________________________________ > _______________________________________________ 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
