Module 6: Instructional Activity

Next year, you will be teaching in a school where the vast majority of students did not meet standard on your state's criterion-referenced test and where more than 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. What are some specific universal literacy strategies you may implement to ensure students success? Include both in-class examples and things you could do outside the classroom.

This schools’ description is very similar to my current school in regards to the percentage of students who are on free and reduced meals. However, my school did meet the state’s criterion-referenced test. My school implemented universal literacy strategies to ensure student success, and I believe the same strategies would work for this school as well. To ensure student success the school must realize the comprehensive literacy program must be established school wide. Teachers will need to implement both reader’s workshop and writer’s workshop into their daily teaching. The components of both workshops have positive effects on student learning. By including shared reading, shared writing, phonics taught in context, and lots of experiences reading (independently and guided reading groups) students are given the opportunity to learn in a literature-rich environment and practice the necessary skills to improve their reading and writing skills.

Another way for this particular school could ensure student success would be through the implementation of morning tutoring for their struggling students. By providing an additional 30 minutes, two or three times a week, students are able to receive more individualized instruction on their particular needs, and not feel so far behind when instruction is being presented to the whole class or small group. When students feel more comfortable about the content they are able to contribute more to class discuss and feel a part of the class. By providing morning tutoring, it helps students feel more connected to the class discussion because they truly understand and are connecting to the learning material.

At my current school, we plan community outreach programs for parents to get involved. Instead of having parents come to the school, we come to their neighborhood to provide an informational session on ways to help your child succeed. A majority of the parents at my current school find it difficult to attend school events due to responsibilities at home, such as younger children and lack of transportation. By reaching out, we are able to give suggestions to parents on ways they can help their child in school. One of the most important suggestions we give parents is to “read” every night with their child. This particular school could benefit from these community outreach programs to help inform parents on different ways to help ensure their child succeeds in school.