Elementary Reading ELA C&I Update #19

YEAR LONG READING COURSE

• Congratulations to approximately 290 elementary teachers who graduated from the Year Long Reading Course on May 11, 2016. These teachers invested 8-10 half-day sessions engaging in ongoing professional development on the science of teaching reading. In addition, the teachers completed bridge to practice exercises to embed the learning into classroom practice.

• Please join me in recognizing Danielle Hamilton and Krista Lee. As instructors for the Year Long Reading Course, Danielle and Krista work diligently to plan sessions that are timely and meaningful for teachers. Teachers continue to share feedback on the positive impact of the course and how it improved content knowledge and instructional practice. Kudos to Danielle and Krista for providing excellent professional development!

• SAMPLE COMMENTS FROM TEACHERS:

      I just wanted to say thank you so very much for coming to help us today.  We are so excited about implementing all of this even farther next year.           Your input and insights were extremely helpful. We really do appreciate y'all coming out and taking your time to help us! 

      The Year long reading course has  greatly impacted my whole group reading as well as my small group reading lessons..I have learned several new           comprehension and vocabulary strategies that my students are really embracing such as the guided highlighting with the basal or text as well as the         very focused vocabulary webs.   I love having a very structured lesson plan for my small groups that hits all components of reading building as we go         through the lesson. This course was by far the BEST course offered by Knox County.  I look forward to taking more courses that build off this           course in the future.  I will be reading the book this summer! 

      When I was told that I would be going to the YLC, I was not sure what to expect. On the very first day I was taught a whole new language. This                 simple activity opened my eyes to the challenges my students who are struggling readers face every day.  It gave me a whole new perspective on             what I should be doing during my reading block each day. The YLC has helped me with whole group lessons, centers, and small groups. How to                 develop better lesson plans has been one of the best parts of my YLC experience. I look forward to implementing and using all of the new ideas                 presented during the YLC.

      The two things that stood out to me about The Year Long Reading Course are the phrase cued reading and voiced/unvoiced letter sounds. The                   YLRC helped me understand how to support student comprehension through phrase cued reading as well as label voiced and unvoiced letter sounds to       better understand how students decode.

      The Year-Long Reading Course impacted my ELA instruction by adding effective strategies and practices to my toolbox.  The Bridge to Practice                   Assignments allowed me to apply what was presented in class in my class. I believe that my students have shown growth in reading and writing due         to information and activities presented such as the small reading group Phonic Lesson Framework, fluency activities, and Spelling Inventories.  I have       made a routine of using a number of these strategies/activities daily.

 PreK-5 MATH/ELA SUMMER ACADEMY

      July 26, 2016 

      8:00-3:45

      Bearden High School

      Please register on RANDA