Elementary Literacy Context for Learning

Information

About the School Where You Are Teaching

1.

In what type of school do you teach? (Type an X next to the appropriate

description; if other applies, provide a brief description.)
Elementary school: _____
Middle school: _____
Other (please describe): _____
Urban: __X__
Suburban: _____
Rural: _____

2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, coteaching, themed magnet, intervention or other leveled small group instruction,
classroom aide, bilingual, team taught with a special education teacher) that will
affect your teaching in this learning segment.
The majority of the students in my classroom are English Language Learners
and eight of my students are a part of the EIP. Therefore, I have a support team
of two additional school personnel that aid my in certain parts of my teaching. An
ESOL teacher assists me in the morning by guiding my ESOL readers through
our daily Shared Reading and Writing activities and assignments. During my
Daily 4 centers, the EIP teacher leads works with my EIP students on specific
skills such as letter sounds, segmenting and blending sounds, or improving their
literary accuracy and fluency.
3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or
expectations that might affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as
required curricula, pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, or
standardized tests.
My school requires that I teach my students the standards and topics listed in the
Georgia Performance Standards. The GPS have a set schedule for what
standards should be taught when and I am encouraged to follow these guidelines
as closely as possible. I am also required to distribute certain tests and
assessments created by the Clarke County School District. However, I can
always re-assess or administer a different assessment after giving the districts
assessment if I feel it did not accurately show me what my students have
learned.

About the Class Featured in this Learning Segment

1. How much time is devoted each day to literacy instruction in your classroom?
My class spends approximately 2 hours on literacy instruction. This estimate
includes time spent during Shared Reading, Writing, Interactive Read-Alouds,
and the Daily 4 Centers
2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it
affects your class.
After assessing my students literacy abilities at the beginning of the school year,
I divided them into four different groups based on ability and specific learning
needs. Three of the groups meet with me during one of the Daily 4 Center
rotations every day and I work with each group to help the students achieve a
specific learning goal. For example, I may be working with one group specifically
on re-telling a story and working with another group on recognizing and decoding
short and long vowel sounds. The fourth ability group meets with the EIP teacher
during one rotation of the Daily 4 Centers. These students work on achieving
goals set up in their EIP plans. Students are assessed based on their daily
progress in their groups and are moved from group to group based on need.
3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for literacy
instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of
publication.
During Shared Reading, the students alternate between following along as the
teacher reads, echo reading, and choral reading. Throughout all of these reading
strategies, the students track the words with their fingers to help them develop
their skill of one-to-one correspondence. In Writing, students use a graphic
organizer to structure their writings. During the Daily 4 Centers students rotate
between four centers: Read-to-Buddy, Read-to-Self, Writing, and their small
group instruction. In the Read-to-Buddy station, students take turns asking their
buddy the who, what, and where of the story to help aid comprehension. In
Writing, students complete a constructed response displayed on the SMART
board.
4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, classroom library or other text
sets, online professional resources) you use for literacy instruction in this class.
SMART board
Class library
Word wall
Anchor charts
Graphic organizers

About the Students in the Class Featured in this Learning

Segment
1. Grade-level(s): First Grade
2. Number of
students in the class: 24

males:10

females: 14

3. Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports,

accommodations, or modifications for your students that will affect your literacy
instruction in this learning segment. As needed, consult with your cooperating
teacher to complete the charts. Some rows have been completed in italics as
examples. Use as many rows as you need.

Students with IEPs/504 Plans

IEPs/504 Plans:
Classification/Needs

Number of Students

Supports,
Accommodations,
Modifications,
Pertinent IEP Goals

None

N/A

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs

English Language
Learners

Number of Students

12

Supports,
Accommodations,
Modifications
ESOL teacher
guides small
groups through
Shared Reading
and Writing
assignments 4
days a week
Teacher gives
shorter/less
directions for
activities or
assignments
Teacher models
tasks or concepts
with visual aides
Teaching
frequently repeats
directions or rephrases directions
Students verbally

tested
Students count
out 7-up
sentences during
their writings
before writing
them down

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs Number of Students

EIP-Reading

EIP-Math

Supports,
Accommodations,
Modifications
EIP teacher uses
differentiated
reading models &
elkonin boxes
EIP teacher
provides direct
instruction in word
families (vowels,
CVCs, etc.)
specifically
targeting the
development of
word segmenting
& blending skills
EIP teacher leads
daily small group
instruction
Students work
with hands-on
manipulatives
Students use
recording sheets
Activities are
accommodated to
meet learners

needs by having
alternate numbers
or a lowered
complexity