EPC 2903 Teaching Practice Booklet

Task 3: Literacy Strategies

Objective: To observe literacy strategies in action over 4 weeks.

Procedure
 This task is intended to be implemented over the four weeks.
 For this task student should:
 record examples of practices and/or strategies that they observe- e.g phonics, guided reading,
Sustained Silent Reading, graded readers, literate-rich, print-rich environment,
 take photos and/or video recordings (if the school and the MST give permission)
 ask questions about and reflect on best practice observed

Before the Observation

Pre TP classes

 Discuss/review any relevant content from Learning to Read and Write, Section 2 “Readers & Writers
in the Making” pp27-99
 Neuman, S., Copple, C. and Bredcamp, S. (2000). Learning to Read and Write. Washington:
National Association for the Education of Young Children.
 (Neuman, Copple & Bredcamp, 2000, 56)

In the school

 Explain the task to your MST so she can try to highlight and include some of the strategies/aspects
you may need to consider
 Decide what time(s) each day you will conduct this observation.
 See if you can find out what the teacher plans to do each day by studying his/her plans, and/or talking with
them.
EPC 2903 Teaching Practice Booklet

After the Observation - Reflection

Choose 3 best practices you observed during your time in school. Reflect on
these and consider why you could implement these in a UAE primary classroom
in the future. Explain how these practices will affect student learning and
reading levels in a primary class.

Firstly, in the writing lesson teacher let the students to read and write such as,
when they finish writing she ask them to read what they write by standing in the
front of students and read and that give the students chance to read and support
their writing. Secondly, when the teacher read the text in the book and stop
reading then, choose any student to complete reading the text and that help the
students to be focus on the text and be able to read anything in the book. Thirdly,
when teacher did pairs activity by let student A ask any questions about the
lesson and student B answer the question and the opposite. So, in the future I will
use these activities to support the student’s level’s because that affect the
students reading level and learning by improve it while they use it.
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LITERACY STRATEGIES

Observe your MST’s classroom and general practices you see around the school. Discuss
the areas below in context of what you observe in school and support with a photo and a
reference to reading when possible.

Describe the classroom environment.

Firstly, they put the vision and mission of the school and the class instructions in the front of
the class also, in the back board they divide it into three sections such as, Arabic, science
and math so, in every subject they put something related to the lesson in addition. In board
that in the right side of the class for English and they divide it into reading, writing, listening
and speaking so, the teacher put student’s work’s on those skills. Moreover, there are five
groups in the class and they divide it depend into student’s level’s.

Consider how the class is a print rich environment. What print can you see around the
room? (labels, captions, flashcards, headings, rules, instructions, timetable, flash cards,
etc) For each one you mention insert pictures and state the purpose of each one.

Firstly, the classroom which is full of print is apply the wonderful and correct environment
for the students so, in the class they put the timetable of the class to help the students to
know and the class instructions which is the rules of the class and that provide for students
the behavior that they should follow it in the classroom in addition, the vision and mission
of the school so, that help the students to remember the goal of school and how they will
should achieve it as a student.
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Is there a variety of books and genres in the class? Mention some. How are they
displayed?

There are no books and genres in the classroom and I prefer to put section for that which
will help and improve the student’s skills also, they will be enjoyable.

Describe the reading area in your classroom.

Firstly, they divide the English board so, one section for reading and they put several texts
that included in the English book by print it and paste it.

Does the teacher read to the children? How often? How does she motivate them to read?

Teacher read for students the text in English book in every reading lesson so, twice in the
week also, she acts while read and use the voice skills to change her voice according to the
characters. In addition, she motivates the students to read by do some activities such as, let
all students to pick number then she says number 1 so, student who have number 1 will
read then, when the students finish the reading she put star for her and let the students to
clap for her.
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Describe the reading approaches have you observed? Where do the children sit? How does
the teacher encourage participation?

Read aloud Shared reading Guided reading Independent reading

- Read what they - Read text that included in - read text that included
wrote, by chose any book by present it in the in student’s book and all
student to come and smart board and students sit students sit in their place
stand in front of in their place. Firstly, explain and read individually also,
students and read the new words then, asking teacher walk around
then, teacher questions about the pictures them and let some
encourage them by that include in the beginning students to read for her
let the students to of the text after that, give and support them by say
clap their hands. students chance ask any motivational words.
question about the text and
teacher answer their
questions then, start read
the text with students also,
let the students to read
some sentences and
encourage them by say
words that motivate the
students such as, excellent,
good job and so on.
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Consider how the teacher reminds children of any concepts of print when reading? (left-to-
right, top to bottom, punctuation, author, illustrator, etc)

Firstly, by asking about the concepts of print while reading and students answer also, let the
students say or find any concepts of print that included in the text and that help them to
remember the concepts and know their purpose by know where it should be in the text.

How does the teacher teach phonics and word attack skills to children? Describe a phonics
lesson you observed and mention how the children are scaffolded to recognise the word
and get the meaning.

Teacher teach the students the phonics by use flash cards to show them the new words and
explain for students what the words mean also, present the pictures of the words then, ask
about the words so, that help the students to recognise the words as I saw.

What comprehension strategies are the children learning/using?

Firstly, teacher use flash cards and present the pictures of the new words to understand it
also, sometimes teacher don’t use the picture of the new words but explain it also, use the
flash cards to show the new grammar then explain it in addition, students use it by do some
activities such as, use the new words to write sentences or in grammar let two students to
come in front of the class and play with ball such as, student A throw the ball to students B
and say any word then, student B catch the ball and say the past tense of this word and
opposite.
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Ask your teacher about special reading events carried out in the school - e.g ‘Book
Character Day’, DEAR Time, Book Fairs, ‘Extreme Reading’ competitions etc.

- They have reading day so, in this day every student will have book or story to read it
then, every teacher will choice any student to read aloud for all students and that will
be in the break.

Describe some types of writing activities or the method the teacher uses for writing – e.g
emergent writing, copy writing, dictations, etc

Firstly, teacher did several activities for writing such as, let the students to write massage for
thanks anyone they want then read it to support their writing. Also, copy the text to help
them to be able to write large words in addition, she did for them dictation for the difficult
words.