I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

I posted a few weeks ago about getting several new students. It's been ok- but many of these kids can barely read- a few are at a second grade level, a few third, a few forth. All are multiple holdovers.

I have always taught middle school, and I don't know where to start. I know I need to group them, and I know how to do that, but I don't know where to start from an instructional perspective. My school has a literacy coach and a lead teacher, but I have had no help from either of them- they both have their pet projects/issues, and anything that digresses from that isn't given time. When I told the coach, all she said was, "Wow."

So I'm on my own. I don't know what I need, I don't know where to start.

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

I'm sorry you're having those issues, it must be VERY frustrating.

I am a 1st year special education teacher so I obviously can't give advice based on years of experience... but have you given them assessments? Do you know those grade levels are accurate? If you have no given your OWN assessments, I would start with that.

I would also start each group with the same activity (even the more advanced ones) just to be sure of what they are all capable of. If the more advanced groups can handle those simpler activities, continue to advance them until you see it's a challenge.

Another thing you may want to seriously consider is the Wilson's Reading Program. If you don't know much about it, try googling it to get more information. It is an EXTREMELY successful reading program for students of various reading levels. You may want to talk to the literacy coach in your school about getting the materials needed for it.

Good luck Keep us updated!

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

I agree with having some form of assessment. If you don't have access to a formal one, then you can see how many sight words they know. If there is a word they don't know or just learned, they can write it on a postcard and keep it in a file box or attach it to a ring (Staples carried it). Also, they should be reading books on their level. You may have to differentiate your work as well. Good luck!

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

Posted by PennyCat

I'm sorry you're having those issues, it must be VERY frustrating.

I am a 1st year special education teacher so I obviously can't give advice based on years of experience... but have you given them assessments? Do you know those grade levels are accurate? If you have no given your OWN assessments, I would start with that.

I would also start each group with the same activity (even the more advanced ones) just to be sure of what they are all capable of. If the more advanced groups can handle those simpler activities, continue to advance them until you see it's a challenge.

Another thing you may want to seriously consider is the Wilson's Reading Program. If you don't know much about it, try googling it to get more information. It is an EXTREMELY successful reading program for students of various reading levels. You may want to talk to the literacy coach in your school about getting the materials needed for it.

Good luck Keep us updated!

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

Posted by donegal419

Posted by PennyCat

I'm sorry you're having those issues, it must be VERY frustrating.

I am a 1st year special education teacher so I obviously can't give advice based on years of experience... but have you given them assessments? Do you know those grade levels are accurate? If you have no given your OWN assessments, I would start with that.

I would also start each group with the same activity (even the more advanced ones) just to be sure of what they are all capable of. If the more advanced groups can handle those simpler activities, continue to advance them until you see it's a challenge.

Another thing you may want to seriously consider is the Wilson's Reading Program. If you don't know much about it, try googling it to get more information. It is an EXTREMELY successful reading program for students of various reading levels. You may want to talk to the literacy coach in your school about getting the materials needed for it.

Good luck Keep us updated!

i agree, but you need to be trained in Wilson to adminsiter this program. technically, you are supposed to go through a 2 YEAR training program to get certified. (Sorry, but I am very anti- non trained Wilson people doing this program.. ) Also, Wilson focuses on decoding specifically, not comprehension, inferencing and other reading skills.

With kids this low, i think you really may just need to differentiate the material as much as you can.

i would INSIST that the coach and lead teacher to help you. don't back off there.

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

OK- I just wrote you a whole, long reply but when I added it, I had gotten kicked off. I guess I was inactive too long So here is a shortened version:

I would address these 3 main areas

1. Sight words- get the Dolch lists and have the kids practice words they don't know

2. Decoding- teach them rules about decoding and have them practice

3. Actual reading- the kids should read with you in small groups and independently.

There should be materials and resource available to you. Does your school have a reading program? Are any of the kids eligible for reading support? Keep after the people in your building who should be helping you. Good luck!

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

Thanks everyone- lots of good advice!

I had a chance to be Wilson trained a couple years ago, and I didn't do it. But regardless, I don't even know how well it would work. There are 30 kids in the room, many of them not well behaved, so I need to have something in place that they can do mostly independently. I also have a couple very strong kids who always finish their work first- I am going to use them as tutors.

I went to Borders today and bought elementary level practice books. I'm going to use those and see what the school has for high-interest/low-level books.

Thanks again!

Re: I need serious help- elementary reading or special needs teachers especially.

first you need to assess and determine what reading level they are on. Then you need to get your hands on guided reading sets in those levels. Guided Reading groups are the only way to move these kids. They can learn sight words and decoding strategies while tackling a book on their level. Do phonics everyday!!!! And do shared reading everyday so that they begin to be exposed to increasingly complex texts. Make sure your library contains appropriately leveled books. Do not guess on the levels, get yourself a leveling book ( I use Fountas and Pinnell ). Set aside time each day to have the children independently and "buddy" read. Make sure you schedule in some read-aloud time so that they see that reading is pleasurable and fun.Finally lend each kid a library book on their level everyday to complete their reading log (this works wonders)

In my opinion it isn't fair to have the "higher" kids tutor the lower kids. First off you have no idea what sort of bad habit they may be modeling and second, they deserve to have work that will challenge them and help them grow as readers.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Message edited 10/13/2008 8:40:05 PM.