The Rural Early Literacy Initiative

Effective Professional Development for Rural

Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers

Steve Amendum Marnie Ginsberg

Lynne Vernon-FeagansRural Early Literacy Initiative

Overview

• Purpose and rationale

• Targeted Reading Intervention– TRI Model– TRI components

• Professional development mechanisms

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the teaching strategies of rural kindergarten and first grade teachers in the areas of literacy and behavior management, with a specific focus on children who have been identified as struggling learners.

Why focus on literacy and behavior?

• Reading becomes the foundation for subsequent academic learning (Snow, Burns & Griffin; Vernon-Feagans, 1996)

• Research and teacher reports suggest that children’s behavior can facilitate or hamper learning (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).

Why focus on struggling learners?• Struggling learners are usually the ones

that do not make expected progress (Pianta, 2001; Meisels, 2001)

• This emphasis on struggling learners has been highlighted through disaggregated data mandated by NCLB

• Teachers report these struggling learners are the children who have the least success in learning and behavior.

• Teachers often attribute poor learning by students on the children’s behavior and/or their home situation.

Targeted Reading Intervention (TRI)

Targeting instructional match in every interaction…

Targeted Reading Intervention

• Intensive, assessment-driven reading instruction given by the classroom teacher to struggling students, initially one-on-one and transitioning to small groups, on a daily basis to rapidly accelerate students’ reading achievement

TRI Mission

• To coach K-1 teachers – to acquire essential knowledge of

early reading development and efficient instructional strategies;

– to develop skills in matching instruction to assessment; and

– to apply these knowledge sources and skills particularly for the benefit of struggling readers.

The Targeted Reading

Intervention Model

Our vision for a teacher’s year

• TRI instruction– For one struggling reader– 15 minutes– 4 times per week

• Collaboration with consultants– TRI consultant & school consultant– Bi-weekly visits/sharing about TRI– Weekly K-1 or grade-level 30 minute

meetings– Monthly 2-hour workshops on related PD

topic

TRI FrameworkRe-Reading for Fluency

(~2+ minutes)

Word Work(~8+ minutes)

Guided Oral Reading(~5+ minutes)

TRI Extensions

TRI Framework

Re-Reading for Fluency(~2+ minutes)

TRI Extensions

TRI Framework

Word Work(~8+ Minutes)

TRI Extensions

TRI: Primary Word Work Strategies

– Segmenting Words

– Change One Sound

– Read, Write, & Say

– Pocket Phrases

Word Work(~8+ minutes)

Word Work Example: Change One Sound

TRI Framework

Guided Oral Reading(~5+ minutes)

TRI Extensions

How does TRI benefit struggling readers?

• Individualized instruction within meaningful contexts

• An established research and theoretical base

• Ongoing assessment-based instruction

• Acceleration of literacy learning

How Do Teachers Learn the TRI?

Essential Personnel

• TRI personnel– A K-1 TRI Consultant for

each school

• Site-based personnel– Superintendent– District Curriculum

Coordinator– Principal– A K-1 School Consultant– K-1 Classroom Teachers– K-1 Teaching Assistants

Professional Development Mechanisms

• Summer Institute• Weekly 30-minute, grade

level meetings• Monthly workshops• Videos of teachers, guides,

and materials• TRI consultant visits

Summer Institute

• Teachers will learn– how to link efficient instruction with

assessment– essential elements of reading

development– how and when to use essential

strategies– why intensive instruction is worth it– why repetition across the day is worth

it

Weekly Grade-Level Meetings

• To link assessment data with efficient instruction

• To repeat and extend content from the summer institute

• To problem-solve collaboratively• To ensure participation and

fidelity

Ongoing Workshops• To build relationships across K-1• To extend the TRI content knowledge and

skills on a specific timeline • To link assessment data with efficient

instruction• To provide a video model of teachers using

the TRI or practices for TRI Extensions• To provide opportunity for school to

receive coaching from TRI Consultant, in person, via conference call, or via web cam

Final Thoughts

• Targeted Reading Intervention

• Involving Essential Personnel

• Professional Development

One Teacher’s Experience…