TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain 4: Vocabulary

RICA Competency: Vocabulary, Academic Language, and Background Knowledge: Role in Reading Development and Factors that Affect Development

Grade Level: 2nd

INSTRUCTION:
I observed Mrs. W. teaching Vocabulary and Academic Language. It was on a rainy day and she was reading the book Why Does it Rain? She tapped the students’ background knowledge by asking them what they know about rain and whether or not they have seen water vapor when someone boils water over a stove. She then introduced them to the academic language of evaporation and the water cycle. By tying in their knowledge of vapor into the word evaporation, the students were able to have a foundation on which they could build their academic vocabulary. These two words (vapor and evaporation) received more explicit instruction and emphasis than the other scientific words in the book because these were the target vocabulary words and not all words need to be given equal emphasis.
Mrs. W. then had the students share with a partner what they learned about the water cycle and many of them were able to use “evaporation” accurately in their descriptions. Because written language is more complex than spoken language, I was proud of the students for being able to articulate what the book taught them about the water cycle into an ordinary conversation.
Later that day, when the storm hit really hard, Mrs. W. had the students sit under the awning outside to watch the rain and write about their experience. She wrote the words “thunder,” “lightning,” and “evaporation,” on the board for students who needed help with spelling and just in case they wanted to use their new vocabulary.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING
Mrs. W. has a corner of her room that is devoted to reading and her schedule includes the Daily 5 program. Because of the amounts of books in her classroom, there are ample opportunities for students to read and to come across new words to build their vocabulary. The students also have personalized reading folders with a packet to record new words that they do not know. By writing them down and recording their meanings, the students will be able to easily reference them whenever they are needed. It is definitely an environment that is conducive to teaching all components of literacy, including vocabulary!

TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain: Word Analysis

RICA Competency: Concepts about Print

Grade Level: 1st

No Additional Descriptors

INSTRUCTION:

I observed Mrs. A teaching a lesson on Concepts about Print. At first, she instructed her students to open up their handwriting booklets to the “R” page which was a pre-assessment to test their letter recognition. Once everyone was opened to the correct page, she used a large laminated handwriting page to demonstrate how to write an uppercase and lowercase “R.” In the handwriting booklets, there was a sample at the beginning of each line as a guide for students to know what to write. Mrs. A. demonstrated how to write each form correctly multiple times on the line provided and then wrote the uppercase and lowercase “R” on the same line multiple times (i.e. Rr Rr Rr). Below these, the students had to copy the written sentence that contained words that were spelled with “R” (i.e. Randy raccoon rode up the ramp). Below this, the students had to write their own “R” words. Mrs. A. took suggestions from the students and wrote the words on the board to show how to spell them correctly. This lesson was a repeated lesson that has been done for other letters as well and so a more thorough explanation was not entirely necessary. The students, however, anticipated her asking for “R” words and were very creative in their suggestions. They offered big words because they knew that Mrs. A could spell the words for them and there was therefore no real limits to their choices.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING:
Mrs. A.’s class is situated so that all of the desks are in rows that face the whiteboard. When she provides instruction, all of the students are facing the direction that she is teaching to reduce distraction. She also has a larger copy of whatever the students are working on so that she can amply demonstrate the proper formation of the letters for her students.

TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain: Fluency

RICA Competency: Fluency Instruction and Assessment

Grade Level: 2nd

INSTRUCTION:

I observed Mrs. W. teaching fluency while the students were sitting at the carpet in large group (as a whole class). After reviewing the definition of fluency ("I can read accurately with expression and understand what I read"), she reminded them that fluency is an important skill in reading that involves more than just getting through each page quickly. She then had one student come up to read with her in front of the class. She demonstrated choral reading with him and, while they both read, she used proper intonation. After she modeled it, she had the student practice on his own. He read through it without any effect in his tone but read through the words that he fumbled over before. She had him read it a second time but offered suggestions for how he could improve his fluency (i.e. pausing after a period, raising or lowering his voice depending on the punctuation, etc.). He read it a second time and read it faster pausing after the periods. She asked the class if they heard a difference in his reading and they all responded positively. She then asked him to read it a third time, practicing another fluency technique. The third time he read the passage, it was like he was a completely different reader! He used intonation, correct pausing, and read through every word fluently. The class was very impressed!

After this demonstration, she gave instruction that the students would Read to Someone and practice fluency. They were to read the story out of their Reader twice and work on improving their fluency each time. The first time they read through, they worked on pronunciation of the words they were not completely familiar with and then, the second time through, they were able to focus on their intonation. It was amazing how much they improved just in this simple exercise!

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING
In Mrs. W.'s class, she has a CAFE wall which is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. Every time a new aspect of one of these categories is taught and practiced, a flashcard is placed in the appropriate column to help the students remember. This quick reference guide helps students remember their goals in reading.

TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain: Planning Reading Instruction based on Assessment

RICA Competency: Planning, Organizing, and Managing Reading Instruction

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

INSTRUCTION:

I observed Mrs. W. managing independent reading and instructing how to select the right book to read. First, she explained that choosing the right book is like choosing the right shoes to wear. They cannot be too big or too small and they have to fit the purpose of the occasion. Just like shoes, books that they choose to read should not be too hard or too easy and they should fit the purpose for their reading.

She then used the guidelines in the IPICK Chart, a resource taken from the Daily 5 Program, which enables students to refer to the acronym of PICK (purpose, interest, comprehension, and knowledge of the vocabulary)to choose the book that is just right for them. She also modeled how she would select a book, practiced reading it, and had students rate her choices. As they were going to be dismissed to choose their books and read silently, she referenced the Read to Self chart and the expectations for this sustained silent reading (SSR) time. To provide consistency, Mrs. W. sets aside Read to Self time everyday so that the students have built stamina in reading for longer periods of time. The students were then released by color to select some books from the class library that would be added to their personalized reading folders. While students were selecting books, the rest of the class was busy reading their IPICK books.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING:
I observed that the classroom library has a variety of books to choose from. Mrs. W. has made sure that every reading level is represented and that the range covers a multitude of interests. The IPICK and Read to Self charts are also clearly displayed on the walls for the students to reference.

TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain: Comprehension

RICA Competency: Comprehension

Grade Level: 2nd

INSTRUCTION:

I observed Ms. W. teaching Comprehension. She addressed the iRead to Someone Chart, part of the Daily Five program, and reviewed the expectations that were clearly written on it. She then had a student bring a “Check for Understanding” visual aid and demonstrated how it worked. She had one student come up to stand beside her and read a page of a book they were sharing. While the student read, she held onto the check mark. After the student finished the page, she would hold out the check mark and say, “Okay, let me check for understanding. What I heard you read was that Bobby felt left out because he could not throw a baseball.” She then asked the student if her summary of the page was correct. If it was not, the student would re-read the page and then ask for a “Check for Understanding” again. If it was correct, they would switch roles and Ms. W. would read the next page while the student would hold the check mark and would provide the unaided retelling or summary of the page. By demonstrating her expectations, and having a visual aid with some directions on it, all of the learners were able to see what they were supposed to do.

Ms. W. then had the students choose their reading buddy (after warning them to choose someone who would be good to work with), and dismissed them to get their personalized reading folders, each with individual reading level appropriate books inside. The students then chose a place around the room to sit and read with their partner. As I walked around the room observing this technique in practice, students were very motivated by the check marks and were excited to tell their partner what they heard read. This technique made sure that both partners were comprehending the material that was being read because the listener had to give a summary at the end of the page and the reader had to make sure that the summary was correct.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING
I observed that one corner of the room is devoted to reading. There is a remarkable library filled with all levels of books and folders with personalized mini “libraries” for each student. With the help of her class, Ms. W. has created large iCharts with explanations of the different ways to read (including to Self and to Someone) and these are displayed on the walls. It is apparent that reading is very important in Ms. W.’s class.