Group 8 Laura Houston Chris Kahley Alexis Scranton Assignment 3 Questions, Criteria, Standards FRIT 8435 Fall 2011

Guiding Question
1. Does the program enhance teachers knowledge and use of strategies that promote early literacy in the English language, as introduced during training and coaching sessions?

Criteria
Teachers understand concepts of phonemic awareness and how to teach the skills associated with them, taught during the training course. Teachers regularly provide students with direct instruction in literacy skills and provide ample opportunity for student practice.

Standard
Teachers attend 80% of training sessions provided. Teachers understand all of the terminology used in the new phonics/literacy centered syllabus (i.e. phonemes, graphemes, blending, segmenting, etc.) and can pass an assessment on the concepts with 90% accuracy. Teachers provide explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and the manipulation of phonemes for a minimum of 60% of class periods taught per week for each class. Teachers will provide guided/choral reading instruction to students daily. Teachers attend 80% of training sessions provided. Students are provided with opportunities to practice their language skills with classroom peers multiple times per week. A minimum of 2-

2. Does the program enhance the teachers knowledge and use of strategies that encourage communicative approaches to learning, as introduced during training and coaching sessions?

Teachers provide students with opportunities to practice the English language in authentic tasks and activities on a regular basis. Teachers consistently incorporate a variety of

communicative activities into their teaching plans and instruction.

3 lessons per week must incorporate this component.

3. Does the program increase teachers use of external resources during instruction and assessment, both selfmade and pre-made, to enhance student learning and engagement?

Teachers incorporate relevant learning materials other than the provided text book and student activity book into lessons.

Teachers incorporate additional learning materials, teaching aids and/or authentic assessments in a minimum of 3 lessons per unit of study in the provided text book. These aids should be relevant to the topic and concepts being taught, enhancing student understanding and engagement.