II. District Programming Information: Programs

II.
District Programming Information Programs

Curriculum Programs and Resources (based on interview with Elementary Education Director Dottie Umstead) Primarily students currently use the basal text for reading and math. The current reading text adoption is a balanced literacy program and includes online and software components. The current math program has software components as well provided assessments. Teachers also utilize the DPI math resources provided to them or that can be found online. Third through fifth grade students will be moving toward the Everyday Math Program that deals more with conceptual thinking, problem solving and higher order thinking. This program is more compatible with the new Common Core Standards.
Battle of the Books Students in grades 3-5 participate in the Halifax County Library Elementary School Battle of the Books competition. This competition, sponsored by the North Carolina School Library Media Association aims at promoting a love of reading and familiarity with the best literature for young people. Students at the elementary schools read books from a list established by the Battle of the Books committee, and then compete in a quiz-bowl-style tournament to test their knowledge of the books.
Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins
MATCH Mentoring Activities Tailored for Children in Halifax The MATCH program is a program that promotes academic and social achievement for students in grades four through eight by: Providing support and guidance from an adult Providing academic support for students Improving interpersonal relationships between children and their peers, teachers, other adults, and family members Reducing juvenile delinquency and gang involvement Increasing daily attendance in school Decreasing discipline referrals.
The program recruits volunteers to serve as mentors to identified students. Participating students are targeted if they have chronic absenteeism and a low grade point average. In the case of elementary school students, students who have a 77 or below average in at least two core subjects are eligible for the program. Students with four or more discipline referrals are also eligible for the program.
Mentors assist by establishing an open, friendly, and trusting relationship with the mentee. They work with their mentee to: develop life skills, increase academic achievement, increase ability to interact and communicate; and provide educational and social possibilities. Mentors and mentees have attended PTA meetings together, eaten lunch together, attended movies and concerns, gone shopping and participated in local parades. There have also been several field trips.
Summer Bridge Program As a part of the School Improvement Grant awarded to Enfield Middle School, a mandatory Summer Bridge Program will be held each year for fifth graders (rising 6th graders) to help decrease the retention rate among first-time sixth graders. Fifth grade students will attend classes 15 25 additional days over to summer.
Supplemental Education Services (SES) Elementary school students at both Dawson Elementary and Inborden Elementary schools were offered free tutoring in reading and math through Supplemental Education Services. Students who received free or reduced-priced lunch were eligible. Interested parents of students at the two schools attended a provider fair to learn about various tutorial programs and select one of the providers for their child. Once chosen, students received tutoring in either reading or math for two days a week after school.
4-H & Youth Day Camp Children in Halifax County between the ages of 6 and 14 have the opportunity to participate in weeklong summer camps on a variety of topics. Participants are not required to have a 4-H membership and they can attend a maximum of four sessions offered during the summer. The camps maintain a 1:8 ration of staff to campers. Parents have to complete applications for the camps that average $55 a week. Educational activities may be offered in animal science, foods and nutrition, safety, wildlife, outdoor recreation, crafts, environmental awareness, and others with the goals of improving the campers life skills in
the areas of self confidence, independence, self reliance, and decision making. All camps have a specific focus but will include many of our traditional 4-H activities that make camp, fun, safe, and exciting. Some of the camps include: environmental science, art, iNature, kids cooking, outdoor adventure, Colonial days, and CSI.
Halifax County Library System Summer Reading Program For the youth in Halifax, Enfield, Scotland Neck, Littleton and Weldon area, the Halifax County Library System has story hour one day a week in the summer. In the summer months, the libraries also have the Summer Reading Program. During this special program, area school age students are encouraged to read as many books as possible. In addition to activities and crafts, different community leaders and professionals are invited to speak. The Summer Reading Program is often culminated with a pizza party or hot dog social.
Vocabulary
Assessment A means for gathering information or data that reveals what learners control, partially control or do not yet control consistently Blend To combine sounds or word parts Buddy Study A five-day word study system for learning conventional spelling strategies, patterns and principles. Choral Reading To read aloud in unison with a group. Connecting Strategies Ways of solving words that use connections or analogies with similar known words. (Knowing the sh in she and the word out helps a student learn the word shout) Comprehensive Literacy Curriculum A comprehensive literacy model is researchbased and designed to help all students learn to read and write effectively. There is a balance between reading, writing, listening, speaking and critical thinking. Assessments are Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 4
given to guide the teacher's instructional decisions. Students work at a level that is not frustrating for them. In our child-centered classrooms, many opportunities are provided for strategy-based learning, critical thinking and real life reading and writing experiences. Decoding Using letter/sound relationships to translate a word from a series of symbols to a unit of meaning. Early Literacy Concepts Very early understandings related to how written language or print is organized and used. Fluency in reading Reading continuous text with good momentum, phrasing, appropriate pausing, intonation and stress. Guided Reading An instructional setting that enables the teacher to work with a small group of students to help them learn effective strategies for processing text with understanding. The purpose of guided reading is to meet the varying instructional needs of all students, enabling them to greatly expand their reading powers. Guided Writing An instructional setting designed to teach a specific skill or strategy to a small group of students and to give children practice in writing. Students are supported as needed by a teacher who provides instruction through mini-lessons and conferences. The goal of guided writing is to move students toward independent writing. High Frequency Words Words that occur often in the spoken and written language. They are often called sight words. (i.e. the, and, said, I) Interactive Read Aloud A teaching context in which students are actively listening and responding to an oral reading of a text. Interactive Writing A teaching context in which the teacher and students cooperatively plan, compose, and write a group text; both teacher and students act as scribe (sharing the pen). Just-Right book A high-interest book that a student can read with 90% accuracy or more with good understanding of meaning. Leveled Books A key component in a guided reading program. High interest books are given a level of difficulty so students can be matched to a just-right book. Phonemic awareness The ability to hear individual sounds in words and to identify particular sounds. Phonics The knowledge of letter/sound relationships and how they are used in reading and writing. Teaching phonics refers to helping children acquire this body of knowledge
about the oral and written language systems; additionally, teaching phonics helps children use phonics knowledge as a part of a reading and writing process. Phonological awareness The awareness of words, rhyming words, onsets, and rimes, syllables, and individual sounds. Strategic Action Any one of many simultaneous, coordinated thinking activities that go on in a reader's head. Word Wall - A classroom tool used to display a collection of words that a child refers to for support of his/her reading and writing. The word wall includes high frequency words and exemplar words used in analogy based word work.
Parents
The role of parents in Halifax County schools should be to support the childs academic, social, and emotional growth. To this extent, the district has hired several Parent Leaders whose responsibility is to coordinate programs that increase parental engagement in and out of schools. To date, the Parent Leaders have conducted Muffins for Moms, Donuts for Dads, and Tips and Tacos events. Each of these had a positive turnout (a little under 50 participants each) and was designed to give parents and caregivers encouragement, support, and helpful strategies for strategically engaging in the academic lives of their youngsters.
Parents and caregivers of upper elementary students should also be willing
to transform themselves from supply parents to demand parents. According to Rudy Crew, a professor of clinical education at the Rossier School of Education, 2008 Superintendent of the Year of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Parents and caregivers fall into two general categories when it comes to the role they expect to play in their children's schools. Supply parents consider their role to be limited to handing their children overin effect, "supplying" themto the schoolthey do not know how to support their children's learning at home or how to use the school system to get the most for their children (Crew, 2007). Therefore, they generally accept whatever the school does. In contrast, demand parents actively participate in their children's education, provide ideas and feedback, and lobby to be included in decision making. They reinforce the school's and individual teachers' missions at home, they know what honors or enrichment programs are available, they have ideas about what actions or resources the school needs for success, and they offer their opinions about their child's progress and the school's overall performance. Thus, a parents actions must become congruent with his or her demands. They must do their part to support their children in and out of school. In one elementary school in Halifax County, there is a well-known retired teacher and grandmother of a several students in the school who represents such an idea. In addition to supporting her grand childrens academic and social development at home, she spends time helping teachers make copies, decorate their rooms, check papers, and coordinate projects as requested. She is usually at the school every day and is well informed of all thats happening. She frequently provides welcomed ideas and suggestions that she helps implements. To inform this parent and others of school events and student achievement, the county utilizes multiple methods of communication. School officials send home newsletters, flyers, and other written correspondence by students. Each school has a website that hosts teacher pages, the school calendar, school announcements, parent tips, the schools improvement plan, messages from the principal and superintendent, the Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 7
curriculum scope and sequence, and other pertinent information. In the event of school closings and other emergencies, parents are notified via the local news stations and through the automated calling system, Connect-Ed. Special announcements are also posted in the local newspaper, the Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, and the public-access channel, which offers free advertising. In addition, many schools in Halifax County also communicate with parents through local churches and community events. At the upper elementary level, it is hard to tell if the existing methods of communication are effective. According to the school counselor at Inborden Elementary, when parents know that their child will be performing, they will show up in large numbers. But when we want to get them out here to talk to teachers about their kids school work, its hardwe dont get as many people to show up. The Parent Leader of the same school echoed these same findings. To remedy this, the principal of Inborden Elementary, Bettie Archibald, schedules special events on the night of PTA meetings. For this six-week period, students participated in the Science Fair. At other times, the students, parents, and teachers participated in concerts, movie nights, festivals, and more. After school and related business matters are taken care of, parents and caregivers enjoy watching their students perform and/or show off recent class work and projects. School leaders at Enfield Middle School, which is physically connected to this feeder school, have taken notice and are also beginning to increase parental involvement in this manner.
Community Connections
Halifax County has several community organizations that support upper elementary students and their families including, but not limited to the following:
NC State Cooperative Extension Services Youth and 4-H Programs and camps provided at local centers year round.
St. Paul Baptist Church Under the leadership of Pastor Ellis, the members of St. Paul church provide an after school program and a summer program for students in grade 3-5 at Inborden Elementary.
Community Child Protective Team, DSS (Department of Social Services), CADA These organizations assist families with securing basic needs including, but not limited to food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.
National Parent Teacher Association Members of this organization meet every six weeks to receive updates about student progress and to plan events that promote student growth and achievement.
21st Century This afterschool program provides tutoring, snacks, and physical activity for students throughout the year.
Supplemental Education Services Various for profit companies, including Accelerated Achievement, ART in the 21st Century, BrainWorks Learning Center, and Brame Institute of Education, Inc. hire licensed teachers to provide after-school tutoring to struggling students at no cost throughout the school year.
The Halifax County Library The Halifax County Library system sponsors several special events during the year including a summer reading program for children and weekly story times at three branch libraries.
Scotland Neck Memorial Library Internet services, Internet access, copy machine, fax, machine, story hour, Jobs Corps Representative, CADA Representatives, and meeting room facilities.
SYSTEM OF CARE/FAMILIES SUPPORTING FAMILIES OF HALIFAX COUNTY, NC, INC This organization provides an array of community services and resources for mentally, emotionally and behaviorally challenged children/adolescents, ages 5-18, and their families. For upper elementary students, this organization provides parent/youth support group meetings, family/youth driven activities, as well as develop strong advocacy skills. Families/Consumers receive services through a referral process.
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Halifax-Warren Smart Start Child Care Resource & Referral in Roanoke Rapids The Child Care Resource & Referral provides assistance with finding summer programs for children. The referral office helps parents find quality summer programs in the area. By contacting the office parents can be provided with a list of programs throughout Wilson, Warren, Halifax, Nash and Edgecombe counties. It also tells parents want to look for when choosing a quality summer program as well as provide additional resources to meet the needs of the family. One other key component is making child care referrals for children aged 5 to 12 years for parents working first, second or third shift jobs. While these programs are in existence, they are not accessible to the majority of children and their parents in Halifax County. Transportation continues to be major barrier.
Curricular Scope & Sequence

Halifax County Schools has pacing guides for each of the four core subjects at the upper elementary level: English/Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. There are four pacing guides for third, fourth and fifth grade.
English/Language Arts This pacing guide is broken into six six-week periods. The focus of each six weeks is as follows: - First Cognition - Second Cognition and Critical Stance
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- Third Interpretation - Fourth Critical Stance and Interpretation - Fifth Interpretation - Sixth All Objectives Reviewed Each six weeks focuses on concepts to be taught matched with objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study along with strategies, possible themes, non-negotiables and suggested dates. The Concept to be Taught section has a category breakdown: vocabulary, comprehension, literacy, writing, grammar and genre. Similarly, the objectives section breaks down the objectives according to the same categories. In the first six weeks, there is a section titled Non-Negotiable. This section of the pacing guide mandates daily teacher read-alouds and even suggests sample stories. Other non-negotiables include students reading for at least 30 minutes (silent and shared) and small group instruction at least three times a week. There are suggested workstations and a Discouraged Activities list. This lists discourages having students do round robin reading, copy definitions and use basal websites for direct instruction. In the subsequent six weeks, the Non-Negotiable column/section becomes Introduce/Maintain. In addition to the pacing guide, there are other helpful resources provided. Teachers receive a literature list for teaching various language arts skills. Skills are listed as sub-headings and defined. Under each sub-heading is a list of stories that can be used to teach each skill. Skills include: figurative language examples, parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms and homonyms, character traits, point-of-view, inference, theme, tone, plot and setting. Moreover, teachers are provided with suggested titles for read alouds organized by third, fourth and fifth grade levels and a list of discussion questions for book talks and
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guided reading groups. Along with this, EOG question categories and ideas for word studies are also given.
Math The math pacing guide provides a blueprint showing the main competency goals according to the NC Standard Course of Study for each of the grade level and the weighted percentage on the NC End-of-Grade tests. There is also a Blooms Revised Taxonomy of Cognitive Levels chart that suggests activities according to the six levels, lists relevant verbs, includes sample assignments as well as resources. The focus in the pacing guide again is a Concept to be Taught section along with the corresponding objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. DPI strategies and indicators are matched up with the concepts and objectives in another section of the pacing guide and suggestions for review activities are also given. The pacing guide concludes with a list of sample math websites. Social Studies This pacing guide is broken into six six-week periods. Each grade level has a theme: - Third Grade Citizenship: People Making a Difference - Fourth Grade North Carolina: Geography and History - Fifth Grade United States History, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Each six weeks focuses on concepts to be taught matched with objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Additionally, there are suggested transitional materials for an effective K-5 Social Studies program. The suggestions are made using the following categories: geography, history, economics and civics. Recommended grade level field trips are also provided.
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Science The science pacing guide is driven by the goals that correspond with the NC Standard Course of Study. A list of activities is provided for each goal. In addition, teachers are provided with essential questions and key vocabulary for each of the goals.
Each of the pacing guides are appropriately paced and aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. For the first five six weeks, the goals and objectives are being covered. The sixth six weeks is used for review of the goals taught throughout the school year. The pacing guides are easily accessible at the district website and at five of the seven elementary school websites. The organization is easy to understand for both teachers and parents.
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III. Child Development Physical Development

For better or worse, 4 graders tend to have incredible energy and emotion.
th
The physical development of students in grades 3-6 run the gamut from being able to do seat work for long periods of time to a strong need for outdoor play. But one thing these age groups have in common is tons of energy. In addition, 7- and 8-year olds often struggle with the added responsibility that comes with the third and fourth grades. This affects their physical development. Many 7- and 8 year-olds tend to worry about tests and assignments. The also feel anxiety when separated from
Mike Anderson Educational Leadership:
familiar people, surroundings, and routines. Nine to 11-year olds need routines even if the do like to push the limits occasionally. Because of their activeness, they benefit from short snack or recess breaks versus long breaks, active games or energizers and the building of movements into learning activities. It is also within this age range, that physical size and attractiveness begins to influence how others perceive children, according to Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. For some children, puberty begins. For girls in particular, early maturity can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. There is a heightened sense of health and safety concerns as well. Because physical play is so important, it is also important to monitor kids when they play. The number of accidental injuries rises in this age group due Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 15
to the fact that they are still acquiring cognitive skills and becoming more independent during playtime.
Cognitive Development
While there are some variations in the cognitive development of children in grades 3-6, one thing characteristic they all share is being hardworking and eager. Kids in this age range are very aware that they will face greater challenges. Their brain development has advanced to the point where they can begin to learn the formal rules of reading, writing, and math, according to The Ups and Downs of 3rd Grade in Educational Leadership: The Transition Years. They are concrete thinkers and need to learn by doing: creating posters, putting on plays, writing stories, reading books, playing games, and using math manipulatives to support abstract math concepts, writes Mike Anderson in his article The Leap into 4th Grade. Students in this age range benefit from lessons where there are several minutes of direct teaching, a work period to practice and apply and a brief-wrap up. To further develop cognitive skills, they need classroom routines. In addition, they need to be able to practice these routines. Among other things, they need reinforcement, frequent reminders and repeated
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chances to review and practice. In addition, students in the upper elementary grades have the ability to be self-regulated learners that can plan, organize, monitor and evaluate their own learning activities.
Language and Literacy Development
Age
Language/Literacy Characteristics
- Like to talk, explain ideas, and use rapidly expanding vocabularies - Tend to exaggerate - Listen well, but they have so many ideas that they may not always remember what theyve heard - Love descriptive language, word play, and new vocabulary - Sometimes revert to baby talk - Enjoy exaggeration, dirty jokes, and graffiti - Listens well - Read voraciously - Expressive and talkative; like to explain things - Enjoy arguing and debating - Appreciate humor - Imitate adult language
For students in grades 3-6, there is an increase in the necessity for strong literacy skills. The curriculum moves away from basic reading instruction; students are now expected to read independently to learn core content in the subject areas. Students are also expected to write in a formalized format and take standardized tests, according to an article in Educational Leadership: The Transition Years. For fourth
8 9 10 11
graders in particular, there is a shift from learning to read to reading to learn. According to a study, Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of HighAchieving Students from Lower-Income Families, more than half of low-income students who at one time were high achievers in reading in first grade fall behind by fifth grade. Why? Lack of a literacy-rich environment. There are obstacles to students reading their potential include limited life experiences, a lack of books and insufficient exposure to
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books, and a lack of both accessible libraries and stimulating summer experiences, wrote Christine Beck in the article No More Lost Ground from Educational Leadership. While many of the language and literacy characteristics listed in the table above occur naturally, they still need to be nurtured in both school and at home.
Self-concept, Identity, and Motivation

During upper elementary school, children enter into what developmental psychologist Erik Ericson calls the industry vs. inferiority stage where they begin to develop their sense of industry. Industry refers to the childs identification of their strengths. When their strengths and accomplishments are celebrated, their sense of self positively develops. But when they dont have a sense of
understands causes of emotions able to assess the degree to which they can control a sitution
Emotional Development (Upper Elementary)

understands that multiple emotions can occur at the same time
Emotional Regulation (Upper Elemetary)
uses problem- and emotion-based strategies to regulate emotions
begins to use cognitive strategies to reduce stress
industry and are unable to live up to the expectations of others, they may develop a sense of inferiority. Thus, children in upper elementary need the help of caring adults as they develop self-sufficiency and competency. Students this age should be provided with multiple opportunities to initiate new activities and feel a sense of accomplishment. Along with the positive feelings associated with accomplishment, children between the ages of 8 and 11 are beginning to show greater control over their emotions. In stressful situations, they may conceal their emotions, use distraction strategies, and/or attempt to redefine the situation in a way that does not provoke a negative response. Children this
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age may also tend to engage in problem-focused coping strategies (seeking information, taking action to change or modify the situation, generating different solutions, etc.) and/or emotion-focused strategies (expressing emotions, seeking support and comfort in others, avoiding stressful events). (Meece, 347)
Fostering Emotional Competence

What Good Parents Do:
-validate and accept childs emotions - help child articulate and understand their emotions - provide verbal guidance in positive responses to stress and other problems - provide reassurance that they will become more skilled at handling emotions overtime - involve children in decision making
Upper elementary students need help understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions.
What Good Teachers Do:

-create caring, positive, and affective environments, - help students develop emotion related language using books, plays, videos -model positive methods for dealing with problems in the classroom -provide explicit instruction regarding specific ways to handle emotions and stress -engage students in problem solving strategies, conflict resolution, making good choices, using positive self-talk, etc.
Figure 1 Fostering Emotional Competence in Upper Elementary Students
While peer pressure is strong, children at this age heavily rely on the guidance of responsible adult role models to foster emotional competence. Figure D.2 provides a list of ways for teachers and caregivers to foster emotional competence in upper elementary students. Children who receive this support tend to demonstrate more positive forms of self-regulation than children who do not. (Meece, 348) A child who is emotionally competent can tend to develop a positive self-concept. Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 19
As the upper elementary students self-concept develops, they begin to think more abstractly. This allows them to describe themselves in more realistic, detailed terms: I am good student because I earn good grades. vs. I am a girl. I read books. Unlike younger students, they are capable of integrating opposing attributes with the realization that people can have both positive and negative traits. In addition, upper elementary students begin to use interpersonal characteristics (trustworthy, compassionate) to describe themselves and may often do so by making social comparisons. In the classroom, a students self-concept is known to affect performance. So while every child can learn, a student with a poor self-concept overall may perform poorly in the classroom. However, as students enter into the final stages of middle childhood, their ability to integrate positive and negative characteristics is stronger. Upper elementary students may begin to differentiate their selfconcept. Students in this age group may categorize their self-concept according to success in individual subject areas. For example, a student may view herself as good in reading, but horrible math. The same concept applies to a students selfesteem. A student can have high self-esteem in relation to their peer group, but poor self-esteem when it comes to school achievement. As a result, the student can maintain a relatively positive level of self-esteem. (360-361) Both selfconcept and self-esteem form the foundations of identity.
- positive selfconcept of ability - emotional competence - supportive parents - warm classroom environment - negative selfconcept of ability - changes in school environment - comparison of normative standards
Figure 2 Factors working for and against student motivation
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Identity and gender-roles are somewhat rigid and sometimes polarized amongst upper elementary students, due in part to stereotypical portrayals in the home environment, school, and the media. As a result, girls prefer to play with girls and boys prefer to play with boys. Both groups learn gender-appropriate behaviors and incorporate these into their self-concept. Both groups participate in socially acceptable activities (passive vs. more aggressive). However, as students cognitive function matures, they are more likely to understand that people can have both masculine and feminine interests and traits. Like other students, upper elementary students can be either intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Intrinsically motivated students will read a book because they find I interesting. Extrinsically motivated students to get a reward. Both forms of motivation tend to wane as student exit upper elementary school as a result of how students judge themselves (comparative evaluations, normative information, social standards). Students may also judge themselves in terms of normative standards, they may find it difficult to perform at high levels of proficiency and demonstrate high ability and may therefore lose academic motivation. Figure 3 lists other forces that work for and against student motivation in upper elementary student
Peer Relations and Moral Development

Children benefit from doing things with peers, thus the peer group becomes important in middle childhood. With their peer group (other children who generally consist of children who are similar in age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and who
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live near each other or go to school together), they learn leadership skills, how to cooperate, gender roles, and rules. Stability of friendships increase during middle childhood. While boys may have more friends, girls have closer friends. Upper elementary students begin to test and adopt values that may be independent of their parents. When the peer group is the cause, this action may give them a sense of belonging as well as reinforce their self-concept and gender identity. Likewise, the peer group can and often does influence students school performance and achievement. Popular children tend to be friendly, cooperative, sensitive to the needs of others, and good-natured. They also tend to be more cognitively mature. (Meece, 441)Popularity in middle childhood has an effect on future tendencies. For example, some studies show that popular children are most likely to have good cognitive and social skills. Popularity criteria may vary from area to area. As such a status is largely determined by cultural values and peer groups. Students who do not experience positive peer relations may experience low selfesteem, depression, and poor academic achievement. Likewise neglected students tend to be shy and withdrawn. Teachers can help enhance peer relations and promote pro-social behavior by incorporating structure cooperative learning activities and modeling acts of helping, caring, sharing, and cooperating with others. To help resolve disagreements and work together, children in this stage of development, students vary along the continuum of pre-conventional moral reasoning that view rules as important for maintaining social order. Because they might be punished or rewarded and conventional moral reasoning which says you should follow rules even when there is no reward or punishment. Students believe that you should follow rules. They are
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concerned with fairness and ensuring that everyone follows the rules. To this extent, teacher can help form a moral community in the classroom. The figure below list other was to promote childrens moral development and improve peer relations. Peer Relations
avoid favoritism, sarcasm, verbal and physicl abuse, andother behaviors that humiliate the child create a safe classroom environment prevent bullying and verbal peer to peer abuse model positive solving methods
Moral Development
use indeuctive methd of discipline (give reasons for why a behavior is wrong) present moral issues and dilemmas and discuss them with children promote perspectove taking by giving students the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings, listen to other perspectives allow students to partcipate in the decision making process hold regular class meetings to to discussing ethical issues and events inside andoutside the school implement character education into their existing curriculum promote servce learning projects
How Teachers Can Improve Peer Relations
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IV. Data Collection

Peer relations and Motivation 3rd Grade Reading Class Observation Observer: Hope Walker Students worked independently at their pushed-together desks to copy and complete a grammar activity that was posted on the board. After the allotted time (about 10 minutes), volunteers were asked to share their answers. During this time, students did not talk over each other, yell out answers, tease each other when mistakes were made, or complain when they made mistakes. The teacher gently corrected mistakes and the students were quite receptive. Next came a restroom break. I was amazed at how quiet and orderly students were in this process. It was obvious that the teacher had practiced and established procedures. Upon return, they immediately returned to their seats, took out their text, and waited for instruction. The teacher introduced the text and gave students time to engage in a picture walk through the story. Working with a partner (the student at the same desk), students engaged in discussion about the pictures in the story, providing their opinions about the possible storyline. When the class reconvened, students were asked to share their predictions. The teacher then added more background knowledge by making connections to a current event about space travel. One of the students raised his hand to comment on Giffords shooting, saying that she was married to an astronaut. This supports the research Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 24
Observed Yardsticks & Milestones (8yrs)

Social-Emotional works best in groups atpushed together desk; responds well to classtraditions that build a sense of unity and cohesion Vision and Fine Motor Ability better control of eyes and hands enables children to copy from the board Cognitive Ability Have limited attention span but do become engrossed in the activity at hand
that explains how children make meaning when reading by relating new information to what they already know. After the discussion, the class transitioned to student-led small reading groups. Each student moved quickly to the back of the room and gathered on the floor. There was very little small talk and no horseplay. Students were on task as soon as all members of the group were comfortably seated on the floor. Judging by the fluency rate of some of the readers and the quality of questions and discussions, the students appeared to be grouped by ability. Some students still used decoding skills to sound out a word they didnt know which is normal at this stage in reading development. The teacher moved among the groups, noting observations and providing assistance as needed. At this point, we shared with the teacher how great her students were, complimented her on her efforts, and offered thanks for the opportunity to observe.
Socioemotional Development and Motivation in the Classroom Classroom Environment Survey Fourth Grade Class Observation: Aurelian Springs Observer: Yolanda Wiggins Respond to each of the survey items by indicating how often the practice occurs on a scale like the following: 0 Not observed 1 Almost never 2 Seldom 3 Sometimes 4 Often 5 Very often
Child Choice/Initiative Children choose tasks from a variety of options, challenge levels. 3 Children choose who they want to work with. 0 (Teacher chose groups based on ability). Children choose how and where to conduct various tasks. 4 Children can work at their own pace. 4 Children can determine when they have completed a task or assignment. 0
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Participation Teacher encourages children to ask questions rather than listen passively. 3 Most children participate in class discussions. 3 Most children participate actively in class activities (i.e., appear engaged in tasks). 4 Affiliation/Cooperation Children help each other, share materials. 5 Children appear to know their classmates well. 4 Children appear to enjoy working together. 4 Peer assistance (help) with tasks is encouraged. 5 Competition Emphasis Children compete for teacher recognition. 2 Children compete for grades, rewards, or positive evaluation signs (e.g., stars on papers). 2 Children compete for peer recognition. 2 Inquiry Focus Children find out answers to questions through own investigations. 4 Teacher emphasizes thinking skills and processes of inquiry. 5 Teacher provides clues, hints, and examples to encourage problem solving. 5 Teacher encourages creative or novel ideas. 4 Performance/Evaluation Emphasis Individual student performance is salient (e.g., grades, correct and incorrect answers are publicized). 3 Teacher emphasizes comparison of student performance and behavior. 2 Praise and other rewards are given mainly to high achievers. 2 Classroom Management There appears to be a clear set of rules for students to follow. 5 Teacher deals consistently with students who break rules. 0 Children appear to understand what they are expected to do. 5 Most children demonstrate positive behavior. 5 Teacher Support The teacher takes a personal interest in the students. 5 The teacher listens to and respects each childs point of view. 4 Teacher appears to have high expectations for all students to perform and behave. 4 Teacher attends appropriately to all students, not just a few. 4 Teacher appears to accept and be responsive to individual differences in students. 4 Classroom Materials/Displays A variety of materials are available for childrens use. 5 Displays show a variety of childrens work. 5
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Teacher Structure of Academic Tasks There is evidence of modifications of academic tasks for individual or small groups of students. 4 Teacher presents instructional activities materials in a variety of forms (e.g., demonstration, discussion, brief lecture). 4 Teacher adjusts challenge level of tasks for individual students. 4 General Classroom Atmosphere Children appear comfortable, relaxed (few appear tense or nervous). 5 Classroom atmosphere is not characterized by silence, tentative responding by children. 3 Classroom atmosphere is characterized by cheerful voices of children. 4
Record Form 5.14: Classroom Environment Survey Understanding Children: An Interview and Observation Guide for Educators
When we entered this class, students were correcting capitalization errors in sentences provided by their teacher. When students finished the assignment, they read novels. After all students had completed the assignment, the teacher reviewed the examples by having students go up to the SMARTboard to correct the errors. Many students raised their hands to get the opportunity to go up. If someone struggled with a sentence, peers helped him or her out when they went up. Students corrected their papers and one exclaimed, Yes! when she saw she had gotten a problem right. The teacher transitioned in to reading by having students complete a KWL chart about space travel. The class completed a chart together on the SMARTboard while students wrote down the collaborative answers at their seats. Students had to raise their hands for certain portions of the discussion and at others shout-outs were allowed. Students produced several facts they had learned about; some keeping their hands raised for many seconds and even minutes at a time to share their ideas. The teacher connected the ideas to a current news event: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband the astronaut.
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The teacher asked students to take a picture walk through the story they were about to read and make observations. Students had to read the story in groups and team leaders had to stop periodically so that groups could discuss facts. Team leaders moved first then group members moved to team leaders. They had been grouped according to ability levels. There were four to five students in each group. What I observed in this class definitely matches the common social characteristics of students in this age range. They love working in groups. This was evidenced by the observed cooperativeness when the students worked in their reading groups. They got a chance to talk and explain ideas, two other things eight and nine-year olds like to do.
Cognitive Development: Information Processing and Intelligence Theories Classroom Environment Survey Fifth Grade Science Class Observation: Aurelian Springs Observer: Yolanda Wiggins Describe any teacher instruction related to a specific strategy students can use to complete the assignment. The main strategy used during a science lesson was discussion. The class participated in whole-class discussion and peer discussion with their shoulder partner. The teacher would introduce a topic or concept and then lead the class in discussion.
Describe the teachers rationale for using the strategy. The teacher wanted students to grasp a better understanding of their impact on the environment. She wanted students to use problem-solving and reasoning skills. Students had to apply prior knowledge to the topics discussed as well as make connections. The
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topic was the environment and the teacher gave students examples of things from the environment and challenged students to decide if it was necessary or not for survival. The teacher challenged the students to discuss why the item was necessary or not. Students gave reasons for their choices. For example, one student said that cars were not necessary for survival. In fact, they polluted the air. Some kids argued that pets were not needed for survival while another near me whispered, I need my pet. The teacher shared a video of photos that relate to environmental issues while kids watched intently. Then they were given time to discuss what they saw in the video. Kids readily shared their ideas when the teacher asked what were some of the effects of pollution on plants and animal habitats.
Describe what the teacher said or did to remind students to use the strategy. The teacher would simply share with students various concepts in chunks or segments and then allow time for discussion, making connections and application. It was obvious that students have participated in discussion before. The students were respectful and did not cut across their classmates. They listened intently and responded appropriately. This exercise helped me understand the ways teachers facilitate the development of learning strategies in a fifth grade classroom. According to Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14, ten-year olds are basically cooperative and conducive to group activity, whole class cohesion, and collaborative learning. So I understand the rationale for whole class and partner discussion. This resource also states that kids at this age level are
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eager to reach out to others, such as through community service . . . This explains their intent watching of the video showing the effects of oil spills on animals.
Observation form/activity adapted from Child & Adolescent Development for Educators Chapter 4: Activity #3.
One teaching strategy suggested by experts for students in this age range is direct teaching and a work period to practice and apply. The teacher in the observed class gave the kids mini-lectures on environmental issues, allowed them to participate in a hands-on application of the concept using the SMARTboard and they discussed the issues with a peer to apply what they learned. This worked well.
Physical Development Observations of Body Growth Third Grade Class Observation: Hollister Elementary Observer: Yolanda Wiggins In this third grade classroom, students were getting geared up for their first standardized test. The teacher and her assistant were helping students with test-taking strategies via reading practice with sample selections. The students in this classroom varied greatly in weight and height. According to Understanding Children: An
Record Form 3.1: Observations of Body Growth and Physical Development Understanding Children: An Interview and Observation Guide for Educators
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Interview and Observation Guide for Educators, smaller children are sometimes judged as less mature than larger children in the class. The two smaller students I observed were noticeably on point with the discussion, even helping their neighbors stay on track and pointing out how they came up with their answers. Students in the class (the ones called on to read) read quite fluently and were able to explain correct answers and explain why incorrect answers were wrong. They used reasoning skills and gestures while speaking. They were excited when they got their answers correct. They were eager to offer answers and eager to please their teacher. Students were compliant reading the selections along with other classmates and keeping quiet, only speaking when appropriate. What I observed in this class coincides well with what I have learned about the physical development of kids in this age group. Students at this age are able to do seat work for long periods of time. But, they still need physical breaks from work. As the students were nearing the end of their review session, the teacher felt the need to tell them that their lunch and recess break were near and to focus just a little longer. It is clear that the students observed also fret about tests as evidenced by their strong willingness to listen to explanations for correct answers during their practice.
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Language and Literacy Development Reading Skills and Strategies Fourth Grade Class Observation: Hollister Elementary Observer: Yolanda Wiggins Students had completed an EOG reading test preparation selection and were reviewing with the teacher. Visual Cues Child 1 Used pictures within the selection to help with comprehension Phonetic Cues Did not stumble on words Automaticity Retrieved individual words efficiently Fluency Smooth reader Strategies (describe) Skimmed selection for evidence to support correct answer; was able to easily explain how his evidence supported the answer Was not able to give evidence for answer (which proved to be incorrect) Other Used reasoning skills, rereading
Child 2
Used pictures within the selection to help with comprehension
Used sounding out for difficult words
Retrieved individual words with little difficulty
Stumbled a bit
NA
Record Form 4.8: Reading Skills and Strategies from Understanding Children: An Interview and Observation Guide for Educators
When I arrived in this classroom, the teacher was working one-on-one with the lowest-performing student in her class. She assisted the student with the use of sight word cards. She ended the session by providing the students with a book written especially for struggling readers (high interest) and instructed him to get his older brother to help him at home. Other students were completing a practice test while the teacher called students up one at a time to test fluency. Students waited patiently for their turn. Students were compliant and respectful of others who were continuing to finish their practice test. They Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 32
waited without talking. There was no teacher assistant to help the teacher with this monumental task. Students knew what their fluency goals were when the teacher asked what their fluency rate should be by the end of third grade. The teacher finished up with one last student and then began to review the practice test. Students who got their questions correct collectively cheered, some yelling YES! and others throwing an arm in the air. For students getting questions wrong, the teacher reviewed test-taking strategies, but she had other students tell the types of strategies to use. If a student said an incorrect answer, she would have them go back to the test for evidence. When they could not find it, she would use humor (funny words and voices) to explain away the incorrect answers. Students smiled and laughed along with the teacher (including those who got questions wrong) when she explained how some answer choices were silly. What I observed in this classroom matches well with the average language and literacy characteristics of kids in this age group. They love exaggeration and jokes. They listen well, read voraciously and love to explain things. All of these characteristics were seen within the observation.
Peer Relations and Moral Development Peer Relations 6th Grade Class Observation Observer: Hope Walker During the EOG review session that I observed, students listened to rap music while they worked. The music wasnt as much of a distraction as I thought it would be. For most of the period, more than half of the students were on task and engaged. There were a few disputes about right answers and a few conversations about what was eaten for lunch, Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 33
but students were engaged. Peer tutors seemed to take their role seriously as they moved around to each student in their group. When the teacher met with each group, he had their full attention upon arrival. When they asked him questions, he tended to answer their questions with guiding questions. I noticed that he did not tell a student that they chose the wrong answer. Instead, he would point to a problem and ask How do you know this is the right answer? or Can you show me how you worked this problem out? Students were eager to show what they knew; they seem to enjoy debating with each other and the teacher. Students finished the packets at about the same time. He congratulated them for a job well done and gave feedback based on the work hed seen from students. They ended the class by playing Simon Says and a game called The Wheel in which students standing in a circle had to quickly name a country in Europe or be out if they broke the wheel. Kids were all too excited to be able to get up and move around a bit.
Other observations are noted below:
Observed Yardsticks & Milestones (11yrs)

Math Solve complicated word problems Work on speed and accuracy in computations Work with percentages Social Emotional Behavior Love the challenge of competition Decreased levels of exclusion as learning groups were adjusted for the social mix Teacher empathy ad humor helped students take themselves less seriously Cognitive Growth Learn well in collaborative groups Enjoy brainteasers, tests, and intellectual puzzles and activities Becomes more adept at abstract thinking Enjoy arguing and debating
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Student Interviews
Self-Concept, Identity, and Motivation Self- Descriptions Interviewer: Hope Walker Two students were interviewed together on campus. The third student was interviewed in his home. The purpose of the interviews was to examine age related differences in self-descriptions and reveal aspects of the students self-concept and identity. Robin used the following characteristics to describe himself: 12-years-old light-skinned medium height black, spiky hair average weight trustworthy calm optimistic kind smart likes computers, riding bike, doing math, irritating his big brother,
Christianity is important because it gives me an understanding of my purpose in life.
-Robin
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Self-Concept, Identity, Motivation continued During the interview, this student frequently paused to collect his thoughts, often making eye contact with the student across the table.
Cameron used the following characteristics to describe himself: 11-years-old light-skinned average height normal weight brown hair and eyes trustworthy kind smart happy person optimistic likes football, basketball, playing with dog, reading sciencefiction, math likes serving others, helping out with laundry, and cooking chicken alfredo and spaghetti
Im a happy person until somebody makes me mad.
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Self-Concept, Identity, Motivation continued This student was very matter-of-fact in his speech. He also spent more time thinking about and describing his physical characteristics than interpersonal.
Alexander used the following characteristics to describe himself: 9-years-old dark-skinned lots of dark hair average weight short dark eyes playful intelligent nice likes to play video games, watch TV, skateboard, to do math values education, family, and friends
Im nice to people who are nice to me. You know -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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Self-Concept, Identity, Motivation continued Interpretation: I was a little surprised by the self-descriptions that students gave of themselves during an interview. One child was Asian- American; the other two were African-American. The oldest two boys described themselves as light-skinned, and the youngest described himself as dark-skinned. This suggests that these students have not begun to explore their ethnic identities. I wonder if this is because the schools they attend are ethnically homogenous and they are just trying to blend in and be part of a group, or if neither child wanted to point out another difference among themselves since they already seemed to realize that they stand out from their larger peer group (intellectually).
What is a good teacher? (Strategy 5.5) What is a good teacher? What is he or she like? Robin: A good teacher is a positive thinker, helpful, and dependable. They teach you the easy way of doing things. Theyre fair. They let kids do different things based on how they learn.
Cameron: A good teacher is caring, trustworthy---youre able to trust them, and fair. They dont show favoritism.
Alexander: A good teacher is a teacher who has a lot of active work areas for kids and explains things in a way that everyone understands. A good teacher shows you what they
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want you to know. Like, if they want you to know what a vocabulary word is, they wont just tell you, they will act it out. A good teacher is also smart.
Interpretation: Older kids moved from smart and helpful to trustworthy, fair, and positive thinker. This reflects the extended word knowledge possessed by older students. Notwithstanding, there were more similarities in the students descriptions of desirable teacher characteristics across grade levels.
What is a friend? (Strategy 5.8) What is a friend? Cameron: A person who helps you get through good and bad situations. Robin: A person who is nice, kind, and trustworthy. Alexander: A friend isa person who is nice to you and who does not treat you with disrespect.
Do you have many friends? Cameron: Nopeople seem to like kids who are just like them. Robin: No. Alexander: UhmI got a few. I wouldnt say a lot. Maybe five.
How does this make you feel? Cameron: Sometimes it makes me feel sad---but it starts to subside and I feel better Robin: It makes me feel sad sometimes. Alexander: It makes me feel happy to have someone that I can talk to and play with.
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Tell me about a friend of yours and why he or she is your friend? Cameron: Ricardo because hes nice, trustworthy, kindhes a person you can tell your secrets tohe wont tell anybody. Robin: Kennesha. Shes nice, helpful, and smart. Alexander: Link is one on my friendsyou spell that L-i-n-k . Hes my friend because he is niceand hes smartwait.if I say he is smart then it would sound like if I say he is not smart then he is not gonna me my friend. He would still be my friend even if he wasnt that smartbecause it doesnt matter if they are smart or not.it just matters that they treat you with respect and are nice.
Why is it important to be like that? Cameron: If youre not trustworthy, people wont tell you anything about themselves. You make friends by knowing things about people. Robin: If you are nice, you will be nice to me. Being helpful means you can help me in a bad situation, and if you are helpful, you can help me work out problems. Alexander: If your friends are not nice and treat you with disrespect, then they are always going to be mean. And who wants a friend whos mean?
Is it nice to have friends? // Why is it important to have a friend? Cameron: Yesyoull have people to hang around and talk to. It feels good and exciting. It feels bad without them. Robin: Yes, its nice. They can help you with your group work. They wont make you feel lonely. It feels good to have friends.
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Alexander: Its not really important to have friends because you dont need friends. My mom tells me that. But its nice to have friends because you can have someone to talk to and play with.
Is it important to have a lot of friends or just a few? Why? Cameron: Maybe a few friends but not a lot. They may have arguments, split up, and then that leaves me by myself. Robin: A few friendsyou can forget about them if you have too many. If they split into groups, you cant choose. Alexander: A few friends.you dont have to have a whole bunch of friends. If you have a whole bunch of friends, it can get crazy. If they all wanted to have a sleepover at the same time, you would have to work all day and all night to figure out which one to go to or if you should just bring everybody and go to one sleepover. It could make the other person feel bad if you didnt come to theirs.
How can you tell if someone is a best friend? Cameron: They help you with problems you are facing. Robin: A best friend can help you a lot. A best friend can make boredom go away. Best friends are around a lot. They are trustworthy. Alexander: If someone is your best friend, they are really, really, really, really, really, really, nice and they treat you with respecta lot of respect. How is this different from just a friend? Robin: A regular friend will just be normal. They wont hang around me too much. They may fight or argue with me more.
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Cameron: {Pauses for several moments} I dont know. Alexander: Because normal friends just treat you with normal respect.just normal...(jeesh.how can I explain this)..and they treat you nice, but not really, really nice.
Quality of Peer Relationships (Strategy 5.9) Name three students in your class that you like to play/do things with most of the time? Why? Robin: Kennesha, Monique, Cameron. They are nice and helpful. They like to do their work. Cameron: Kennesha, Robin, Ricardo. They are kind. They do their work. Alexander: Joshua H., because hes not a mean kid like some kids. And that pretty much goes for everybody that I work with, like Joshua P. and Gabby. They get good grades all the time, they are not mean, and they are nice.
Name three students in your class that you dont play/do things with much at all. Why? Robin: Furnikkia, Marquette, Nykeem. They are crazy. Cameron: Furnikkia, Nykeem, Jessica. They are loud.they make too much trouble. Alexander: Dallas, Jayland, and Kyasia. They are , (wait if I say this it will be really mean.ok.ok)they are mean, they are always in trouble, and they are not smart which means they always copy and play too much.
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The survey above indicates that children who judge a classmates behavior positively or negativelymay form a general impression of the classmate and act in accordance with that impression. (Daniels, Beaumont, Doolin, 97) Participants predicted that the not smart students would not perform well in academic activities, but do ok with social and physical activities. Participants also predicted that the nice students would demonstrate
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better social skills and perform better academically. During the interview process, Kennesha was rated positively in this survey and identified as a friend by two of the participants. Students perceived by participants as not smart and not nice were not identified as friends. Teacher responses and coordination of heterogeneous group activities should counteract these mental processes and promote inclusion amongst students.
Cognitive Development Interviewer: Yolanda Wiggins Using the Planning and Problem-Solving observation tool from Understanding Children: An Interview and Observation Guide for Educators, I studied the cognitive development of an 11-year old fifth grader - Anna. First I presented her with four different mazes and had her start with what she thought was the easiest one (see Maze #1 on next page). She breezed through this maze and moved on to the next hardest one (Maze #2). She took 30 seconds of planning time and completed the maze in 30 seconds with only one wrong turn. However, the third maze proved to be more difficult, especially considering we discovered there was no possible way to solve the maze. The fifth grader was supposed to help Christopher Columbus get to the Indies (Maze #3). She spent 10 minutes studying the maze from all directions tracing imaginary lines and even working backwards from the Indies. She wrinkled her eyebrows, stuck her tongue in her cheek or out of one side of her mouth while concentrating. Some of her comments included: This one is weird. Its too confusing. I cant tell where the water is. I dont like this one. Theres no way to get
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there. Its impossible. She finally concluded that she could not solve the maze (Maze #4) and moved on to the final one. Anna took about two minutes of planning time. She tookabout 3 minutes to finish the maze. She did not take wrong turns, however when she came to a spot where there were two possible directions, she stopped and studied the two possible ways to determine the correct one.
Maze #1
Maze #2
Maze #3
Maze #4
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The results were on target with characteristics typical of older children. They tend to make elaborate plans and fewer mistakes as a result in comparison with children aged four to seven who tend to make partial plans, proceed on mazes and then correct their mistakes as they go. (Side note: we later discovered the real point of the Christopher Columbus maze. He made it to America before reaching his original destination - the Indies. The joke was on us.)
Additional Interviews
Interview with James Hunter, North Carolina Licensed Professional Counselor National Board Certified Counselor By Hope Walker Please note: The following information is based on an interview with James Hunter. As the 45+ minute conversation was very natural and free flowing, I hesitate to use the typical Q and A format.
When asked to describe is role and responsibilities at Inborden Elementary, Mr. Hunter was quick to debunk the following myths:
Myth # 1: School counselors are therapists Unlike agency counselors who operate under the medical model of counseling by providing diagnosis, treatment, medication, and therapeutic treatment, school counselors are not therapist. They are not responsible for providing intense counseling nor are they able to diagnose a child with a learning or emotional disorder. However, school counselors (along
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with classroom teachers) are the first line of defense when it comes to identifying students who may need therapy and/or diagnostic testing and treatment for mental and/or behavioral disorders or traumatic events. I often spend time explaining this to both parents and teachers who may sometimes think that I am not doing my job because I fail to provide. to them, it looks like we arent doing anything.
Myth #2: School counselors are test coordinators Many parents, teachers, and school administrators do not know the true role of the school counselor. Thus, counselors are often required to take on other tasks such as coordinating standardized testing, counseling students who display severe emotional problems, and other tasks for which there is no official designee. School counselors are not testing coordinators. Yet, due to the outstanding dedication of counselors throughout Halifax County schools, school counselors are willing to do what needs to be done.
Myth #3: Elementary School Counselors perform the same tasks in the same manner regardless of location The school culture and environment often dictates the role and goals of a counselor. If the school has strong community and parental involvement, high levels of academic success, and few behavior issues, the school counselor can focus his or her efforts on delivering instruction on character development and listening. But in a low poverty area where dysfunctional families are the relative norm, both students benefit from individual counseling. In many cases, students and/or their parents with severe emotional and developmental needs are recommended for follow-up care by an outside agency.
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Moreover, a school counselor's license is for K-12. An elementary school counselor can just as easily be or have been a high school or middle school counselor as the services have the same content, but looks differently. (Think: pureed chicken vs. chicken nuggets vs. thighs breasts and legs.)
After Mr. Hunter cleared up a few significant issues surrounding his role, he explained what he actually does with/for the upper elementary school children and parents at Inborden Elementary School.
What are the common problems that counselors coach kids through at the upper elementary level? Some of the common problems that counselors help kids deal with are those involving relationships and conflict resolution. [Some] people here just dont get along with each otherthere is lots of dysfunction in terms of relationships. We have kids who have the same dads but different momsthey see their parents involved in relational drama at home and in the streets and they [the children] bring that to school. They have problems with their brothers and sisters. Our kids really need help with learning how to get along with each other; they need help with conflict resolution.
What are some outside problems that may negatively affect student performance, motivation, and self-esteem in the classroom? Living in a low poverty area. this hurts because they arent exposed to very much and this causes delays in cognitive maturity. There is also a lag in maturity due to poor parenting. The majority of our parents [at this school] do not have a college education; many lack a high school diploma. Therefore the parents are also behind cognitively and socially, Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 50
Another issue is transportation. Halifax doesnt have a strong county- wide transportation system. This means that parents do not have access to resources that are available to them. If parents cant access the services, they may not be able to get students the help they need.
So then, what does counseling look like for students in grades 3-5? As part of the ASCA model, which provides a framework for counselors, we are supposed to develop a comprehensive plan that centers on personal-social growth, career paths, and academic growth
In the sphere of Personal-Social/ Conflict Resolution I spend the time helping kids work on their personal -social skills and conflict resolution. I actually spend most of my time here, working with individual students. Again, this is counseling, not therapy. Its not intensive. Its not long. For example, if a child fights, gets kicked out of school, and returns, we sit them down and have a talk. If he says something like I think what I did was wrong. I should have told the teacher or just walked away then they are free to go. But if a child still hasnt figured out how to solve the problem and is still saying things like So. Ill fight him again or I dont care and we can clearly see that there are still some issues, we have to help that child learn to peacefully resolve the issue. I sometimes find hat these kids need help with self-esteem issues and needs to develop conflict resolution skills.
Then theres the sphere of career paths. In this capacity, I might bring in guest speakers, introduce various career paths, and engage students in studying service personnel. I've done this when teachers were teaching the community service unit. Weve had police Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 51
officers, nurses, firemen, mail carriers, and the like come in to talk with students. Weve also had Career Days, Career Fairs, and Career Weeks that featured different activities each day. Ive also incorporate technology into this part of my work using Paws in Jobland, which is a great resource on www. cfnc.org.
Academically, we take a proactive approach to early intervention by making use of an early intervention plan. We have an intervention list that includes students in grades K-2. Instead of waiting for them to reach the age for a referral (students cant be evaluated for EC until 3rd grade), we work closely with teachers to identify kids who are struggling. Before having them evaluated or tested, we talk to the kids, the parents, and the teachers to see whats going on. Although you may not believe it, kids will usually go ahead and tell you I cant read. or I just dont understand this. From this point, we determine where the child is, where they need to be, and how we are going to help him get there. Its usually just a matter of getting more tutoring or working with a volunteer. We have a strong network of volunteers who help out.
In terms of academics, what motivates students in this age group? Praise works. Negative attitudes dont. If you find some way to compliment a child everyday, eventually they will start seeking you out because they like the way you make them feel.
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Turn their negative attributes into a positive. I once had a rather talkative little girl in one of the classes I visited. This child just loved to talk. What I would do is talk to her about becoming an attorney. And then I began to let her ne the one to open and close the class discussions. When I did that, she didnt talk as much during the lesson, plus she engaged her classmates.
Teachers have to be creative. They can increase motivation by changing up their lessons.
Teacher Interview Mary Warren - Third Grade Teacher at Hollister Elementary Interviewer: Yolanda Wiggins What are some of the challenges with teaching children in the third grade? The students still want a lot of help. Their parents also baby them so they look for you, as a teacher, to do the same. What are some of the joys of teaching students this age? When that light goes off (when they get a lesson or concept that you are trying to teach them). Also, they are so eager to learn. What advice would you give for teaching this age group? You have got to care about the kids. It is all about the relationships you build with them. You also have to be creative.
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Principal Interview Allen Sledge Hollister Elementary School Interviewer: Yolanda Wiggins What are the joys to being an elementary school principal? I love the commitment to learning that elementary school students have their eagerness.
There are not as many discipline problems at the elementary school level.
Word of advice: you have got to get to know the children. I make myself visible: greeting them in the morning, going into the classes, visiting with students in the cafeteria and see them at the close of the day. What are some challenges to being an elementary school principal? High-stakes testing. Unfortunately, some parents dont value education. You have to look at things holistically and make decisions based on children not adults.
Social Worker Interview Ms. Sanders Hope Walker Please describe your role as the schools Social Worker. My goal as the school social worker is to alleviate barriers that interfere with students getting to school and being successful. This may require me to make referrals to different agencies that help their parents secure food, clothing, and housing. Nowadays, some resources are limited. So people might need help when their light bill gets cut off or when
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they need food. I try to do everything I can to connect students and their parents to resources that will help them meet their physical needs.
I also meet with different agencies once a month to discuss ways to help. All available agencies in the area are represented at these meetings. So when there is a family with a particularly sticky situation, I can get help. I dont mention the names of families. Some agencies that are represented include the Community Child Protective Team, DSS (Department of Social Services), Angels Closet, domestic abuse shelters, the health department, CADA, and Faith House.
How do families learn about you and all of these resources? Other agencies might refer them to me. Or sometimes kids give indicators during the course of a conversation. Sometimes parents and teachers send struggling parents to me as well. But the problem is transportation. Most services are in Roanoke Rapids. Halifax County doesnt have a mass transit system. Sure, parents can get to the mall and other places they want to go, but they dont have access to places like CADA.
What was one of your priorities for this school year? Attendanceour focus has been on attendance. We used to have a truancy officer for that but with budget cuts, now I have to handle it. Attendance is a big issue. It often leads to other issues. Sometimes you might go to a house and discover that a child has been missing days because the lights have been turned off and they dont have clean clothes.
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What about homeless children? Are there any homeless children in the schools you service? If so, how do you assist their parents? There are currently about five homeless families at Enfield Middle School and about three at Inborden Elementary School. Homeless doesnt necessarily mean that they are living in a car; it might mean that they are living with relatives because the parents may have lost their homes or been evicted.
I also help coordinate services for homeless students. If a parent is homeless and has to live in the shelter in Roanoke Rapids, she can choose to still send her child here. When that happens, I have to arrange transportation with the school. This also applies when a family is living in a shelter for domestically abused women. We have 2 elementary students are living in these centers now.
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V. Putting it Together
Video Link: http://cedvideo.ncsu.edu/view_video.php?viewkey=948bc3937b4b30d0e57b This video looks at how our district - Halifax County Schools- is meeting the developmental needs of students in upper elementary school. At this age in development, students simply want someone who cares about them as individuals. They want friends and adult role models who are trustworthy and kind. They are open to receiving instruction and are still very inquisitive. As this seems to be the age of discovery, having caring, compassionate teachers in the classroom is a must. To hold their interest in learning, it is extremely critical for teachers to engage every student, to limit peer exclusion, and to encourage collaboration and support. Students need to see and feel that learning is okay, that being smart is cool, and that friends support each other. I also think its important for both teacher and parent to build up a childs selfesteem and nurture their curiosity by giving them the freedom to explore and learn from their mistakes. Perhaps the most damaging thing that a teacher or parent can do at this stage is make a child feel bad for making mistakes and taking intellectual risks. For students to have long-term success and in and out of the classroom, he or she must have multiple opportunities for success.
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VI. Implications for Practice

Reflective Narrative Hope Walker Ensure meaningful after school programs and electives to foster strong social and emotional development. Students in grades 3-6 are learning how to be students, how to learn, and how to get along with and appreciate each other. So in addition to solid curriculum and instruction and supportive teachers and staff, meaningful after school and community programming that complements classroom instruction by allowing students to engage with their peers, positive adult roles models and the world around them is key.
Effectively Utilize School Counselors Very few school administrators take the time to establish a framework for the school counselor. As a result, school counselors are often utilized in areas that extend beyond their official job duty to such an extent that they barely have time to perform the tasks that they were hired to do. School principals must use school counselors for the right reason. They should set aside time to meet with the school counselor to discuss, establish, and agree upon the roles, goals, and, responsibilities of the school counselor. According to Mr. Hunter, We [counselors] get pushed behind because we dont have time to do what we are supposed to do students and parents who really need help dont get helped. Such an action would ensure that school counselors are not pushed to do many tasks outside of their official job duties. They would have the time to do what they are expected to do by the Department of Public Instruction: connect trouble kids with proper resources, provide Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins 58
information about various career paths, deliver individual and small group guidance sessions, implement character development programs.
Engage Community in Great Conversations Teachers bear the burden of teaching all students to a high level while addressing a wide array of social, emotional, and physical problems that plague many students in our rural districts. It is nearly impossible for teachers and administrators to adequately meet all of these demands without causing teacher burnout and high turnover rates. The community must be engaged. Starting the Great Conversation as described in the May 2011 issue of Educational Leadership is a much needed starting point in our school district as more than just the faithful few parents and community members need to be engaged. Staging a series of conversations and meeting the community where they are for the purpose of establishing community understanding of why its important to help reveal the potential of every child, building community trust in the professionals in our schools, securing community permission before proceeding with change initiatives, and garnering community support to create positive learning environments are the four basics of public sentiment that must be addressed in the move forward. With support and resources from the community at large, schools can begin to implement stronger after-school programming and parents can take better advantage of existing resources.
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Create Community Schools Turn schools into resource centers that open from 9 to 12 on Saturdays. Invite representatives from various agencies to assist parents with completing paper work. Consider providing enrichment activities for students.
Reflective Narrative Yolanda Wiggins
Children at this age are truly eager to learn and influenced mostly by the adults in their lives. As an elementary school administrator, I could capitalize on this and help to build a solid foundation before they move on to middle school. Knowing the developmental stages of kids in grades three through six can help me tailor professional development for my staff. As a result of this project, my belief that literacy is the foundation for all learning was further confirmed. According to a study, Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families, more than half of lowincome students who at one time were high achievers in reading while in first grade fall behind by fifth grade. Why? Lack of a literacy-rich environment. Obstacles to students reaching their potential include limited life experiences, a lack of books and insufficient exposure to books, and a lack of both accessible libraries and stimulating summer experiences, wrote Christine Beck in the article No More Lost Ground from Educational Leadership. While many of the language and literacy characteristics occur naturally, they still need to be nurtured in both school and at home.
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As an elementary school principal, I could have parenting workshops for mothers of kids of all ages. A special target of these workshops would be parents of infants and toddlers because the article states, an acute readiness gap often begins at birth and continues growing until school entry. These workshops could focus on those skills that many low-income families are not exposed to such as the benefit of reading to your child and how to create literacy-rich environments. Too often we make the mistake of assuming that just because we do things that appear natural to us, that there are some things that parents should just know. But, people often mimic those things they see during their upbringing. Yes, we are discussing upper elementary-aged kids But, if we could be proactive target the problem while in preventive stages, it saves time of being reactive and having to place kids in remediation classes and programs when in upper elementary, middle and even high school. By then, the students desire to learn has dwindled and it hard to turn back the hands of time. We would have to work hard to take away the excuses. If a parent doesn't have transportation, we would have to find the means to get them there. If a parent lacks the literacy skills needed to assist their children, we can offer literacy classes for them. If a parent feels intimidated by school and educators (as many do), then we must work to make them feel comfortable by first venturing out to them. To ensure participation from the here. and the the
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parents of targeted children, my school could also partner with community-based programs and churches to reach out to them and stress the importance of literacy from an early age. I am reminded of my current principal (Linda Bulluck Enfield Middle School) and mentors motto, Student Success . . . Whatever It Takes. We have to meet our kids developmental needs, whatever it takes.
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Resources and Citations Daniels, Denise H., Lorrie J. Beaumont, and Carol A. Doolin. Understanding Children: an Interview and Observation Guide for Educators. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. Print. Wood, Chip. Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom, Ages 4-14. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, 2007. Print Felton, Kelsey Augst, and Patrick Akos. "The Ups and Downs of 3rd Grade." Educational Leadership: The Transition Years April 68.7 (2011): 28-31. Print. Anderson, Mike. "The Leap into 4th Grade." Educational Leadership: The Transition Years April 68.7 (2011): 32-36. Print. Beck, Christine. "No More Lost Ground." Educational Leadership: The Transition Years April 68.7 (2011): 37-40. Print. Meece, Judith L., and Denise H. Daniels. Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Fiester, Leila. "Reading Matters - Report - KIDS COUNT Data Center." Home - KIDS COUNT Data Center. Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://datacenter.kidscount.org/readingmatters.aspx>.
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Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Parents and caregivers of upper elementary students should also be willing

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Curricular Scope & Sequence

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

III. Child Development Physical Development

Mike Anderson Educational Leadership:

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Language and Literacy Development

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Self-concept, Identity, and Motivation

Emotional Development (Upper Elementary)

Emotional Regulation (Upper Elemetary)

uses problem- and emotion-based strategies to regulate emotions

begins to use cognitive strategies to reduce stress

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Fostering Emotional Competence

What Good Teachers Do:

Figure 1 Fostering Emotional Competence in Upper Elementary Students

Figure 2 Factors working for and against student motivation

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Peer Relations and Moral Development

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

How Teachers Can Improve Peer Relations

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

IV. Data Collection

Observed Yardsticks & Milestones (8yrs)

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Used pictures within the selection to help with comprehension

Used sounding out for difficult words

Retrieved individual words with little difficulty

Other observations are noted below:

Observed Yardsticks & Milestones (11yrs)

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Christianity is important because it gives me an understanding of my purpose in life.

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Im a happy person until somebody makes me mad.

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins

Halifax County Upper Elementary Developmental Project: Walker & Wiggins