Curriculum
A New Chapter in Reading Instruction for The Harbour School By Jen Crickenberger Prep Teacher and Prep Literacy Coordinator The Harbour School Personalized learning is a buzzword tossed around frequently in education but what does it actually mean? Personalized learning refers to adjusting the content and intensity of study to an individual student’s needs, abilities and goals. At The Harbour School, teaching teams plan and work together so all students can master their individual objectives and continually progress. We have supercharged our Prep and Primary literacy curriculum with the addition of a new model of instruction for reading to boost individual readers.
The Reading and Writing Units of Study are designed to support readers and writers with exactly what they need every day. We know that reading is so much more than simple recall. Students should be actively checking for understanding, self-monitoring, and rereading as needed. We want readers to also be able to retell the story and make valuable connections with what was read. But most importantly, we hope that we instill a love of reading that will last a lifetime.
We have recently adopted Teachers College Reading and Writing Program’s Reading Units of Study. In August, teachers from Prep through High School received professional development training with Beth Keat, owner and educational consultant of Keat Literacy based in the United States. Teachers have already been using the workshop model in writing, so adding the reading units of study seemed like a natural complement. From unrolling effective mini lessons in the younger grades to effective written feedback in the high school, teachers gained new tools to begin this school year with a fresh perspective. Beth Keat explains the benefits of reading and writing workshop: “The workshop model is specifically designed to differentiate for all readers- no matter how advanced or how struggling. Reader’s workshop prioritizes small group and individualized instruction by its design and structure: a short whole class lesson and an extended independent work period where students read books at their own levels, at their own pace, and teachers deliver specialized instruction to individuals and small groups.” One of my favorite parts of working at The Harbour School is the Orang utan with baby willingness of teaching teams to differentiate instruction to suit the diverse learning needs of their students. Every child is challenged at their level by a teacher who understands them as a unique person. During reading workshop, teachers and co-teachers work in harmony through mini lessons, individual and partner conferences and guided reading groups to practice explicit reading strategies.The routines are predictable, so the class can dive into authentic learning experiences with ease. Students are given individualized feedback daily. Both readers and their teachers know what goals they are working on and have next steps in mind to achieve them.
14 EARCOS Triannual Journal
Wei Wei and William are partner reading during Reading Workshop in Jen Crickenberger’s Prep class.
