October Visit - 24-26 ! Following is a photo journal of classroom visits! Serious learning is already happening in all of the classrooms.

This was my third visit to Vinalhaven this year.  The focus this time was on guided reading.  DRA testing is complete and teachers have profiles on each student.  They have matched the profile with the guided reading level and have begun teaching.  The quality of teaching I have observed was excellent.  Classroom routines have been created and students are developing longer attention spans.  Kudos to the entire staff.  A photo journal follows.

Special Recognition for Vinalhaven's Literacy Coaches

Cherie Doughty and  Megan Miller are the two literacy coaches that make classroom visits, compile data, assess students, work with students and coach classroom teachers.  They are excellent and we are lucky to have them.  

During my visit, Mrs. Doughty and Mrs. Miller teamed with me as we coached teachers - observing them with a guided reading group and then providing feedback.  They are very perceptive coaches and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Mrs. Conway's K

  Mrs. Conway has been using guided reading for several years.  The group we observed her with were Pre-Emergent Readers, working on the concepts of print.  The pace and format of the lesson were excellent.  Students both formed letters correctly and were beginning to internalize left to right directionality as well as 1 to 1.  Excellent!






                                                                Ms.  Block's First Grade
                                                                             

Ms. Block was working with a group of Emergent Readers.  The students had a corpus of site words and some concepts of print.  Ms. Block coached students - teaching them the reading process as well as learning individual items.  She followed their lead and supported them as they built self-extending systems - the purpose of first grade reading instruction.  Bravo!

 Mrs. Andrews' Second Grade

Mrs. Andrews' group was for Early Readers. Her students had begun to develop an automatic self extending system.  They were also showing signs of self monitoring.  Their book was longer and they had many of the concepts of print in place.  Chunking words into known parts was one of the strands of their lesson.  These are all important strategies to their development as readers.  Teaching exactly where the learner is...assures success.  Excellent!

Ms. Reidy's Third Grade

  Ms. Reidy's group consisted of Early Readers.  They had a corpus of known words, concepts of print, and self monitoring strategies.  They were able to predict using pictures and had begun to confirm their predictions based on letter and sound information found in the text.  This level of cross checking is vital for their growth.  Bravo, Ms. Reidy!       

                                                                                          

Mr. Warren's Fourth and Fifth Grades

Mr. Warren met with Mrs. Doughty and Mrs. Miller to finalize his plan for his ELA block.  Exciting things are also happening in Mr. Warren's room.  The connections students are making between reading and writing are incredible!  Like all of the teachers, this takes a huge amount of planning and hard work.  Thank you, Mr. Warren!