“If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow.” - John Dewey
Professional Learning
Teacher Reflection
In the last five years, my educational approach has undergone a significant transformation, especially since I became one of the founding teachers of the 3K classrooms at our school after working as a Pre-K teacher. Initially, I focused on delivering the curriculum and ensuring that the students understood the basic unit study concepts well. However, I realized the need for change as I delved into the LETRS program, which gave me valuable insights into literacy instruction.
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One notable change was incorporating phonological concepts into transitions, such as rhyming and segmenting. This approach made transitions smoother and provided opportunities for my students to engage with language in meaningful ways throughout the day. By infusing these concepts into daily routines, I observed improved language development and readiness for literacy activities.
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This year, I took a significant step by introducing phonological transitions using songs and chants, a strategy inspired by the LETRS program from the start of the school year in September. This new approach was attention-grabbing for the little ones, and it laid a solid foundation for phonemic awareness, which is a crucial precursor to reading success. As a result, my class and I were well-prepared to pilot the Heggerty literacy program at the 3K level.
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The journey from a traditional teaching approach to one that highlights phonological awareness has been rewarding. I have followed the natural interests of three-year-olds and catered to their strengths and learning modes. Witnessing the growth and enthusiasm of my students as they develop crucial pre-reading skills reaffirms the efficacy of this pedagogical shift. Moving forward, I am committed to further integrating research-based practices into my teaching, ensuring that every child receives a strong foundation in literacy from the earliest stages of their educational journey while keeping the learners' interests in mind first.
LETRS
Last year, we conducted the letters program throughout the school year. While working my way through the program, I noticed the emphasis on developing rhyme recognition in the younger students. I instituted Hickity Pickety Bumble Bee and Willoughby Wallaby Woo as constant transition name rhyme games.
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Another takeaway from the Letrs programs when working with 3—and 4-year-olds is their pencil grasp. The Letrs program highlighted how shorter pencils have a lower center of gravity and facilitate control for smaller hands. Since then, we have replaced all pencils with short golf ones and switched to the Pip Squeaks Crayola markers at the writing center.
Heggerty Pilot Training
I volunteered to pilot the Heggerty program for our school with the 3K students as an additional source to build our students' phonemic awareness.
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My interest in the program comes from how it aligns with the Science of Reading by providing explicit and multi-sensory instruction in phonological awareness skills, which are foundational to reading development. I hope to support my students in building these foundational literacy skills.
Blocks Workshop
As part of the EMLL committee, we attended Ursula Davis' Block Workshop and turned key at our respective sites. We used postcards to consider how EMLL students, while not proficient in English, are moved by images and visuals that can prompt memories and experiences they can express through creativity with blocks.
Teachers divide into three groups and build in the blocks center.
Teachers share about their finish products.
Member of committee
Teachers divide into three groups and build in the blocks center.