T/TAC Topics
September 2021
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Sound walls: Classroom décor or reading/spelling tool? |
Word walls have been a part of elementary classrooms for decades. They decorate classroom walls with the 26 letters of the alphabet and lists of common words that begin with each letter of the alphabet. But what about words like know, about, phase? If a first grade student is trying to use the word “pack” in a story about wolves, where can he go for help? Most likely, the word “pack” isn’t on his classroom word wall under “p.” So, he spells it “pak.” One strategy to help students in situations such as this one is to build a sound wall. Teachers can build this visual reference as they explicitly and systematically provide instruction on sound-symbol correspondence (the alphabetic principle). When this instruction is paired with building a sound wall, their students will know to look for the sounds they need to spell or read an unfamiliar word.
In the following example: virgules (//) represent sounds/phonemes and quotation marks (“) represent letters/graphemes:
pack: /p/ “p”, /a/ “a,” and three ways to spell /k/: “k”, “c”, “ck; “ck” is used after a short vowel.
With this knowledge and a sound wall as a tool, this first grader is more likely to spell “pack” correctly.
Sound walls offer students a display of their learning and a tool for future reference while producing writing or reading texts. Referring to the other words mentioned previously: know, about, and phase are other examples of how word walls fail to assist students if they do not already know how to spell or read a word. Also, students need to read and spell many more words than what can be represented on a word wall. Why should they not have the tools to generalize their knowledge of sounds/symbols for reading and writing?
Sound walls are organized by speech sounds, present knowledge from a student’s point-of-view, support the fact that reading and spelling are learned from speech to print, allow for student independence, focus on phonemes (i.e., sounds) and articulation, and promote transfer of skills to multiple words. There are 44 phonemes in English but only 26 letters. Additionally, there are more than 240 ways to represent the sounds in English. Sound walls are helpful instructional tools for teachers that also provide students with an evidenced-based strategy. When these walls are co-constructed with students, they become a literacy tool instead of decorative wallpaper.
To learn more about sound walls, visit our T/TAC library and read more at the resources provided.
Resources
For more information, contact Diane Lewis (dplewis@vcu.edu) Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
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Strategies to address unfinished learning |
Educators acknowledge students will enter this school year with lingering effects on their education due to the circumstances experienced during the “pandemic year” of schooling. Review of prior grade level content is nothing new; however, this year educators will need to address “unfinished learning,” instead of the typical “learning loss.”
To do this, educators must shift their mindset from a deficit mindset (i.e., “learning loss”) to a growth mindset (i.e., “unfinished learning'') (Almarode et al., 2021; Hancock, 2021). They must understand the difference in order to make this shift. “Learning loss” means a student has “lost,” or more accurately, forgotten content or skills taught/learned during a previous academic year; whereas “unfinished learning” is a “combination of teaching and learning within an academic year that fails to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency with grade level texts and tasks” (Hancock, A., 2021, para.3). Moreover, “unfinished learning” means a student was, at a minimum, exposed to specific content or a skill, but the teaching/learning experience was not to the depth one would expect in a “normal” school year. Thus, the student is not fully proficient.
How do educators identify this “unfinished learning?” Formative assessment. Strategies to collect this formative data include, but are not limited to, warm-ups/bell ringers, entry/exit tickets, observations made from student work, and non-verbal opportunities to respond, such as four corners, thumbs up/down, and whiteboards (Thomas, 2019). The data should be used to determine whether or not “just in time” teaching/learning is necessary. This type of teaching/learning refers to adjusting instruction “just in time” to address student misconceptions or misunderstandings of previously taught content/skills just before providing grade level content for which this content/skill is a foundation (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning, n.d.).
But, how can this be done and not lose class time? Utilize evidence-based instructional strategies proven to accelerate student learning (Almarode et al., 2021). Researcher John Hattie determined the effectiveness of over 120 of these instructional strategies in his meta-analysis on visible learning (Hattie, 2012). A few strategies recommended to assist with accelerating student learning include deliberate practice, inquiry-based learning, scaffolded learning, questioning, classroom discussion, reciprocal teaching, and cooperative learning (Almarode et al., 2021). To learn more about these strategies as well as additional strategies identified specifically for unfinished learning recovery, read Hattie and his colleagues’ recent publication, Reinvesting and Rebounding: Where the Evidence Points for Accelerating Learning.
References
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.
Virginia Department of Education. (2020). Recover, redesign, restart 2020. Virginia Department of Education.
For more information, contact Leslie Murphy Brown (lmmurphybrown@vcu.edu) Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
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Connecting to a coaching community of practice |
Perhaps you recently received training on a research-based coaching model/framework and have been assigned the task of providing effective coaching to your teaching staff. You may have a thorough understanding of the model, its components and delivery methods, but lack the support and organization of a coaching community of practice.
Where should you start? Let’s begin by considering what makes for a successful and sustained coaching program. According to the Program Leader’s Guide to Practice-Based Coaching (2019), consider the following:
- First, designated school personnel should support coaching as a part of their coordinated approach to professional development while working collaboratively to implement it to fidelity.
- Secondly, programs/schools should possess a thorough knowledge and use of evidence-based practices which leads to quality coaching.
- Thirdly, programs/schools should have a means to periodically evaluate the effects of coaching on student achievement/learning.
To alleviate the stress of achieving this daunting task on your own, consider connecting to a coaching community of practice. A community of practice provides “a virtual venue for coaches with a shared interest in a specific topic to advance their professional development, deepen their subject-matter expertise, and share best practices, emerging trends, tools and tips” (International Coaching Federation, 2021, para. 1).
There are several benefits of participating in a coaching community:
- A trusted forum for coaches to discuss a variety of topics such as
- evaluating the impact that coaching has on teacher practices and student learning outcomes, exploring sources of practices which form as a basis for needs assessments, problem-solving difficult coaching partnerships, planning for and implementing a coordinated approach to professional development, and strengthening the implementation of the coaching components.
- Access to a central source of information and resources via a shared
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Google Drive folder or other web-based application, such as Head Start Coaching Companion, which helps coaches, coachees and peer-coaching teams work together and provide the ability to share video files, ask questions, and exchange feedback with one another (“Head Start Coaching Companion,” 2021).
- Opportunity to strengthen powerful coaching interactions by learning how to be present, how to connect, and how to extend learning as a coach (Jablon, et.al, 2016).
- A place of support and confidentiality, in addition to regular communication and information dissemination of webinars, articles, and professional learning opportunities.
One example of an online Coaching Community of Practice is MyPeers, a virtual learning network where early childhood coaches and professionals can brainstorm, exchange ideas, and share resources with other early childhood colleagues from across the country. To sign up for an account, visit MyPeers Login/Create an account.
Be sure to check out the valuable resources below as you seek to connect with a coaching community of practice that will support your professional growth as a coach.
References
Jablon, J., Dumbro, A.L., & Johnsen, S. (2016). Coaching with powerful interactions: A guide for partnering with early childhood teachers. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
For more information, contact Sandy Wilberger (slwilber@vcu.edu) Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
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