A long with these world-wide assessments Amy has applied some of her own into her classroom. She uses fluency passages from 6 Minute Solution, EASY CBM comprehension passages, teacher created formative and summative assessments that are aligned with the Common Core LA and Reading Standards, exit slips, formal and informal observations, assessment of Fry words, Phonemic Awareness assessment for struggling readers and Words Their Way spelling inventory. Amy then explained that she differentiates literacy in her classroom by an instruction called DAILY 5. This instruction is where the students read to themselves, read to someone else, work on words, writing, and listen to reading. Each student reads/writes at their own level and when partnered they are put with another student at that same level. Also, Amy uses small guided reading groups so that she can help each student individually. The students who are struggling with reading/writing meet with her every day to help them improve their skills. However, the students who are reading/writing above their grade level meet in literacy circles where they can help each other improve. Recently, Amy is starting to work on learning contracts to help her higher readers/writers …show more content…
Amy then said that she believes all children can read as long as teachers meet them where they are on the continuum of reading and the use of strategies that meet their style of learning. Next, I asked her about what literacy-related professional development she participates in. She 's currently in two book study groups of which study Words Their Way and The Differentiated Classroom by Carol Tomlinson. The next question was about her literacy block structure, time, and activities. Her block is 90 minutes long and is structured as follows: 15 minute whole group lesson, 20 minute Daily 5/Guided Reading groups, 15 minute whole group word work lesson, 20 minute Daily 5/Guided Reading groups, 15 minute vocabulary lesson, 5 minute clean up/Exit Slip. Amy then explained that the Writing Workshop is placed at a different time of day and it is scheduled as 10-15 mini-lessons and then independent writing time when she works with one-on-one groups or in small groups. Lastly, I asked Amy if she could give me any advice as a prospective teacher. She told me that learning the best practices of teaching literacy is an ongoing process as well as being continuously open to learning new strategies that I can implement in the classroom. Also, collaborating with teachers in my grade level,