In today's workshop the focus was around knowing your learners as readers.
What did I learn that increased my understanding of the kaupapa and pedagogy of the Manaiakalani Reading Programme ?
I learnt that taking into consideration the interests of the students is really important when designing a reading programme, even for the students who are struggling. The reading survey is a great way to capture the interests and attitudes towards reading of the students. A careful analysis of the PAT Reading data to identify common areas where there are gaps in learning is good practice. Another interesting thing that I learnt was the importance of assessment and the impact of effect sizes on student learning e.g. the larger the effect size, the greater the impact in a positive way it was for students overall.
What did I learn that could improve my capability and confidence in teaching reading?
To keep looking at new ways of designing the reading programme for students so that tasks are aimed more specifically at addressing student needs in a way that is engaging and interesting. The reading task board was a good example of a resource or template that could be used.
What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
That success criteria can be co-constructed, even with the low ability readers, but to also keep in mind that it needs to be teacher directed to stay on track.
What did I learn that could be shared within my wider community, with either colleagues, or whānau/aiga?
Share with colleagues: ideas for designing reading e.g. the taskboard. Using the reading survey and how to analyse PAT data more effectively when creating the next steps for learners.
