Notes
Adam shared that he is learning a lot from the course. The last module on oral language blew his mind. He thought oral language only happened up to preschool. We discussed how important it is to continue to offer students explicit instruction in vocabulary and provide cooperative learning opportunities for discourse in the classroom. He shared that it is difficult for him with the students that he has in his self-contained SPED class to collaborate.
We began the discussion about the goal that he may want to set it was around understanding phonics. Right now, he teaches it from the program Spiral Up, but he doesn’t understand why he is doing what he is doing.
We also discussed the importance of supporting readers when they are applying phonics while reading connected text. I encouraged him to heighten his awareness of the phonics instruction as he is learning more about it in class. I also encouraged him to become a kid watcher; while students are reading, notice how they approach reading and what they do when they come to a word that they don’t know. We will talk more about that next time.