About this site

This product of learning was created for partial fulfillment of the Master's Degree in Reading Education at Appalachian State University, under the direction of Dr. Woodrow Trathen. These artifacts serve to demonstrate knowledge gained while in this program of study. All artifacts are directly aligned with North Carolina DPI Teaching Standards.

Reading Education Graduate Program of Study and Reflection

Personal Statement and Reflection

    The MA  Reading program has been very beneficial to me and my students by providing the essential tools necessary to meet my students at their individual level and move them forward. I have learned how to use assessments to steer my teaching and have been very pleased with the outcomes. County wide and Stateside assessments reveal much growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I feel fortunate to have helped my first grade students become better readers. Without a strong reading foundation I know that they cannot meet the challenges ahead. The MA Reading program has solidified my thinking about the way to teach reading. I have learned through reading research and doing my own classroom  research, the best practices for teaching reading.

    At the beginning of the year I gave all my students the spelling  assessment and then was able to level them according to ability. I was able to see  each student's reading  needs by looking at how they attended to letters and sounds in words. I created four groups and provided centers in word study, writing, guided reading, and read aloud through taped recorded books. My assistant and I provided small group instruction which met students on their individual  levels. 

    I have learned how to provide interventions for my struggling readers with the use of Readers Theater scripts. My action research taught me that Readers Theater is a fun and engaging way to increase fluency. My students performed scripts about planets, seeds and plants, and other science related topics. They were able to share with classes throughout the school. We also had a day where we invited parents to come and listen as all  of my students participated in a Readers Theater script on their individual reading level. I found that RT not only increases fluency for my students but also highly motivates them to read!

    Technology has been a focus for writing with my students. I have learned  many ways to  use technology to foster learning in the language arts. I created a blog that is linked from my school webpage. Students have been able to blog at home, as well as in computer lab at school, and thus increase their writing ability.They misspell frequently, but I am just glad that my first graders want to type their ideas on a blog for their classmates to read. I know that their spelling will develop later. 

    I feel that being in the MA Reading program has made me a better literacy teacher and has given me the background knowledge of why I teach the way I do. I have studied the research from many reading and language professional in the field and have an understanding of the history of teaching reading and the road it has traveled. I feel more confident as a early literacy teacher and I am excited about passing along my knowledge to educate my students.