Beverly I am struggling with this whole issue myself. About 50% of my job description as reading specialist is intervention...25% assessment and 25% staff development. District support for our homegrown intervention program (which was modeled after reading recovery) was pulled this year and programs had to be research based and approved through our district intervention committee. When I asked what research based meant, I was told..."It comes in a box." So, to make a long story short, kicking and screaming, I trained my IAs and we are now using Wilson, Wilson Fundations, SIPPS, Soar to Success and Fluency Formula. In addition to the programs, the at risk students get intervention in the classroom as I plug in and teach the regular balanced literacy curriculum side by side with regular educators and special educators. SO...the kids get an intervention program based on their reading needs and an extra teacher in the room for the regular curriculum to lower the teacher student ratio for the most at risk students. As the time for midyear data collection rolls around, I am finding Bev, that some of these intervention programs work and work well. I think if these programs are supplemental, and are added to balanced regular QUALITY, balanced classroom instruction, they can be of help to kids. This realization led to a "crisis of faith" for me. I have disliked the scripted lessons as I have always had the deepest belief that it is teacher decision making and quality instruction that makes the difference rather than a program. Yet, here I am, forced to admit that children in my SIPPS program are learning to read at a faster rate than they would have with just my intervention within the classroom. Perhaps it is how these programs are used and if they are used with the right kids at the right time and for short periods of time in conjunction with balanced literacy instruction, then they might add an extra element that will lead to student success. I still have the decision making power within the classroom and I still choose which intervention to place students in....but my job just isn't as much fun, and not as creative as it used to be. (Though I do get home a lot earlier...) Jennifer tIn a message dated 1/13/2009 4:15:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
I'd really like to open this thread up again and take another try at it. Those of us in balanced literacy classrooms are fighting for our professional opinions and desperately need the most up-to-date research which supports comprehensive literacy, not direct instruction. **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026) _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
