Just as a successful sports team can benefit greatly from the support of specialized coaching, teachers working and reflecting together with literacy coaches around their students’ progress, can expect increased learning both for the students and for the adults. Literacy coaching, a type of professional development which occurs in the classroom, is now available to all Island elementary schools.
A literacy coach is more than a mentor providing professional development to another teacher. A literacy coach joins the teacher in the classroom, observes and models teaching practices, helps assess the strengths and needs of the student and then works with the teacher to enhance the student’s learning.
“Our ultimate goal is to improve reading, writing and oral communication so students can become successful learners throughout their school years,” says Sheila Barnes, Elementary Education Coordinator, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“Intervention can help prevent literacy difficulties before they become long-term challenges. Research tells us the window of opportunity for teachers to identify reading difficulties and intervene successfully occurs between Kindergarten and Grade 2,” she says.
The school system commitment to improve literacy is in response to the recommendation from the Task Force on Student Achievement that the department investigate models and resources to assist all children to read at a Grade 3 level by the end of Grade 3.
The Early Learning and Literacy Committee, co-chaired by Sheila Barnes and Sheila Bacon, has been instrumental in the initiatives of literacy coaching in PEI schools over the last three years. Schools also have access to assessment tools to track student progress on a regular basis and common assessment results to help guide their efforts and their practice. The Reading Recovery program is also in place for Grade 1 students who require an individual and intensive short term program.
Intensive training in the teaching of literacy for classroom teachers is also an essential part of the strategy. Early literacy educators will get focused training this week from master literacy coach and guided reading expert Irene Fountas who has extensive experience in classroom teaching and field-based research. Her progressive approach to literacy education has influenced the classroom practice of teachers across North America and Europe.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our professionals to access, locally, the language arts expert who writes the books we use in the classrooms,” says Sheila Bacon. “Educators have jumped at this chance to increase their understanding of the guided reading levels and learn best practices from such a well-known, well-respected literacy specialist,” she said.
Irene Fountas currently teaches at the School of Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While in PEI she will conduct sessions on early literacy training and guided reading for elementary school administrators and language arts teachers. She will also address education leaders from government, the three school boards and the UPEI Faculty of Education about ways to support improved literacy. Sessions will be held at the Dutch Inn Wednesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 16.