I'm delighted to share my amazing CoL journey with you all. As we arrive at the end of 2024, it's a moment to reflect on the insights gained and anticipate the possibilities ahead! It's been an incredible year of learning and growth. As we reflect on our CoL journey in 2024, I'm filled with gratitude for the insights gained and excited about the possibilities ahead. I'd also like to extend my congratulations to Anjila for sharing her inquiry journey and to all the inspiring CoL teachers who have generously shared their experiences. Your journeys have truly motivated me.
Here is a short reflection of my Inquiry Focus for 2024 and following that, there's a summary of my 2024 Inquiry in the form of a Google Slides presentation.
Kia Ora everyone!
My Inquiry question for this year was: Can reading stamina and increased reading mileage, lead to improved performance in e-asTTle reading comprehension/PAT assessments?
I identified this as my focus when I noticed that many of my students struggled to sustain their attention during extended reading tasks, and their comprehension of complex texts was often limited.
To build a rich picture of my student's learning, I used various assessment tools, including PAT Reading Comprehension, e-asTTle Reading, student voice, recorded lessons, and baseline observations.
During the profiling phase, I noticed a significant gap between my students’ reading ability and their engagement with text. Many students lacked the stamina to read for extended periods, and their comprehension strategies were often ineffective.
After taking a mini-lesson with my focus group and profiling my teaching, I gained valuable insights. For example, I could have asked more probing questions, provided more wait time for students to respond, and reduced my own talking time.
The changes I made in my teaching included:
Implementing small group reading instruction, Increased Variety of Text Types, and Sending extra reading materials home: This strategy helped, especially those learners who had attendance issues.
This year Glen Innes School has embraced a new learning model, Flip Learning, to enhance student engagement and outcomes. The flip learning is based on the learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky.
Our school's implementation of Flip Learning in Terms 3 and 4 provided a valuable platform to enhance student engagement in my reading class. By involving whānau and utilising this strategy, I witnessed a noticeable improvement in collaborative learning. While implementing Flip Learning presented some challenges, consistent communication with whānau through Class Dojo and phone calls was crucial in achieving improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes.
Overall, the changes in student learning are significantly positive, with noticeable improvements in engagement, comprehension, and confidence.
The evidence for this rating includes: increased participation in class discussions, a deeper understanding of complex texts, and accelerated progress in Reading Assessments for my target learners.
A significant takeaway from this inquiry journey is the importance of maintaining engaging, effective, and explicit reading lessons, with a strong emphasis on timed reading exercises.
Remember, friends, every child is a reader, and every reader is a leader. By fostering a love of reading and providing targeted instruction, we can empower our students to reach their full potential.