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Transitioning to a Blended, Phonics-Based Literacy Approach

Transitioning to a Blended, Phonics-Based Literacy Approach

Source: THE-Journal

A special education teacher explains how a balance between technology and one-on-one instruction has ignited her students’ love for reading.

When I started teaching 20 years ago, my students weren’t brought up on computers and other forms of technology. Now, my students can get immediate feedback from their educational computer programs. It’s the instant gratification they thrive on. When the district announced our transition to a phonics-based literacy approach using a new reading program two years ago, I was a little skeptical. I’ve grown used to administrators telling me that a new piece of tech will fix things and make class better for students. Gradually moving toward a blended learning environment for teaching reading meant we had to trust a program to deliver effective lessons that meshed well with teacher support. We all went into training with some concerns.

I was lucky enough to have a student teacher that year, so while she taught a few periods out of the day, I had time to sit aside and study our new approach to teaching reading. The more I learned, the more I believed that this was what my students needed: technology that helped them to break down and sound out each syllable of a word.

After two years of implementation, I’ve seen major change in my students. Some of my students with reading disabilities came to my class reading 35 words a minute. Without adequate progress, they’re liable to feel defeated and believe that their inability to read is just part of their school experience. To see them smile and get to 90 words a minute makes my year. Here are a few ways I made the transition to a blended learning environment while jumpstarting my students’ love for reading.

Balancing Online and Face-to-Face Learning

During the first year using the new program, Reading Horizons Discovery, the students and I were actively learning it together. After the first year, I was confident in using the program, mostly because my students’ progress was something I’d never seen before. While the computer components of my class were beneficial for both myself and my students, walking through activities face-to-face with students was still crucial.

We usually start with a whole-group lesson. I like to get my students to stand up and do work around the room before they log in to their computers for a lesson. During this time, I can use my assessment data to pull students aside for individual lessons based on who didn’t pass the last lesson. The computer component allows me to identify what their needs are. First I want to know what my students understand and what they don’t, then I interact with them to help them through their struggles.

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Melissa Cassada is a special education teacher at Lewison Elementary School in Evans, Georgia.