Literature Synthesis

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Identify Group

This research is targeted towards a lesson study of a small group of 7th grade students who are English Language Learners who struggle with reading fluency.  Our group of graduate students created an equity goal asking “How can we incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy into a small reading group?” Culturally relevant pedagogy is defined as a “pedagogy of opposition” (Ladson-Billings, 1992c) not unlike critical pedagogy but specifically committed to collective, not merely individual, empowerment.” Ladson-Billings (160). We also had a content goal that by the end of this lesson study, our students will be able to practice fluency reading strategies and present their work through a reader’s theatre presentation.  

 

We  began this journey by discovering our lesson study group and what similarities they share in culture, and interests.  We formulated our lessons study goals and its format to mirror experiences of a teacher with similar goals, challenges and passion. “ I strove to capture the nuances of the students’ engagement and the essence of their work” (Glass, 2019). We considered their reading challenges by our experiences working with the students and assessing their success, in order to best support their needs.  In his work on reading instruction, Villegas (1988) argues that, “If a student’s home language is incorporated into the classroom, students are more likely to express academic success” (p 159). The students were invited to choose the literary source for the lesson based upon their reading level and interest and were introduced to “Readers theater.” Readers theater is a UDL (Universal Design for Learning) strategy:  “UDL is a process by which curricular goals, method and materials, and assessments are from beginning designed- intentionally and systematically- to address individual differences in learners” (National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2014). Readers theater introduces reading text aloud from script repeatedly in order to perform. The students may choose to use props or setting, however it is not required. The strategies are to read aloud accurately with intonation, facial expressions and gestures often with different character voices, that bring the text to life.  Students collaborate to practice and perform. They develop fluency and develop a deeper understanding of text. By the end of this lesson study, our students will be able to practice fluency reading strategies and present their work through a reader’s theatre presentation.

 

Lesson Study

Our research was directly to support our lesson study. Lesson study is when a group of teachers collaborate to plan, implement, review and share the outcome of a single lesson.  They work together to design the lesson aiming towards successful learning goals. Lesson planning, instructional delivery and debriefing after the lesson collectively are equally critical components of our lesson study. Our group research into the strategy of reader’s theatre was one of the key influences of the lesson design.  Having a solid plan to meet a learning goal is essential. This includes planning a lesson that will engage the student’s interest, elicit higher order thinking develop learning strategies to meet the learning goal. This requires planning for the teacher that is well thought.  Instructional delivery should also be planned with the students learning styles considered such as those in the student's IEP (Individual educational plan). Lemons, et. al stated, “Ensuring that IEP goals and services are aligned with guidance from current research holds promise for increasing the effectiveness of educators in teaching a greater number of students to read.” (Lemons, et. al. 2016). Debriefing after the lesson study allows the teachers to reflect on focus students and who group success and determining whether the learning goal was met and the reasons why or why not.  This includes the teachers to be assessed as well as the students. “Just as students are assessed in the project for indicators of learning, so too are their teachers.” (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh 2006.) Our hope for this experience is that the students reading fluency develops while they are enjoying the activity.

 

Data

Our group will use exit tickets at the end of each learning session to collect data regarding the student’s self assessments of the activities. The data will include a visual scale from 1-10 to rate the activity and will also provide a section for the student to reflect on the experience.  Collected data from learning experiences can be used to guide instruction and adaptations. It can also be used to monitor progress. ”One of the most important things teachers can do to increase the likelihood that students with obtain reading goals is to use data to monitor progress and guide ongoing adaptations.” (Lemons, et. al 2016).

 

Conclusion

Through research of the chosen articles, our group developed a lesson study lesson that addresses the individual needs of students with strategies to implement, considering their culture and learning style.  We also realize the value of assessing the teacher as well as the student to create a learning environment where a student feels supported and safe, while developing the necessary skills to enjoy reading, leading to fluently.

 

Glass, L. (2019). Reading Chess Rumble: Engaging Disengaged Readers Through Culturally Relevant Literature Discussions. Journal of Children's Literature, 45(2).pp 56-68.

 

Ladson‐Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.

 

Lemons, C. J., Allor, J., Otaiba, S. A., LeJeune, L. M. (2016) 10 Research-Based Tips for Enhancing Literacy Instruction for Students with Intellectual Disability, TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol 49, No. 1, pp 18-30. DOI: 10.1177/0040059916662202

 

VanTassel-Baska, J., & Stambaugh, T. (2006). Project Athena: A Pathway to Advanced Literacy Development for Children of Poverty. Gifted Child Today, 29(2), 58–63. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ746301&site=ehost-live.

 

Wolter, D. (2017). From Labels to Opportunities. Educational Leadership, 74(7), 74–78. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=122878217&site=ehost-live.