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Mary/PA - Welcome to this evening's Reading Recovery Meeting here at Teachers.Net.
Mary/PA - We have no set topic for tonight. We can chat about any Reading Recovery concern that you have.
Sue - I'm a kindergarten teacher in a public school
Mary/PA - Are interested in finding out about Reading Recovery?
Sue - Well, I think a know a bit already about it
Mary/PA - didi, are you reaching the end of your year now?
Sue - I studied Mary Clay's works in College ...lately my 'bible' has been Fountas and Pinnell's books
didi(Aus) - Sorry just getting lunch organised too
Mary/PA - We're just getting started here
Sue - I'm from MIchigan and we've built a state level assessment around a more balanced literacy approach (well, not me)
Mary/PA - We had our selection meeting this afternoon
didi(Aus) - I am a RR teacher with work in learning support for the other part of the day
Mary/PA - We have no set topic for tonight. We can chat about any Reading Recovery concern that you have.
Mary/PA - Where are all of you in your programs right now?
Sue - Our school has 1 RR teacher (4 Kdg. 4 1st grades, etc)
didi(Aus) - I am the only RR teacher here for 100 year 2's.
Gigi/MO - I just finished roaming with 3 students TODAY and will start "real" lessons tomorrow!! How scary even after 5 years!!
Mary/PA - This is just our first full week of school, we had a two day week, last week was a four day week and now we have a five day week this week
Mary/PA - We just had our selection meeting in our building this afternoon
didi(Aus) - I am just on the last day of roaming with three of my second intake
Mary/PA - It is so difficult to figure out who is in most need of help when there are so many that are so low
Sue - what does that mean "roaming' and 'second intake'?
didi(Aus) - Sue your ok Gee these ones are coming in at l6 what a difference from the beginning of the year
Sue - I know what you mean, Mary. What assessments are you starting with?
Sue - "Coming in at 16"? What does that mean?
didi(Aus) - Sorry thats Level 6 not 16 LOL
Sue - oh, wow... that's high
Mary/PA - Sue, we have to use the OS
Sue - wait... maybe not high?
Mary/PA - Do any of you use the selection matrix that is based upon the CAP and Dictation scores?
didi(Aus) - Sue we have to test them to reading levels
lorey - We do the OS
Sue - I want to get to that point and not have our RR teacher do everything
didi(Aus) - Never heard of it Mary What is it? Does it help when you have like me 1 more space and several to chose between?
lorey - I'm not used to the term selection matrix
kinderkate - Hi all - got a question for selection. I'm at a new school. Administration decided not to retain ANY kinders last year. One child who qualifies is not even 6 yet. His kinder teacher wanted retention and mom was ok with it last year but not this year. Do I have to take him now or can I wait until 2 round to let him mature a bit???
didi(Aus) - Isn't the minimum age 6yrs
kinderkate - Scared me there for a moment, didi lol
kinderkate - six is high also.
Mary/PA - didi, I don't know it it helps, I sorted my test results in so many ways trying to figure out who is in most need, but no matter how I did it, there are far more kids then slots
sukiRR - Kate we have one little girl placed in our first who just turned 5
sukiRR - It appears to be a mistake
Mary/PA - I tested 27 kids out of the 62 that we have in first grade this year and only 2 scored high enough to probably not need the service
Gigi/MO - sukiRR--Is she REALY in first grade?
kinderkate - What do you mean suki? the five year old shouldn't be in the program just yet? is that the mistake?
Sue - Yikes, sounds like us, almost... that's tough
Mary/PA - suki, did she have a year of kinder before being placed in first?
sukiRR - The kids I am testing are so low, She is NOT first gradeI am working on getting her into K where she belongs.
didi(Aus) - How many RR teachers Mary and how many spaces
kinderkate - I forget Mary, are you the only rr at your school
sukiRR - Mary she came in with a K certificate from a private Kindergarten
Mary/PA - didi, I'm the only one with 8 slots
Gigi/MO - Mary--That would be hard to know where to start!!
sukiRR - But that appears to be a mistake...she only was in a pre-K program...but mom insists she had K
didi(Aus) - Mary are you full time RR? We are only allowed 1/2 time RR ie 4 kids at a time.
kinderkate - I feel the same about my little one suki. I probably could get to read but I CAN'T make him mature before his time. He can't even run straight. He is so sweet and enthusiastic. He just needs time and it makes me angry that he will be pushed.
sukiRR - Mary ...are any of you guys testing the OS using an array of little books??
kinderkate - 8 slots, mary?? How so. Do you have other responsibilities?
Sue - OS?
Mary/PA - didi, this is the first year that we are trying this, before I taught kindergarten in the AM and RR in the PM, ....did that for 8 years ...I felt I was too stretched out and wanted to focus on one job for a change
sukiRR - I am part of a pilot from Lesley college and we test the kiddo's with little books and then run them through Scott Foresman after selection for the scan sheets
kinderkate - Keep us posted Mary on the 8 slots. It sounds good.
Gigi/MO - Sue--OS is the Observation Survey Test that we give to see who needs RR.
Mary/PA - suki, we haven't been given the go ahead for using the little books for testing yet
sukiRR - We do ..but its hard to determine a cut and dry level.
Sue - Our school system and Lang. Art committee interviewed with several book reps today. SForesman was one. Wright Group was my favorite.
didi(Aus) - Mary are you good at keeping your lessons to 30 mins? I still struggle with this. It's my third year.
Mary/PA - kinderkat, so for I like it....it is so nice to not have to concern myself with the two jobs and I actually have more time than I had before
lee - i am in a child development class and i am looking to ask some questions
Gigi/MO - Sorry Lee!! We work with K-2!!
didi(Aus) - We are free to use any of our leveled books for OS
sukiRR - We also give a variety of book intros from less to more support. we can even read them the text first , as long as we mark how we did it.
Mary/PA - didi, I've always had to be good at keeping them to 30 mins. because I never had enough time to go over time and get all the lessons in
sukiRR - Didi ..I am curious ..do you give a variety of level ones, twos threes etc?
Mary/PA - this year I have 8 40 min slots, I've never had that before....I'm quite a distance from the first grade rooms so I'm hoping that I can work something out to cut down on travel time
Gigi/MO - What "little books" do you all use?
kinderkate - Our other job has changed. We used to do literacy groups in the am. Now each rr teacher teams (plans and teaches) with a classroom teacher in the am. The class has all of the retained firsts plus others to fill up the class.
sukiRR - I try to give a variety of books that require attention to different sources of info.
Sue - What level would a Kindergarten grad. need to not need RR?
lorey - I'm not good at keeping to 30 min
kinderkate - didi, when the students discontinue do they have to be at a certain level?
sukiRR - For example I might start with Dad(PM) and then go into a Yummy Lunch (PVEP) to see if kids are real;ly making that one to one match.
kinderkate - Yes, mary, I'm very interested in what you are doing. If it works Imay suggest it next year.
sukiRR - But they are both level one
didi(Aus) - sukiRR We have to intro books from varying levels and do the rr the next day until we get 3 consecutive levels from easy instructional and hard with the instructional level being where they start. we are only able to use books up to and including that instructional level during roaming.
lorey - We use Scott Foresman for OS
kinderkate - Depends, Sue. We take the lowest 20 percent.
Sue - ok
sukiRR - Didi do you limit yourself to one book from each level???
lorey - What is PVEP
Gigi/MO - If we don't all use the same books, how can it be standardized? I haven't heard of testing with "little books"!?!
sukiRR - Pioneer Valley Educational Press. great books for visual info.
kinderkate - Didi - are you familiar with First Steps??
lorey - me either
didi(Aus) - SukiRR generally if its got 100 words or two or three at lower levels
didi(Aus) - Kinderkate We have to get them to the level of the middle reading group in their class or at least level 16 for a minimum
sukiRR - So didi what do you do when a kid gets a hard level on one book at level one and easy on another??
lorey - Is PVEP on the Leveled List for RR?
kinderkate - that is at the end of the year, didi?
sukiRR - Lorey I think so...they just came out with new levels at lasr year's Northeast conference
Mary/PA - didi, is the RR Program in Aus being constantly researched? Do you have to enter your testing data into a national database?
didi(Aus) - Kinderkate We have to get them to the level of the middle reading group in their class or at least level 16 for a minimum
lorey - I have such an old list but I know it's not on the list I have.
sukiRR - lorey they are good books to add variety and to get kids looking at text
lorey - L 16 in the first round
kinderkate - Looks like we are picking your brain, tonight, didi!! LOL Thanks for all the info.
Gigi/MO - Lorey--What state do you teach in?
lorey - New York, New York City
didi(Aus) - Sorry got cut off again. Yes Mary we Have to submit all our data at the end of the year.
Mary/PA - didi, looks like you are having a difficult time staying in the room tonight----this afternoon, for you...I mean
Gigi/MO - Hi, Mag and Welcome Back didi!!
kinderkate - Didi - are you familiar with First Steps??
sukiRR - For exampls Balloons level2 goes "I like red balloons, then second line The dog likes redballoons" then it switches on every page...but does not follow a pattern...they HAVE to look.
lorey - I'm still testing
didi(Aus) - Sorry I think it only gets done state wide not nationally.
Mary/PA - lorey, I just finished testing today
lorey - We have our first meeting tomorrow
lorey - of all the RR Teachers in my district
sukiRR - Mary you are lucky...I am soo busy with my other job...I have only tested 9 kids so far.
didi(Aus) - Kinderkate we do use first steps but our state Queensland has adapted it as our state system for tracking children and we have a test in Yr 2 based on it with funding for kids 'caught' in the net ie with problems
Mary/PA - lorey, we have our first CC on Thursday
sukiRR - me too lorey
lorey - This is my 2nd year & I'm looking forward to a year without the stress of training
lorey - although we're always learning
kinderkate - What type of tracking, Didi?
sukiRR - Lorey are you going to Providence??
Gigi/MO - Mary--I happened to see my Supt. after our last chat and asked him what he thought about us testing the week before school started and he said GREAT!! He also WROTE me a note confirming what he had said!! I know you were concerned about what the adm. tho
Mary/PA - We are supposed to start Roaming tomorrow, but we just had our selection meeting after school today and I will send out permission slips tomorrow, so I can't start Roaming tomorrow
didi(Aus) - Thats one of my jobs kinderkate to sort out tutoring for these kids so there is a little support for those who miss out on RR
Mary/PA - Gigi, your are in MO...that's the state that does things the right way...I'm in PA we do things the other way
sukiRR - I share my building with another RR teacher and I cant have selection till she's done too
lorey - I've tested 10 children and think I have 3 good candidates;
kinderkate - We had first steps for 2 years here. Actually I was a tutor. But when we got a new superintendent of schools he stopped it and brought in all his own ideas - so he can take credit I guess. Well his ideas aren't working. How could they - he isn't even an educator. OH don't get me started!!! He's ruining our district
didi(Aus) - The check lists that go with first steps each child has a folder recording their progress in reading writing and number
sukiRR - lorey the kids I have tested this year are very low
lorey - What is First step
sukiRR - We have first steps writing in my district
Mary/PA - lorey, I tested 27 kids and have 25 good candidates!!
lorey - Wow!
Mary/PA - We need at least one more RRT in my building
lorey - and only 4 spots
sukiRR - Mary what makes a bad candidate??
kinderkate - First Steps is a resource for literacy instruction in the classroom. It is WONDERFUL!! It helps the teacher find where the students are and what to do to get them to where they need to be next.
lorey - bad attendance for one
sukiRR - What if they have been to STAT?(pre sped referral?
lorey - high scores
kinderkate - I hesitate to take a student who has changed shcools several times in kinder.
Mary/PA - According to that matrix that we have to use...if they go off the matrix, they are not to be considered for RR - they are too high.
lorey - It sounds like our E-Class
sukiRR - This is my third year and each year I get 3-4 kids that are definitely SPED and going to need a long term intervention
kinderkate - Matrix??? I'm not familiar with that Mary.
Gigi/MO - Mary--One thing that helps me with selection is to put an X in each box of the lowest 10 in each subtest and then count up how many X's each child has and take the ones with the most X's!! Does that mke sense?
kinderkate - RR is not Long Term
kinderkate - Why so many Gigi? How many students do you see?
sukiRR - I don't feel bad because the teacher that gets them after me will really know the kid
lorey - Our Teacher Leader also looks at who we're selecting/scores
sukiRR - but its soo discouraging because they don't discontinue
Mary/PA - One of the children that I tested that does not qualify for RR tested with 50 LID, 1 WT, 10 WV, 3 text level, 17 CAP, and 19 Dictation
lorey - My first round last yr in training zero discontinued then 2nd round 3 out of 4
sukiRR - What about TL?
sukiRR - sorry mary I saw the level now
didi(Aus) - The level they come out instructional has a big part in our selection criteria especially if other OS scores are similar
kinderkate - As soon as I see that a child may have a need that I can't fill I start the process for testing. If tested and accepted for other resources I drop them.
lorey - L 3 would definitely be too high in my school
lorey - We don't take children receiving Sp Ed services or children who don't pass the LAB and are ESL students
kinderkate - First year is tough, lorey. Also sometimes it is just the group of students that you get.
Gigi/MO - Kinder--I was saying 10 for Mary since she has room for 8. I have 4 RR students so I usually do 7-9 X's and then the ones with less X's go into EL!!
sukiRR - I have had a couple of kids I tested so far look promising on Text but in WV and HSIW they were the lowest I have seen
kinderkate - LAB lorey?
Mary/PA - The highest child that I tested who did qualify had 50 LID, 3 WT, 9 WV, 1 text level, 11 CAP, and 20 Dictaton
didi(Aus) - My first rounders were Dictated text L1 and L2 this second round they are L#, L5, and 2 at L6
lorey - LAB is the test they give to ESL students
sukiRR - lorey is the lab an english proficiency test?
lorey - My school has 100% poverty level
lorey - yes
kinderkate - Hmm we do things differently. I test 4 from each of three classes. Then I x out the lowest 4 scores and take those kids. We don't have literacy groups any more.
sukiRR - In our disrtict the TL hand picked students for the training teachers so they would be successful
sukiRR - Mine too Lorey
lorey - Do you think that's a good idea Suki
didi(Aus) - Thats what I do Kinderkate
Sue - taking Reading class Monday nights-starting on Master's program
kinderkate - Our school also lorey. 100% free lunch.
lorey - mine too
Mary/PA - But he has been in the country for only a year, English being new to him and he is 8 years old. He was in my kindergarten class last year, but we placed him in a second grade class this year so he is very low for his class placement, but we had to get him in a group of older students, it wasn't working out with him being 3 years older than the others.
Soon to be Teacher - Hello! I am going to be student teaching this coming spring, what is your best advice for me?
kinderkate - I've never heard of that suki.
Sue - my presentation on Reading Recovery
sukiRR - no...we are in the trenches...they have to deal with reality...besides its not just about discontinuing kids
lorey - exactly
didi(Aus) - In our training year we had to keep kids on all year if they didn't get to discontinuing level
kinderkate - Get our when you can, Soon!!! LOL
sukiRR - They did not do it for my class...LOL that's for sure
Mary/PA - So many kids...so many issues...so few slots
Sue - not sure what to do
Sue - where will I get materials for Reading Recovery?
lorey - I have been teaching RR in the AM and pulling out 2 groups of 6 for guided reading (BS) in the afternoon
lorey - Do you all push in
Sue - next county where I worked last year has some schools does Reading Recovery
sukiRR - I am most proud about the progress some of my not discontinued kids have made...two are now at or above grade level and one has been dropped from Sped/speech and language
Gigi/MO - We test ALL the first graders which at our school is only 35-40 and then choose from them.
kinderkate - Yes, push in is the district policy - and it stinks. They keep saying that the kids feel badly when they are pulled out. Well, they should see it when I take the RR kids. The whole class wants to come. Of course what does district administration know about kids anyway??
lorey - Does this chat end at 10?
Sue - what is main things u do with RR?
sukiRR - maybe they were not "successful but you have to think that the one on one did them a lot of good
lorey - Oh forgot you're in different time zones. I mean is it an hour
sukiRR - lorey are you going to providence??
didi(Aus) - What do you mean by push in
Sue - getting sleepy-had class tonight
lorey - Is that where the conference is this year. It was in Ohio last year.
Mary/PA - Sue, have you looked at - http://www.readingrecovery.org/ ?
sukiRR - I cant wait already for the fall conference
Mary/PA - and - http://www.amihome.com/rrca/ ?
Sue - no Mary-Thanks
sukiRR - the northeast one is there
kinderkate - I keep track of all of my students and am also pleased with the progress of some of those who did not discontinue. We don't designate them like that here anymore. We say they "had a full lprogram"
sukiRR - It was in my home town of Springfield last year
sukiRR - Kate
Ericka - I currently teach in Las Vegas and want to move to MO
kinderkate - The opposite of pull out, didi. Doing groups IN the classroom .
Ericka - looking for a good school district with good benefits
kinderkate - Where is your fall conference, suki?
lorey - My district is not paying for conferences this year so I probably won't go
sukiRR - didi push in is like pull-out services..only you do it in a corner of the classroom.
didi(Aus) - Yes we have that argument here as well
sukiRR - (I am the queen of push in lol
didi(Aus) - It has its limitations in the classrooms
sukiRR - providence
lorey - I have to talk to my ass't prin tommorow re trying to continue to pull out
sukiRR - I am excited
kinderkate - sounds like we're doing exercises = pull out, push in
Gigi/MO - Lorey--Every year we're told that it is our last year to go to a national conference!!
Ericka - nobody recommends their school district huh?
lorey - I don't know how effective push in would work with all the new teachers we have
Sue - some schools here do that-resource goes in their reg. ed room and teaches concepts
sukiRR - I do SPED inclusion in the other part of my day
didi(Aus) - I must away see you in a fortnight
kinderkate - Also sometimes you have to work with groups when the others are having whole group instruction or doing something FUN
sukiRR - or your doing something fun and interrupting the others
Mary/PA - thanks for coming, didi, see you next time
lorey - I wouldn't mind doing Sp Ed Inclusion. I was a Sp Ed Teacher prior to RR
kinderkate - right, suki
Ericka - lol...CA is out...I want to move somewhere smaller
sukiRR - I did speech therapy for 8 years...I dont have much fun since I became a SPED teacher
lorey - How long is this chat?
Ericka - gigi, do you have an email address
sukiRR - how about New England Ericka??
lorey - All they're doing here now in New York City is cutting programs, increasing class size, etc.
Mary/PA - lorey, officially it is over at 10:00 Eastern time, that is now...but you are free to stay and chat for as long as you like
Ericka - most likely not sukiRR
lorey - Thank you Mary
sukiRR - Guess where I went during my vacation??
Sue - class I subbed last 2 days-28 students
sukiRR - I spent three weeks in Crete Greece
kinderkate - What part of New York lorey. Not Manhattan?
Sue - great vacation
lorey - What grade had 28 students
Sue - better go wash dishes
sukiRR - My folks have a house there.,.but i don't speak Greek
lorey - yes, Manhattan
Sue - 4th
sukiRR - Good night Mary its been great talking with you all as usual
lorey - I'm off soon too. Good night. This is great
sukiRR - good night Kate and lorey
sukiRR -
lorey - I will try to make the RR chat
lorey - There's comfort in numbers
Mary/PA - Thanks for coming this evening, see you all next time
Mary/PA - I must get along down the road as well
lorey - Good night all.
Gigi/MO - I better go for now also!! Night all!!
kinderkate - well guess the party's over. Night all if there is anyone left out there!!!
