Grant proposal opportunity–need to boost reading levels

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Remedial Reading Chatboard

Grant proposal opportunity--need to boost reading levels

by Jamie

Jun 1, 2010

Hello,

In a nutshell, I have the opportunity to apply for a mini-grant of up to $500. I am a secondary English teacher (high school, grades 9 and 10) with no special education training. I have been asked by my administrators to try to get the students at my school who have not passed the state test to pass next time. I will get smaller classes than the other English teachers, but I am still basically supposed to teach the required curriculum. (I have some flexibility to deviate, however.) I conducted an enormous data-based research project this year and basically concluded that my students' reading levels (obtained via the Scholastic Reading Inventory, which is the only tool I had available to me) inhibited many of them from passing the state test. I will NOT have access to the SRI next school year, though.

Please help me think of ideas for my grant proposal. This is very new territory for me, but I feel like this could be a great opportunity to find or do something t...See More

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Grace/IL Hi Jamie,

You have determined that your students' reading levels inhibit them from passing the state test. Your next task may be to determine WHY their reading levels are low. Is it: 1) because they lack basic decoding skills? 2) because they lack more advanced decoding skills (polysyllabic words)? 3) because their basic vocabularies are l...See MoreHi Jamie,

You have determined that your students' reading levels inhibit them from passing the state test. Your next task may be to determine WHY their reading levels are low. Is it: 1) because they lack basic decoding skills? 2) because they lack more advanced decoding skills (polysyllabic words)? 3) because their basic vocabularies are limited? 4) because they can sufficiently decode but can't put the information together to comprehend it well?

I always worked at the primary grade level and dealt with basic decoding, then working as far into more advanced decoding as general progress and time allowed. There ARE programs to help older students. You might consider getting trained in the Wilson method. They have lots of materials for teens.

You might check out the website, [link removed].

You might also work on basic word building (base words and affixes). Sometimes it helps to take a single word such as 'meter/metre' and see how many words can be formed from it (metric, metrical, metrically, geometry, pentameter, parameter, etc.). This helps students with syllabication and also one discovers how affixes determing parts of speech and these affixes, especially suffixes, carry over to add to other base words (technique, technical, technically, pyrotechnic, etc.). It's also helpful in expanding their vocabularies because they begin to see meaningful relationships between words. I have a file describing this activity that I can send you if you email me with your email address in the text of the message.

There are many books available to help with comprehension issues. One that I like is "I Read It But I Don't Get It" by Cris Tovani. Other books deal with particular comprehension strategies -- too many to list here.

Grace

On 6/01/10, Jamie wrote: > Hello, > > In a nutshell, I have the opportunity to apply for a > mini-grant of up to $500. I am a secondary English teacher > (high school, grades 9 and 10) with no special education > training. I have been asked by my administrators to try to > get the students at my school who have not passed the state > test to pass next time. I will get smaller classes than the > other English teachers, but I am still basically supposed to > teach the required curriculum. (I have some flexibility to > deviate, however.) I conducted an enormous data-based > research project this year and basically concluded that my > students' reading levels (obtained via the Scholastic > Reading Inventory, which is the only tool I had available to > me) inhibited many of them from passing the state test. I > will NOT have access to the SRI next school year, though. > > Please help me think of ideas for my grant proposal. This > is very new territory for me, but I feel like this could be > a great opportunity to find or do something that could boost > the reading levels of my kids. > > In case it helps to know, I will basically have access to > two student computers, have classes of 18 or fewer students, > and be on my own (no special education teacher). I don't > THINK my kids will be special ed., though some of them may > be. In addition, the grant calls for a research proposal, > data-collection plan, and budget request. > > Thank you in advance for any possible feedback! > > Gratefully, > ~Jamie~

Jun 14, 2010

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