The implementation of a literacy intervention ‘Station Teaching’ in

Junior classes– FromTheorytoPractice

Dr. Dympna DalyResearchmeet INTONovember2017

StationTeaching

Literacy

• Literacyincludesthecapacitytoread,understandandcriticallyappreciatevariousformsofcommunicationincludingspokenlanguage,printedtext,broadcastmediaanddigitalmedia(NationalStrategy,DES,2011,p.8)

• Ifyouonlyknewaboutliteracyfrombeinginthisclassroomwhatwouldyouthinkitwasfor?(Comber,inHall,2003)

Reading

• Readingisaskillweuseeveryday.Whetheraroadsign,oranovel,atthesupermarketorthelibrary,readingisanintegralpartofourlives.Itisnotmerelyafunctionaltooltomeetthedemandsofsociety,butamechanismbywhichwecanacquireknowledgeandnewideas,gainingagreaterunderstandingoftheworldaroundus.Itopensthedoortoafeastofimaginationandcreativitywhichprovidesenjoymenttoreaderandauthoralike(Elborn,UKLA,2-15,p.4)

EssentialsforReading

• Languageisatthecoreofreading• Readingandliteracyareessentiallanguageskills

EssentialsforReading:• Accesstobooks• Orallanguageexperiences• Readingathome• Motivation

Skills + strategies essential for effective literacy teaching in early

years• Developingconceptsaboutprint• Phonologicalawareness– SoundLinkage• Phonics(forreading/spelling)– JollyPhonics• Vocabulary• Fluency(Dropping1/2levelstoaidthis)• Comprehension• Writing(composition)(Kennedy,Dunphy,Dwyer,Hayes,McPhillips,Marsh,O’Connor&Shiel,2012,p.15)

• Attitude/Motivation• Widevarietyoftexts

Effectiveteachersofliteracy• Soundsubjectknowledgeinschools• Useconsistentapproachesthroughouttheschool• Havequalityresourcesandbewellorganised• Effectiveuseofrigorousassessments• Dailyreadingsessionsbasedonassessedneeds• Storytime;Readingtochildren;Literacyrichenvironments;Highlevelofparentalinvolvement

• Hastobeabroadandrichreadingcurriculumwhichengagesteachersandchildrenandwhichpromotesapositivereadingethosthroughouttheschool(Elborn,2015,p.5)

WhatisStationTeaching?• StationTeachingisaliteracyinterventionthatteachersinIrelandarenowimplementing.

• StationTeachingoccurswhenaclassisdividedintofourorfivesmallgroupsofpupilsandtheyreceiveintensivetuitionatfourorfivedifferentStations.MembersoftheSpecialEducationteaminaschool,incollaborationwiththeclassteacher,workintheclassroomatthedifferentStationsprovidingarangeofliteracyactivities,forexample:NewReading,FamiliarReading,PhonicsandWritingactivities.Insomeschoolstheinterventionlastsforsixtoeightweeksperyear,inotherschoolstheinterventioncontinuesallyear– italldependsonavailabilityofstaff.

Pupil’sdrawingofST

Research

• Mixedmethods• Questionnaire– 115teachersin21schoolsCaseStudy• Observationsweekly– 44pupils– LasttermofJuniorInfants,rightthroughallofSeniorInfants.Pupildrawings.PreandPostinterventiontests.Videorecordings

• Focusgroupandindividualinterviews– pupils,parents,teachers

Results

Lengthoftimeschoolsusetheinterventionineachclass

N. of weeksper class

4/8 Weeks 1 term 2 Terms All year

N. of schools N. of schools N. of schools N. of schoolsJun. Infants 6 3Sen. Infants 7 2 2 6First Class 10 2 3Second Class 8 4Third Class 5 1 3Fourth Class 4 3Fifth Class 4 3Sixth Class 4 4

PercentageofschoolsreportingnumbersofpupilsingroupsforST

AmountoftimeschoolsallocatetoeachStationinSTClass

CurricularfocusofST

ClassesNew

reading

Familiar

readingPhonics Writing

Word

work/

vocab

Listening

Comp

rehension

Other Totals

N. of

teache

rs

Jnr. Infs 5 5 5 4 3 2 1 2 27

Sen. Infs 12 12 10 12 6 2 1 4 59

1st Class 13 13 11 14 6 4 2 5 68

2nd Class 9 9 8 11 5 2 3 1 48

3rd Class 5 5 1 5 4 1 5 2 28

4th Class 4 4 1 4 3 1 3 2 22

5th Class 3 3 1 3 2 1 4 3 20

6th Class 2 3 - 3 1 1 3 3 16

OutlineofStations:NewBook• ThepurposeofthisStationistoallowchildrendailypracticeinattemptingtoreadnewmaterial.Thechildrenlearntousestrategicactivitiestoreadnewtexts.Theteacherpreparesthechildrenforsuccessbygivingthemtheplotofthestoryandintroducingthemtoanyneworunusualwordsorphrases.Asthechildrenarereadingthenewtexttheteacherdirectsthemtothemosteffectivestrategytouseatanygiventime.Thisstrategymightbeaprompttomeaning(e.g.Wherewerethechildrengoing?),tovisualinformation(e.g.Coverthe‘ing’or‘canyouseeabityouknow’)ortostructure(e.g.predicthowthephrasemightend)(PDST,2011,pp 7-8).

Familiarreading

• ThepurposeofthisStationistopromoteenjoyment,fluency,comprehensionandspeed.Childrenreadthesamestoryinroundrobin.Teachersdonotinterruptthereading.Asthechildrenarereadingteachersshouldnotewhatisgoingwellandoneortwothingstheywanttodrawthegroup’sattentiontoe.g.agoodself-correctionorsomethingthatdidn’tsoundright,lookrightormakesenseoragoodvisualanalysis.

Wordwork/Phonics

• ThepurposeofthisStationistoshowchildrenhowwordsworksothattheycanmakeafastvisualanalysisoftheirreading.Magneticlettersareusedtoshowchildrenhowwordsarecomposedoflettersandsometimeshave‘bitsthatlookthesameandsoundthesame’.Thisisbasedonwordsthattheyknowandareinthereading

• CanalsobePhonologicalawarenessandorPhonicsStation

Writing• ThepurposeofthisStationisthatthechildrenwilllearnhowtheycanwritetheirownmessagesbyhearingandrecordingsoundsinwords,usinganalogyandlearningunusualwords(by‘look,cover,write,check’).Childrencomposeasentenceandhave-a-goatwritingit.Theteacherhelpsthemproblemsolvebyshowingthemhowtohearandrecordsoundsinwords(usingsoundboxes)orbyusinganalogy(IfIcanspell“tack”Icanspell“cracking”).Onthepracticepagethechildrencantryoutwordsandeverydaytheymustlearnoneortwowordsorpractiseoneortwowordsthattheyalreadyknow

• Sandtrays/miniwhiteboards/handwritingcopies• Importanceofteachermodelling

Componentsofeffectiveliteracyinstruction:(1)Phonological

awareness

• Phonologicalawarenesscanbedividedinto3levels- syllabicawareness(syllabicblending,segmentationandisolation),onsetandrime(cat– ‘c’=onset,‘at’=rime)andphonemicawareness(awarenessthatspokenlanguageconsistsofsequenceofphonemes– singleunitofsound)

• Timespentonwordplay,nurseryrhymes,riddles,storybooks

(PDST,2013)

(2)SequenceforteachingPhonics

• Theabilitytosaythesoundsoftheletters• Soundoutandreadconsonantvowelconsonant(CVC)words

• Soundoutandread4letterwordswithinitialandfinalblends(shortvowelsounds)

• Abilitytounderstandandreadmagicewords• Abilitytounderstandandreadvoweldigraphs• Abilitytosegmentandreadmultisyllabicwords(PDST,2013)

(3)VocabularyandFluency• 4typesofvocabulary– listening,speaking,readingand

writingvocabulary• Intheearlyyearstheprimarysourceisorallanguage

experience– useofjokes,poems,riddles,Smallwordsinbigwords,compoundwords,multiplemeanings,vocabularydevelopmenttoencouragedeepprocessing,wordwall,wordoftheweek

• 3componentsofreadingfluency:wordrecognition,automaticityandappropriaterhythmandintonationofspeech

• Phonologicalawareness,letterknowledgeandalphabeticprinciplesfacilitatefluency

• Importantlinkbetweenfluencyandcomprehension

(4)Comprehension

• Theultimateobjectiveofreadingiscomprehensionorthereconstructionofmeaning

• Explicitlytaught• Divideinstructionintopre-readingduringreadingandpostreading

• BuildingBridgesofUnderstanding(CourtneyandGleeson)

• Strategies:prediction,visualisation,makingconnections,questioning,inferring,clarification,determiningimportanceand

ResourcesteachersuseinSTClasses Jun

Inf

Sen

Inf

First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth

N. of Teachers 81 82 82 82 45 39 32 25% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% oftrs.

% of trs.

Levelledreaders

22 24 23 29 33 30 29 29

Novels 3 3 9 27 25 28

Jolly Phonics/Jolly Grammar

11 12 13 16 11 3 3 4

Miniwhiteboardsand markers

15 16 15 14 19 10 9 8

Handwritingcopies/bookslaminatedpages

15 19 18 20 16 18 25 19

Sand trays andsandpaperletters

8 3 1

Listeningactivity book/Oral language

6 4 5 5 7 5 3 4

Phonicsgames/sheets

2 4 2 1

Magneticletters

10 10 9 4

Smart Pals/Elkonin boxes

3 4 4 3

Rhyming,Trickywords/flashcards

7 2 5 4

Punctuationbooklets/ First

AssessmentApproachesforselectionofpupilsforgroupsinST

Assessment Approaches for selection of groups % of teachers who use this method(a) Teacher observation

(b) Standardised tests e.g. Belfield, MIST, Micra T, DrumcondraTests

(a) Teacher made tests

(a) Running record on pupil’s reading level

(b) Checklist or rating scale

(c) Checklist on Concepts about print

(d) Other

100

76

57

52

19

14

10

N = 115

OverallsummaryofcriteriaClassTeachersusetojudgesuccessofST

Criteria 1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice 4th choice 5th choice 6th choice

n = 54 CT % of CT % of CT % of CT % of CT % of CT % of CTEnhanceddecoding skills

42 6 14 16 12 13

Enhancedengagementwith books

24 30 19 12 9 6

Enhancedcomprehensionskills

16 27 17 15 12 9

Enhancedmotivation forliteracy activities

9 9 21 26 20 18

Enhanced letterknowledge

8 15 15 9 30 21

Progress in theirwriting

1 13 14 22 17 34

SummaryoforganisationofSTinclasses

StartingStationTeaching:JuniorInfants

• Lastterm• TestindividuallyConceptsAboutPrint– howtoholdabook,

lefttorightandtoptobottomorientation,returnsweep,title,author,illustrator,understandingletter/word,onetoonematching,punctuation,capitalandlower-caseletters,blurb,tableofcontents,index,glossary,parentheses,boldprintanditalics(RAI,2014)***seenextslide

• Testletternamesandlettersounds• Groupyourchildreninyourclass(4groupsx5/6pupils)• ExplaindifferentStations,rulesaboutquietvoices,timer• Organisestaffingandresources

ConceptsofPrintChecklistExamplesofassessmentquestions.Givethestudentabookandaskthefollowingquestions- Canyoushowme:– aletter?aword?asentence?– theendofasentence(punctuationmark)?– thefrontofthebook?– thebackofthebook?– whereIshouldstartreadingthestory?– aspace?– howIshouldholdthebook?– thetitleofthebook?– howmanywordsareinthissentence?

StartingStationTeaching:SeniorInfants

• TeacherObservation• Testpupils– doarunningrecordonpupilsifpossibleto

ascertainlevelofreading.AdministerothertestssuchasTEST2rorMIST.BookbandsforGuidedReading(UKRR)

• TrinityEarlyScreeningTestinReadingandWriting(TEST2r)–twoparts;partoneclassteacheradministers– rapidscreenertest(5subtests– letterknowledge,rhymerecognitionoddity,phoneticspelling,copying,rapidautomatizednaming);LSteacheradministerspart2topupilswhodonotperformwellinpartone

• MiddleInfantScreeningTest(MIST)– classteacher– 5subtests:listeningskills,letter/soundsidentification,writtenvocabulary,threephonemewords,dictation(Term2inSeniorInfants)

StartingStationTeaching:FirstClass

• Childrenaregroupedaccordingtoabilitybasedonanumberofcriteriaincluding:

• TeacherObservation• CheckanytestscompletedinSeniorInfants:TEST2rorMIST• CheckendofyearreportsfromSeniorInfants• Administerstandardisedtests:MICRATorDrumcondra English

TestinSeptember• Doarunningrecordoneachchildtoascertainreadinglevel• InformalphonicsassessmentinSeptember• LiaisewithSupportteacher/Previousclassteacher• Thedynamicsofthechildreninvolvede.g.somestrong

charactersmaynotworkwelltogetherinagroup

SettingupST

• Divideclassinto4/5groupsof5/6pupilsineachgroup• ClassteachertoleadSTintheirclass• ArrangeteammeetingofallteachersinvolvedinST- teacher

planning– recordkeepingtemplate• Decidetimetablinge.g Mon.toThurs.10.00– 10.40/Timer• Organiseresources– whichlevelledreaders/multiple

copies/folders• VisitanotherschooltoseeSTinaction• OneteachertotakeresponsibilityforoneStation– havepack

ofresourcesready,haverecordsheetforeachStation• Teacherstorotateonamonthly/weeklybasis• Havesubstituteavailabletoreplaceabsentteacheron

occasion

PhonicsStation

WritingStation

ReadingStation

Levelledreaders

ResourcesrequiredforST

• Levelledreaders:PM+books/BigCatbooks/FlyingStartbooks/RedRocketbooks/Sails/Novels

• Sandtrays/sandpaperletters/Threadingboards/Theraputty• Miniwhiteboardsandmarkers• Magneticlettersandboards• Phonicsgames/sheets/activities– google gamesandprepare

(JollyPhonics),Elkonin boxes• Handwritingcopies/books/sheets/SmartPals

PhonicsSound:Monday______

SoundLinkage:Thechildrenengagewiththenewsound,practisethesongandlookatflashcardswithCVCs/CVCCswiththenewsound.Resources:Ipad,f/cards,

Tuesday______

SoundLinkage:Thechildrenusemagneticboards&letterstomakewordsusingthenewsound.Elkoninboxes.Wordsdifferentiateddependingongroupability.Resources:magneticboards,magneticletters,Elkonin boxes,counters,

Wednesday________

SoundLinkage:Useofmagneticboardsandletters,Elkonin boxes.RollandReadgamewiththesound.Resources:magneticboards,magneticletters,Elkonin boxes,counters,dice,rollandreadgame,WBmarkers

Thursday________

SoundLinkage:Revisionofsound,shortdictatedsentencesusingthesoundandHFWs.Sent:Resources:smallWBs,WBmarkers,

Workwork/PhonicsStationrecord

Writing

Usingthewritingbooklettodevelopwriting,sentence:

Resources:writingbooklet.,pencil,eraser.ListeningComprehension:Developingthechildren’slisteningskillsthroughtheuseoflisteningcomprehensionsResources:pencils,crayons,Prim-Edlisteningskillsbook,AuditoryDiscriminationExercisesUsingthewritingbooklettodevelopwriting,sentence:Resources:writingbooklet.,pencil,eraser.FineMotorSkills:Developingtheirfinemotorskillsthroughdifferentmanipulatives andexercises.

Monday______

Tuesday______

Wednesday________

Thursday________

Reflections/Suggestions

WritingStationRecord

New/FamiliarReadingRecord–PM+books- Focus

Group1 Day BookLevel Observations

MondayTuesday

WednesdayThursday

AspectsofLiteracycateredforinST

• Readingbothnewbooksandfamiliarbooks• Readingaloud• Wordwork,decodingskills• Phonics– games,blending,trickywords,rhymes• Handwriting,Freewritingandcreativewriting• Orallanguagedevelopment• Conceptsaboutprint• Developingfluency• Comprehensionstrategies

AspectsofLiteracywhichmaybeneglectedorlimitedinST

• Timeislimited• Comprehension– timetooshort• Teacherspreparewritingactivitybeforehand• TeacherswouldlovetohavealongerperiodintheyearforST(notjustoneblock)

• Orallanguage– timeissues• MaynotsuitsomepupilswithSEN– difficultychangingtask(pupilmaytakeownchair;don’tuseloudtimer;startingatpreferredstation)

Positivefindings

• Allteachersagreedthat:Pupils’learningisextendedduringST; STprovidesanopportunitytopraisepupilsfortheirachievements;StaffcollaborationisvitalforSTtosucceed

• Pupilsenjoydifferentactivities,workinginsmallgroups+differentteachers,theyenjoytheattention,gettinganewbook,workisdifferentiatedforthem

• Teachers– enjoyworkingtogetherasateam,usefulforassessingpupils’progress,promotesfluencyandconfidence,hasimprovedliteracyinstructioninschools

HowSTcanbeimproved

• LongerblockofSTneededinclasseseachyear• Moretime,morestaff,moreresourcesneeded• Childrenshouldbegroupedaccordingtoability,gradedandindividualinstructionshouldbeprovided

• TrainingshouldbeavailableforteachersforST• Planningandorganisationarevital• DifficultysettingupLLO/ST

CPDforteachersonST

Summaryofcombinedoutcomesfromsurveyandcasestudy

• SToccursmainlyinSeniorInfants,FirstandSecondclasses• Fourgroupswith4/5pupilsineachgroup• Stations:NewReading;FamiliarReading;Phonics;Writing• Resources:Levelledreaders/Novels;JollyPhonics;Miniwhiteboardsandmarkers;Handwriting

copies/Laminatedsheets;Magneticletters;Sandtraysandsandpaperletters• TeachersuseTeacherobservationandStandardisedtestsasassessmentapproachestoselectgroups• TojudgesuccessofST,teacherschoose:enhancedengagementwithbooksandenhanceddecodingskills• STcoversallaspectsofliteracybutorallanguage,writingandcomprehensionstrategiesneedtobe

addressedatadifferenttimealso• STfacilitatessmallgroupworkandteacherscannoticepupilswhoarestrugglingandpraisepupilsfortheir

achievement;pupilsaremotivatedtolearn• Pupils’learningisextendedinallStationsbutextensionactivitiesneedtobeaddressedintheWriting

Station;pupilsengageinmeaningfultasksduringST;STprovidesopportunitiesforsocialskillstraining• Teachersandparentsfeltthatpupils’literacyskillshadimprovedwithST– thiswasbackedupbyposttest

resultsinJuniorInfantsbuttheMISTresultsinSeniorInfantsdidnotreflectthis• TeachersandpupilsallenjoyedparticipatinginST• StaffcollaborationisvitalforSTtosucceed.TeachersmainlylearnedhowtodoSTfromotherteachers.

PlanningandorganisationareessentialtosettingupST• TeachersrequestedalongerblockeachyearforST;theywouldlikemorestaffandresources,theyalso

calledfortrainingtobeavailableforteachersforST

Parents’comments• TheyallagreedthattheirchildrenenjoyedST.Theywereallvery

complimentaryaboutSTasindicatedbythesecomments:• Canseetheresults.It’sunbelievable,SThasbeenagreatsuccess- Ais

doingintensereading• Bisreallyintoit– happyouttositandreadbooksathome.AtbedtimeI

havetositandreadeverysecondword– shewantstobeincharge• C– hewritesabookandreadsittohissistergoingtobed– hereadsit

then– it’shisthing– he’sveryproud• D– writesanddrawspictures– heisbrilliant– sohappy– hetakesabook

atbedtimetoread– goingtobedandlovesit– hereallyenjoysit–anythingheseesontelly– heseesacoupleofwordsandreads– heistunedintoeverything

• E– wouldknowit’son(ST)– 4teachers– hedoesn’ttellthatmuch– youdonothearmuchfromtheboys– butit’sfinehesays– definewhatfinemeant!(Focusgroup19/06/14)

Pupils’commentsonreading• Cos’ ifyou’redoingstudy,whenyou’reinanolderschoolweneed

toreadinstructionsandforimportantexams– lotsofwordsyouhavetoreadthem

• Becauseweneedtolearnsomeotherthings• Becauseithelpsus– ourbraintowork• Sowhenwe’reolderwecanwriteandwewon’thavetolearn,

goingovertopeoples’houseifwedon’thavetimewecanwriteletters,orthankyoucards– MyMomdidthoseformybabysister

• Sothenifyou’reachemistorsomethingyoucanreadthings,it’sgoodtoread,you’llknowalotofstuff

• Becauseyouhavetodiscovernewwords,whenyoudiscovernewwordsyoucanmakethemupintoyourownsentencescos’ whenyoumakethemup,youcanmakebiggerwordsandstufflike–discover,containersandstuff(Pupilinterviews:13/06/14;16/06/14)

Pupils’commentsonwriting• Sothenifyou’rewritingaletteryoucouldwriteitandpostit,ifyouweredoinga

textyoucanwriteit• Becauseifweget,whenwe’regrownup– youhavetogeteverythingrightand

yougetacardandyouhavetosendittotherightpersonandtherightmessage• Becausewhenyougetold,it’slikewhenyouwanttodo,whenyourchildgoesto

schoolandyouhavetogivethemsomeletters– youmustputyouraddressonthem

• Cosyoucanlearnnewwordsandgetyourwritingbetter.Tonightwe’llhaveahomeworkbookandwe’lldohandwriting.Whenwe’redoneourhandwritingwegoontosentencesinourbook– weget3sentencestodo– wordsyoumakeasentencewiththatbooklike– MyDadputoilinthecar/Isawabigbird/Myhouseisveryvery biglikeahotel.

• Sowe’llbeabletogointoFirstClassanddojoinedupwriting• Cosweneedtodowriting.Ithinkwritingisthemostimportantthingyoudo–

drawpictures– wemightbewritingloadsofthingsinthebigschool• Cosithelpsourbrain– that’sthesameastheotherquestion(Pupilinterviews:

13/06/14;16/06/14)

TeachersfeelSTisbeneficialandpromotesteamworkandan

interestinliteracy• Greatsenseofteachersworkingtogetherandsupporting

eachothertocreateapositiveandprogressivelearningenvironment

• STfacilitatessmallgroupwork,childrengetindividualattention

• Pupilsreadingatownlevelandpace• Avarietyoftasksinashortspaceoftime• STbuildsconfidenceandfluency• Writinghelpschildrentoexpressthemselves• Promotesaloveofbooksandprintrichenvironment• Goforit!!!!!

Andfinally….