Was my hypothesis correct?

Was my hypothesis correct?

My hypothesis is that progress plateaus as students make sense of and consolidate new learning. It's almost as if they are close to cognitive overload. 

Mid-year running record data showed that my target students' progress had plateaued even though they in class were using and showing an understanding of new learning. Also, my class was excited about their learning, engaged, and working hard. I predicted that this plateau in running record data was due to the consolidation of skills and knowledge and that they were making sense of this information. 

And sure enough.... their new running record data a term later, shows that progress has definitely spiked with many now reading at or above the expected level. A massive accomplishment as they have now made 3 years of progress in just 2 years.  This is what we call accelerative progress. 

Of course, there are exceptions, the data highlights these exceptions and lets me analyze the possible factors influencing these student's achievement.

Two students have 20% attendance which means that retaining learning is challenging. 

Two students have high learning needs, It is equally exciting to see these students progress at their own rate and celebrate huge achievements as they happen. 

For a couple of students, progress isn't quite as fast as the majority. What is going on for these students? What can I do differently to help them with their learning... These students will receive extra support from me so that I can hone in on what works and what doesn't for them.

So what does my teaching of reading look like?

-A solid phonics session each day (Yolanda Soryl)

-Teaching decoding strategies; skipping over the word, rereading on and then rereading (Skippy Frog), breaking words up into chunks (Chunky Monkey), Re-reading the sentence when it doesn't make sense (Trying Lion). This comes from Beanie Babies, I use puppets to teach and model the strategies.

-Explicitly teaching comprehension strategies

-Reading, reading, and more reading in class (school is the only place most of my students experience books)

-Integration of writing and reading (teaching literacy)

-Fostering a love for reading and writing

I'm so proud of my students. They work so hard, love learning, and love reading. The magic of teaching and learning that was happening in Room 3 is now represented in qualitative data as well as the quantitative data that I see each day. For my students, many of whom have challenges outside of school that many adults can't even begin to imagine, school is their happy place. They love learning, strive for excellence, and connect their amazing experiences and knowledge with new learning. 

Having students a solid foundation to build future learning has been my aim. I can't wait to see where their learning takes them.