End of Year Reflection-Better Structured Literacy Approach (BSLA)

After 20 weeks of receiving BSLA instruction, students are once again assessed to evaluate their progress and identify areas for further development. This assessment will provide valuable insights into their phonological awareness, blending skills, and overall literacy growth.

 

The following provides an overview of the progress and achievements of each student after 20 weeks of instruction and completion of Taumata 2.

Student Summary: Student MH shows strong proficiency in identifying and manipulating individual sounds in words, with solid skills in decoding unfamiliar words, as reflected in their Early Tupu score.

Student Summary: Student LA shows strong phonological awareness in phoneme identity, but improvement is needed in non-word reading and spelling, as indicated by scores of 40% and 57%, requiring further practice and support.

Student Summary: NWA has shown excellent progress in Early Tupu non-word reading and spelling, achieving scores of 100% and 92%. However, there is decline in her performance in Late Tupu, in both reading and spelling, showing a need for additional support to enhance her skills at this level.

Student Summary: JJ demonstrates strong foundational skills in non-word reading and spelling up to the Early Tupu level, achieving high accuracy rates of 97% in reading and 89% in spelling. However, performance declines at the Late Tupu level, suggesting a need for support to improve confidence and skills with more complex word structures and spelling patterns.

In summary, while all students are making good progress in some areas, targeted interventions are necessary to address specific gaps in skills, particularly at the Late Tupu level, to ensure continued development.

End of Term 2 - Better Structured Literacy Approach (BSLA)

As the end of the term approaches, I take a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made throughout this successful period of teaching and learning. It has been a time filled with growth and achievement, both for myself as an educator and for the students. We have worked hard together, fostering a positive and engaging learning environment, and I am proud of the progress each student has made.

The following provides an overview of the progress and achievements of each student after 10 weeks of instruction and completion of Taumata 1.

Student Summary: MA has a strong foundation in phonological awareness and letter-sound recognition, excelling in Initial Phoneme Identity. He achieved a perfect score of 100% in Set 1 letter sounds, but Set 2 shows a slightly lower score of 76%, indicating the need for further practice. Focus on Set 2 sounds, phoneme blending, and non-word reading and spelling will help enhance his reading and writing skills.

Student Summary: JJ has strong foundational phonological awareness, especially in identifying initial phonemes, and performs well in Set 2 letter sound recognition. However, improvement is needed in Set 1 (75%) and in applying phoneme-grapheme relationships to read unfamiliar words, as shown by his non-word reading (47%) and spelling (65%) scores. With focused support, JJ can strengthen these areas and further develop his literacy skills.

Student Summary: LA has a solid foundation in phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge. Her letter sound recognition is strong, however, she is still developing her ability to blend phonemes.To support LA’s progress, focusing on explicit teaching of phoneme blending through activities and repeated practice would be beneficial as it will help strengthen her ability to decode unfamiliar words.

Student Summary: NWA achieved excellent results in identifying initial phonemes and has mastered letter-sound recognition for both Set 1 and Set 2 (100%). She has a solid understanding of the basic building blocks of reading and writing.

Her performance in non-word reading and non-word spelling shows she is developing her decoding and encoding skills. These results suggest she can apply her phonics knowledge to unfamiliar words with growing confidence.

My Next Steps:

MA - reinforcing Set 2 sounds, phoneme blending, and non-word reading and spelling to further enhance his literacy abilities.

JJ -. Focused teaching in non-word reading and spelling will help develop his ability to decode unfamiliar words and build overall literacy confidence.

LA-Her decoding abilities will be supported through explicit instruction and repeated practice in blending skills, with a focus on activities that strengthen phoneme blending

NWA- Practice in non-word reading and spelling will strengthen her developing decoding and encoding skills, boosting her confidence in applying phonics to unfamiliar words.

Term 2- Better Structured Literacy Approach (BSLA)

At the start of the term, I changed my inquiry focus to match my new teaching role.I am now focused solely on teaching the Better Structured Literacy Approach (BSLA) with two classes Rooms 19 and 20, working collaboratively with my colleague, Mrs. Dwyer, in an open learning space. Mrs. Dwyer has taken on the responsibility for teaching writing and mathematics, which prompted the change in my inquiry focus.

Our school has adopted the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), for which I completed training last year. I feel confident in implementing the scope and sequence for both Taumata 1 and Taumata 2.

My focus is on fostering phonological awareness and explicitly teaching students the relationship between letters and sounds. By developing their ability to blend sounds, I aim to equip them with the foundational skills needed for their fluent reading and writing.

For my focus group, I have selected four students, consisting of two boys and two girls.

- Student JJ

- Student MH

-  Student LA

- Student NWA

These students started school last year as New Entrants and had a few weeks of BSLA - Taumata 1. 

The following provides an overview of the progress and achievements of each student in the New Entrant cohort for the year 2023:

Student Summary: MH is making steady progress in letter-sound recognition, particularly with the basic sounds in Set 1. There is room for improvement in phoneme blending and more advanced letter sound recognition (Set 2). Targeted instruction focusing on blending sounds and reinforcing letter-sound knowledge in Set 2 will support further development in literacy skills.

Student Summary: Overall, LA is making progress in phonemic awareness, with areas of strength in initial phoneme identity and phoneme blending. Continued focus on expanding letter sound knowledge, particularly in Set 2, will be important for further development.LA has demonstrated a 50% proficiency in phoneme blending, indicating that she is in the early stages of developing the skill to blend sounds into words. Ongoing practice and targeted support will be important in helping LA achieve greater fluency in this area.

Student Summary: NWA has demonstrated a strong understanding of phoneme identity, achieving a score of 30, which shows a solid grasp of initial sound recognition. However, there is a need for further development in letter sound recognition. NWA is currently at 0% for both Set 1 and Set 2 letter sound recognition, indicating that more targeted support and practice are needed in these areas.NWA has performed exceptionally well in phoneme blending, achieving a high score of 90%. This reflects strong progress in combining sounds to form words, which is an important skill in early literacy development.

 To support NWA's continued growth, I will focus on reinforcing letter sound recognition through additional practice and targeted activities. As NWA continues to develop in this area, her strong blending skills will support further progress in reading and writing.

Student Summary: Based on the data provided, JJ is showing limited progress in key areas of early literacy development. There is a need for more targeted practice and support in recognizing the initial sounds of words.JJ requires additional reinforcement and target teaching of letter-sound correspondences, especially as they move toward more complex letter sets. Phoneme blending is also at a 10% proficiency, highlighting the need for focused instruction to help JJ develop the skill of blending individual sounds to form words. Moving forward, it will be essential to implement individualised support with consistent practice in these areas to build on  JJ’s foundational literacy skills.

My Reflection: The students are making steady progress in their phonemic awareness and letter-sound recognition, with varying levels of proficiency. Some students, like NWA, show strong blending skills, while others, such as MH and LA, need additional support with more advanced letter sound recognition and phoneme blending.

My Focus: The focus will be on reinforcing letter-sound knowledge, especially in Set 2, and providing targeted support for phoneme blending. Consistent practice and where possible  individualized instruction will be key to helping each student strengthen these critical literacy skills.

Term 1 2024 Inquiry Focus

This year my area of focus for Inquiry is Mathematics.  Within this focus, I am working closely with a small group of 4 students, 3 male students and 1 female. All four of these students started school last year. The female student among them communicates in English as her second language.

There are a few reasons why these students might struggle with Math:

-Developmental readiness: Some children may not have reached the developmental stage required to comprehend specific mathematical ideas. Understanding abstract symbols such as numbers, misunderstandings between numbers and letters, and understanding the concept of the quantity can be challenging.

-Lack of Concrete Manipulation: Children learn most effectively through hands-on experiences and concrete examples. 

Limited Exposure: Children who have not been exposed to mathematical concepts in their early years may struggle to grasp them later on. Exposure to numbers, patterns, symbols, and fundamental mathematical concepts is critical in building a solid foundation for future learning. 

-Learning Differences: Certain students may have learning impairments or disabilities that limit their ability to comprehend mathematics. 

-Ineffective teaching methods: Teaching methods used in the classroom may not always be appropriate for all students' unique learning styles. Some children may struggle to interact with and comprehend mathematical concepts if there is no differentiation or hands-on activities.

-Lack of practise: Math requires practice to master. If children do not have opportunities to practice mathematical abilities on a regular basis, they may struggle to recall what they have learned and apply it to new situations.

Addressing these challenges often involves a combination of strategies, such as providing hands-on learning experiences, using differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners, instilling a positive attitude towards math, and providing additional support for children with learning differences.