While having a reflective conversation with Nancy Cutler at Groton Elementary, I was privileged to observe her students using the program called, TUNEin™ to READING. When I entered the room, each student was sitting at a laptop wearing headphones and operating the keyboard. Nothing too exciting here, I know. But what I heard was awesome. Each one of the students was singing a different song outloud. Too cool!
TUNEin™ to READING is a reading intervention tool for grades 3-12. Nancy has participated in the training and highly recommends this research based intervention. Here is a brief explanation of the joy experienced when using this program, "Music is the catalyst behind this breakthrough success: students sing with all of their heart and soul, striving to achieve a high score, and in the process improve their reading. Unlike “skill and drill” exercises, TUNEin™ to
READING breathes life and joy into learning, leveraging lasting gains in vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The software is scientifically based and research proven with literacy experts agreeing: it’s extraordinary!"
Check it out.
http://www.elpcorp.com/content.cfm?page_id=187
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Response to Intervention (RtI)
One of the several topics I know just a little about is RtI. And because a little information can be a dangerous thing, this post is about locating resources if you wish to know more than a little.
What is Response-to-Intervention (RtI)? The website that I have found that provides excellent explanations is called The Iris Center http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/.
Following is an excerpt from an information brief called A Parent's Guide to Response to Invervention. "The RtI process is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions to students who struggle with learning at increasing levels of intensity. The progress students make at each stage of intervention is closely monitored. Results of this monitoring are used to make decisions about the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education or both.
The RtI process has the potential to limit the amount of academic failure that any student experiences and to increase the accuracy of special education evaluations. Its use could also reduce the number of children who are mistakenly identified as having learning disabilities when their learning problems are actually due to cultural differences or lack of adequate instruction."
If you wish to learn about RtI or if you find you are in a position that you need to educate others about the program, this website takes you through real-life situational modules, case studies and information briefs for educators and parents.
What is Response-to-Intervention (RtI)? The website that I have found that provides excellent explanations is called The Iris Center http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/.
Following is an excerpt from an information brief called A Parent's Guide to Response to Invervention. "The RtI process is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions to students who struggle with learning at increasing levels of intensity. The progress students make at each stage of intervention is closely monitored. Results of this monitoring are used to make decisions about the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education or both.
The RtI process has the potential to limit the amount of academic failure that any student experiences and to increase the accuracy of special education evaluations. Its use could also reduce the number of children who are mistakenly identified as having learning disabilities when their learning problems are actually due to cultural differences or lack of adequate instruction."
If you wish to learn about RtI or if you find you are in a position that you need to educate others about the program, this website takes you through real-life situational modules, case studies and information briefs for educators and parents.
IRIS STAR Legacy Modules are Web-based instructional materials that provide information about working with students with disabilities. Each interactive module is made up of five components:
Challenge – a realistic scenario relevant to education professionals
Initial Thoughts – questions that allow students to explore and consider what they currently know about the scenario presented in the Challenge
Perspectives and Resources – nuggets of information (e.g., text, movies, audio interviews, activities) that allow students to actively engage in learning the module's main content
Assessment – an evaluation tool that offers students the opportunity to apply what they know and to evaluate what topics they need to study further
Wrap Up – a summary of the information presented in the previous components
Check it out and then you also will know a little about RtI.
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