Struggling Readers and Writers
Struggling Readers and Writers
***My student is a girl, her name is (Maya), 6 years old in kindergarten in New York City.
Her difficulties in reading and writing in English as a first language, alphabets reading, writing and
sounds. but not with special needs. How I use “interventions” to improve her reading and writing in 3
months Feb Apr.
*Ten (10) hours of fieldwork are required. The specific requirements for working with struggling
reader are listed in a separate packet. You will be working with an individual struggling child (onetoone
or small group) inside or outside of the classroom setting. Instruction and assessments
conducted during fieldwork are documented in the Case Study Notebook.
II. Case Study Notebook
Candidates will identify a struggling reader and writer (who is at great need or at a low proficiency
level) to work with during the semester. Depending upon the individual circumstances of the field
placement you will complete 10 hours of fieldwork experience. In order to meet this requirement, you
will need to meet either with an individual or small group of students each week. You will document
your work through observation, anecdotal records, photocopies of artifacts, videotapes, etc. You will
keep a record of your fieldwork in a Case Study Notebook and use the data collected to develop a
sample EdTPA of one struggling literacy learner.
a) The Case Study Notebook
When working with your case study student, you will want to take field notes. These notes should
document your assessment, instruction, materials and the student’s engagement with the activity
including technology if appropriate. Instructional strategies used with your case study student may
come from the required and/or recommended course texts, represent strategies that are shared in
class, or may be strategies that you have learned about in other contexts.
You should make every effort to keep the notebook in good form.
Use the following format and headings as you document your work.
? Label your materials sequentially: Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, etc. (Since you are required to
have 10 hours of fieldwork experience – you can expect to have a minimum of 10 sessions. If
sessions are shorter than an hour, additional sessions are required to meet the 10 hours. You only
need to write up 10 sessions which will follow a prescribed format as listed below.
? Two of the sessions must include a Running Record or some other appropriate assessment for your
focal student. The first assessment must be made during the first, second or third observation of the
student and a second at the end of your practicum hours. You are to record the results of the
assessment in your Case Study Notebook. (Consult your textbooks for details on how to conduct a
running record and other appropriate assessments).
? Within the Case Study Notebook ten (10) sessions should be written according to the following
format:
1. Session Number, Date and Time
2. Student Description: Describe the particular literacy characteristics of the student that make this
session (or lesson) relevant and how you assessed the student’s literacy needs and struggles.
3. Instructional Materials: Describe the key instructional materials including technology used in the
lesson and the theories, research and conceptual; bases for you selection based on your
understanding of literacy research and theories.
4. Instructional strategy lesson: Describe how the strategy lesson was actually implemented. You need
to describe the critical features that are relevant to the student and teacher learning. In particular,
you should describe those remediation structures that were provided to support the student learning.
In describing the strategy implemented, discuss what you had hoped the student would learn about
literacy (reading and/or writing). There should be a clear and direct link between the strategy lesson
implemented and your student’s achievements, proficiencies, and difficulties.
5. Student Learning: Describe the student’s response/ interaction with the instructional strategy. What
behaviors did the student exhibit? What did the student learn? Did the student learn what you had
intended? Why or why not? How do you know? Be sure to note particular verbal response/ behaviors
of the student that provided insights into the child’s thinking and understanding.
6. Relevant class readings: What have you read that supports your use of the instructional strategies
used in this lesson? What do class readings suggest for future instruction with your student?
7. Teacher Learning/Reflection: Describe what new insights you gained from your interaction with the
student during this session.
8. Attachments: Attach copies of instructional materials and student work that might be helpful in
understanding the strategy lesson implemented.
