Guest ECE Student Blogger: Emma

"During the month of February, I had the opportunity to work with a third grade student who receives additional reading intervention.  I have observed him in an inclusive classroom setting and he seems to struggle with reading, writing, and focus.  I have listened to him read and recognized his struggle with fluency, recognition, and decoding words.  I have also read his writing pieces and assisted him with several writing pieces.  He has a hard time spelling and using correct punctuation.  

DEC (2015)

I have also recognized that this student has a hard time staying focused.  After brainstorming strategies to help him focus, I have found that the best strategy for him is to give him short, structured breaks.  He will have a specific time to work on a writing assignment, and then he gets 5 minutes to read or simply relax before continuing the assignment.  I have found that giving him breaks has been extremely effective and has helped him stay focused on the given assignment. 

Socially, I have observed that this student is more reserved and independent in the classroom.  He does not seem to have any problems communicating and socializing with his peers and teachers.  The students are often given the choice to work independently, work with a partner or work with a small group.  I noticed that this student usually chooses to work independently more than he chooses to work with peers. When I was in the classroom last week, he chose to read with me during read-to-partner time.  This gave me a great opportunity to observe him further and really get to know him. 

In terms of his behavior, he tends to be inconsistent.  On some days, he has great behavior.  On other days, he struggles with following directions and staying on task.  In most cases, I have observed his eagerness to share and respond in whole-class discussions. 

I implemented a whole-class lesson last week and noticed that this student wanted to share his thinking the whole time.  He is great at raising his hand to talk.  From the beginning, this student has really stood out to me in a special way.  Despite his struggles, he is extremely eager to learn and improve on new skills.  He is a great student who loves to read and share his stories.  I truly enjoy talking to him and listening to his stories.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with this student and help him grow."