Issue 12: How One Student Changed My Reading Practice | Jeremiah Short

Throughout the course of my seven-year career, I have acquired several tools that enable me to reach Primary (K-2) and Upper Elementary (3-5) students. I understand the logical progression for teaching phonics, the scaffolding of comprehension and embedding writing with all components of reading instruction. However, that was not the case until I met Lee*. Let me tell you the story of Lee and how he changed my reading practice.

*Name has been changed

The Story of Lee

In the fall of 2019, I administered a TPRI (Texas Primary Reading Inventory), which measures decoding, graphemic knowledge (spelling), fluency and comprehension, to Lee, a 2nd-grade student. After testing him on these skills, he could not decode or spell one word, was dysfluent but answered all the comprehension questions correctly. Seeing him struggle with basic foundational skills made me want to cry.

I notified his parents of the results and discovered that his mother was dyslexic and had to attend a special school when she was a child, which helped her become an above-level reader. Having only taught 4th and 5th grade, I did not have the knowledge base to help him, so I contacted my older sister, Christina, who specialized in dyslexia.

Her advice:

He needs to see the words.

Needing to see the words presented a problem: The district phonics program focused on phonological awareness, not phonics instruction. My solution was to create a word study cycle, which incorporated phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics instruction, vocabulary, fluency, writing and oracy.

In addition to using a whole group routine for word study, I focused on phonics in small groups and offered after-school tutoring. Lee's unique characteristics aided the extra support. He was a higher-order thinker who could make theme to theme connections across text and required only one exposure to acquire a new word. (On average, students with reading difficulties require 12 exposures.)

Little by little, he grew, and it led to a phenomenal moment: Lee raised his hand to read in class. It was a huge victory, but the job was not done. I continued to work with him, even through Covid-19.

By the start of 3rd grade, he was a level K, which was a vast improvement from his EOY (End of Year) 1st grade level of E. For the next two years, he excelled in reading by becoming a proficient reader and mastering assessments. I still maintain a relationship with his family. He is one of my biggest success stories.

Creation of phenomenal word power

The first by-product of helping Lee become a reader was the creation of the word study cycle, which I call Phenomenal Word Power. Because of the rigorous word study cycle, Lee and his classmates experienced 2.4 years of growth from the BOY (Beginning of the Year) 2019 to the BOY 2020.

Knowing the routine's effectiveness, I submitted a proposal to present it at Lit Con, a national reading conference. The proposal was accepted, and when I presented it, it received high ratings from attendees. I will now be presenting at TexTESOL IV, a state conference.

Learned to use progressions

The next year, I was contacted by a childhood friend. His daughter, a 2nd grader, was behind in school and needed tutoring in reading. She missed some time in school and was not equipped with the tools to become a good reader.

Based on my experience from the previous year, I knew exactly what to do. I mapped out an intervention progression with an initial focus on word study. I started with letter-sound correspondence and ended with inflectional endings. Comprehension was mixed in a few months into the progression. By the end of tutoring, she did so well in reading that I tutored her in Math. (All of this was done virtually.) I have followed her progress, and she continues to do well.

Her achievement led to me using this progression in my new role as a Reading Interventionist. Once I settled into the position full-time (I had to teach in the first semester, as well), I formalized the structure, and my student's growth accelerated. On average, they grew by 2.0 years. For example, one student's reading level increased from H to O (seven levels) in 20 weeks. Encouraged by the positive outcomes of the structure, I submitted a proposal to present at Lit Con 23. That proposal was accepted. I look forward to presenting to my peers in January.

Developed a thirst for knowledge

The best thing about working with Lee is that I developed a thirst for evidence-based practices. I gobbled up books on phonics instruction, became an avid reader of reading research, and happened upon the Science of Reading.

After beginning my career as an Upper Elementary teacher focused on fluency, comprehension and tests, I figured out the nuances of teaching reading. The what. The how. The why. Not only can I explain the strategies that I utilize but the research that informs the practice.

If I had not met Lee, I would not be the educator I am today. Thank you, Lee.

Advise to parents

• Ask schools whether they are engaging in explicit Phonics Instruction.
• Before allowing your child to receive Special Education testing, see if the child can receive support from a Reading Interventionist or similarly skilled teacher.
• Review letters and letter sounds daily with your child before they enter kindergarten. The ABC song is a simple way to do it.
• Speak in complete sentences and read to your child daily.
• Be your child's biggest advocate.

Be phenomenal!

Jeremiah Short

Jeremiah Short is an educator with nine years of experience skilled at teaching word study, comprehension and accelerating student growth. He has conducted webinars with colleagues and fellow educators. In addition, he's published articles to share the results of the various structures he's created within his classroom and has been a national presenter.

PHENOMENAL INTERVENTION: THE PLAYBOOK

This book is a manual intended to serve as a guide, not script for Reading teachers, Interventionist, and Resource teachers. It's split into three parts: Progressions (Formations), Components (The Plays), and Appendices (The Clinic).

Buy on bookbaby.com

Extracts from Dystinct Magazine