Hope Connors

Return to: ETAP 623 Fall 2020 (Zhang)

Go to: Incorporating Movement into Read Alouds Mini-Course

About Me

My name is Hope Connors. I recently received my Bachelor's of Science Degree in Education from The College of Saint Rose in the Spring of 2020. I am a certified general education teacher and special education teacher for grades 1st-6th. I recently started my first semester at the University at Albany to work towards a Master's Degree in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology.

It is important to me as an educator to be understanding of the diverse needs of my students. In order to have the most understanding, teachers must educate themselves to allow room for growth while in the classroom. Although I completed my undergraduate concentration in mathematics, I have a specific interest in teaching literacy to younger grades. I find it very exciting to learn new strategies that I can use to help young students learn how to read and write. I am eager to use KNILT to educate myself on a variety of topics and expand my knowledge in the education world.

In my free time I enjoy cooking, going on nature walks, working out, watching TV shows/movies, and listening to podcasts.

I hope you enjoy my mini-course on incorporating movement into read alouds!

Mini-Course Title: Incorporating Movement into Read Alouds

My Topic and Purpose

This mini-course will give educators an insight on different techniques and explanations on incorporating movement into read alouds for students. This topic is geared more towards younger grades, but some ideas can be used throughout older grades as well. This mini-course will allow educators to explore the positive effects on students when incorporating movement into their own read aloud lessons with support on the most effective way to do so. The following questions will be discussed during this course:

• What is the Read and Move Program?
• How are movements during read alouds effective in learning?
• How can you make the best book choice that incorporates movement?
• What techniques can be used in read aloud discussions to help support literacy skills?

Learning Outcomes

This mini-course will involve a range of information around effective read aloud lessons. Not only will you learn about incorporating movement into read alouds, but you will also get an understanding on the effectiveness of incorporating movement, the best book choice, and techniques to follow during read aloud discussions.

At the completion of this mini-course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the Read and Move Program
• Understand the different characteristics of book choices
• Use appropriate book choice and strategies to develop effective read aloud lesson plans
• Understand different read aloud strategies to implement into lesson plans
• Create an effective read aloud lesson plan that incorporates movement

Needs Assessment

Problem

Read alouds are very important to children's education, specifically in literacy instruction. Although people assume students' lessons will be focused solely around literacy instruction when there is a read aloud involved, that may not be the case. One of the benefits of including read alouds in general is that fact that students are working on multiple content areas at once. For example, if a teacher does a read aloud based on a book about the life cycle of a butterfly, students have the opportunity to work on literacy skills while also learning science content. The problem that many educators run into is they do not use all of the strategies that are beneficial to use during read alouds to enhance their students learning. This may be because either teachers do not understand that there is more that can be included into read loud lessons or teachers may not understand the benefits of including more types of learning into their lessons. The specific issue that is addressed in this mini-course is how teachers are not using the very beneficial strategy of involving movement into read alouds during a usual literacy lesson.

What is to be Learned

The participants of this mini-course are expected to learn how to incorporate movement into read alouds and the benefits of doing so.

Goals

The goal of this mini-course is to provide educators with knowledge about incorporating movement into their read alouds. The goal is specifically provide information about RAMP, how to teach an effective read aloud lesson, how to make the best book choice for a read aloud, and the benefits of including movement into read alouds.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

The Learners

The participants will be teachers who are certified in education, specifically geared towards K-6 childhood education, and are looking to learn more about literacy strategies. The participants will have prior knowledge/experience in teaching literacy lessons.

Instructional Context

The participants will successfully reach the goals of this mini-course through participating in readings, activities, and videos all online.

Performance-Based Objectives

Unit 1:

• Participants will be able to define Read and Move Program (remember)
• Participants will be able to explain the benefits of incorporating movement into read alouds (understand)

Unit 2:

• Participants will be able to list the characteristics of a good book choice for read alouds (remember-->analyze)

Unit 3:

• Participants will be able to understand and demonstrate which techniques to use during discussion portions of read aloud lessons (understand & apply)
• Participants will be able to implement specific strategies into their read aloud lessons (apply)

Task Analysis

Unit 1: Why should students move during read alouds?

• Prerequisite: Participants will have access to the Internet.
• Prerequisite: Participants will have prior experience in developing and teaching read aloud lessons.
• Prerequisite: Participants will participate in reflective activities.
• Participants will watch an introduction TEDTalk about read alouds.
• Participants will read an article focused on the Read and Move Program.
• Participants will reflect on what they learned.

Unit 2: How to make a good book choice for read alouds?

• Prerequisite: Participants have completed the video, reading, and activities in Unit 1.
• Participants will read an article about read aloud book choice.
• Participants will list characteristics of good books for read alouds through a true/false game.

Unit 3: What techniques can be used during read aloud lessons?

• Prerequisite: Participants have completed the video, reading, and activities in Unit 1 and Unit 2.
• Prerequisite: Participants are willing to apply knowledge from all 3 units into their future read aloud lesson plans.
• Participants will read articles and watch videos about techniques to use during read alouds.
• Participants will reflect on how they will use new techniques in their future read aloud lessons.

Curriculum Map

Return to: ETAP 623 Fall 2020 (Zhang)

References and Resources

Johnston, V. (2016). Successful Read-Alouds in Today's Classroom. Kappa Delta Pi Record. Vol. 52:1, pp 39-42. DOI: 10.1080/00228958.2016.1123051.

Kreider. C. S. (2018). Read and Move: A new approach to read-aloud time in primary grades, Childhood Education, 94:2, 64-71, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2018.1451692

McCaffrey, M., Hisrich, K. E. (2017). Read-Alouds in the Classroom: A Pilot Study of Teachers’ Self-Reporting Practices. Reading Improvement. Vol. 54:3, pp 93-100.

Nandzo, J. (2014). Incorporating Movement into Literacy. Ghana Physical Education and Sport Journal. Vol. 3, pp 23-38.