2. Kindergarten Literacy Jan Joines Jjoines@lexington1.net (803) 821-2547 Literacy Coach Forts Pond Elementary

3. What to Teach in Kindergarten Developmentally Appropriate Expectations Literacy Research

4. Developmentally Appropriate Does not mean non-academic Teaching at the point of learning Not frustrating to the child Children’s exposure to language

5. Low Expectations Students underestimate their abilities Decreased self-confidence Students become more discouraged and withdrawn Achievement suffers Life suffers

6. Expectations Expectations should be: Based on accurate information Flexible Continually increased to challenge

7. Kindergarten Teachers… Must be equipped with reliable assessments Have to know what children know in order to teach them what they need

8. Literacy Research Teachers can accelerate the development of children who are “unready” for kindergarten Teachers revise their instructional interactions, not their expectations Marie Clay – Appropriate teaching in reading could accelerate young children’s development in a dramatic way

9. Durkin’s Research Classroom resembled home literacy experiences Read alouds Talk about books Talk about writing Talk about spelling

10. Durkin’s Research No pressure on students to achieve Content, pace, and duration of instruction were in response to students’ needs

11. Durkin’s Results Children significantly outscored comparison groups Identified 10 times as many words as the control group Effect of instruction moved child from 50 th percentile to 70 th percentile Effect held through to fourth grade

12. Durkin’s Results The effects of the “little books” surpassed fourth grade. The influence of the kindergarten instruction lasted two decades later.

13. Durkin’s Results Students receiving formal reading instruction in kindergarten exhibited: Superior reading skills Higher grades and better attendance Needing and receiving less remedial instruction in elementary and secondary school

14. Students receiving reading instruction… Outperformed higher socioeconomic students who did not have reading instruction Was a beneficial experience for all students – reduced poor readers in all groups

15. Research Results The more reading instruction, the better the results Results show it is so important to build literacy with more rigor in kindergarten

16. You Have the Power You hold the key to your students’ learning to read and write. What you teach your students in kindergarten today will have a lasting effect on their educational career. How will you teach this year?

17. Resources Expectations: How Teacher Expectations Can Increase Student Achievement and Assist in Closing the Achievement Gap. 2005. Kindergarten Literacy: Matching Assessment and Instruction in Kindergarten. 2006.