About this site

This product of learning was created for partial fulfillment of the Master's Degree in Reading Education at Appalachian State University, under the direction of Dr. Woodrow Trathen. These artifacts serve to demonstrate knowledge gained while in this program of study. All artifacts are directly aligned with North Carolina DPI Teaching Standards.

Reading Education Graduate Program of Study and Reflection

Personal Statement and Reflection

Appalachian’s Reading Masters Program has indeed had a profound impact on me. Before beginning the program, I felt like I was a good reading teacher. In order to examine the impact of this program, I am forced to think back to the teacher I was before I really understood reading, how it develops and most importantly how to teach this invaluable skill.

My first course in the program was titled Assessment and Correction with Dr. Morris. It was at this point in which I realized, there is no way I could have possibly taught without this knowledge. I understood my instruction needed to be driven by assessment, but what I did not know was the assessment should be

Starting the year by assessing my students using the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) to find their instructional, independent and frustration reading levels in addition to planning instruction for these students based on this information are the most important changes I have made.

Through Dr. Gill’s Beginning Readers course, I learned how to identify a child’s stage of reading whether it is emergent, beginning or self-reliant. I learned how to teach students at all of these stages by developing a lesson plan which includes forty percent of time with the student reading books at their instructional reading level. Thirty percent of time should be spent writing. In Dr. Greene’s Language Arts class, I learned the value of implementing writing based on the student’s interest as I myself had to spend a significant amount of time writing. Twenty percent of time should be spent working comparing patterns in words on the child’s instructional spelling level. This level is found by administering the Schlagal Spelling Inventory and finding the highest level in which the child can accurately spell at least fifty percent of the words correctly. Ten percent of time should be spent reading aloud to my students. Throughout my coursework, I was captivated by Dr. Greene and Dr. Frye as they read aloud to me.

Another important change my students will benefit from is the importance I will place on independent reading and allowing my students choice in their reading. I have learned my students need practice reading in order to make growth as a reader. They need to practice reading independently with text they can read with ninety-eight percent accuracy.

Now, I understand how to teach reading and it will make all of the difference.