I spoke briefly with one of the reading teachers at my sons school that is located in DPS. Susan has taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade over the years and continued on teaching as a reading teacher. She is retiring at the end of this school year.
Susan stated that it is important to use explicit instructions. She feels that the students should be led by the teacher, practice what has been taught and be given feedback. She also strongly believes that the parents need to play a role also especially from the toddler years. As she mentioned this is kind of tough due to either the parents having little or no education or working so much they do not have the time to read to their children. When it comes to assessment, Susan believes that assessment is ongoing and to never let it slip by. There needs to be a schedule put in place for informal assessment every week. No student leaves any given week without an informal assessment. It could be as simple as a running record. She has small groups daily which may be a little simpler for her than a regular classroom teacher. She likes to stay on top of where her students are so they can achieve their reading goals.
I have observed Susan for another class and I have been very impressed with her teaching style and repoire with her students. Centennial is going to miss having her around.
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