Thank you Amanda for hosting today’s resolution.
Hmmm…professional growth. I am going to be honest with you, this year, professional growth has been the last thing on my mind. I usually teach courses for our local teacher center and that forces me to do a lot of professional reading. With everything going on in my life, I decided to take a break from teaching courses. So that also meant a break from professional reading.
Since, nothing in my life seems to be back to normal yet, I am going to make my resolution to work on professional growth over the summer. My goal: master the Wilson Fundations program.
I think it is a great program, I just don’t feel I have the proper training or know-how to use it to its full potential. The reading teachers and special education teachers are certified in Wilson, but not the regular education teachers. We received only half a day’s training from the company. Please, don’t think I have not been teaching my students phonics! I do teach phonics and I incorporate tapping out words and the Fundations tiles and word cards. My goal is to follow the Fundations manual more closely. My only struggle with this will be that the program follows a strict sequence and does not follow what the Common Core says our children should have mastered by the end of first grade. Like for example, r-controlled vowels? So maybe I shouldn’t read the book? Haha…just kidding. Ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Please, link up and/or blog hop with Amanda by clicking the image below! She puts me to shame with all her professional reading.
I found Fundations when we discovered my youngest has dyslexia. I wanted to learn how to work with him at home. I LOVE this program and have used it for several years in my own classroom. I find that my students can move at a faster pace than the book suggests, so I assess and move along with a new skill or concept when they are ready. It's a great program for beginning spelling because it teaches the rules and generalizations explicitly. When I taught 1st grade I ordered the sound cards for 2nd and 3rd and used them when teaching new phonics skills in reading since kids often read more complex words than they can accurately spell.
I enjoy reading your blog! You always have such great ideas and activities. Happy New Year!
That is a great idea, I think I will get those cards!
Only a half a day training? Yikes! That is not enough!!
My school started using Fundations last year with K & 1. We added 2 grade this year as well. It is intense!!!
I had at least three full day training sessions and we had Wilson people critique our teaching once a month ALL year long. Stressful? Yes. Did I learn to use the program with fidelity? Most definitely. As much as I complained, I'm glad I had the training because this year is much smoother. I still can't get all of the lessons completed in the allotted 30 minutes, however, half of my students are ESE so there you go. What's amazing to me is that my ASD students really love the program. I was worried at the beginning of the year that they wouldn't attend to the lessons but they like it a lot.
2 hours of my day is dedicated to K & 1 Fundations, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me!
~Andi
Wow! Thank you for the offer!
I teach Fundations, but I do find that it is missing some things that I feel like first graders should know. I would definitely say keep things quick or else the students will get tired and lose focus. I also have the students write the dictated trick words more than once (more like five times), so that they get additional practice. One time just does not seem like quite enough for me.
Also, you may need to enrich the curriculum a bit for high fliers because I find that the program is a bit too basic for my high readers and writers.
I hope those tips help at least a little bit. The program is pretty straightforward so I am sure you will feel more comfortable with it soon.
-Becky
Compassionate Teacher
http://compassionate-teacher.blogspot.com/
Thank you!