Inside the Classroom: Rasheda Contreras - Curtis Elementary/Dyslexia
Inside the Classroom: Rasheda Contreras - Curtis Elementary/Dyslexia
Inside the Classroom is a series that visits Northwest ISD campuses throughout the year and highlights the magical moments that happen between teachers and students each and every day across the entire 234 square miles of NISD.
October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month, and in Northwest ISD more than 3,200 students (nearly 10 percent of NISD’s total students) are identified with dyslexia. These students may experience difficulties in phonological awareness which can lead to difficulties in reading comprehension and/or written expression.
In order to support students with dyslexia, NISD has an entire team of highly-trained dyslexia specialists dedicated to working with students to help them be the best readers and learners they can possibly be. Our next edition of Inside the Classroom takes you to a dyslexia classroom to see how these specialists and students work together for incredible outcomes.
We visited Rasheda Contreras, a veteran dyslexia specialist at Curtis Elementary, as she was working with a group of fifth-grade students. Students receiving dyslexia remediation services at an elementary school work with their specialist for 45 minutes a day, Monday through Thursday.
These four students came during their usual English language arts time, and they got right to work when they arrived in Ms. Contreras’ class. They covered a lot in their 45 minutes, and the pace was fast. It was obvious Ms. Contreras was well prepared, and her organization kept the group moving.
Reviewing Letters/Sounds
The group started by reviewing previous sounds which Ms. Contreras would display on a flash card. They went through the cards very quickly, foreshadowing what would be a fast-paced lesson.
Dyslexia specialists throughout NISD utilize a multisensory teaching approach (MTA) to help keep their students engaged in lessons. Ms. Contreras’ class was an excellent example of MTA in action.
After they finished reviewing flashcards, students chose if they wanted sand or slime for their next activity. After passing out the sand and slime, Ms. Contreras would say a sound and students would write it with their finger. That concluded the review of previous sounds.
New Learning - OR
Next, Ms. Contreras introduced a new sound, “or” as heard in harbor. The group used multiple MTA techniques to get to know the new sound. First, Ms. Contreras and students felt their vocal cords as they repeated the sound, a way to determine if the sound is voiced or voiceless. Students also used a small mirror to watch their mouth as they repeated the sound.
After that, Ms. Contreras read a riddle to which the answer included the new sound. The students were excited to quickly get the answer. Ms. Contreras then introduced the coding for the sound. Coding involves using diacritical marks and symbols to help analyze words and sounds.
Ms. Contreras then wrote various words containing “or” on the board, showing how the letters can make different sounds depending on the word and what syllables are accented.
Next, it was time to practice writing the “or,” which started with sky writing, another MTA approach. Ms. Contreras turned off the lights and students made exaggerated hand motions with a light on their finger.
Then, it was time to write for real at their desks. First, students traced an example, then they were free to practice writing the “or” without the aid of a guide.
Reading
To begin the reading portion of their lesson, students became the teachers. They came to the board and coded a word, then they rotated and checked each other’s work. If the word was coded correctly, they left an encouraging note.
Ms. Contreras and the students discussed their work, then moved to reviewing some irregular words on flash cards.
Students then grabbed their reading notebooks and were assigned a set of four sentences. Ms. Contreras used a racecar analogy to explain that they were going to focus on pacing and fluency. She wanted students to concentrate on not reading too quickly or too slowly.
They first read the sentences to themselves, circled irregular words and coded words that they didn’t know. To cap off their reading lesson, students read their sentences aloud for the class to hear.
Spelling
The group then moved on to spelling and reviewed words ending in the “k” sound. They first reviewed rules for the various ways a word can be spelled when ending in that sound.
Ms. Contreras then said a word, for example flock or fake, and students wrote them on their paper. Students needed to decipher the amount of syllables, the presence of short and/or long vowels, and use that knowledge to write and code the word.
They then moved to different parts of the room that were labeled with the various ways to end a “k” word. Once there, one student had to explain why they spelled the word that way, making reference to the rules they had previously discussed.
After doing this with three words, the final activity of the day was to once again review the “or” sound they had learned earlier.
Wrapping Up
Students then returned to their full-time classrooms with a fist bump or personalized handshake on the way out the door. There was even the last-minute realization by one student that she and Ms. Contreras were wearing the same shoes.
Each student walked out with a smile as big as they had when they walked in, but with 45 minutes of impactful learning under their belts. Although these students process reading and writing slightly differently than their peers, they have advocates like Ms. Contreras encouraging them everyday.
Thanks to Ms. Contreras’ mastery of the MTA instructional method, her students were constantly engaged and always eager for what was coming next. Her organization and preparation kept the lesson rolling, and the amount of learning that took place in just 45 minutes was astounding.
With their dedication and positive outlook, plus advocates like Ms. Contreras, NISD’s dyslexia students are destined to be the best readers and learners they can be.
As we move through Dyslexia Awareness Month and beyond, we encourage you to learn more about the dyslexia program in Northwest ISD.
Check back regularly all year as we continue to visit students and teachers throughout Northwest ISD and offer a rarely seen look Inside the Classroom.