Involving students in documenting and reflecting upon their own assessment data can have a significant impact on their learning and self-awareness. When students take part in tracking their progress, they often gain a clearer understanding of their strengths, areas for improvement, and the goals they need to set. This practice fosters a sense of ownership over their learning, increases motivation, and can encourage a growth mindset as students see evidence of their improvement over time. Additionally, self-reflection helps students develop metacognitive skills, enhancing their ability to plan, monitor, and adjust their approaches to learning tasks.
However, there are potential drawbacks to consider.... what would you anticipate could potentially discourage students from making progress?
How do you balance guidance with independence in this practice?

Michigan uses IRIPs - Individual Reading Improvement Plans for students where data shows they are in need of a specific plan. These plans can look different across the state and the retention aspect of this law has now been removed.
Does your state require specific reading plans and processes to be in place? What does that look like in your district?

As part of our MTSS and RTI process we meet as a mult-disciplinary team biweekly to discuss students new to the Student Study Team (SST), those already in the process- how they are making process etc. or lack of process etc. This is an example of one of the forms we created and use during this time.
How do you problem solve or brainstorm with your multi-disciplinary team when students are not showing progress?

Today I was looking for a quick passage for first grade students to read as an additional lesson for UFI . I couldn't find what I was looking for so, I went on ChatGTP and prompted it to create a passage using short a words for first grade students and I am really happy with the results! I then went on to prompt it to create a MAZE passage using the same story. Here is what was shared:

Sam and Dan Plan a Trip

Sam plans a (trip, car, dog) to camp. Sam asks Dan to plan the (trip, lunch, bed) with him. Dan said, “Yes! Let’s (plan, run, swim) a trip! What do we have to (do, eat, make)?”

“We have to get the van and the (tents, boats, books),” said Sam. “I can get the van if you can get the (tents, balls, trees),” said Dan.

Dan gets the (van, food, box). Sam gets the tents. The men are (glad, sad, mad) to be on a trip to camp.

How do you utilize AI to differentiate for your students?

Chunking is a reading strategy that helps students break down complex text into manageable, meaningful parts or "chunks." This approach is particularly useful for improving comprehension, especially when students encounter longer texts or difficult passages.
How do you integrate chunking into early literacy development?

A teacher comes to you concerned about a student who struggles with reading comprehension, especially when confronted with lengthy texts. What strategy would you recommend to help the student improve comprehension skills?

Children's engagement in reading is shaped by various motivational factors that cater to their interests and needs. Curiosity drives children to explore texts that answer their questions or introduce new topics, while involvement in reading activities helps them feel connected to the content, making reading more enjoyable. Recognition boosts their confidence, reinforcing the desire to read more. For some, grades serve as a motivator, linking reading to academic success. Social interactions, like group discussions or shared reading experiences, make reading a collaborative activity, and competition, such as reading challenges, adds a fun element that can motivate children to push themselves further. Together, these factors enhance engagement by appealing to different preferences and encouraging sustained interest in reading.

How do you create engaging experiences tailored to your students' collective and individual interests and needs?

Modeling ethics when working with student data involves maintaining confidentiality, using data responsibly, and being transparent about its purpose.
How do you model ethics when working with student data?

To differentiate materials effectively for all students, you can offer various formats and levels of complexity.
What would this look like in a multi-age classroom? 

Digital literacy tools can play a significant role in supporting literacy development across grade levels by providing personalized and engaging experiences for students.
In what ways do you think this is beneficial?

Struggles in reading can impact a student's performance across multiple areas. Poor reading skills make it harder to grasp content in subjects like math, science, and social studies, where comprehension of text is crucial. This can also slow vocabulary growth and language development, affecting communication skills. Additionally, students who struggle with reading may experience lower confidence and motivation, making it harder to engage in learning. Since reading is tied to critical thinking, difficulties can limit the ability to analyze information, and even affect social skills by reducing exposure to texts that help develop empathy and social understanding. How do you consider other content area development when a student is known to be struggling with/in reading?

One of the most challenging thing I am finding with 1st grade students in intervention right now is they do not know how to write the alphabet (in order) in a quick and automatic way. On a daily basis I give them a blank piece of paper and ask them to write the alphabet (and there are no references in my room to look at) and fill in 1 or 2 of these sheets.
I created a variety of quick fill in the boxes alphabet sheets to share with you.
https://www.ginapepin.com/_files/ugd/5fe563_73b93a3f14ad495b8778654b102b2104.pdf
or
https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-20

How do you build automaticity of the alphabet with your students?

One of the biggest challenges in data analysis is understanding the outcomes from different tests given to our students throughout the school year. How do you, or how does your school, help to establish assessment literacy among staff?

Once a year our district partners with the local Great Start Family Coalition and we put on a Parent Academy - an evening where families can come to learn more about supporting their child/children at home to develop language and literacy skills. Local businesses provide supplies i.e. puppets, playdough, books etc. and parents rotate through interactive centers. In these centers they learn how to create reading spaces in their homes and so much more!
What are some effective ways to engage families in supporting their child’s literacy development at home?

One of the ways that I encourage other teachers to incorporate quick whole-body movements into their daily routine is to weave in easy songs, chants, and movements throughout the day, every day. Turning your lunch menu into a song, weaving in easy aspects from occupational therapists (i.e. 3 crab walks), and simple call and response approaches help students stay engaged and motivated.
How do you keep students engaged when transitioning between activities in the classroom?

Have you ever utilized letter or word sorts to early literacy skill building?

Free Letter and Word Sorts - continue to check out my website for more free resources!

https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-20

A Slinky is a wonderful early language and literacy tool - check out the video I created on different ways to use a Slinky.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGQ-Kjh6JY/7JhAzf8qvFx_Q3JOaAa-sw/watch?utm_content=DAGQ-Kjh6JY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor
or
https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-19-1

What software or program does your district utilize for IEP writing? Our district uses Illuminate. What are your thoughts on the program you use?

How do you ensure that students with severe speech and language articulation or receptive or expressive disabilities take appropriate routine assessments? For example a student that struggles with speaking fluently i.e. stutters may be omitted from one minute oral reading fluency benchmark testing. Students with specific articulation errors should also not be penalized for these errors during early literacy screeners and benchmark tests. Our district writes the articulations errors on the Acadience test booklet to avoid such penalties.

How often does your Multi-Disciplinary team meet? In our building our team the Reading Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, School Psychologist, Principal, Speech and Language Pathologist, Nurse... and select teacher meet on a bi-weekly basis to review students in the SST/RTI process, students in the special education process (reevals, referrals, etc), attendance concerns, teacher concerns/problem solving etc.

What FREE curriculum based measurement resources do you utilize in the general classroom or in intervention?
There is a FREE CBM assessment series located at easycbm.com and it is very similar to DIBELS, Acadience, or Aims Web - the free version gives you 9 probes for a variety of reading and math skills. You can upgrade for more options.

How to you increase fluency practice in your classroom?

Answer: Whisper Phones

How do you support phonemic awareness in your classroom? What simple activities do you include with your early learners?

Answer: Sound Cubes! Sound cubes are wooden or foam colored cubes that can be used to help students manipulate the sounds in words.

What techniques do you use to help students retain and use new vocabulary in their speaking and writing?

Answer; Many school district utilize a word of the day approach for this. They tailor daily or weekly activities that focus on opportunities for application of these specific words. Our school uses the Leader in Me curriculum for SEL and it is integrated into daily routines. There is a designated - and universal - list of age appropriate words for each unit. These words are shared through daily announcements, board messages, classroom discussions and even in some assemblies. Our school Speech and Language Pathologist posts a fun word puzzle each week and she also utilizes Word Genius and Word Daily - as this is sent to her email each day/time.

How do you incorporate grammar instruction into your reading lessons without it feeling disconnected from the rest of the curriculum?

To seamlessly incorporate grammar instruction into reading lessons, we use the texts our students are already exploring as a foundation. We begin by highlighting grammatical concepts directly within the context of the stories or passages they read, making grammar a natural extension of the material. For instance, during read-alouds or text discussions, we point out specific grammar features like sentence structure, punctuation, or word choice, and explain their impact on meaning. We then simply follow this up with related writing activities where students apply the grammar rules in their own sentences about the text, ensuring that grammar is taught as a tool for enhancing both understanding and expression. Embedding it into routine enables true application.

How do you assess the literacy needs of families at the start of the school year?

Assessing the literacy needs of families at the start of the school year can help tailor support and resources effectively.

One of the ways that our district approaches this is through family surveys. We distribute short, simple surveys to families asking about their reading habits, access to books, preferred languages, and any specific literacy challenges they face at home. This helps us with providing the right intervention supports for the whole child overall.

We also utilize Family Literacy Nights where we host an event where families can participate in reading activities, allowing us to observe engagement levels and identify areas where support might be needed. Post event surveys also provide insight to family preferences and needs.

I have been working on adding some easy interactive 'apps' for parents to utilize when they are on the road so their children can learn basic early literacy skills. Check out the few I have started here:
https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-19

What are the key indicators that a student might have a reading disability, and how do you respond to those signs?

What is an effective intervention strategy for students struggling with reading comprehension for early readers?

An effective intervention strategy for students struggling with reading comprehension for early readers includes explicit instruction that focuses on fluency. Fluency is often misunderstood as it is about the accuracy and automaticity in word recognition and prosody (meaningful expression), therefore, it includes the ability to demonstrate the understanding of the meaning of text by the way it is read aloud. Utilizing the Voice Jar (voices) and repeated readings will help students build skills necessary to become proficient readers.

A quality assessment tool is one that accurately measures what it is intended to measure, provides consistent results, and is fair to all students regardless of their background. The key elements that contribute to the quality of an assessment tool are validity, reliability, and the minimization of bias. How do you ensure the tools you are using to assess your students meets all of these requirements?

Supporting teachers in finding the right materials to meet learning objectives is essential, and obtaining grants is a key strategy for accessing external funding. One way to do this is by researching a literacy grant available in your state, which can provide significant benefits to teachers and schools. Understanding the advantages of receiving such a grant and knowing how to apply for it can empower educators to enhance their instructional resources and better meet the needs of their students. What grants have you had experience with - good or bad - and what insight can you share?

Consider a teacher who wants to introduce a text that includes content that might be sensitive or upsetting for some students. How should the teacher prepare to address potential issues that students might have due to their prior experiences, while also fostering a sense of safety and respect in the classroom? What steps would you recommend for the teacher to take in order to ensure that both students and parents are adequately prepared for the content of the text?

What are your favorite back to school read alouds or picture books for elementary students?

Does your district operate on a schedule where you attend less than 5 days a week - i.e. 4 day school week? If so, what are the benefits for your school - community? If not, how would that benefit your school - community?

Does your district operate under a modified calendar? What is your start and end date? What would your ideal school year calendar look like?

Innovative instructional strategies:
What are some of your favorite instructional strategies?
One of my absolute favorite strategies for reading fluency - and even oral language development - is utilizing silly voices! I have created over 200 voices for educators and families to use! Teachers and families can take advantage of early literacy reader's theater scripts and implement repeated readings using a variety of these voices. It is SO much (more) fun to read or speak in a silly voice!
Voices provide skill development in prosody, inflection, word attack, and so much more!
Check out these FREE resources at: https://www.ginapepin.com/apps-1/teaching-resources

Foundational reading skills for K-2:
How do you teach reading to a group of students of different reading levels?
To begin the school year, I use a Google spreadsheet to help organize data. I take pre and post test/assessment data from summer school assessments/projects, a student's spring and fall Acadience score (including sub test scores), and their spring, *summer (if applicable) and fall NWEA MAPs ELA score and organize, analyze etc. and arrange students by skill discrepancy, need etc... students less than 9%tile in multiple areas - and data points - are considered Tier 3 in our system and I meet with them asap for intervention. Students in Tier 3 reading intervention are grouped this way - but students in Tier 2 are grouped by classroom times (for ease of scheduling per teacher request) first, and then they are broken up into smaller groups to better align with skill gaps.

Does your school or district plan an open house prior to the first day of school, on the night of the first day of school, or sometime afterwards?

I wanted to share with you a lot of FREE early language and literacy resources for a program I designed - the goal behind it is to get it into the hands of as many families as possible! All of the downloadable/printable PDF resources are FREE on my website. I encourage you to check it out and think about ways you can write grants or secure sponsorship for families in your area! Check it out!

Ride and Read Program
Create meaningful opportunities for interactive shared language and literacy experiences anywhere you go! The Ride and Read Program provides families with engaging texts, activity cards, and storytelling props in a convenient travel tote so that they can build early literacy and language skills through joyful interactions. Knowing the importance of parental involvement in successful student learning, this program strives to provide families with the tools and resources they need to build a strong early language and literacy foundation.

https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-14

Anyone else attending the 2024 national teacher leadership conference in Denver Colorado?

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019640/13885360

Find out some very easy ways families can incorporate reading into a morning routine!

Find out some very easy ways families can incorporate reading into a morning routine!

You can learn more about me - my experiences, availability for speaking etc. at www.ginapepin.com

I am excited to share with you  practical make and takes - easy tips along with real life shared stories - so that you can easily create joyful shared reading experiences and other amazing strategies and approaches in your classroom, daycare centers, and homes right away.

Get your free PDF @: https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-1

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019640/13885360

Which social media account do you find the most useful for networking with other educators?

What are some of your favorite sites or stores to purchase classroom ready supplies and materials?

The United Way in our area just shifted their focus and formed a School Readiness team… and we attend Summits every couple of months. Do you have anything like this in your area? What are they focusing on?

Do you reach out to past or present students mid summer? If so what do you include?

How do you connect with your students prior to the school year beginning?

We are trying out Delta Math this summer … do you have any experiences or insight to share for this resource?

Do you know of any grants for family engagement?

In what ways do you collaborate with other teachers throughout the summer when you were no longer in the same building routinely?

Have you ever hosted a parent academy night? Ic so, what type of activities did you include? Was it called something else?

Does your district offer professional development over the summer? If so, does it include a stipend or something similar?

Our 2nd grade teachers shared that place value was the hardest unit this year for a majority of students. We began Eureka Squared this year but they needed to find additional practice options. Do you have any go to sources for place value?

Our district just started using Clever for a single sign on so that students can easily get into district provided apps etc… how do you encourage families to utilize this in the summer? Do you organize a parent training?

What are some of your favorite websites or publishers of early reading reader’s theater you love?

Does your school utilize intervention programs as part of their summer school? If not - what do they use- or what type of program is used?

School year- does your school district wrap up the school year by the end of May? Do you teach in a district that has a modified calendar schedule?
I am curious to learn more in your thoughts, experiences etc on this!

We use orange folders for studentswho are a part of our Student Study multidisciplinary team/s. We summarize interventions, response to intervention, etc in a final recommendations report/pdf. This will then go into the student’s file. What does this look like in your school?

I just had a graduate student share in one of my courses how their school media specialist shares new texts with middle school students during the morning announcements! She shared that this has greatly contributed to increased reading interest etc. How do you promote reading in your school?

This weekend I presented a couple of different sessions at the MiAEYC conference and someone was inquiring about the following: tunes to help students learn the correct spelling of their names - does anyone have any resources for this?

I have a couple of student teaching candidates that I am supervising right now and one of them is really struggling with grading 1st grade student work accurately. Do you have a grading checklist or other tool you use (or share/advise new teachers etc) that would be helpful for this teacher?

Is your school offering summer school? If so - what programs or resources do you utilize for this? For reading? math?

What are your favorite participatory books? Eric Litwin and I share a list of my favorite books as part of the professional development book we wrote. Check out this list of my favorite:
https://www.ginapepin.com/_files/ugd/5fe563_cb4ad2b743cf48929bab9cc05385720d.pdf

So many of the students in intervention right now are not able to separate their head from their eyes... and this causes a lot of reading issues. So we have partnered with our OT and students do quick EYE COLUMN JUMPS during intervention. How do you monitor functional vision during learning?
I have this downloadable for free on my website: https://www.ginapepin.com/_files/ugd/5fe563_bac012bed9a14a4b9800eebbae03d4df.pdf
or https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-10-1-1-1-1-1-1

How does your whole school share upcoming important dates with one another? We utilize Google Calendar for this - i.e. field trips, end of year concerts, testing dates etc. What do you use - and what would be your ideal scenario?

What are some ways you begin your mornings with literacy fun?

Do you share infographics with your families? Here is a 1st grade infographic I created for families on our Title One and 31A website! live link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEVrngZWVU/EpC6uCn__b0alyfLzrzTgg/watch?utm_content=DAEVrngZWVU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

Are you looking for an easy SEL activity for identifying feelings and emotions? Here is a PDF I created on Canva - use it with playdough, clay, or insert into a heavy duty clear pocket!

This is a chart we use in our building when students come for support - during support time. They put it in one of those clear pockets (heavy duty) and write on it with a dry erase marker. We call it What I Need time

In intervention groups we have students do 1-2 mins each session of either vision tracking, vision memory/or sequencing, or RAN activities. How do you help your students work on visual skills to support decoding and other reading skills?

What does this look like in an ideal situation?

Meet the Team! This is something we recently created to share with families to help ease into staffings or REED meetings. How do you help your families feel at ease prior to difficult conversations and/or meetings?

Meet the Team! This is something we created recently - a quick reference sheet for families. How do you create a warm, inviting environment when families attend staffings or REED meetings etc?

Meet the Team! This is something we created recently - a quick reference sheet for families. How do you create a warm, inviting environment when families attend staffings or REED meetings etc?

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to build language and so many other skills. How do you incorporate storytelling into your daily routines?

Here are several pages of story stones icons you can easily glue, Modge Podge, etc to rocks of your choice!
https://www.canva.com/design/DAF-IMgGcTc/jb8xTDALz6pU8tgzhc69Zg/edit?utm_content=DAF-IMgGcTc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

I have designed a lot of flash cards and other documents but cannot find a place that prints quality products without having to order 100 packs! Any ideas?

How do you share info for families about Title 1 services? Here is an info graphic I created for our family night. Feel free to use!
https://www.canva.com/design/DAE7t7qNRao/UiPM_EZ-N4CKYziunQuyoQ/edit?utm_content=DAE7t7qNRao&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Here is a quick video on one of the many ways you can use playdough to aid in reading fluency!

Where can I print inexpensive 18x24 or larger sized posters for professional training presentations etc? Or do you have any recommendations for a home printer that could do this?

Do you have any exemplar resources to help teachers track accommodations in the classroom?

How does your district approach testing? Progress monitoring students? Do you have an assessment team? And do teachers test?

Does anyone have any amazing resources for grants or scholarships to present/attend large professional development conferences?

How do you encourage families to build literacy skills at home? Here are 5 easy ways!

Create a Morning Routine for Kids With Reading!
Explore these five realistic ways you can add family reading time to your school morning routine.

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/parent-child/make-your-morning-routine-easier.html

Reading Interest Inventory: Here is a copy (feel free to use) of the RII that Eric Litwin and I share in The Power of Joyful Reading. What survey or interest inventory do you use with your students to learn more about their interests etc?

Family Engagement

Scheduling

MIcrolearning

I would love to share with all of you the FREE program I designed for my RTOY advocacy! It is called Ride and Read! Any insight and or ideas that you could share would be fabulous. I have this idea - but am working on getting sponsors and grants etc. I would love if it could go global. SO many families could benefit from it! Check out more FREE info on my website; www.ginapepin.com. Here is the promotional video: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF6ok8DV0I/UWGwMq-QVjVyWoMSJrfnRQ/watch

Today I created a parent/caregiver letter for families that highlighted intervention and Title 1 using ChatGPT -what family documents or the like have you created successfully using AI for communication?

How do you ensure that you are providing your students all of the tools that they need to be successful - collectively & individually? Check out my podcast for more ideas

Let's Talk, Teacher to Teacher with Dr. Gina Pepin: New Series - The Truth Be Told "Please, Don’t Underline Your Words in Earwax"

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019640/13895917-new-series-the-truth-be-told-please-don-t-underline-your-words-in-earwax.mp3?download=true

How often do you communicate with students’ families about their academic progress?

Our intervention team uses the approach of Remind, Redirect, Return-this for students that are being disrespectful and/or not participating etc How do you address student behavior so that it gives them choice/s yet doesn’t interfere with the learning opportunities for other students in small groups?

How can I help my students (better) track while they are reading?

How can I help my students track (better) while reading?

I am wondering how other educators are able to help students recognize or (better) understand common literacy tasks, such as syllable division, first sound fluency, rhyming, etc – students often will just start doing one of these routine “behaviors” … without truly understanding what’s expected of them.

What practices can I use in intervention to help my students learn to read?

How can I weave in quick SEL check-ins with my students during small group intervention?

How can I make fluency practice engaging and effective?