b"22 2019-2020 | ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 | ANNUAL REPORT 23DISCOVERING NEW WAYS TOSUPPORT LITERACY DEVELOPMENTTHE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF A TEACHER IS TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN, GROW AND REACHRobert George, a school psychologist and an integralEven though the pilot project is still in the early stages, part in this pilot project, acknowledges other difficulties,Follows is also happy about what she's seeing. We THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. BUT WHAT IF THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING THOSEtoo. The biggest challenge has been the limited amountare already starting to see students applying rules and of resources available in French and more specifically forthinking about literacy in very different and novel ways, GOALS? HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THEIR FUTURE LEARNING? AND WHAT'S THE BEST French Immersion (FI) settings compared to English. Twosaid Follows. Additionally, the ability to identify at-risk of my colleagues in this pilot project, Michelle and Nicole,students earlier on has allowed for a more pro-active and WAY TO HELP THEM? have been pivotal in developing and finding the teachingplanful clinical/student services approach to support our resources that can work in the FI setting. most at-risk students when it counts the most during For the past few years, cole Howden's literacy andIn French Immersion, you can't just translate things intokindergarten and Grade 1.student services teachers and clinicians have been on aFrench as the sounds of each language are so different. Changing from a literacy teacher pull-out journey to discover, explore and propose some significantWe have had to find the appropriate information01 model in Grade 2 to a co-teaching model While the results coming to light are positive, how has changes to early year's practices and philosophies. regarding sounds and their rules, which are extremelythe implementation of the program gone over with difficult to find and try it in the classroom. in Grade 1. the learners who are participating? Students are truly enjoying the multi-modality approaches as well as the Some might call what they are doing in this pilot project 02 Implemented new screening tools inexplicit teaching that has been incorporated within the a paradigm shift. Others such as Ron Cadez, formerlessons, said George.principal of cole Howden, describe it a little differently.kindergarten and Grade 1 that help identify The current project is an extension of literacy work thatstudents who may be at risk for SpecificThey are starting to understand that there are many ways has been going on at Howden over the last seven years. Learning Disabilities in reading as well asto learn (ie: multisensory), said Follows. Through daily It involves multiple stakeholders working together inWE ARE ALREADY other associated factors. dialogue, the students are tuning in to the fact that we close collaboration, including administration, studentall learn differently and that we need to be exposed to services, literacy support and clinicians, says Cadez.A key piece of the project transforms the early literacySTARTING TO SEE STUDENTSWorking in collaboration with many different approaches to help our brain retain and learn information. Creating this positive connection with teacher position from a pull-out model in Grade 2 into a03 Lisa Reis-Tymchuk, Occupational Therapist,learners is key, but so is developing one with all staff in the co-teaching model in Grade 1 that focuses on systematicAPPLYING RULES ANDon the integration of specific fine motorprogram as well.and explicit instructional practices that stem from and graphomotor screening and support the research. THINKING ABOUT LITERACYin kindergarten and Grade 1 for The collaboration that has come out from this relationship writing development. Since cole Howden is a French immersion school,between school leadership and clinicians has truly approaching this opportunity poses some additionalIN VERY DIFFERENT ANDWhile creating the pilot project and finding languagecontributed to the rich and comprehensive nature of this challenges. In English schools, they can take programs,pilot in addressing the whole child, said Cadez. The appropriate resources was a bit of a challenge, there such as Orton-Gillingham (OG), and implement themNOVEL WAYS.has also been some exciting discoveries, too. Its greatclinicians have had an essential role to play in Howden's directly into the classroom and/or interventions groups,literacy journey for many years, said Neveux. This says Nicole Neveux, a Student Services teacher, who isto see the student engagement, interest and also thecurrent project stemmed from questions that the team helping develop and implement the pilot program. - MICHELLE FOLLOWSconnections that the students are starting to see withwould ask George about teaching students with specific many aspects of literacy, said Michelle Follows, thechallenges. That evolved into more specific questions that Intervention Prcoce en Lecture (IPL) teacher leadinghelped guide the team to learn more about dyslexia. At the implementation of the pilot project. Also, thecole Howden, the clinicians are constantly in consultation collaboration with the teachers has been very rich: dailywith the team and are often learning beside the team discussions about pedagogy, student progress, strengthsmembers, but also often guiding the learning based on and challenges, and how they are interested and willing totheir expertise.adapt their teaching to incorporate these approaches."