Case Study

Emily Buff
Collaborative Methods: Case Study
Birmingham-Southern College
Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

Collaborative Methods: Case Study
Journal Entries
Journal One
Our first visit to Mrs. Falconers class at Crestline was not quite what I was expecting. Unfortunately, we
did not get to spend time with any students. She explained to us that she is the resource teacher, so most
of her students are pulled out of class and come to her. The student she was supposed to have in her
room at the time was checked out right before she got there, so we did not have anyone to meet. She let
us know that she also co-teaches later, which we will be able to see, but they were doing an assessment
that day, so she was not going to that class.
Rather than let it be a wasted opportunity, Alana and I took the time to get to know Mrs. Falconer, the
school, and the special ed. program there. She explained to us the different curriculums she uses
(S.P.I.R.E., Orton-Gillingham). She explained to us the pros and cons of each program, and how they are
useful. We discussed the different services at Crestline, and how each teacher has a different strength
that may determine which child goes on whose caseload. She told us that since she is trained in both

S.P.I.R.E. and Orton-Gillingham she usually gets those whom need reading support. While we did not go in
depth as to what exactly those programs look like in action, I am excited to see it.
Before we left, Mrs. Falconer took us to the 4th grade class she co-teaches to let us briefly meet the
students. They all seemed excited to have us there! We spent maybe five minutes in the classroom, and
they were all taking tests on laptops, so we did not get to see very much.
While we did not get to see any teaching in action, it was nice to be able to just sit down and learn about
what happens in Mrs. Falconers room before we jumped into action.
Journal Two
When we go to Mrs. Falconer's room, our first student was a first grader. His reading IEP goals work on
phonemic awareness, and Mrs. Falconer was doing a scripted program with him called S.P.I.R.E. While I
saw some benefits to the program, I was unsure of the effectiveness of some parts of it. The first part of
the lesson consisted of a short passage and comprehension questions. The passage had sentences such as
"The bag is fat. The bag has a tag. The bag has rags." While it was obvious that the goal was to reinforce
the short a sound, the comprehension questions were difficult to understand. One question was "Why is
the bag fat?" The correct answer was because it had rags it. However, the story was very choppy and
written in a way that no one speaks. We often talk about scripted programs like this in our reading
classes, and about how passages like that are not the best way to gauge comprehension.
After the short passage, however, there were some part of the program that I liked. They were
working on letter sounds. Mrs. Falconer would say a sound, and the student had to say the letter that
makes that sound. He would then write the letter with his finger in his palm before writing the letter on
paper. Writing the letter in his hand included another sense into his learning, besides just visual and
auditory. Adding a kinesthetic element is just one more way to reinforce the writing aspect.

At the end of the day, I asked Mrs. Falconer if she liked scripted programs. She said that she likes
some programs, but not all. She told me that she likes S.P.I.R.E. because it is very organized and has many
lessons for if a student needs extra support. While I do think there is benefit in organization and backup
lessons, I wondered if there are other alternatives to scripted programs that would provide students with
differentiated instruction while still being organized.
Once the first grader left, we went to a general education 4th grade class. Mrs. Falconer explained
that she has 5 students on her caseload in that classroom, and that she is there to ensure that they get the
support they need. When we got there, they were going over internet safety since it is internet safety
week. We came in on the tail end of that lesson, so they were presenting their information on spam
messages. They quickly transitioned to math. They were learning about factoring, and were given an
assignment to find all the factors of a large number (700, 800, 900) given the information they already
know about factors. While this was happening, Mrs. Falconer was mostly just floating around the room;
students did not seem to require any redirection or extra support. She did not tell us which students in
the classroom were the five on her caseload, and it was difficult for me to figure out.
Afterwards, we met with her third grader that is pulled out for reading. Mrs. Falconer did almost
the exact same S.P.I.R.E. lesson with him, but it was very different. This student's pace in answering
questions was much different than the first grader's. While the first grader required lots time to process
each question and think before answering, the third grader answered almost instantly. They both
answered correctly, but one answered much quicker. I wondered if the first grader always takes a long
time to process, or if it is only for new concepts. Does he answer quicker when he is more confident? Or
does he just take a long time to process? Is there anything we as educators can do to help them speed up
their processing?

Journal Three
When we got to Crestline, we met first met with our first grade friend. Mrs. Falconer was doing S.P.I.R.E.
with him; they were introducing a new letter sound today. Before introducing the new letter sound, they
went over the letters and sounds they had already learned, as well as sight words they had already
learned. While I havent seen any summative assessment at the end of a S.P.I.R.E. lesson yet, I believe that
this could act as an assessment of the previous lesson or a pre-assessment to ensure that they can move
on to the next letter. The sight words were on two different colored cards--green cards were able to be
sounded out and read phonetically, while red cards were sight words. When he read the green cards, he
surprised me. He was trying to read the word land, but was stuck. He quickly pointed out that he found
the word and and put an l in front of it to read the word. Considering his reading goals focus on
phonemic awareness, I was surprised that he used that strategy. He then did the same thing for sand
and hand, and noticed that those words rhyme. Again, one of his reading goals focuses on rhyming, so I
was intrigued that he could so easily point out rhyming. I wondered if he knew they rhymed because he
could hear the rhyme, or if he knew because he could look at the endings of the words.
After reviewing his drill deck as Mrs. Falconer calls it, she introduced the letter i. In introducing the
letter, she also introduced a word that had the short-i sound in it as an example of how it sounds in a
word. She introduced the word hit with a picture of a boy hitting a ball. Next they did an exercise where
Mrs. Falconer would say a word, and if it had the short-i sound, the student would hold up the picture of
hit. If not, he would leave the picture on the table. Like last week, the student was near perfect, but took
a long time to process.
After that, we moved on the building words with the short-i sound. Mrs. Falconer gave the student letter
tiles on a cookie sheet, and they built C-V-C words. I noticed that the student was much sillier than last
week--he was very fidgety and hiding letter tiles underneath the tray. I know he comes to see Mrs.
Falconer right after lunch, and only for 30 minutes, so I can imagine there might be days where it is
difficult to concentrate. I wonder how Mrs. Falconer makes sure that she gets as much time focusing on
academics as possible, knowing that 30 minutes is barely enough time for a lesson. Halfway through
building words, it was time for the student to leave. She says that there are 5 components to a S.P.I.R.E.
lesson, and he only made it through three and a half sections. I will be curious to find out if they pick up
where they left off, or if they continue to the new lesson. Perhaps going through the drill deck could be
used as a pre-assessment for the day to decide whether to continue or move on for the day.
When that student left, we went to fourth grade inclusion. It seems to me that it is less like co-teaching
than I first thought; Mrs. Falconer just seems to be in there in case one of the students on her caseload
need extra support. Mrs. Falconer introduced us to one of her students that was playing a game on an
Ipad. She was making pizzas that people would buy, then she would have to provide correct change. Each
student has their own account, so the teacher can go back and track students progress throughout the
game.
After inclusion, we went back to work with Mrs. Falconers third grade student. His S.P.I.R.E. lesson began
just like the first graders; we went through his (much thicker) drill deck. Like last week, this student
processed and verbalized his answers much quicker than the first grader. He was then introduced to the
qu sound and was also given a picture of a quilt to use as the key word. If the word Mrs. Falconer said
had a qu sound, he was to hold up his picture. After this activity, he worked on identifying how many
sounds are in words. Mrs. Falconer would tell him a word, and he put a circle counter on the line of the
paper for every sound in the word. While he always did this with support from Mrs. Falconer helping him
count the sounds, he did not seem to have any trouble. Then, he was to replace the circle counter with the
appropriate sound, eventually writing the entire word. I noticed when he was writing that he had trouble
mixing up his bs and ds. Mrs. Falconer told us that while she usually doesnt worry about that much with
other younger students, she emphasizes it with this student, since he is old enough developmentally to be
consistent, and it impairs his reading. While it is not one of his reading goals, it is still an important
matter to address.

Journal Four
We started our time at Crestline with our first grade friend. He seemed to be distracted and very fidgety.
Earlier that day, the school had a fun run for Boosterthon, so he may have been distracted. However, I
have noticed his fidgeting and inattentiveness week after week. I wonder how I can incorporate
movement into my lessons plans so that his fidgeting can be used as an instructional tool rather than a
distraction.
Mrs. Falconer started to go through his drill deck with him. First, they went through letter names and
sounds. I have noticed a pattern in this friends letter sounds the past two weeks; whenever he says a
letter sound, he always adds the uh sound at the end. I have heard many children do this, so at first, I
was not thrown off. However, I noticed that he adds uh at the end of unusual sounds, such as the m
and n sound. Mrs. Falconer told us that she is trying to break him of the habit by telling him to clip the
ending of the sound. He would clip the ending after it was modeled for him, but he could not do it
consistently.
After the letter names and sounds, we worked on words. Like last week, our friend, with prompting,
could split words into chunks or onsets and rimes in order to read the word. He could also identify when
words rhymed. Because this students IEP focuses on phonemic awareness, observing his answers during
the drill deck serves as an informal assessment in order to plan my lessons.
I have noticed that our first grade friend never gets through an entire SPIRE lesson. I have never seen
Mrs. Falconer give this student a formative assessment at the end of a lesson. I wonder if she completes
the lesson and assessment the next day, or if she uses work samples and relies on formative assessments.
Because SPIRE lessons have five components, it must be difficult to complete all five parts in 30 minutes
with any student, much less a student with a learning disability.
During their time together, Mrs. Falconer tried to get to know the first grader. They talked about how he
did during the fun run and his dog. I believe that these very brief conversations allow each other to get to
know each other better and makes the atmosphere more comfortable. The first grader is very shy and
does not make conversation unless asked a question. When asked about his dog, he immediately become
more comfortable and talkative.
After our first grader left, we went to inclusion. The class watched a video about input and output in the
human body, then thought of their own inputs and outputs. Mrs. Falconer walked around the room,
helping students when needed. She did not stay with any student for more than a minute. I have not seen
her do much in inclusion; I wonder how often she is actually needed to give support in that class, or if the
students would be ok without her.
Journal Five
Alana and I taught our first lesson today! We both felt like it would be beneficial to try a scripted lesson,
so we practiced by doing a SPIRE lesson with our first grade friend.
SPIRE was not as complicated as I thought it would be; the script was very straightforward and easy to
read. This friend has been doing this program for a few weeks, as well, so he is already familiar with the
language and routine of the curriculum. Mrs. Falconer says that he is still not as proficient as some her
older students who have been doing this program for years. I wonder how difficult it is for students who
have never done scripted programs during the first few lessons.
I started the lesson by going through the students drill deck. We went over letter names and sounds first.
It usually takes him anywhere from 5-10 seconds to process each letter and its sound, but this time was
different. He gave each answer almost immediately after being shown the card. While I was thrilled, I was
also confused. Why has it taken him so long to answer in previous lessons? I thought that maybe the
excitement of having someone else teach him sped him up, which is opposite the reaction I had expected.
I thought that it took him so long to answer in the past because it took longer for him to process what the
answer was or what he wanted to say. His pace surprised both me and Mrs. Falconer.

SPIRE is a very repetitive curriculum. It got a little tiresome saying the same things over and over and
having the student do the same things over and over. Because there are 10 different types of lessons
repeated over and over, the student is already familiar with the instructions given, so he often works
ahead or merges two directions into one. Because he often already knew what to do, Alana and I would
sometimes skip that direction and move onto the one he is ready for. Mrs. Falconer said that while he
usually already knows what to do and tries to work ahead, but it is still important to read the script and
make sure he does not work until he is given directions. Mrs. Falconer told us that it does seem repetitive,
but because it is researched-based and the curriculum listed in his IEP, she uses it to fidelity. If she does
not use it to fidelity, they will not be able to tell if SPIRE helps him meet his goals. I would be interested in
seeing how SPIRE helps him progress in reading at the end of the year.
Today was the students first day working on o. He had, of course, learned about it in kindergarten, and
did not seem to struggle through it. Considering that it was his first lesson on the vowel and he was near
perfect in every step of the lesson, I wondered if it was necessary to continue the rest of the lessons in o,
or if he could move on to the next letter. Although most days he answers very slowly, he is almost always
correct. He seems to be fine during each lesson, but I have not seen him read a book yet, only words and
short phrases. I would be interested in seeing the concepts in SPIRE applied to his reading.
Journal Six
Alana and I did our second lesson, and our first unscripted lesson. Mrs. Falconer said that while they are
not specifically part of his IEP, his general ed teacher has said that our student is struggling with
consonant blends in the classroom. We decided to work on -l blends, thinking that the consistency of only
one blend might make it easier for our student to understand the concept. While we did not want to copy
the scripted program, we also kept in mind the consistency of learning one pattern per lesson and the
repetitive, multisensory approach that our student is used to when planning our lesson.

We started off with listening to a song about consonant blends. However, every time the song started
playing, the student would turn around and cover his ears. The only way we could talk to him about the
song was pausing it and asking him to turn around, then once we played the song again, he would face the
wall again. After the lesson, Mrs. Falconer said that she had no idea why he did that; he has never had any
sensory issues with her. I think he may have been nervous because we were doing the lesson today, so he
was letting it out through silliness. Our student is very shy, so he may have felt uncomfortable with us
changing his routine and having new people teach him.
After discovering our friends disdain for the song, we quickly abandoned it and moved on to the next
portion of our lesson. We had a picture of each blend and a picture of an item that started with a blend
sound. We had the student match the picture to a blend. I remembered the repetitiveness of SPIRE, and
how the teacher mostly asked questions, never giving information. When I showed the student each
picture, I had him name the picture, then the beginning blend sound. Then he would pick a blend to
match it. Once he had done this, I would ask him what blend he chose, what sound it makes, and if it
matched the sound the beginning of the word of the picture made. This type of dialogue is very similar to
what is in S.P.I.R.E. While we were using our own materials and conducting our own lesson, I wanted to
keep the lesson consistent with the ways our student has been learning.
Almost every week Alana and I have a discussion about how wiggly our student is while Mrs. Falconer is
doing S.P.I.R.E. with him. We knew that we wanted to add a kinesthetic portion to our lesson so that he
would be free to move around. We would say a word, and he would have to jump to the blend that the
word started with. Our friend could consistently jump from word to word.
Throughout the entire lesson, I was noticing that our student was not having trouble with the concept of l
blends. He could consistently hear them in words and identify the sound and the sounds that made those
letters. He could also come up with alternate words that started with each blend. I think that during our
next lesson we should have our student read a book with blends in it or have him practice them in
writing; perhaps that is where his troubles lie.

Journal Seven
During this lesson, we transitioned from working on L-blends to working on R-blends. Before we started
our new blends, we reviewed the L-blends. One of the strategies we have been talking about in class is
reviewing every day--that teachers who spend a little time reviewing and less time on new concepts have
students with greater progress than spending the whole class time teaching a new concept. Since we only
see our student once a week, we thought it was especially important to review what we had talked about
last time. Not only will it help to solidify our work from last time, but it will also help activate his schema
about consonant blends.
After we reviewed L-blends, we introduced R-blends. We had our student match the picture of a word
that begins with an r-blend to the blend that it begins with. We did the same activity last week, and he
seemed to enjoy it. We know that our student is very shy, and we think he may be extra nervous when
working with us instead of Mrs. Falconer, so we chose this activity again so that he would be more
comfortable. We planned on introducing something newer next, so we wanted him to be comfortable
with us and at ease with the new material. He also seemed to enjoy this activity last week. We tried to
have him go step by step, saying the picture name, the blend it starts with, then choose the blend and
confirm that the picture and blend begin with the same card. Our student would often work ahead of us,
skip steps, or do all the steps in his head. When I have observed Mrs. Falconer doing lessons with him, she
often stops him and has him do all the steps, so I did the same. However, when reflecting, I asked myself
why. He clearly understands the premise of it, so why push for answers I know that he already knows? I
noticed that I had also talked about this in my previous journal entries after observing Mrs. Falconer.
After matching, we constructed words with the blends out of magnetic letters. He has letter tiles that he
usually uses, but we opted to go for cut-out magnetic letters. We thought that using these letters might
make the learning more tactile because the student could feel the shape of the letters as he constructed
words. When we started working with the tiles, we realized that they did more harm than good. The
letters were all different colors and sizes, making it more confusing to identify letters. Our student would
also put letters back upside down or backwards, making it difficult to find the letter needed, or having
him substitute the correct letter for an incorrect letter.
Like the last activity, I was more focused on the questions I was asking than the information he was
giving me about what he already knows. He would go ahead and begin to construct a word, and we would
stop him and ask him questions; he clearly knew the answer to these questions, or else he could not have
started constructing. I wonder if it would have been more helpful to us and the student if we let the try
constructing the first word on his own and then correct his misconceptions/see what he needs from us to
succeed.
We also did not have a concrete way of assessing our student. Next time, we need a concrete, written way
of assessing our student so that we can better cater to his needs rather than letting our reflections alone
guide our lessons and assessements.
After reflecting, I think we spent too much effort on making our lesson and questions look like the
scripted program our student is used to, and not enough effort making our lesson the most beneficial for
our student.
Journal Eight
This weeks lesson felt like our most successful yet. Our student was much more outgoing and talkative
than usual, and I think that help us tremendously. Before he came in, Alana and I were talking to Mrs.
Falconer about Crestlines fall festival that was earlier that week. It is a huge deal at Crestline and she was
showing us pictures from it. When our student got there, we were still looking at the pictures. He joined
us in looking at them and added commentary wherever he saw fit. During that discussion, we developed
more of a relationship with him than we ever had. He is a very shy student, so I think he feels very
uncomfortable when all the focus is on him and we are asking him direct questions. Here, it seemed like
he was more willing to be part of the discussion, since we were not focused solely on him. While he does
fine in Mrs. Falconers room, I wonder if he would be more comfortable if he came to her room in a small
group rather than by himself.
That conversation with our student set the tone for the rest of our time together. We had gone through
two lessons about consonant blends, and decided to wrap things up with a review and assessment since
we did not think there were any consistent consonant blend patterns that he may need to know. To keep
the consistency that we have been trying to establish the past few weeks, we started with our drill deck of
consonant blends. He seemed to respond much faster this time. Again, I am unsure of whether this is
because he was processing faster or just more comfortable. After our drill deck, we completed our
matching game. He always seems to like the matching game, and we would be using the pictures (and the
blends that go with them) in our next activity, so we were hoping it would activate his schema so that he
is not blindsided in the next activity.
Finally, we played consonant game bingo. We had a bingo card with the words of the pictures on the
board, and he would place a chip on the word of the picture shown. We used this to assess how well he
could identify words with consonant blends. We thought this may also challenge him a little because
some words began with the same blend, so he would have to look past the onset of the word. Once we
started playing, he went back to being a little shy. He was less conversational and looked down at his
paper. We quickly realized that all focus was on him again, so Alana quickly made a board for herself and
they both played bingo as I pulled out the pictures. Giving our student someone to work with gave him
that extra boost of confidence and security that he needed to be comfortable.
Im not sure if I should have, but I made sure to pull certain pictures so that our student would win. While
I believe that students can learn from failures as much as successes, I do not think that a first grader
could understand that Bingo is more about luck than intelligence; he may see it more as a failure.
Considering that he is in resource and has to go to a different class by himself to get support, I thought
that he may be hard on himself, so I wanted him to feel successful. I assessed him with my own sheet,
checking off which words he read correctly. Sometimes he would look at the blend and nothing more,
putting his chip on a word with the correct onset but an incorrect rime. However, whenever I pointed
that out to him, he quickly saw his error and change to the correct word. That made me think that it was
more of a speed issue than an understanding issue.
Journal Nine
Today Alana and I taught our final lesson with our student. We finished our consonant blend unit last
week, so we moved on to rhyming words since Mrs. Falconer is working on rhyming with him. In a
perfect world, I would have liked to have used the five lessons to cover an entire unit, but after assessing
our student throughout the consonant blend unit, it became obvious that he had a firm grasp on the
concept so we chose to move onto something else.
The students IEP states that the student should be able to be given a word and provide two additional
rhyming words. We wanted to scaffold him up to that higher-level thinking, so we started with the basics
and built from there.
Alana started by introducing rhyming words to the student. We know he has been working on them as
they are in his IEP, so we did not spend much time on discussing what a rhyme is. We briefly talked about
how rhyming words sound the same and have a different beginning sound, but the same ending sound.
We then told him some word pairs and asked him if they rhymed. By doing this, we were conducting an
informal assessment to see if he could hear rhyme to begin with. The student could successfully tell if two
words rhymed or not, so we knew he could hear rhyme.
After that we played a memory game. We had seven pairs of rhyming words turned upside down on the
table and the student had to determine if the two that he flipped over were a match. First we wanted to
see if he could hear rhyme, now we wanted to see if he could see, read, process, and hear rhyme. By being
able to look at the word, the student could use both reading and hearing to determine if a word rhymed.
During the matching game, he figured out that he could see the words through the cards. So instead of
turning two cards over, the student would flip one over then search for the other before flipping a second
card over. While I now know to solve that issue next time I do a matching game with a student, my main
focus was him being able to identify rhyme, so making sure he did not read through the cards was not my
purpose. Rather, I thought it was clever and strategic of him to try to read the card before turning one
over.
After that, we got to the final part of our lesson. I had four different CVC words in columns on the
whiteboard. I had four rhyming words for each CVC word individually written on post-it notes. The
student was to sort the post-it notes into the columns that they rhymed with. Now, rather than answering
the yes/no question, Do these words rhyme? He had to ask the deeper question, What does this rhyme
with? The student sorted the words out faster than I had anticipated, again, showing us that he has a
firm grasp on identifying rhyme.
Now that we had done all this scaffolding and preparing, we moved onto the portion that pertained to his
IEP. We had already begun building our columns that rhymed, and now the student would add his own
words that rhymed to each column. We encouraged him to come up with two words per column, since
that is what is on his IEP. Now that he had identified and categorized rhyme, the student was ready to
create rhyme.
This took a little bit longer since it requires more in-depth thinking. The student got stuck on many words
because he was only thinking of CVC words. Mrs. Falconer encouraged him to use consonant blends and
he began to think of more. I realized that I had neglected to use everything we had just worked on in the
last lesson; our units should build on one another. I also realized that I had not modeled that in the post-
its that I had created for each column; I only used CVC words. Next time I know to keep in mind what we
have already learned and how we can build on it in each lesson.
We used the final rhyming chart as our summative assessment. Not only could we see if he could
categorize rhyming words, but we also got a work sample of his words he created since he added his own
rhyming words to the chart.

Journal Ten
On my last visit to Crestline, we had finished all of our lessons, so I went back to observing. Our first
grade friend came in and he and Mrs. Falconer continued with their S.P.I.R.E lessons. Before he came in,
Mrs. Falconer told me to listen for his th sounds. She says that he is having trouble with it, and it sounds
more like an s. The entire lesson was one th sounds, so sure enough, I heard it. She told me to listen
for it, but I also noticed that she does not mention it with the student. I asked her about this after the
lesson. She told me that because he is receiving speech services already, she knows it is being addressed,
so she does not redirect, especially since he comes to her for reading intervention, not speech. I
understood that completely. On the other hand, I feel like consistency in things like speech is key, so it
would be beneficial if he is aware of his speech. Then again, perhaps a lesson where he is only saying th
sounds is not beneficial, as it may discourage him if he is redirected after every word. My mind kept
bouncing back and forth, playing Devils Advocate for both sides. He seemed less engaged than he has in
previous weeks, but I just assumed that was because it was two days before Thanksgiving break. He was
quick to leave, and we went to 4th grade inclusion.
The fourth grade class was doing their equivalent of Daily 5 centers for math: one group with the teacher,
doing an assessment, doing partner work, a game, and a growth mindset challengesomething that has
less pressure of getting answers right because it is so difficult, but the goal is to persevere regardless.
Some of Mrs. Falconers students were at the assessment center. Their assessment was on multiplication,
and they had to show their work. All three of her students were getting distracted; everyone else in their
group was finishing their assessments quickly and playing math games on the Ipad. While I do not think
that the Ipad games are used as a reward for finishing work quickly, I think it could easily be
misinterpreted that way to students. One of Mrs. Falconers students was clearly distracted and unhappy
doing her assessment, constantly looking over her friends should as she played math games. In order for

her to work faster, Mrs. Falconer had her sit at a table by herself. While this may be a strategy the student
uses to focus better, it seemed very isolating to me, as she was told to go over there rather than
encouraged or made the decision herself.
This led me down a rabbit hole of bringing the special ed teacher into the general ed classroom. Do these
students receiving these services feel like they are in a safe environment for their peers to know that they
are below average? I feel like it may be easier to mask it in younger grades, or that students may not
realize why another teacher is helping them in their general education classroom. But for older kids, I feel
like it may be embarrassing. I would be interested in knowing how those students feel and if their
classmates notice anything.
Lesson Plans
Lesson One
Name: Emily Buff and Alana Owens Grade: 1st
Lesson Title: SPIRE Lesson Date: 11/26/17
CC Standard(s):
21.) Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). [RF.1.2]
a. Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words. [RF.1.2a]
b. Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends. [RF.1.2b]
c. Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words. [RF.1.2c]
d. Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes). [RF.1.2d

Classroom/Lesson Context (please check the following that apply):
____ Whole Group _____ Small Group __x___ One-on-One _____ Students with IEPs/504s _____ ELL Students
____ Other (Please specify: _______________________________________________________________________)
Please specify the number of students:
_____ Girls ___1__Boys
Individual Education Plan Goal(s) and Benchmarks specific to this lesson:
By the end of October 2018, John will be able to accurately decode 20 one-syllable, non-CVC words, identifying each phoneme then
blending them together, within 10 seconds per word when shown a flashcard with 90% accuracy. [RF.1.3]
Learning - Focus Strategies
Essential Question(s) What sound does short o make?
1-3 BIG ideas! How can these What does the short o sound sound like in words?
questions be used to guide your
instruction?
Central Focus/Lesson Objective(s) By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:
Objectives are measurable and Identify the sound short o makes

aligned with the standard. Decode the short o sound in decodable words
Academic Language Language Functions (Identify the purpose for which the language is being used, with attention
to goal and audience- the one verb from the standard; ex. explain, describe, analyze, etc.)
What is the key language demand?
What academic language will you
teach or develop? What are the key
vocabulary words and/or symbols? Identify, determine
Language Vocabulary (Identify key, content specific words for this lesson: examples of
vocabulary words- drama, prose, structural elements, verse, rhythm, meter, characters,
settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions. Additionally, include words within a text
necessary for students comprehension.)

Short o sound
Materials SPIRE script, key word card, drill deck, cookie sheet, magnetic letter tiles
What resources can be used to

engage students?
Introduction to Lesson/
Activating Thinking
What is the hook for the lesson to

tap into prior knowledge and
develop students interests? This
should tie directly into the lessons
objective and standard and should
promote higher level thinking. How
will you introduce the content
specific vocabulary words?
***Use knowledge of students

academic, social, and cultural
characteristics.
Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,

process, and/or product):
Language Syntax (set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, phrases into structures,
sentences):
Language Discourse (structures of written or oral language; how participants of the content

area speak, write, and participate):
repeating sound
Management Plan:
Body of Lesson/
Teaching Strategies
What will you have the students do

after you introduce the lesson to
learn the standards? What
questions will you ask to promote
higher level thinking?
What opportunities will you

provide for students to practice
content language/
vocabulary? What language

supports will you offer?

sentences):
Saying yes/no, holding up card
Management Plan:

Closure/
Summarizing Strategies:
How will the students summarize

and/or share what they have
learned to prove they know and
understand the standard(s) and its
vocabulary? Will you provide
opportunities for students to apply
new knowledge while making
connections to prior learning?

sentences):
Moving tiles, saying sounds, blending sounds
Management Plan:

Targeted Language Support We will follow the SPIRE script to support his language.
Describe the instructional supports

that help students understand and
successfully use the language
function and additional language
demands (vocabulary, syntax, and
discourse).
Assessment/ Reminder: Assessment plan must align with objective(s)/standard(s).
Evaluation
Every standard listed above must Assessment Plan for IEP Goals and/or 504 Plans (This is a plan and should be written as such;
be assessed and included. remember to identify both formative & summative assessments throughout the lesson):
Questions to consider while
planning:
How will students exhibit an

understanding of the lessons We will use the students word-building as an assessment. We will see how accurately he
objectives? How will you provide can decode and spell words with the short o sound by documenting what letters he uses to
feedback? What evidence will you spell each word.
collect to demonstrate students
understanding/mastery of the
lessons objective(s) including their
Assessment Plan for Learning Objectives (This is a plan and should be written as such;
usage of vocabulary?
remember to identify both formative & summative assessments throughout the lesson):
Reflection/Analyzing Teaching This lesson went well. We didnt have any hiccups, but it was hard connecting to the student
Effectiveness while using the scripted lesson. I realized that I had become more focused on using the script
to fidelity than I was on the students progress throughout the lesson. Next time, I need to
Reflection includes characteristics make sure that I am more focused on what the student is doing than what I should be
of the lesson and specific examples
saying.
on how it can be improved.
Improvements are based on the
effectiveness supported by
evidence on how well the
objectives were achieved. Specific
examples to improve future lessons
are provided.
Lesson Two

Name: Alana Owens and Emily Buff Grade: 1st Grade
Lesson Title: Consonant Blend Date: 10/11/2017
CC Standard(s):
d. Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes). [RF.1.2d]
____ Whole Group _____ Small Group ___X__ One-on-One _____ Students with IEPs/504s _____ ELL Students
_____ Girls __X__Boys
Essential Question(s)
1-3 BIG ideas! How can these 1. What is a consonant?

questions be used to guide your 2. What is a blend?
3. What is a consonant blend?
instruction?
Central Focus/Lesson Objective(s) Our central focus is to introduce consonant blends to Jude. More specifically, we are starting
with L blends. By the end of the lesson, our goal is for Jude to be able to identify L
blends.
What academic language will you - Explain
teach or develop? What are the
key vocabulary words and/or -Identify
symbols?
- Analyze
- Consonant Blend
Materials Computer access, word/picture cards, printable pictures
What resources can be used to

engage students?
Introduction to Lesson/ For our introduction to consonant blends we will play Jude a video from YouTube that
names each blend and gives examples of them. We think this is important because it will
Activating Thinking
grab his attention and want to learn more about consonant blends.
What is the hook for the lesson to
tap into prior knowledge and
https://youtu.be/RCCFqWV8S7E
should tie directly into the lessons
promote higher level thinking.
How will you introduce the content Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
specific vocabulary words?
***Use knowledge of students
The lesson is being modified because he is receiving outside the classroom intervention per
academic, social, and cultural
his IEP.
characteristics.
It is already being tailored to one student.
sentences):
Listening
Management Plan:

Body of Lesson/
Teaching Strategies After we watch and debrief the video we will begin to introduce these constant blends: bl,
cl, fl, gl, pl,sl. We are going to break up the consonant blends by each lesson, so
What will you have the students do that we do not overwhelm him right away. By using this tactic he will have a better chance
after you introduce the lesson to of recognizing these blends overtime instead of confusing him tremendously.
learn the standards? What
questions will you ask to promote We chose to start with the blends that end with L because we believe these are easier to
higher level thinking? recognize and he sees words with these blends all the time.
Emily and I are going to print out a picture of each L blend with a corresponding picture, so
that Jude can hold it. Then, we will have a list of words that start with each blend and call
What opportunities will you them out and have him hold up the picture that matches the blend. Furthermore, we will
provide for students to practice have Jude re-name the blend as we call it out so that we know he understands what we are
content language/ saying and that is another level of understanding for him as well.
This is an introductory to blends and in the lessons to come we will build on these skills by
challenging him to come up with blends himself.

It is already being tailored to one student
sentences):
Holding picture card
Management Plan:

Closure/
Summarizing Strategies: As a closing activity, we will have Jude participate in more of a kinesthetic approach by
jumping from blend to blend to see if he has grasped this topic. By jumping, we will have
How will the students summarize printed out copies of the L blends and as we call out words he jumps to the blend and
repeats the word back.
learned to prove they know and
understand the standard(s) and its Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
opportunities for students to apply Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
new knowledge while making Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,
connections to prior learning? process, and/or product):
sentences):
Jumping to each blend
Management Plan:
Targeted Language Support
We will ask Jude questions such as How do you know that in order for him to show us his
thinking.
Assessment/ Assessment Plan for IEP Goals and/or 504 Plans (This is a plan and should be written as such;
Evaluation
Judes IEP goal that we are being intentional about assessing is his struggle with phonemic
Every standard listed above must awareness. We will informally assess Jude when he is jumping from each blend to determine
be assessed and included.
how accurately he can identify each blend.
planning:
How will students exhibit an Assessment Plan for Learning Objectives (This is a plan and should be written as such;
understanding of the lessons remember to identify both formative & summative assessments throughout the lesson):
objectives? How will you provide
feedback? What evidence will you We will informally assess Jude when he is jumping from each blend to determine how
collect to demonstrate students accurately he can identify each blend.
understanding/mastery of the Due to us creating a unit of lessons for consonant blends, our summative assessment will
lessons objective(s) including their come at the end of our unit.
usage of vocabulary?

Reflection/Analyzing Teaching This lesson got off to a rough start, but I dont think it was terrible. He reacted horribly to the
Effectiveness video; he would not look at it or listen to it. Once we decided to abandon it he got a little
better. He responded well to all of our questions and seemed excited about our activities. He
didnt really struggle with anything; he answered nearly every question correctly and
identified most blends correctly the first time, and always got it correct the second time.
Next week, we may need to practice some reading or writing now that we know he can hear
blends.
Lesson Three
Lesson Title: Consonant Blends Date: 10/11/2017
CC Standard(s):


Central Focus/Lesson Our central focus is to continue to working on consonant blends to John. More specifically, we
Objective(s) will be reviewing L blends and introducing R blends. By the end of the lesson, our goal is for
John to be able to identify R blends.
Academic Language Language Functions (Identify the purpose for which the language is being used, with attention to
goal and audience- the one verb from the standard; ex. explain, describe, analyze, etc.)
What is the key language
demand? What academic - Explain
language will you teach or
develop? What are the key -Identify
vocabulary words and/or - Analyze
symbols?
Language Vocabulary (Identify key, content specific words for this lesson: examples of vocabulary
words- drama, prose, structural elements, verse, rhythm, meter, characters, settings, descriptions,
dialogue, stage directions. Additionally, include words within a text necessary for students
comprehension.)
- Consonant Blend
Materials Word/picture cards, printable pictures, letter tiles and board
Introduction to Lesson/ For our introduction to this lesson we will be reviewing our L blends. We will have John
complete a drill set of L blends. Then, we will have John name the blend, the sound, and name
Activating Thinking a word that starts with the blend. By starting this lesson with a review it will activate his schema
What is the hook for the lesson to recall this concept and be ready to extend his learning by introducing R blends later in the
to tap into prior knowledge and lesson.
develop students interests? Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
This should tie directly into the
lessons objective and standard Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
and should promote higher level
thinking. How will you Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,
introduce the content specific process, and/or product):
vocabulary words? It is already being tailored to one student.
***Use knowledge of students Language Syntax (set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, phrases into structures,
academic, social, and cultural sentences):
characteristics.
Language Discourse (structures of written or oral language; how participants of the content area
speak, write, and participate):
He should be able to respond to this part of the lesson in short phrases and one-word answers.
Management Plan:
Body of Lesson/
Teaching Strategies We will begin to introduce these constant blends: br, cr, fr, gr, pr,sr. We are
continuing to break up the consonant blends by each lesson, so that we do not overwhelm him
What will you have the students right away. By using this tactic he will have a better chance of recognizing these blends overtime
do after you introduce the instead of confusing him tremendously. Furthermore, we are continuing this trend with R
lesson to learn the standards?
blends because we feel this is the next easiest blend arrangement after L blends.
What questions will you ask to
promote higher level thinking? Emily and I are going to print out a picture of each R blend with a corresponding picture, so
that John can hold it. Then, we will give John a picture of an R blend, we will ask him what the
picture is and what sound it starts with, and then he will choose the corresponding blend card.
What opportunities will you Next, we will ask him the name of the blend, the sound it makes, and it if matches the beginning
provide for students to practice sound of the word. We will continue to do this with each picture.
content language/ Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
sentences):
Matching the card to the picture.
Management Plan:
Closure/ As a closing activity, we will have John use his letter tiles to create one-syllable, decodable
words that begin with R blends. We will ask him to spell words from a pre-made list that we
Summarizing Strategies: have printed out. We will be using the letter tiles because it includes a multi-sensory approach
How will the students to learning.
summarize and/or share what Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
they have learned to prove they
know and understand the Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
standard(s) and its vocabulary?
Will you provide opportunities Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,

for students to apply new process, and/or product):
knowledge while making
connections to prior learning?
sentences):
Spelling with letter tiles
Management Plan:
Targeted Language Support We will ask him repetitive questions during each activity to create a task analysis approach,
including:
Describe the instructional
supports - What is this picture of?
- What sound does the word start with?
- Which letters make that sound?
- What consonant blend makes that sound?
Evaluation
Johns IEP goal that we are being intentional about assessing is his struggle with phonemic
Every standard listed above awareness. We will informally assess John when he is matching blends with words and creating
must be assessed and included. words himself. We will track of his progress by keeping a checklist of words that he can match
Questions to consider while and spell independently.
planning:
Assessment Plan for Learning Objectives (This is a plan and should be written as such; remember
to identify both formative & summative assessments throughout the lesson):
We will informally assess John when he is matching pictures to blends and spelling words with
his letter tiles.
Due to us creating a unit of lessons for consonant blends, our summative assessment will come
at the end of our unit.
Reflection/Analyzing Teaching I dont think the lesson in itself was bad, but I think that there were some instances
Effectiveness where we were too focused on following the lesson exactly than giving our student
the support he needed. If he would skip ahead in our questioning, we would make
him backtrack so that we could ask the questions we had intended to. Our lesson
began to look more like a scripted program and less like identifying where he needs
Reflection includes
our support and honing in on that area. Next time, I need to make sure I honor the
characteristics of the lesson and students thinking more than my own, and listen to what he is telling me.
specific examples on how it can
be improved. Improvements
are ba

Lesson Four
Lesson Title: Consonant Blends Date: 11/1/2017
CC Standard(s):

instruction?
Central Focus/Lesson Objective(s) Our central focus is to review to consonant blends to John. More specifically, we will be
reviewing L and R blends. By the end of the lesson, our goal is for John to be able to

identify and differentiate L and R blends.
What academic language will you - Explain
teach or develop? What are the key
vocabulary words and/or symbols? -Identify
- Analyze
- Consonant Blend
Materials Word/picture cards, printable pictures, letter tiles and board
Introduction to Lesson/ For our introduction to this lesson we will use our two sets of drill decks with L and R
blends mixed together. Then, we will have John name the letters and the sounds they make
Activating Thinking together and also name a word that starts with the blend. By starting this lesson with a
What is the hook for the lesson to review it will activate his schema to recall this concept.
tap into prior knowledge and Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
should tie directly into the lessons Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
promote higher level thinking. How Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,
will you introduce the content process, and/or product):
specific vocabulary words? Language Syntax (set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, phrases into structures,
***Use knowledge of students sentences):
academic, social, and cultural Language Discourse (structures of written or oral language; how participants of the content
characteristics. area speak, write, and participate):
He should be able to respond to this part of the lesson in short phrases and one-word
answers.
Management Plan:

Body of Lesson/ Our theme for this lesson is to review the blends we have already covered to make sure John
is grounded in this understanding. We are going to be intentional on making sure we mix the
Teaching Strategies blends up so that John really has to use his knowledge of this concept to guide him through
What will you have the students do the lesson. Moreover, we will be reviewing L and R blends because these are the blends
after you introduce the lesson to we have covered up to this point and the most common he will see in first grade.
learn the standards? What Emily and I are going to print out a picture of each L and R blends with a corresponding
questions will you ask to promote picture, so that John can hold it. Then, we will give John a picture of an R or an L blend,
higher level thinking? we will ask him what the picture is and what blend it makes, and then have him match it to
the corresponding blend card. We will continue to do this with each picture.
What opportunities will you Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
provide for students to practice
content language/
vocabulary? What language process, and/or product):
sentences):
Matching the card to the picture.
Management Plan:
Closure/ As a closing activity, we have created a BINGO game for John to play. On the BINGO sheet it
will have the blend in the form of a word with the blend bolded to make it easier for him to
Summarizing Strategies: spot within the word given.
How will the students summarize Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability):
learned to prove they know and Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from the student):
understand the standard(s) and its
opportunities for students to apply process, and/or product):
new knowledge while making Language Syntax (set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, phrases into structures,
connections to prior learning? sentences):

Matching the picture to the word
Targeted Language Support We will ask him repetitive questions during each activity to create a task analysis approach,
including:
Describe the instructional supports
that help students understand and - What is this picture of?
successfully use the language - What sound does the word start with?
- Which letters make that sound?
function and additional language
- What consonant blend makes that sound?
demands (vocabulary, syntax, and
discourse).
Evaluation
Johns IEP goal that we are being intentional about assessing is his struggle with phonemic
Every standard listed above must awareness. We will informally assess John when he is matching blends with words and
be assessed and included. creating words himself. We will keep track of his progress by keeping a checklist of words
that he can match and spell independently.
planning:
Assessment Plan for Learning Objectives (This is a plan and should be written as such;
How will students exhibit an remember to identify both formative & summative assessments throughout the lesson):
understanding of the lessons
objectives? How will you provide We will informally assess John when he is matching pictures to blends and spelling words
feedback? What evidence will you with his letter tiles.
collect to demonstrate students
understanding/mastery of the (Due to us creating a unit of lessons for consonant blends, our summative assessment will
lessons objective(s) including their come at the end of our unit.)
usage of vocabulary? This lesson is a wrap-up of our consonant blends unit, in which case we will be conducting a
summative assessment in the form of the game BINGO. We chose to use this model because
it is less intimidating as a test or quiz, but it is still purposeful in the strategy that we can still
assess to see if he understands the concept of consonant blends, more specifically L and
R blends.
Reflection/Analyzing Teaching This weeks lesson went really well. Our student was much more comfortable
Effectiveness this week so he worked well with us. We spent more time that usual having a
conversation with him. I think that next week, we need to have more of a
conversation before starting, rather than just asking direct questions to get to
know him. Being more conversational takes less pressure off of him to give us
Reflection includes ch
answers. Next time, I need to make sure that we start out slowly, giving the
student time to ease into working with us so hell be more comfortable.

Lesson Five
Name: Emily Buff and Alana Owens Grade: 1st
Lesson Title: Rhyming Words Date: 11/7/17
CC Standard(s):
15.) Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
[RI.1.6
____ Whole Group _____ Small Group ___x__ One-on-One _____ Students with IEPs/504s _____ ELL Students
_____ Girls __1__Boys
1-3 BIG ideas! How can these questions be used to What is a rhyme?
guide your instruction?
How do we know if words rhyme?
Central Focus/Lesson Objective(s) By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to identify whether words
rhyme or not and create at least two additional rhyming words.
Academic Language Language Functions (Identify the purpose for which the language is being
used, with attention to goal and audience- the one verb from the standard; ex.
What is the key language demand? What academic
explain, describe, analyze, etc.)
language will you teach or develop? What are the
key vocabulary words and/or symbols? Identify, create
Language Vocabulary (Identify key, content specific words for this lesson:
examples of vocabulary words- drama, prose, structural elements, verse,
rhythm, meter, characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions.

Additionally, include words within a text necessary for students
comprehension.)
Rhyme
Materials Anchor chart, rhyming word cards, paper plate memory game
Introduction to Lesson/ To introduce rhyming, we will ask him if he knows what rhyme means.
Doing this will hopefully activate his schema and will be an informal
Activating Thinking assessment for us to see how familiar he is with rhyme. We will explain
that rhyming words have different beginning sounds, but the same ending
What is the hook for the lesson to tap into prior
sound. We will then go through 10 sets of words and ask him if they rhyme
knowledge and develop students interests? This
or not. If he answers correctly, we will ask him what other words may
should tie directly into the lessons objective and rhyme with the original word. This way we will be able to tell two things
standard and should promote higher level thinking. about the student: 1) If he can hear rhyme, and 2) If he can create rhyme.
How will you introduce the content specific We estimate this will take roughly 5-10 minutes.
vocabulary words?
Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around
***Use knowledge of students academic, social, the disability):
and cultural characteristics.
Modification(s)- (a change in what is being taught or what is expected from
the student):
Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating

the content, process, and/or product):
Language Syntax (set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, phrases

into structures, sentences):
Language Discourse (structures of written or oral language; how participants

of the content area speak, write, and participate):
The student will answer yes or no questions and create his own rhyme
Body of Lesson/ Next we will play our rhyming memory game. There will be 7 sets of
matches. The student will turn cards over one by one in hopes of finding a
Teaching Strategies match. In previous lessons we have had our student match cards, but he
could see all of them. This will be an added element since he has done
What will you have the students do after you
matching before. When he flips two cards over, the student will have to
introduce the lesson to learn the standards? What
determine whether the words on the card rhyme or not. If they are a
questions will you ask to promote higher level match, he keeps the cards. If not, he flips them back over and starts again.
thinking? This builds on the introduction, slowly adding in more higher-level
thinking. First, he had to just hear the word to determine the rhyme. Now,
he must read the word to determine the rhyme.
What opportunities will you provide for students
Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around
to practice content language/
the disability):
vocabulary? What language supports will you
offer? the student):



Flipping cards, reading words, answering yes or no questions
Closure/ To close the lesson, the student will create his own rhyming words. On our
anchor chart, we will have four words: pig, mop, hat, and bell. We will have 4
Summarizing Strategies: rhyming words for each category written on separate word cards. The student
will match each card to the correct rhyming category. We will then give the
How will the students summarize and/or share what
student 1-2 additional blank cards. The student will create his own rhyming
they have learned to prove they know and
words for each category. Now that he can successfully identify rhyming words,
understand the standard(s) and its vocabulary? Will we are again building on that higher-order thinking and allowing him to create
you provide opportunities for students to apply new his own.
knowledge while making connections to prior
learning? Accommodation(s)- (a change that helps a student overcome or work around
the disability):

the student):



Matching rhyming words, writing rhyming words
Targeted Language Support We will continue to ask him questions to evaluate his thinking such as "How do
you know that?" "Do those words rhyme?" Etc.
Describe the instructional supports that help
students understand and successfully use the
language function and additional language demands
(vocabulary, syntax, and discourse).
Assessment/ Assessment Plan for IEP Goals and/or 504 Plans (This is a plan and should be
written as such; remember to identify both formative & summative
Evaluation

Every standard listed above must be assessed and assessments throughout the lesson):
included. Questions to consider while planning:
Our closing activity will serve as our summative assessment. By the end of
How will students exhibit an understanding of the the lesson, Jude will have created a work sample with the anchor chart.
lessons objectives? How will you provide We will take a picture of it, as it will tell us if he can both identify and
feedback? What evidence will you collect to create rhyming words.
demonstrate students understanding/mastery of
Assessment Plan for Learning Objectives (This is a plan and should be written
the lessons objective(s) including their usage of
as such; remember to identify both formative & summative assessments
vocabulary?
throughout the lesson)
See above.
Reflection/Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness I think this was our most successful lesson so far. It was student-lead and
engaging. I think I did better making sure that the students thinking lead my
questioning. However, next time I need to make sure that I tie previous
Reflection includes characteristics of the lesson and learning into my lessons so that everything we do can be tied together.
specific examples on how it can be improved. When the student was creating rhyming words, I did not prompt the student
Improvements are based on the effectiveness to think about the consonant blends we had just been working on. That
supported by evidence on how well the objectives would have been a perfect teaching moment for both rhyme and consonant
were achieved. Specific examples to improve future blends.
lessons are provided.
Case Study
Background Information
My student, who will be called John for the remainder of this case study, is a student at Crestline
Elementary School. Crestline is a K-6 school in the Mountain Brook City school system. The
socioeconomic status, determined by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, is 0%
for the 2017-2018 school year (ALSDE). The students at Crestline are predominately white. John is a six-
year-old first grader in a general education classroom. He receives thirty minutes of reading intervention
daily. John is currently being taught using the research-based, scripted SPIRE Reading Intervention
Program. When in the special education classroom, he has one-on-one intervention; he is the only student
in the classroom with his teacher. His special education teacher has a masters degree in special
education and has been teaching for 25 years.

John lives at home with his mother, father, younger brother, and older brother. John is interested
in animals; his favorite animal is his dog, Firepup. He plays lacrosse and soccer after school. He enjoys Dr.
Seuss and Pete the Cat books, and drawing. He loves to listen to books being read aloud. At home, John
likes listen to audio books on his Ipad and play games on his computer.
At school, John is a well-behaved student. He is gets along well with others and is a role model in
the classroom. He is very quiet, but works hard. John is a creative thinker and has an eye for details. For
example, John loves illustrating what he is writing and can turn alter a single letter or number in a way
that it becomes a picture of something else. He is an avid drawer and doodles on many papers.
Physically, John is a typically developing child. Although he is quiet, he gets along with others
easily and has many friends at school. There is nothing about his social or emotional tendencies that
would lead one to believe that he is delayed in those areas. He is a happy, well-like child.
Presenting the Problem
I was paired with John to work on phonics. Per his IEP, John is working on decoding words, and he
is working towards that goal by improving his phonics skills.
John is able to identify all letter names and sounds both in isolation and in reading passages. John
is able to identify and blend onsets and rimes. John can decode CVC words in isolation, but has trouble
decoding one-syllable, non-CVC words, such as thing, first, trust, etc. John can accurately answer
comprehension questions of passages, but has difficulty decoding the non-CVC words and reading the
passages himself. John can independently read kindergarten grade-level texts, but needs assistance in
reading first-grade level texts. He is able to independently master first-grade standards in other subjects,
but needs extra support from the resource room to master reading-based standards.
Before I did my first lesson with John, we did one lesson from the SPIRE program. The first lesson
was on the short o sound. One component of SPIRE lessons is to go through the students drill deck,
letters and phonemes that the student has already learned. The student goes through the deck and says
each letter and the sounds each letter makes. I noticed that John has a firm understanding of individual
letters and phonemes; he is able to accurately name each letter and the sounds those letters make. While
the lesson was fine, I noticed two things about the learner. First, I noticed that while he did take a long
time to process questions and give responses, he rarely got an answer incorrect. If he did answer
incorrectly, he always gave the correct answer the second time with minimal redirection. Second, I
noticed how active he was during the lesson. John was constantly wiggling in his chair, playing with his
letter tiles, and readjusting his seating position. Throughout the lesson, I realized that when I start
creating lessons catered to my student I need to make sure that the lesson is both intellectually
stimulating and has a physical component in order to keep the student engaged.
The next week, we began working on consonant blends. While consonant blends are not explicitly
stated in his IEP, his general education teacher has stated that he is having trouble particularly with these
blends and asked us to address them during our time with him.
We began with a video of a consonant blend song. John reacted negatively to it, covering his ear
and turning away whenever the song was played. I knew from that interaction that while John does need
to be engaged, music is not the way to do so. We continued with a matching game, determining if certain
words have certain blends. Because I know he is shy, I tried to make my lessons with a similar structure
as the SPIRE ones he is comfortable with. Again, he did not seem challenged by it, accurately matching
every word to every picture. However, he seemed to enjoy the game and was less fidgety during the
activity, so I knew that he was engaged.
Afterwards, I had John jump to the blend of the word I gave him. This gave him the physical
component that I had made my goal last week. However, much like the matching game, he was not
challenged enough. This led me to believe that I need to create challenging material the following week.
Again, while he seemed engaged, it was clear he was not challenging.
The next week, I knew I needed to challenge my student. The first two lessons focused on John
being able to identify this week, so to challenge him I made sure that he would be able to apply his
knowledge in a deeper way. In order to do this, I had him write words with the consonant blends.
Through assessing him while writing words with letter tiles, I noticed that while he does not have
difficulties distinguishes phonemes in a word, he does occasionally have trouble matching each phoneme
to the letters that create it. Out of the seven words that John spelled, John was able to spell five words
without assistance. He was given help in spelling the next phoneme, asking questions such as what
sounds do you hear next? etc., but he was only asked to replace an incorrect letters two out of seven
words. However, whenever he had trouble spelling, it was always with the rime, not the onset blend. It
became clear to me that he has a firm understanding on consonant blends, but not the other letters that
he has been working on in his SPIRE program.
The fourth week we wrapped up our consonant blends unit. I felt that John had a firm grasp on
these blends, but decided to have a final lesson to wrap up our learning. We played a Bingo game with
words with L blends in them. We knew that he could proficiently identify blends and use blends in
spelling, so today we were assessing to see if he could read blends. I kept track of the words that he
correctly identified. Out of the nine words he placed tiles on to mark a spot, he correctly read and
identified eight of those words. The words that he confused were dragon and dress. I reached the
conclusion that John had only been looking at the beginning blend when trying to identify the word. This
could be because that is what we had been focusing on, or because that is the strategy he uses to identify
words. I knew that for the next week, while we were finished with blends, whatever we did would need
to incorporate both reading and writing to ensure that he focuses on all sounds while creating and
reading words.
For the last week, we worked on rhyming words. Johns special education teacher asked us to
work on them with him. After reviewing what rhyming words are (he has been working on them during
intervention time so I knew that he was familiar with them), I had created a chart of rhyming words. He
was to place words I created in the category it rhymed with, and then he was to create two additional
rhyming words for each category. This not only gave us a reading/rhyming sample, but also a writing
sample. John was able to correctly place each word in the correct category, and could create at least one
rhyming word for each category without assistance. When prompted to consider using blends to create
additional rhyming words, he was able to create the second rhyming words for each category. This
showed me that John can create at least one rhyming word when given a word, but still has trouble
creating an additional rhyming word.
Recommendations for the Future
Socially and emotionally, I would not make any recommendations for Johns improvement; he is
right where he needs to be in those aspects. Academically, John can clearly identify phonemes and blends,
but has trouble applying them to his reading and writing. He will hyper focus on what he is learning that I
believe he disregards his previous learning. I would make sure that Johns learning is as fluid as possible
and that his lessons tie in previous lessons. I would recommend giving John more opportunities in
reading and writing with phoneme blends rather than identifying them in isolation.
John does best when he is reading and writing. Activities such as matching, identifying, or
anything that does not require critical thinking does not challenge him. Although he is receiving
intervention services, it is important to remember that John is a bright student and will only grow in his
reading and writing skills if he is challenged in doing so.
John is very active. He constantly moves around in his seat and gets distracted by his fidgeting. In
order for him to best succeed, I would consider making sure that John has some kinesthetic learning,
whether be being active throughout the lesson, giving him brain breaks, or giving him tactile
manipulatives to use during the lesson.
Because John is a shy student, it is best to make sure he is comfortable in his environment
beginning the lesson. I got the best information out of Jude on the days I spent a few minutes beforehand
to have a conversation about how his day has gone, what he has done recently, etc. Having a conversation
beforehand will help him feel more comfortable in his environment and will make the classroom a safe

environment in which he can make mistakes.
John works silently most times. While it is important for him to say what he is thinking in order for
the teacher to best help him, it is important to let him think quietly if he is doing things correctly. I
noticed in my constant questioning that he would lose focus if I interrupted his thinking with questions
that confirmed what he is already thinking. Additionally, it is important to realize that John can take up to
a minute or so to process information before he may answer a question. Giving John the appropriate
amount of time to think without interrupting his thought process by answering for him or asking
additional questions may hinder him from being most successful in his learning.
IEP
Original
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM
STUDENTS NAME: John Smith
DOB 6/24/2011 SCHOOL YEAR 2016/2017 - 2017/2018 GRADE 1st - 2nd
IEP INITIATION/DURATION DATES FROM October 9, 2017 TO October 9, 2018

THIS IEP WILL BE IMPLEMENTED DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL TERM UNLESS NOTED IN EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES.
STUDENT PROFILE WILL INCLUDE GENERAL STATEMENTS REGARDING:
Strengths of the student:
John a well-behaved student. He is gets along well with others and is a role model in the classroom. He is very quiet, but works hard.
John is a creative thinker and has an eye for details. John can focus for long periods of time when motivated. He is able to correctly
identify all 26 letter names and sounds. He can identify 20 sight words and decode basic CVC words.

Parental concerns for enhancing the education:
Johns parents are thrilled with the progress he has made in his studies so far after starting special education. His parents
hope that John expands his vocabulary and continues to remain optimistic about his studies. At home, his parents have
noticed that he confuses letters, b and d especially.
Student Preferences and/or Interests:

John is interested in animals; he loves his dog, Firepup, and pretending he is a cat. He plays lacrosse and soccer after
school. He enjoys Dr. Seuss books, drawing, and listening to books being read to him. John loves playing on the computer
and on his Ipad.
Results of the most recent evaluations:

Johns general education teacher conducted informal assessments in March 2017 to assess his ability to identify phonemes
in one-syllable words:
Beginning sounds: 14/15
Medial sounds: 13/15
Ending sounds: 14/15
The academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student:

John has made great progress in reading, but he continues to require extra instruction in phonemic awareness in order to
master grade-level reading standards.
Other:
For the child transitioning from EI to Preschool, justify if IEP will not be implemented on the childs 3rd birthday:

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS
Items checked YES will be addressed in this IEP:

YES NO
Does the student have behavior which impedes his/her learning or the learning of others? [ ] [x]
Does the student have a Behavioral Intervention Plan? [ ] [ x]
Does the student have limited English proficiency? [ ] [ x]
Does the student need instruction in Braille and the use of Braille? [ ] [ x]
Does the student have communication needs? [ ] [ x]
Does the student need assistive technology devices and/or services? [ ] [ x]
Does the student require specially designed P.E.? [ ] [ x]
Is the student working toward alternate achievement standards and participating in the [ ] [ x]
Alabama Alternate Assessment?
Are transition services addressed in this IEP with an annual goal(s)? [ ] [ x]
TRANSPORTATION
Students mode of transportation:

[x ] Regular bus [ ] Bus for special needs [ x] Parent contract [ ] Other:
Does the student require transportation as a related service? [ ] YES [ x] NO
If yes, check any transportation needs:
[ ] Bus assistance: [ ] Adult support [ ] Medical support
[ ] Preferential seating
[ ] Behavioral Intervention Plan
[ ] Wheelchair lift and securement system
[ ] Restraint system
Specify type:
[ ] Other. Specify:
[ ] Bus driver and support personnel are aware of the students behavioral and/or medical concerns.
NONACADEMIC and EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Will the student have the opportunity to participate in nonacademic/extracurricular activities with his/her nondisabled
peers?
[x ] YES.
[ ] YES, with supports. Describe:
[ ] NO. Explanation must be provided:
METHOD/FREQUENCY FOR REPORTING PROGRESS OF ATTAINING GOALS TO PARENTS

Annual Goal Progress reports will be sent to parents each time report cards are issued (every 9 weeks).

STUDENTS NAME:
[ ] This student is in a middle school course of study that will help prepare him/her for transition.
[ ] This student was invited to the IEP Team meeting.
[ ] After prior consent of the parent or student (Age 19) was obtained, other agency representatives were invited to the
IEP Team meeting.
EXIT OPTIONS (Complete for students in Grades 9-12)
[ ] Alabama High School Diploma Anticipated Date of Exit: Month: Year :
[ ] Alabama Occupational Diploma
[ ] Graduation Certificate
PROGRAM CREDIT TO BE EARNED (Complete for students in grades 9-12)

For each course taken, indicate SOCIAL
ENGLISH MATH SCIENCE
program credit to be earned. STUDIES
Alabama High School Diploma
Alabama Occupational Diploma
Graduation Certificate
TRANSITION: (Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student is 16, or earlier if appropriate, and
updated annually thereafter)
Transition Assessments (Check the assessment(s) used to determine the students measurable transition goals):
[ ] Transition Planning Assessments [ ] Interest Inventory [ ] Other
Goals for Postsecondary Transition:
Postsecondary Education/Training Goal
If Other is selected, specify
Employment/Occupation/Career Goal
Community/Independent Living Goal
Transition Services: Based on the student's strengths, preferences, and interests, the following coordinated transition
services will reasonably enable the student to meet the postsecondary goals. Consider these service areas: Vocational
Evaluations (VE), Community Experiences (CE), Personal Management (PM), Transportation (T), Employment Development (ED),
Medical (M), Postsecondary Education (PE), Living Arrangements (LA), Linkages to Agencies (LTA), Advocacy/Guardianship (AG),
Financial Management (FM), and if appropriate Functional Vocational Evaluation (FVE).
Transition Strands
Academics/Post Secondary Employment/Occupations/
Education/Training Careers Personal/ Social Daily Living

Service(s)

STUDENTS NAME: JOHN SMITH
[ ] This goal is related to the students transition services needs.
AREA: Reading
PRESENT LEVEL OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE:
John is able to identify all letter names and sounds. John is able to identify and blend onsets and rimes. John can decode
CVC words and one-syllable words, but has trouble decoding two-syllable words.
MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL related to meeting the students needs: DATE OF MASTERY:
By the end of the 2017/2018 school year, John will be able to accurately decode 20 two-syllable words in 5 seconds when
shown a flashcard with 90% accuracy.
TYPE(S) OF EVALUATION FOR ANNUAL GOAL:

[x] Curriculum Based Assessment [ ] Teacher/Text Test [ ] Teacher Observation [ ] Grades
[x] Data Collection [ ] State Assessment(s) [ ] Work Samples
[] Other: [ ] Other:
BENCHMARKS:
1. John will read decodable words within 30 seconds of being shown the word Date of Mastery:
4. Date of Mastery:
AREA:
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[ ] Curriculum Based Assessment [ ] Teacher/Text Test [ ] Teacher Observation [ ] Grades
[ ] Data Collection [ ] State Assessment(s) [ ] Work Samples
[ ] Other: [ ] Other:
BENCHMARKS:
1. Date of Mastery:
2. Date of Mastery:
3. Date of Mastery:
4. Date of Mastery:

Students Name: John Smith
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICE(S): (Special Education, Supplementary Aids and Services,
Program Modifications, Accommodations Needed for Assessments, Related Services, Assistive Technology, and Support
for Personnel.)
Special Education
Anticipated Amount Beginning/Ending
Service(s) Frequency of of time Duration Dates Location of Service(s)
Service(s)
Reading Intervention Everyday 30 October 2017 to Resource Room
minutes October 2018
to
Related Services [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to
Supplementary Aids and Services [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to
Program Modifications [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed
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Anticipated Amount Beginning/Ending Location of Service(s)
Service(s) Frequency of of time Duration Dates
Service(s)
to
to
Accommodations Needed for [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Assessments
Service(s)
to
to
Assistive Technology [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to
Support for Personnel [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to

TRANSFER OF RIGHTS
(Beginning not later than the IEP that will be in effect when the student reaches 18 years of age.)
Date student was informed that the rights under the IDEA will transfer to him/her at the age of 19
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES (ESY)

The IEP Team has considered the need for extended school year services. [ ] Yes [x ] No
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Does this student attend the school (or for a preschool-age student, participate in the environment) he/she would attend if
nondisabled? [X ] Yes [ ] No
If no, explain:
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Does this student receive all special education services with nondisabled peers? [ ] Yes [ x ] No
If no, explain (explanation may not be solely because of needed modifications in the general curriculum):
John will go to the resource room everyday to receive intervention with the research-based SPIRE program that is
not used in the general education program.
[ X ] 6-21 YEARS OF AGE [ ] 3-5 YEARS OF AGE
Least Restricted Environment: General Education classroom with 1 hour daily in resource room (LRE Code 01)
COPY OF IEP COPY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RIGHTS

Was a copy of the IEP given to parent/student (age 19) at Was a copy of the Special Education Rights given to
the IEP Team meeting? parent/student (age 19) at the IEP Team meeting?
[ x ] Yes [ ] No [x ] Yes [ ] No
If no, date sent: If no, date sent:
Date copy of amended IEP provided/sent to parent/student (age 19)
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING TO DEVELOP

THIS IEP.
Position Signature Date
Parent
Parent
General Education Teacher
Special Education Teacher
LEA Representative
Someone Who Can Interpret The Instructional
Implications Of The Evaluation Results
Student
Career/Technical Education Representative
Other Agency Representative
INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE NOT IN ATTENDANCE

Position Name Date
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Revised
DOB 6/24/2011 SCHOOL YEAR 2017/2018 - 2018/2019 GRADE 1st - 2nd
IEP INITIATION/DURATION DATES FROM October 9, 2017 TO October 9, 2018

THIS IEP WILL BE IMPLEMENTED DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL TERM UNLESS NOTED IN EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES.
STUDENT PROFILE WILL INCLUDE GENERAL STATEMENTS REGARDING:
Strengths of the student:
John is a 6-year-old, well-behaved student at school. He is gets along well with others and is a role model in the
classroom. He is very quiet, but works hard. John is a creative thinker and has an eye for details. For example, John loves
illustrating what he is writing and can turn alter a single letter or number in a way that it becomes a picture of something
else. John can focus for long periods of time when motivated. He is able to correctly identify all 26 letter names and
sounds. He can identify 50 sight words and decode basic CVC words, such as dog, pit, mat, etc. John can read
independently on a kindergarten level and with assistance on a first-grade reading level.
Parental concerns for enhancing the education:

Johns parents are thrilled with the progress he has made in his studies so far after starting special education. His parents
hope that John expands his vocabulary and continues to remain optimistic about his studies. At home, his parents have
noticed that he confuses letters, b and d especially.
Student Preferences and/or Interests:

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John is interested in animals; he loves his dog, Firepup, and pretending he is a cat. He plays lacrosse and soccer after
school. He enjoys Dr. Seuss and Pete the Cat books, and drawing. He loves to listen to books being read aloud. At home,
John likes listen to audio books on his Ipad and play games on his computer.
Results of the most recent evaluations:

Johns general education teacher conducted informal assessments in March 2017 to assess his ability to identify phonemes
in one-syllable words:
Beginning sounds: 14/15
Medial sounds: 13/15
Ending sounds: 14/15
This assessment shows that John can successfully isolate and identify phonemes in a word.
In March 2017, Johns special education teacher conducted the Marie Clay assessment:
Phonemes: 35/37
Spelling: 10/15
This also shows that John can successfully identify phonemes in a word, but he cannot consistently relate the phoneme to
the correct letter, causing trouble with his ability to spell correctly. While John is phonemically aware, he has trouble in
phonics, translating the auditory cues into visual cues.
The academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student:
John mastered the following reading goal in March 2017:
When given 10 onset-rime pairs orally, John is able to blend the sounds and state each word correctly with 100%
accuracy.
However, he continues to require extra instruction in phonics in order to master grade-level reading standards.
Other:
For the child transitioning from EI to Preschool, justify if IEP will not be implemented on the childs 3 rd birthday:
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SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS
Items checked YES will be addressed in this IEP:

YES NO
Does the student have behavior which impedes his/her learning or the learning of others? [ ] [x]
Does the student have a Behavioral Intervention Plan? [ ] [ x]
Does the student have limited English proficiency? [ ] [ x]
Does the student need instruction in Braille and the use of Braille? [ ] [ x]
Does the student have communication needs? [ ] [ x]
Does the student need assistive technology devices and/or services? [ ] [ x]
Does the student require specially designed P.E.? [ ] [ x]
Is the student working toward alternate achievement standards and participating in the [ ] [ x]
Alabama Alternate Assessment?
Are transition services addressed in this IEP with an annual goal(s)? [ ] [ x]
TRANSPORTATION
Students mode of transportation:

[x ] Regular bus [ ] Bus for special needs [ x] Parent contract [ ] Other:
Does the student require transportation as a related service? [ ] YES [ x] NO
If yes, check any transportation needs:
[ ] Bus assistance: [ ] Adult support [ ] Medical support
[ ] Preferential seating
[ ] Behavioral Intervention Plan
[ ] Wheelchair lift and securement system
[ ] Restraint system
Specify type:
[ ] Other. Specify:
[ ] Bus driver and support personnel are aware of the students behavioral and/or medical concerns.
NONACADEMIC and EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Will the student have the opportunity to participate in nonacademic/extracurricular activities with his/her nondisabled
peers?
[x ] YES.
[ ] YES, with supports. Describe:
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[ ] NO. Explanation must be provided:
METHOD/FREQUENCY FOR REPORTING PROGRESS OF ATTAINING GOALS TO PARENTS
Annual Goal Progress reports will be sent to parents each time report cards are issued (every 9 weeks).
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STUDENTS NAME:
[ ] This student is in a middle school course of study that will help prepare him/her for transition.
[ ] This student was invited to the IEP Team meeting.
[ ] After prior consent of the parent or student (Age 19) was obtained, other agency representatives
were invited to the IEP Team meeting.
EXIT OPTIONS (Complete for students in Grades 9-12)
[ ] Alabama High School Diploma Anticipated Date of Exit: Month: Year :
[ ] Alabama Occupational Diploma
[ ] Graduation Certificate
PROGRAM CREDIT TO BE EARNED (Complete for students in grades 9-12)

For each course taken, indicate SOCIAL
ENGLISH MATH SCIENCE
program credit to be earned. STUDIES
Alabama High School Diploma
Alabama Occupational Diploma
Graduation Certificate
TRANSITION: (Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student is 16, or earlier if
appropriate, and updated annually thereafter)
Transition Assessments (Check the assessment(s) used to determine the students measurable
transition goals):
[ ] Transition Planning Assessments [ ] Interest Inventory [ ] Other
Goals for Postsecondary Transition:
Postsecondary Education/Training Goal
Employment/Occupation/Career Goal
Community/Independent Living Goal
Transition Services: Based on the student's strengths, preferences, and interests, the following coordinated
transition services will reasonably enable the student to meet the postsecondary goals. Consider these service
areas: Vocational Evaluations (VE), Community Experiences (CE), Personal Management (PM), Transportation
(T), Employment Development (ED), Medical (M), Postsecondary Education (PE), Living Arrangements (LA),
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Linkages to Agencies (LTA), Advocacy/Guardianship (AG), Financial Management (FM), and if appropriate
Functional Vocational Evaluation (FVE).
Transition Strands
Academics/Post Secondary Employment/Occupations/
Education/Training Careers Personal/ Social Daily Living
Service(s)
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Running head: CASE STUDY 1

STUDENTS NAME: JOHN SMITH
AREA: Reading Fluency
John is able to identify all letter names and sounds both in isolation and in reading passages. John is able to identify and
blend onsets and rimes. John can decode CVC words in isolation, but has trouble decoding one-syllable, non-CVC words,
such as thing, first, trust, etc. John can accurately answer comprehension questions of passages, but has difficulty
decoding the non-CVC words and reading the passages himself. John can independently read kindergarten grade-level
texts, but needs assistance in reading first-grade level texts. He is able to independently master first-grade standards in
other subjects, but needs extra support from the resource room to master reading-based standards.
By the end of October 2018, John will be able to accurately decode 20 one-syllable, non-CVC words, identifying each
phoneme then blending them together, within 10 seconds per word when shown a flashcard with 90% accuracy. [RF.1.3]
Johns special education teacher will perform the evaluation of this goal every nine weeks in order to monitor his
progress. The special education teacher will collect the data on the checklist provided along with this IEP.
[x] Curriculum Based Assessment [ ] Teacher/Text Test [ ] Teacher Observation [ ] Grades
[x] Data Collection [ ] State Assessment(s) [ ] Work Samples
BENCHMARKS:
1. John will read decodable, one-syllable words within 30 seconds of being shown the Date of Mastery:
word
word
word
4. Date of Mastery:
AREA:

CASE STUDY 12

[ ] Curriculum Based Assessment [ ] Teacher/Text Test [ ] Teacher Observation [ ] Grades
[ ] Data Collection [ ] State Assessment(s) [ ] Work Samples
BENCHMARKS:
1. Date of Mastery:
2. Date of Mastery:
3. Date of Mastery:
4. Date of Mastery:

Students Name: John Smith
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICE(S): (Special Education, Supplementary Aids and Services,
Program Modifications, Accommodations Needed for Assessments, Related Services, Assistive Technology, and Support
for Personnel.)
Special Education
Service(s)
Reading Intervention, S.P.I.R.E. reading Everyday 30 October 2017 to Resource Room
program minutes October 2018
to
Related Services [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to
Supplementary Aids and Services [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
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CASE STUDY 13
to
to
Program Modifications [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed

Anticipated Amount Beginning/Ending Location of Service(s)
Service(s) Frequency of of time Duration Dates
Service(s)
to
to
Accommodations Needed for [ ] Needed [x ] Not Needed

Assessments
Service(s)
to
to
Assistive Technology [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to
Support for Personnel [ ] Needed [ x ] Not Needed

Service(s)
to
to

TRANSFER OF RIGHTS
(Beginning not later than the IEP that will be in effect when the student reaches 18 years of age.)
Date student was informed that the rights under the IDEA will transfer to him/her at the age of 19
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES (ESY)

The IEP Team has considered the need for extended school year services. [ X ] Yes [ ] No
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CASE STUDY 14
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Does this student attend the school (or for a preschool-age student, participate in the environment) he/she would attend if
nondisabled? [X ] Yes [ ] No
If no, explain:
Does this student receive all special education services with nondisabled peers? [ ] Yes [ x ] No
If no, explain (explanation may not be solely because of needed modifications in the general curriculum):
John will go to the resource room everyday to receive intervention with the research-based SPIRE program that is
not used in the general education program.
[ X ] 6-21 YEARS OF AGE [ ] 3-5 YEARS OF AGE
Least Restricted Environment: John will be in a general education classroom with the except for the 30 minutes spent daily in the
resource room to receive the SPIRE reading curriculum. LRE Code 1.
COPY OF IEP COPY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RIGHTS

Was a copy of the IEP given to parent/student (age 19) at Was a copy of the Special Education Rights given to
the IEP Team meeting? parent/student (age 19) at the IEP Team meeting?
[ x ] Yes [ ] No [x ] Yes [ ] No
If no, date sent: If no, date sent:
Date copy of amended IEP provided/sent to parent/student (age 19)
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING TO DEVELOP

THIS IEP.
Position Signature Date
Parent
Parent
General Education Teacher
Special Education Teacher
LEA Representative
Someone Who Can Interpret The Instructional
Implications Of The Evaluation Results
Student
Career/Technical Education Representative
Other Agency Representative
INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE NOT IN ATTENDANCE

Position Name Date
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CASE STUDY 15
Page of ALSDE
Approved Feb. 2013

Case Study

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Case Study

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Emily Buff

Collaborative Methods: Case Study

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

that day, so she was not going to that class.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

what happens in Mrs. Falconers room before we jumped into action.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

differentiated instruction while still being organized.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

a long time to process.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

the drill deck serves as an informal assessment in order to plan my lessons.

with any student, much less a student with a learning disability.

more comfortable and talkative.

students would be ok without her.

so we practiced by doing a SPIRE lesson with our first grade friend.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

changing his routine and having new people teach him.

writing; perhaps that is where his troubles lie.

about consonant blends.

comfortable. We planned on introducing something newer next, so we wanted him to be comfortable

him substitute the correct letter for an incorrect letter.

guide our lessons and assessements.

group rather than by himself.

is not blindsided in the next activity.

that extra boost of confidence and security that he needed to be comfortable.

more of a speed issue than an understanding issue.

concept so we chose to move onto something else.

and built from there.

words rhymed or not, so we knew he could hear rhyme.

firm grasp on identifying rhyme.

have already learned and how we can build on it in each lesson.

rhyming words to the chart.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

quick to leave, and we went to 4th grade inclusion.

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

encouraged or made the decision herself.

classmates notice anything.

Name: Emily Buff and Alana Owens Grade: 1st

Lesson Title: SPIRE Lesson Date: 11/26/17

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

____ Other (Please specify: _______________________________________________________________________)

Please specify the number of students:

_____ Girls ___1__Boys

Individual Education Plan Goal(s) and Benchmarks specific to this lesson:

Learning - Focus Strategies

Essential Question(s) What sound does short o make?

Objectives are measurable and Identify the sound short o makes

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

What resources can be used to

What is the hook for the lesson to

***Use knowledge of students

Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

What will you have the students do

What opportunities will you

vocabulary? What language

Differentiation- (tailoring instruction to meet individual needs; differentiating the content,

Saying yes/no, holding up card

Page of ALSDE Approved Feb. 2013

How will the students summarize

Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________________________)

___ Girls _1__Boys

Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________________________)

_ Girls XBoys

Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________________________)

_ Girls XBoys

Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________________________)

_ Girls XBoys

Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________________________)

_ Girls 1Boys