Bubbles and Bursts - condensed version

What happened for the learners?

Since April 2017 I have been tracking 6 students predominately in years 1 and 2 (now 2 and 3) in the context of their reading progress and much more specifically this year in terms of their language acquisition and development given the whanau engagement initiatives I have facilitated and diversified at G.I.S…

SK (a Tongan boy) overall moved 13 reading levels.

He is now working within his expected curriculum level

Baseline oral language; 3 years 8 months

T4; 6 years 6 months. (5 months behind his actual age)

Overall gain of 2 years 10 months.

FH (a C.I.M girl) overall moved 12 reading levels.

She is now working within her expected curriculum level

Baseline oral language; mirrored 6 years 1 month.  

T4; 7 years 5 months. (7 months ahead of her actual age).

Overall gain of 1 year 4 months.

AG (a C.I.M twin girl) overall moved 8 reading levels

She is now working within her expected curriculum level.

Baseline oral language; 4 years 11 months. 

T4; 5 years 10 months. (1yr 2 months behind her actual age)

Overall gain of 9 months.

 NK (C.I.M twin girl ii) overall moved 9 reading levels.

She is now working within her expected curriculum level.

Baseline oral language; 5 years old.  of 6

T4; 7 years 3 months. (3 months ahead of her actual age)

Overall gain of 2 years 3 months.

JT (a Nuiean girl) overall moved 11 reading levels.

She is now working above her expected curriculum level.

Baseline oral language; 5 years 10 months. 

T4; 6 years 6 months. (11 months behind her actual age)

Overall gain of 8 months.

TA (a NZ Maori boy) overall moved 5 reading levels,

He is now working above his expected curriculum level.

Baseline oral language;  6 years 6 months.

T4; mirrored chronological age equivalent of 7 years 7 months.

Overall gain of 1 year 1 month.

What evidence do I have for this?

Standardised T4 2017/T4 2018 reading data comparison which shows...

• 66% acceleration progress within a curriculum level.
• 33% acceleration progress into a higher curriculum level.

Standardised termly reading tracking in 2018 which shows... 

•        accelerated progress within or exceeding expected curriculum levels.

Standardised Oral Language assessment data (gathered over a 6 month period)...

•     significant accelerated progress from the baseline gathering…
•      ranges in increases from 130% > 560%

                          

                                                             

What did I do to make this happen?

• Community initiatives...soap box derby, Christmas store, rugby
• Class Dojo...instant communication
• Reading Together ( i & ii)...listening to whanau voice
• Story Sacks...thinking outside the bag
• Pasifika Early Literacy Programme...embracing culture
• Kete Talanoa's...inclusive diversity 

Wonderings about what next...

I WONDER....

• If we are willing to let go of the lesson we have planned, so as to have the lesson that is waiting for us...

• If when an opportunity doesn't knock, do we build a door...

• If success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm...

I WONDER IF EVERY CHILD HAS A CHAMPION,  A MAGIC WEAVER,

AN UNCONDITIONAL CONSTANT WHO NEVER GIVES UP ON THEM,

WHO UNDERSTANDS THE POWER OF A CONNECTION

AND INSISTS THAT THEY BECOME THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE...

THEY ACTUALLY WILL!