25 Days of Classrooms: Reading Intervention

This month I am sharing stories from

classrooms in Berwyn South District 100.

Day 23: Reading Intervention with Colleen Noffsinger (K-2 Literacy Coach/ Specialist at Piper)

 

     Watching Colleen Noffsinger teach her intervention group made me think of multiple literacy experts. I saw Jan Richardson, mixed with Burkins and Yaris, with Jennifer Serravallo sprinkled in.  I'd even throw in some Pat Cunningham.  She was using texts from the LLI, but she knew how and when to use strategies and language that would better meet the needs of her kids than the information suggested by Fountas and Pinnell for that text.  She knows her kids, and her literacy stuff.  The truth is, Colleen knows strategies of all those gurus, but her delivery is all Mrs. Noffsinger.  She has made all that knowledge her own.

 

     I was actually watching Colleen teach a lesson, while another literacy coach and reading specialist from our district were observing her, too.  Not only is she an expert reading interventionist, she is a really great mentor.  After the lesson, she explained her thinking, and showed us where she finds some of her favorite resources.  She truly believes that we are #bettertogether.

 

     Colleen has some great reading strategies and tips up her sleeve, like this sight word entry code!  If you ever have the chance to stop by her room, please do.  You are guaranteed to walk away with a reading tip, and a new book title.  It's worth a walk outside to the Little Red Schoolhouse at Piper.