Assignment:
A. Meet with the teacher.
Meet with the preschool teacher whom you will observe. Discuss the emergent literacy standards and goals they are targeting for the children in their setting, focusing on the five components of literacy instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), as well as writing. Ask the teacher about the approaches and strategies they generally use to promote literacy development.
Drilling down from there, discuss in detail the phonemic awareness and phonics activities or lesson that they have planned. If a lesson plan is available, ask for a copy. If a lesson plan is not available, take detailed notes as the teacher describes the plan.
Make arrangements to conduct your observation at an agreed-upon date and time and be sure to arrive on time.
B. Critique the lesson plan.
Review the teacher's lesson plan for its potential effectiveness. Then, write a critique that addresses the following:
Appropriateness of the learning objectives for the children (based on assessment data) and alignment with early childhood standards
Potential effectiveness of the activities, strategies, and grouping structures that will be used to promote phonemic and phonics skills in terms of their potential for achieving the learning objectives
Assessment data that informed the teacher's planning
Relevant information about the phonemic awareness and phonics needs of the children in the small group or class for whom the lesson is targeted (e.g., English language learners, children with special needs, etc.)
The teacher's plans for differentiating instruction to meet individual needs
How the teacher will informally assess children's phonemic awareness and phonics skills learning during the lesson (1 to 2 pages)
C. Critique the lesson implementation.
Observe the literacy lesson you discussed with the teacher. During your observation, make note of the following:
Level of children's engagement
Children's responses to the activities and strategies
How the teacher adjusted the lesson based on informal assessment (1 to 2 pages)
D. Evaluate the results of the lesson.
Critique the literacy lesson you observed by addressing the following:
1. Success of strategies used
2. Evidence of achievement of learning objectives