Empowering Diverse Learners: Success for All (SFA) Strategies in Literacy Education

In my first years of teaching, I had the unique opportunity to work at a Success for All (SFA) school. As a self-contained cross-categorical (cross-cat) teacher, I was responsible for delivering comprehensive literacy instruction to a diverse group of students. My classroom included English language learners, students who were not at grade level, and those who were significantly behind in their reading skills.

To address these varied needs, I implemented 90-minute blocks of SFA Roots instruction twice daily, ensuring that each student received intensive, targeted support. This rigorous schedule allowed me to provide consistent, high-quality literacy education, leveraging the structured and research-based approach of the SFA program. Through this experience, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of systematic phonics, vocabulary development, and cooperative learning strategies in fostering reading proficiency and a love of literature among my students.

A 90-minute modern Success for All (SFA) Roots schedule is designed to be highly structured and engaging, focusing on phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Here’s a general outline of what it might look like:

1. Opening (5-10 minutes):

   • Warm-up activities: These could include phonemic awareness exercises, chants, or songs to get students engaged and ready to learn.

2. Phonics Instruction (20-25 minutes):

   • FastTrack Phonics: Systematic phonics instruction where students learn and practice phonemes, blending, and decoding skills.
   • Interactive activities: Use of multimedia tools like “Cleo and Theo” to reinforce phonics skills through games and interactive lessons.

3. Shared Story (15-20 minutes):

   • Read-aloud: Teacher reads a story aloud, modeling fluent reading and engaging students with questions and discussions about the text.
   • Vocabulary development: Introduction and discussion of new vocabulary words from the story.

4. Partner Reading (15-20 minutes):

   • Paired reading: Students read the same story or a different text with a partner, practicing fluency and comprehension.
   • Discussion: Partners discuss the text, ask each other questions, and summarize what they read.

5. Writing (10-15 minutes):

   • Guided writing: Students write about the story they read, focusing on using new vocabulary and practicing writing skills.
   • Sharing: Some students share their writing with the class, receiving feedback and encouragement.

6. Wrap-up (5-10 minutes):

   • Review: Quick review of the day’s lessons, reinforcing key concepts and vocabulary.
   • Assessment: Informal assessments like quick quizzes or exit tickets to gauge student understanding.

This schedule ensures that students are actively engaged in a variety of literacy activities, promoting a comprehensive approach to reading instruction¹².

Does this align with your experience or expectations for a literacy program?

Kagan Structures

Kagan Cooperative Learning structures are designed to promote student engagement and collaboration. Here are some commonly used structures in literacy programs:

1. RoundRobin:

   • Function: Students take turns sharing ideas or reading aloud in small groups.
   • Application: Used during partner reading or group discussions to ensure every student participates.

2. Think-Pair-Share:

   • Function: Students think about a question, discuss their thoughts with a partner, and then share with the larger group.
   • Application: Ideal for discussing new vocabulary words or story elements.

3. Numbered Heads Together:

   • Function: Students work in groups to solve a problem or answer a question, ensuring everyone in the group understands.
   • Application: Used for comprehension questions after reading a story.

4. Mix-Pair-Share:

   • Function: Students mix around the room, pair up with a partner, and share their thoughts.
   • Application: Great for vocabulary practice or discussing story predictions.

Decodable Books

The 48 decodable books are sequentially designed to build phonics knowledge and reading confidence. Each book focuses on specific phoneme-grapheme correspondences, allowing students to practice decoding skills progressively.

Sight Word Rehearsal and Practice

Sight word practice is crucial for developing reading fluency. Activities might include:

• Flashcards: Students use flashcards to practice sight words.
• Sight Word Bingo: A fun game where students match sight words on their bingo cards.
• Writing Practice: Students write sentences using sight words.

Songs and Chants

Songs and chants are used to make learning fun and memorable. Here are some examples:

1. Alligators All Around:

   • Purpose: Helps with letter recognition and phonemic awareness.
   • Activity: Students chant the song while performing actions that correspond to the lyrics.

2. Bouncing and Stretching Letters:

   • Purpose: Reinforces letter sounds and blending.
   • Activity: Students bounce and stretch their bodies while saying the sounds of letters, helping them remember phonemes.

Specific Games

Games are an integral part of the learning process, making it interactive and enjoyable. Some examples include:

• Phonics Hopscotch: Students hop on letters or words while saying the sounds or reading the words.
• Word Matching: A memory game where students match words with pictures or definitions.

Example Chants

Chants are rhythmic and repetitive, making them effective for learning. Here’s what they might look like:

1. Alphabet Chant:

   • Chant: “A is for apple, a-a-apple. B is for ball, b-b-ball.”
   • Activity: Students chant while clapping or using hand motions to reinforce the sounds.

2. Stretching Letters:

   • Chant: “S-t-r-e-t-c-h, stretch the sound, sss-aaa-t.”
   • Activity: Students stretch their arms wide while saying the sounds slowly, then bring them together quickly to blend the word.

These activities and structures are designed to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment, helping students develop strong literacy skills through interactive and enjoyable methods.

Does this detailed breakdown help with your planning? The Yes No game in the Success for All (SFA) program is a fun and interactive way to develop phonemic awareness in young learners. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how it works:

Objective

The goal of the Yes No game is to help students practice distinguishing between different phonemes (sounds) in words, which is a critical skill for reading development.

How to Play

1. Preparation:

   • Choose a set of words that focus on specific phonemes you want the students to practice.
   • Prepare a list of “Yes” words (words that contain the target phoneme) and “No” words (words that do not contain the target phoneme).

2. Instructions:

   • Explain to the students that they will listen to a word and decide if it contains the target sound.
   • If the word contains the target sound, they will respond with “Yes.” If it does not, they will respond with “No.”

3. Gameplay:

   • Say a word aloud to the class.
   • Students listen carefully and then respond with “Yes” or “No” based on whether the word contains the target phoneme.
   • For example, if the target sound is /s/, you might say “sun” (students respond “Yes”) or “dog” (students respond “No”).

4. Variation:

   • To make the game more engaging, you can incorporate physical actions. For instance, students can stand up for “Yes” and sit down for “No.”
   • You can also use visual aids, such as flashcards with pictures, to help students associate the sounds with images.

Benefits

• Phonemic Awareness: Helps students become more aware of individual sounds in words.
• Listening Skills: Enhances students’ ability to listen carefully and distinguish between different sounds.
• Engagement: The game format keeps students actively involved and makes learning fun.

Example

Let’s say the target phoneme is /m/. Here’s how a round might go:

• Teacher: “Mouse” (students respond “Yes”)
• Teacher: “Cat” (students respond “No”)
• Teacher: “Moon” (students respond “Yes”)
• Teacher: “Dog” (students respond “No”)

This game can be adapted to focus on different phonemes and can be used with various age groups to reinforce phonemic awareness in an enjoyable and interactive way.

Would you like more examples or variations of this game?