A tale of two schools

 A “Tale of Two Schools” is an inspirational documentary about two vulnerable schools.  Both schools have the same goal and in the end they want their students to thrive as readers. The first school, Walton Elementary, adopted a program called reading mastery. This teaches letters, sounds, spelling, and writing. The teachers as well as the entire staff are extremely powerful and demonstrate positive attitudes. They have a tremendous amount of love in their hearts for their students and due to that, achievement took place. They truly want their students to succeed and the children saw and understood that. As a result, these students were motivated, focused, determined, and disciplined. They developed a passion for learning to read as well as a passion for school in general. Reading Mastery was a very organized and structured program. They enforced and had their students master discipline prior to incorporating and beginning reading mastery. This allowed each student to demonstrate exceptional behavior and be alert during each lesson, absorbing the material being taught instead of having it go in through one ear and out the other. This also allowed each individual to have an affective learning experience. I like how they were aware of Tavaras and recognized that he was struggling. They did not let him hide behind all the students who were progressing at a faster pace. They took him aside to work with a separate teacher, which allowed Tavaras to learn at his own pace, feeling confident in his success. There are some negative aspects to reading master. To me, the students are responding in a way that is very robotic. They also are not reading books, just words. However, knowing the outcome and seeing how affective it is for both the students and teachers made it completely worthwhile.  The reactions the staff had when they reviewed the test scores were mind-blowing and that part of this documentary will never be forgotten. The second school, Bearden Elementary, seemed to have more negative factors than positive ones. They had the right motives and goals but their teachers were not prepared for incorporating project read into their classrooms. For example, Miss Todd openly admitted that she was not very knowledgeable in teaching students how to read. She only had two days of training and she felt very unprepared, on top of not having the appropriate materials, resources, or books. Due to this, her students were not as focused, motivated and disciplined as students at Walton were.  They did have success, but it took much longer than it should have. The school in general needs stability and teachers that commit long-term. One key element of literacy that was not used in either program was comprehension, which is a vital tool in learning. Just because a child can read words does not mean that they understand what they are reading. They are basically just reading a variety of symbols.

  I would prefer to teach the reading mastery program because I feel it is more affective and valuable. I found the techniques and strategies to be very useful. Sounding out each letter individually and then putting those sounds together to create the word is phenomenal. You can tell that the students benefited from that method and really understood what they were learning. If they struggled with pronouncing words in their essays, they would use that same method that the teachers used with them. They remember what they’re being taught. That says something. As a teacher using reading mastery, you have to be ready for the challenge. It is definitely hard work but if you believe in it and never lower your standards, you will be successful at it. Just as this program is used and successful in an inner city school, it can most definitely be implemented in an affluent school. We see that the school not to far from Walton adopted this program and each student made significant progress. It does not matter if a classroom is filled with primarily African Americans or Caucasians, as long as you have committed teachers and the right program, learning to read is possible.  In the end, the most important part of this entire documentary was that both schools recognized that there was a problem and they both wanted a solution. Without this realization, success would not take place. 

A Tale of Two Schools

Prior to watching A Tale of Two Schools, I never truly grasped how difficult it can be for teachers to teach their students how to read, especially without the proper resources to do so. This film really made me see the pros and the cons of the Reading Mastery and Project Read programs. The program that stood out to me the most, however, was the Reading Mastery program. I loved how one of Fort Worth’s teachers commented on how important it is for students to learn how to behave in a classroom environment before they can be expected to learn how to read. I think that the structure of the Reading Mastery program would really allow for students to focus on the task at hand, while still having fun and being engaged in the lesson. During one part of the video in particular, a Fort Worth teacher allowed her students to become the teacher, which is something that I certainly plan on doing in my own classroom someday. I think that allowing students to act like the teacher is a great way to motivate them. One negative aspect of this program, however, was the fact that some believed Reading Mastery took the creativity out of the classroom. In my opinion, this is an easy fix. Teachers can be very creative when implementing lesson plans if they choose to be. The Reading Mastery program is the program that I would choose to teach in my prospective classroom.  

I particularly liked how the Reading Mastery program added elements like reading stories, writing, and spelling. I felt as if the Project Read program lacked these elements, especially since we did not see many books being used in the classroom. I really felt for the teachers in Sumner, Mississippi when I learned that they had difficulties learning how to teach the Project Read program to their students due to their lack of training, which caused them to feel unprepared. I can imagine how tough it must be to be expected to teach a lesson to students without the proper knowledge and skills to do so. Overall, I certainly believe that the Reading Mastery program was more effective than the Project Read program. I enjoyed the fact that the Reading Mastery program’s reading curriculum relentlessly taught students letters and sounds until they knew them as well as they knew their own names. In my opinion, it seemed as if the teachers in the Reading Mastery program had better access to the appropriate resources, such as workshops, compared to Project Read.

It is difficult for me to assess whether or not these programs would be used in an affluent area or not. Although I believe that affluent areas would most likely have the resources available to them to implement these reading programs, I feel as if affluent areas might rely more on technology to teach reading. I would hope that affluent areas would also stick to using books and other resources to teach kids how to read fluently. In the video, I was blown away as to how many children lived in poverty, which limited many resources that could have helped them become better readers. I am interested in developing my own teaching style and implementing numerous techniques when I teach my future students how to read. I am sure that it will be a learning experience for my students, as well as myself.

Juliana- A Tale of Two Schools

There are many positive and negative traits that the two programs in the film, ‘A Tale of Two Schools’, hold. I personally preferred The Reading Mastery program used in Fort Worth, Texas. Looking at both of them, I felt like this program had more positive characteristics. Throughout the film both schools had struggling students, but I feel that Tavares showed that the reading Mastery program really worked. The students were very excited in performing their literacy practices and it showed that this technique actually helped them progress in their reading skills. The technique the teacher used to help the students sound out the words seemed like it really worked for them. I loved the way that the teacher was energetic and also let the students teach the ‘class’ and others, that way they are more involved in what they are learning and more excited about it. The only negative aspect in this program I would say are the resources the teachers are using. I noticed the book that Tavares was using had no pictures and didn’t seem interesting to him. He was excited to read because he wanted to show off that he had gained new skills, but I don’t think he was gaining comprehension for what he was reading or a ‘love’ for reading. If the teachers provided different books with pictures and a story that interested him, I feel that he would benefit from this program even more. I would use these techniques in my classroom one day, but hopefully provide more resources for my students and help them more with their comprehension skills. I think the reason why I don’t like the other program as much is because they struggled with resources as well. They received a grant with more books halfway through the year, which took away from the efficiency of the program. I feel like it could have been much better if they had gotten those resources and provided their teachers with more to structure the program it probably would have benefitted more students.

A Tale of Two Schools

A Tale of Two Schools focuses on two schools and the reading programs those schools use to try and help their students advance in reading. Walton Elementary school in Fort Worth, Texas uses a program called Reading Mastery while Bearden Elementary School in Mississippi uses a program called Project Read. Both programs aim to develop the skills that students need in order to read such as decoding which involves phonics, fluency, and phonemic awareness. In my opinion, though, one programs stood out against the other and that program was Reading Mastery.

The Reading Mastery program seemed to be a more effective program in my opinion. Just from watching the students use this program in comparison to Project Read I think it was an obvious difference. Reading Master seemed much more organized and structured. There was a routine that all the students knew and were used to. "Get Ready" was announced by the teacher and the students would know that next they would have to sound out and read the word. This program focuses heavily on letter sounds, reading words fluently through sounding out, and decoding. I think the evidence of the effectiveness of this program is shown through Tavaras, a young first grade student who enters school a struggling reader. The viewer watches Tavares as he struggles, perseveres, and in the end advances in his reading. Although still not at the level of the rest of the first graders, his level at the end of the movie has advanced compared to where he started showcasing how Reading Mastery can have a positive outcome for students. One thing that worries me about this program, however, is how they are weaned off of it. How will they continue to learn and advance if they are not on this program? They will not be able to use Reading Mastery forever so it is crucial that beyond this program this acquired knowledge can me applied while reading.

If I were to teach one of these programs it would be the Reading Mastery program. Not only do I feel that it is more effective, but I also feel the teachers were more comfortable teaching this. The teachers teaching Project Read seemed a little unorganized and untrained. They seemed flustered at times and as if they were not sure what they were doing. Most teachers in the Reading Mastery program seemed to know what they were doing and how to do it. I think parents would be okay with the Reading Mastery program being used in schools because it is being used for the benefit of their child. It is aimed to teach children and encourage them and isn't that what parents send their children to school for? I think as long as their is evidence that this program works, parents would be okay with it being used.

'A Tale of Two Schools': Amanda Beideman

Amanda Beideman

Blog Entry One: ‘A Tale of Two Schools’

Students from many communities across the country are struggling with an incredibly important skill: the ability to read. The students, however, are not the only individuals struggling. Teachers, as well as the communities themselves, are struggling to both teach and support students on their reading journeys. The documentary we were introduced to in class, ‘A Tale of Two Schools,’ recognizes two urban districts who have implemented reading programs to better educate their students. Bearden Elementary in the Mississippi Delta utilizes a program referred to as Reading First or Project Read. Walton Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas uses a program called Reading Mastery. While both programs work to develop or improve the skills of these deserving students, one program certainly outshines the other.

The Reading Mastery program used in Fort Worth, Texas seems to be the better of the two in ‘A Tale of Two Schools.’ To further prove that this program is beneficial to students, the documentary has viewers follow an energetic first-grader, Tavares Gross, on his path to becoming a better reader. Tavares, as well as countless other students at Walton Elementary, learn a great deal from the tightly-structured program, which lends much of its focus to letter-sound correspondence and decoding (crucial elements of reading for beginners). It was incredible to see how willing the students were to learn new letters/sounds and how driven they were, with their dedicated teachers behind them, to learn to read. Even Tavares, a young boy struggling with the process, was ecstatic to return to school each day. Reading Mastery was displayed by educators at Walton Elementary as an organized program with an incredible success rate – in terms of each student’s individual success and the overall success of the school. I would absolutely consider utilizing this program as an educator.

Unfortunately, for myself especially, the Reading First or Project Read program used in Bearden Elementary did not live up to its full potential. While few students were benefiting from the implementation of this program, a majority of students did not seem to be doing so. Although it provided students with the opportunity to look at books, an aspect that the Reading Mastery program had lacked, it was unorganized and may have possibly allowed for too much freedom in the classroom (assuming that there can be “too much”). The teachers, as well as the school itself, were also lacking the resources necessary to fully implement the program. For example, the school received a grant late, thus they received all of their reading materials in the middle of the year. With more organization, better resources, and experienced/well-prepared teachers, I believe that this program, like Reading Mastery, could be an incredibly successful one.

It is difficult to consider whether or not these programs could be implemented in schools that rest within wealthier districts. On one hand, schools can easily be given the necessary resources and tools to carry out these programs successfully, including the training of educators. On the other hand, wealthier districts often have more-privileged children in terms of their educational opportunities. The question that has arisen for me is: Do wealthier districts NEED to carry out these programs? Are they more focused on the less-privileged? I think the documentary allows us to understand the success of these programs in urban districts but leaves us questioning if these programs can strive beyond them.

A Tale of Two Schools

As I watched the video "A Tale of Two Schools" I was disgusted and amazed that things like these still go on in one of the richest countries in the world. It was sad to see the educational system that these children face, and it was even sadder to think that the cycle of poor education and living circumstances in some situations, would not come to an end.
The students from both of the schools in Mississippi and Texas, had a lot of problems in their education system. There were lack of supplies, lack of support, and lack of training for the teachers; especially for the teachers in Mississippi. However, I did notice dedicated teachers who wanted the best for their students and was really trying their best to make things work.
Both The Reading Mastery Program and Project Read need a lot of work in order for them to really benefit their students. I do not see either of these programs being used in the context that they were being used in those classrooms, in any rich or upper-class school district. However, if I had to choose one, I would choose Project Read. Although The Reading Mastery Program seemed to be more organized, I find Project Read to be for flexible, and more relevant to the way we read. The Reading Mastery Program had weird markings in order to help the children read, and it had no room for adjustment, trial, and error. In my opinion, with the correct training, management skills, and enthusiastic energy, Project Read can be a success. Though it do have its flaws, the program has potential in my eyes, and has the ability to be effective. With help from parents, and support from the teachers, the students are definitely able to learn, grow, and excel.

A Tale of 2 Schools

Both of the reading programs presented in "A Tale of 2 Schools" had positive and negative aspects. First, in Mississippi, Project Read gave students very structured program, but because it was so structured, it seemed as if the teachers were forced to stick to a script. The other program given to students in Texas, Reading Mastery, gave teachers a lot of freedom with their reading material, but the teachers lacked training in the program. Both programs focus on decoding as a skill needed to read. Although both programs has their strengths and weaknesses, I thought the Reading Mastery was a better program for the students that needed help with reading in this video. Reading Mastery was very demanding and scripted, but that is the type of program that lower class students need in order to excel. These students were far behind in their reading skills, so extreme measures needed to be taken. Although the Reading Master Program does not teach comprehension skills, I think it is important for students to learn basic reading skills before attempting to comprehend the text. I believe that the effectiveness of Reading Mastery is limited to lower class students. Students who live in affluent areas would probably not find success in the Reading Mastery program because their skills are more advanced. Schools in affluent areas have the privilege to  individualize their curriculum based on specific students' needs and that is the type of curriculum that their parents expect.