What Curriculum Should I Use?

What Curriculum Should I Use?

Working with teachers and leading training I get this question all the time. Teachers tell me they have a group of students who just are not reading and want to know if curriculum “X” is the best or what do I think about “VW.” There are many great curriculums around for all subjects, but the publishers have sold us the line that if we use their materials, students will read.

I have to say this is like asking someone if they know of a great diet because they need to lose weight. There are many that have helped people lose weight. How do you know if it is the right one for you? The same is true with choosing a curriculum. There are other factors which need to be considered when making the choice, just like when choosing a nutrition plan.

The person who has the largest impact on the learner/student is the teacher, not the curriculum. Truly it should not matter what curriculum you are using. The teacher should adjust instruction to meet the student’s learning needs. We have to remember centuries ago the Bible was the curriculum of choice for teaching reading in America. Curriculum doesn’t teach. Trained people teach.

The first step is to know just what area of instruction each student is struggling with in your class. Once you know, for example, you have some who are struggling with sounds and sound spellings, you are then able to take the curriculum you are using and pull out short lessons to help those few students. Use of curriculum does not mean just do the worksheet because it’s in the book. If students don’t need that specific skill, they may deem it irrelevant and choose not to complete it. This may lead to behavior problems in the classroom.

When working with a curriculum the first step might be to evaluate what parts can be done with the whole class because they all need that part.. Vocabulary instruction is something that all students can participate in when it is done orally. Vocabulary is an oral skill not a written skill. Students need to hear and use the word orally and put it in their lexicon before they are able to start using it and comprehending it in their writing and reading. We also can present many of the comprehension strategies with the whole class. A student must have the ability to retell a story orally long before they are able to write about it. I have been in many classrooms where the teacher asked the students to write about the story and they can’t even tell me about what they read. Again this will lead to behavior problems.

Providing the teacher has completed some form of diagnostic screening, the teacher should be able to design mini-lessons for small groups to target skills those students need support with. One example might be that if some students are having problems with vowel teams, then take the text and have them locate and read words with vowel teams. If they are having struggles hearing syllables, use the words from the reading and have them segment the syllables and spell the syllables.

Teachers or people are the ones who impact learning. Making a personal connection is the first step in helping students. During my first teaching job interview I was asked, “Can you teach with newspapers, scissors, paper, and glue?” Thinking it was one of those “interview questions” they asked, I said, “Sure I would…..”. When I got the job, that was what my room had. They had not passed a budget in three years and there was no curriculum. Those students learned and we had a great year.

Curriculum doesn’t teach students. Trained educators teach students.