"Supporting the Practice of Reading and Writing Theory in Elementary Classrooms," or SPOT as it is commonly called, is a professional development class for elementary teachers offered in schools in the Prince William County School Division.
SPOT Applications for 2009-2010 now available:
PURPOSES OF SPOT
- To equip classroom teachers with effective reading and writing instructional techniques and to help them see the theory/research behind their instructional practice
- To have teachers practice new instructional techniques in a supportive environment
- To bring language arts instruction into alignment across the division
- To assist teachers in working with the lowest-achieving readers in their classrooms
UNIQUE FEATURES OF SPOT
- Three-credit, graduate-level courses through George Mason University, but taught by our own PWCS teachers
- Thirty (30) hours of assessment training in August
- Six 3-hour classes after school
- Materials provided for each participating teacher (paid for by the SPOT teacher’s school) – guided reading sets, manipulatives (magnetic letters, easels, etc.)
- Peer Coaching – each school has a SPOT facilitator who acts as a coach for the teachers in the SPOT classes
- Visits to other SPOT teachers’ classrooms to see implementation of strategies
CLASS DESIGN
- Balanced Literacy Model of Instruction
- Students grouped by grade level (K-1, 2, 3-5)
- Theory and practice linked together
- Modeling, discussion, lots of visuals
- Supportive atmosphere – lots of sharing, problem-solving, and helping each other
CONTACT US
For more information regarding taking a SPOT class,
Joyce Mannherz
Supervisor of Title I and Early Literacy ,
phone 703.791.7248
or by email: mannheja@pwcs.edu
For questions regarding the SPOT K-1 class,
Maggie Gnadt
by email: gnadtma@pwcs.edu
Rachel Rapee
by email: rapeerf@pwcs.edu
For questions regarding the SPOT 2 class,
Marcia Hoenle
by email: hoenlemj@pwcs.edu
For questions regarding the SPOT 3-5 class,
Kathy O'Hara
by email: oharakp@pwcs.edu
Updated 2/24/09