RICA Competency 1: Planning, Organizing and Managing Reading Instruction

Introduction

The main objective of the first RICA competency is to plan, organize and manage an instructional program that helps every child achieve the Common Core standards. It also explains how teachers can assess and encourage student independent reading. 

Examples

In order to achieve the Common Core standards, teachers must acknowledge the wide range of methods that can be used to teach student independent reading. During my observation in a 9th grade ESL classroom, I was able to witness the teacher implementing several different methods depending on the reading level and style of the specific student. 


Differentiation 

Students who were at a lower skill level of reading had access to computer programs that allowed them to move through to content at their own pace. The teacher would assign reading homework and then make sure to discuss comprehension questions out loud in class so she could assess who was understanding the content and who might need additional time or help. 


Assessments

Individual conferences help to identify each student's reading level and provide them with appropriate instruction.