UW-Whitewater alumnae receive state reading award

December 1, 2008

For their research in promoting reading excellence and instruction in classrooms across Wisconsin, two University of Wisconsin-Whitewater alumnae received the Pat Bricker Award from the Wisconsin State Reading Association.

Gail Kottwitz and Kate LaCombe of Schurz Elementary in Watertown were honored for their research on how the reader’s workshop teaching approach affects students’ reading comprehension. 

“We were motivated to apply for the Pat Bricker Award because we both work with first graders and were inspired to find a new teaching approach for reading and building comprehension through reader’s workshop,” LaCombe said. 

The purpose of a reader’s workshop is to encourage students to become both independent readers and learners by working with one another.  The framework consists of teacher instruction of a comprehension strategy followed by gradual release of student responsibility of the strategy. Every day reader’s workshop begins with a mini-lesson lasting 5-20 minutes followed by 30-50 minutes of independent student reading, conferring and flexible grouping.  The workshop ends with 5-20 minutes of sharing as a whole class.

The different reading strategies LaCombe and Kottwitz taught included making connections, visualizing, questioning, and inferring and predicting. Each reading strategy was taught throughout a month’s time.  During week one, a strategy is modeled and explained through reading aloud. Week two provides guided practice and invites children to practice the strategy with peers.  In week three, students practice the strategy independently during the mini-lesson and on their own.  During week four, students continue modeling and practicing the strategy while teachers confer the strategy is being used appropriately.

“When we taught the students to make connections they had to practice writing text-to-self and text-to-text connections on post-it notes,” LaCombe said. “Students practiced making pictures in their minds and then drew them when they learned the visualization strategy.  During the questioning strategy students were asked to focus on questions before, during and after various stories.  When we taught the inferring and predicting strategy, students were asked to predict what they thought would happen in stories and then find supporting evidence for their predictions.”

“It was exciting to be a part of the reading comprehension action research,” Kottwitz said.  “This experience helped me grow professionally and enhanced my understanding of how children learn.”

“It was exciting to see the kids’ thinking come to life,” LaCombe said. “It was a great learning experience for both the kids and myself, and it helped me become more confident in my approach to teaching reading to students.”

Kottwitz graduated from UW-Whitewater cum laude in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, health and coaching. In 1991 she graduated magna cum laude with a master’s degree in elementary education and a reading teacher license.  LaCombe graduated cum laude in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in PreK-6 elementary education.  She plans to graduate in Dec. 2008 from UW-La Crosse with a master’s in education and professional development.

The action research will be published in an upcoming WRSA Journal.  To learn more about the Pat Bricker Award visit http://www.wsra.org  or contact Tania Mertzman at mertzman@uwm.edu.