Fairview Learning in Our Classroom

This summer I attended the Fairview Learning Regional Training in Las Vegas. It was a three day intensive training. (I happened to also have a blast with my sister in the evenings!) I've attended the basic Fairview training in the past, but really didn't have a good grasp on how to really implement the full five components in my classroom. 

 

After the regional training, was ready to go and excited to fully implement it in my classroom.  I've "used" the Adapted Dolch words in my classroom for two years. But that's not enough to really see growth and progress in your students. If you want to see true progress in language arts with your students, you need to implement and use all five components. I know it seems like a lot of time out of your day. It is.  But let's get real. If your students have difficulty reading and writing, then all those other subjects are not going to mean very much to your students. They need a strong language base first.

 

We've been using all the components of Fairview Learning since August. In six short months we have seen AMAZING growth in all of our students. It's totally worth the time and energy it takes to implement the components. It will make your job easier as a teacher in the long run!

 

So here's what our schedule looks like. We run Fairview Monday-Thursday afternoons from 12:40-2:25. The students each have their own color coded schedules that they follow. It took a little bit of training, but now it's a well-oiled machine. The students rotate to their next activity every 15-20 minutes. We have pooled our resources with the Pre/K teacher and share all of our students & staff. Combined, we have 13 D/HH students in grades K-6 doing Fairview.

 

Here are our rotations:

Adapted Dolch- Signing Instructional Assistant
Bridge Phrases- Educational Interpreter
Guided Reading- 1-6 teacher (myself)
Guided Writing- Pre/K teacher
ASL- Educational Interpreter (also a CODA)
Centers- Signing Instructional Assistant

 

The goal was that every child would visit reading, writing and ASL at least twice a week. Students visit Adapted Dolch everyday until they master all levels. Some students that have passed all the Adapted Dolch words only work on Bridge Phrases now.

 

Whenever the students are not working 1:1 with an adult they are working independently at centers. One staff member assists the students and signs off as they finish their centers.

 

That's the "nuts and bolts" of our Fairview Learning program and what it looks like in our classroom.