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Quick Tips for SIPPS® Success

Submitted by Ann H. Leon on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 7:13am
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Want to be sure all students can succeed with SIPPS®? Paying close attention to these critical program components and practices can make all the difference:
  • Begin with assessment, grouping, and placement of students based on the Placement Assessment. Differentiated instruction is the only way to teach decoding.
  • Groups usually average around 6 students, depending on the age and behavioral needs.
  • Once SIPPS lessons begin, teach students daily. 
  • A lesson requires approximately 30 minutes.
  • Teach all the components in each lesson (i.e., don't just focus on sight words).
  • Follow the teaching routines explicitly for each component.
  • Teach and expect choral response from every student for every item.
  • Use the detailed "correction routines" when students make errors.
  • Each lesson must be supported with adequate time for reading practice (decodable text for Beginning and Extension Levels, or the right level of trade books for after lesson 23 of Extension Level or in Challenge Level)
  • Administer the mastery test where indicated.
  • Reflect on the results of the mastery test to determine if there's a need to regroup, reteach, or to continue teaching.
  • Teacher knowledge: refer to the CD-ROM for accurate letter sounds and knowledge of continuous and stop sounds; refer to the appendix for teaching and correction routines.

What are some key points about SIPPS implementation that you would like to add?

Ann Leon has been a classroom teacher since 1980. She has also been a reading specialist, coach, literacy consultant, and assistant principal. She is also a staff developer for the SIPPS® and Making Meaning® programs for Developmental Studies Center.

Comments

Is it recommended that a

Submitted by majella (not verified) on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 9:34pm.

Is it recommended that a credentialed teacher teach the group. My daughter has been doing the sipps programme now for three years. Infact this will be her fourth year, when should we decide that sipps is not enough or that it is not helping her? This year they have her para-professional teaching the Sipps programme. I was told that there is a total of 5 students in the class. The other four students are a grade younger than her. She will be participating four days a week for 30 mins.

I would appreciate any information you can give me. She is in 4th grade and is reading 80% at first grade level.

Kind regards,

Majella

Dear Majella, You have stated

Submitted by Ann Leon (not verified) on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 3:47pm.

Dear Majella,

You have stated some valid questions and concerns. I must reply by asking some questions before answering your questions, so this process might require a couple more correspondences before we're through.

  1. There is not a clear preference between a credentialed vs para-professional teacher. I have worked with several para-pros who were much more effective than the credentialed teachers for the reasons below. Use this list to determine the quality of your daughter's instruction so far.
    1. the 5 students are grouped appropriately (lessons matches student learning and needs)
    2. consistent expectations of student behavior/responses (all students respond and participate)
    3. uses the routines as intended, results in students doing the thinking (trains their brain, retains learning)
    4. uses the correction routines when students make errors (again, students doing the thinking)
    5. consistently administers mastery tests (Beginning & Extension levels)
    6. makes adjustments when needed following mastery test analyses
    7. sends home stories daily that matches the lesson taught in class
    8. teaches students in a location that is not full of distraction 
    9. teaches SIPPS group during a premium time of the day (NOT last 30 minutes of the day)
  2. What is the starting level and lesson for your daughter 4 years ago?
  3. Which level and lesson is she on now?
  4. Have you seen her progress over the past 3 years via the mastery tests?
  5. Does your daughter have any special needs?
  6. Know that reading below 90% is reading at a frustration level, Therefore, I do not consider your daughter to be " reading 80% at first grade level." That's not reading. It simply tells me she cannot read first grade level text. The question is, "What CAN she read?" The teacher needs to be able to tell you what she can read at a minimum of 90% accuracy.

I look forward to your response to these questions. This is an unique but important problem to solve, and I hope we can provide some concrete answers for you.

Best regards,

Ann

 

Hi Ann, Thank you so much for

Submitted by majella (not verified) on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 9:38pm.

Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly. Unfortunately I cannot answer many of your questions. Up until her last assessment I have never been given a copy of her assessments. I do not know where she started out nor do I know where she is now. I have never received any stories to work with at home that she has worked on that day.

I have spoken with the Principal this evening requesting that I receive a copy of all her assessments so that I can see the growth if infact there is some. Thank you for the information regarding 80% being a frustration level, I was not aware of this. I also asked which level and lesson is she now on, so hopefully I will have these answers for you soon.

As for her disability, she is Autistic. She also has a specific learning disability, a phonemic awareness disorder and a pragmatic language disorder. Her grammer is equivallent to a child of 4 years 9mths. She also has a very low frustration level and will self inflict e.g biting herself and hitting herself off whatever is near to her. She has a para-pro with her at all times. She is too be assissted in all subjects and the use of scribe is allowed for her. She is a very poor speller and has a hard time writing for a ong period of time e.g. ten minutes. She is a wonderful little girl with a lot to offer, we just have to figure out how to reach her.

Again thank you for taking the time to try and figure this out with me.

Kind regards,

Majella

Hi Ann, Today I was informed

Submitted by majella cullinan on Fri, 11/18/2011 - 10:12am.

Hi Ann,

Today I was informed that she is doing the challenge level, level 4. I will let you as soon as I know some answers to your remaining answers.

Again thanks for all of your help.

Kind regards,

Majella

Challenge level (level 3) is

Submitted by Ann H. Leon on Fri, 11/18/2011 - 10:10pm.

Challenge level (level 3) is the highest level of decoding. I'm glad to hear that after 4 years of SIPPS instruction, your daughter is in the Challenge level addressing polysyllabic words. HOWEVER, Challenge level does not match your daughter as a reader, based on what you described earlier (reading 1st grade level at 80%).

Ann

Thank you for sharing more

Submitted by Ann H. Leon on Fri, 11/18/2011 - 10:16pm.

Thank you for sharing more details about your daughter. I have worked with teachers of autistic children in the past, and many of them successfully learned to read using SIPPS. The process was slow, and the groupings were extremely small (2-3 max), but the teachers were patient and kept careful records of their progress. The use of the stories for reading practice was a key component in the learning.

Your daughter's learning process is unique to her. It's still a mystery as to the effectiveness of SIPPS for her needs.

Based on your description of your daughter's challenges, I'm a bit surprised that you found out that she is instructed at the Challenge level in SIPPS. You can ask to see a copy of the placement assessment (it should have been given at the beginning of the school year) to see where her placement should be. It will tell you the level (Beginning, Extension/Plus or Challenge) and the precise lesson as point of entry (if Beg, Ex, or Plus).

Keep me posted on your findings. I hope we can figure out what is best for your daughter.

Best,
Ann

Hi Ann, Thank you again for

Submitted by majella (not verified) on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 7:27am.

Hi Ann,

Thank you again for working with me. I am asking them for her assessments from the beginning to see where she started from and where she is now. From reading with her I believe she is reading words from memory e.g if the word is doom she will read it as dream as she knows this word. She doesn't even want to try sound it out. When we read books together she taps my hand for me to say the word that she doesn't recognise. We read the same books over and over again as she loves to be read to and she loves it when she can read the book to you.

Last year she was reading the reading naturally programme both at school and home. They are not doing that with her this year and so I stopped. Since seeing her report for reading I have started the programme with her again at home. Unfortunately I have never seen what the Sipps programme is, so I cannot continue it at home with her.

I was thrilled to read that the Sipps programme can help children who are Autistic. I was also wondering when I get her assessments from school could I send them for you to review, through mail, fax or email. Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Thank you again for helping me with my daughter, and most of all thank you for your honesty regarding my daughter. I think one of my frustrations is she is doing great. I am one of those mothers who likes to know everything even if its not what I want to hear, then I can help her.

Kind regards,

Majella

Majella, you can email your

Submitted by Ann (not verified) on Wed, 11/23/2011 - 12:09am.
Majella, you can email your contact information to ask@devstu.org. A DSC staff member monitors that account and will forward your information to me. We can proceed from there. Best, Ann

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