Re-Inventing the Magic of Literacy
An Educator's Perspective of The Reading Fairy Program
By Heather Pecorari
Working in the field of education for the past decade has shown that motivating children to read and be active listeners can be one of the most challenging tasks that a parent and an educator can take on. Finding a program that accomplishes this same task can be just as challenging, until now. The Reading Fairy is a delightful, educational and extremely magical experience. When The Reading Fairy enters the room, a whole new love for reading and learning enters with her. Consequently, both children and adults reap extraordinary rewards and benefits.
The early elementary school years are critical for the development of a strong foundation for reading. Essential to reading success are strong skills in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension, prior knowledge and an overall motivation to succeed or persevere through difficulty. This program supports and accomplishes all of these things while bringing back the magic and excitement to reading. A thorough and well thought out program, The Reading Fairy integrates curriculum, music, vocabulary, visual cues, responsibilities, age-appropriate interests, meaningful literature and an element of mystery to pull children into the magical world of reading and guide them as they explore the wonders that avid readers are already enjoying.
Over the last few years, schools have begun to see the importance of recognizing the various learning styles of students. In considering these various learning styles, as outlined in the Theory of Multiple Intelligences developed by Dr. Howard Gardner, it is evident that schools have typically focused instruction primarily on those that are linguistically and mathematically intelligent. While some educators continue to seek for a way to incorporate the other six intelligences into the classroom, The Reading Fairy does so naturally. With a song to kick off the program and attract the students into the experience and opportunity to move and celebrate literature, The Reading Fairy draws in the musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligent children. The many other techniques and strategies utilized touch and help to balance the other multiple intelligences as a part of the program. It is delightfully evident that The Reading Fairy program is innately differentiated and tiered to meet the many different learning styles that we have come to recognize and address within the classroom.
As for the many needs that are evident within the current day classroom, The Reading Fairy is able to pull more than just a new pair of spectacles or a special wand out of her many embellished boxes and bags. Willing to work with the teachers, she is ready and excited to assign special tasks to different children that are tiered to meet their needs, encouraging the most active and talkative students to sit quietly in anxious anticipation to hear and see what will happen next. The most introverted of students is intrigued enough to ask or answer questions. The child that faces sensory integration challenges is holding something that will keep their hands busy and body grounded. The very foundation of The Reading Fairy is naturally geared toward differentiation in that all children have the opportunity to be successful and experience the joy of reading regardless of their level.
Heather E. Pecorari is an educator in the Washington Township School District of Morris County, New Jersey and a teacher consultant for The Reading Fairy. As a Special Education Teacher working in the field of education for the past decade, she works closely with colleagues, parents and students. Ms. Pecorari has also presented on several occasions for a college course entitled Strategies for Working with Parents, working with future educators and has worked as an in-home consultant. Heather obtained her Masters degree in Education as well as dual certifications in Elementary Education and Teacher of the Handicapped from Rutgers University. She is recognized in the 2005-2006 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and is a recipient of the Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education grant for 2004 and 2005.
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