Room: NRN 2025

Intern: Abbey Capezza

Mentor Teacher: Kathrine Faenza

Internship Placement: Norton Elementary

Title: Thinking Maps Used to Support Third Grade Student Reading Comprehension

Abbey Capezza was experiencing a challenge in her third-grade classroom related to students having difficulty with reading comprehension. She wondered in what ways small group sessions focused on thinking map strategies could impact informational text comprehension skills and scores. She collected data during a 4week time period through field notes and student work. Data analysis revealed two claims focused on how she and her students experienced and benefited from the use of thinking maps in small group sessions.

Intern: Jenna Reed

Mentor Teacher: Amy Nichols

Internship Placement: Kimball Wiles Elementary

Title: Effectiveness of small group / individual interventions on kindergarten students’ phonics skills

Jenna Reed wondered, if given the opportunity, how would a more one on one or a small group intervention approach be a strategy she could use in order to help students improve upon their phonics skills. She collected data for four weeks while working with the students and compiled progressive notes. In her data analysis, she determined that these methods were beneficial to students in their ability to decode and read more accurately.

Intern: Chelsea Nicholls

Mentor Teacher: Diana Diaz

Internship Placement: William S. Talbot Elementary School

Title: Use of Funds of Knowledge and Incentives to Guide First-Grade Reading Motivation

Chelsea Nicholls was experiencing tensions regarding motivation towards learning how to read in a first-grade general education classroom. She wondered how differentiating phonics instruction to a student's individual interests and incentivizing them would impact performance and motivation. She collected data during fourweek period through student surveys, field notes, and student artifacts. Through her data analysis, three claims concluded that her student's motivation and performance benefitted from this individualized instruction.