Contextual Factors

A. Classroom Factors
Merrywood Elementary is a Title 1 school located in Greenwood, South Carolina. It was recently
built in 2008. The school is built in an X-shape which makes navigating the school very easy. It is
also easy to forget which hall you are on. Located inside Merrywood Elementary is Mrs.
Gardners home away from home classroom on the Kindergarten and first grade or red hall.
The classroom is not overly decorated due to the fact that she is only borrowing the room for a
short time. The classroom is arranged in such a way that the students can easily navigate
throughout the classroom and provides the teacher an excellent view at any point in the room.
Along the back of the classroom there are 3 computers and a printer at the teacher and
students disposal. There are shelves above the computers for storage and a sink. In front of the
sink is a full size refrigerator. Also at the back of the classroom there is a bathroom which is
extremely convenient. A carpet is located in the middle of the classroom floor that allows the
students to sit together for whole group lessons and to sit and read on. On the far wall, our
library is located in one corner of the classroom. A bookshelf of books is located underneath
the window and a table is located in front of the bookshelf for students to sit at and read. There
is a U-shaped table in front of the other window that is used frequently to pull groups and for
students to sit and work at.
In the front of the classroom there is a SMART Board and hookups for the laptop. The SMART
board is used frequently to display videos and educational games that are used in daily lessons.
To the right of the SMART Board is a whiteboard and to the left is a bulletin board. In front of
the bulletin board, there is another U-shaped table that is mainly used for groups and for
students to sit at and complete their work. On the wall opposite the windows is a wall of
cubbies and book bag hooks. The cubbies are quite convenient for storage and keeping the
students data binders in. In addition to the SMART board and 3 computers in the classroom,
there are 3 iPads that are available in the classroom for the students to use when time is
allotted.
The level of parental involvement is about half and half. Half of the parents are very involved in
their students education and show great concern about their progress. The other half are not
very involved and do not show much concern for their students progress or show up to
meetings or return papers in a timely manner.

Ms. Gardners Merrywood Schedule

10:50 Arrival/2nd grade inclusion (Anderson)
11:50 3rd grade reading group (pull-out)
12:45 3rd grade/2nd grade/1st grade math (pull-out)
1:40 K, 1st, 2nd reading (pull-out)
B. Student Characteristics
Description of Student
# of Students

Females
2

6 Years Old
7 Years Old
8 Years Old
9 Years Old

1
1
-

Hispanic
African American
Caucasian

1
1
0

ESOL
Autism
Developmental Delay
OHI
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Specific Learning
Disability
Speech language
impairment

1
0
1
0
1
0

th

Below 25 Percentile
25-50th Percentile
50-75th Percentile
75-100th Percentile

Below 25th Percentile

25-50th Percentile
50-75th Percentile
75-100th Percentile

Single-Parent Home
Parents are Together

1
1

English
Spanish

1
1

Males
13
Age
4
1
5
3
Ethnicity/Race
0
6
7
Exceptionalities
0
3
6
2
1
2
6
Reading MAP Percentiles
11
1
Math MAP Percentiles
9
2
1
Family Dynamics
10
3
Language
13
0

Total
15
5
1
6
3
1
7
7
1
3
7
2
2
2
7

13
1
10
2
1
11
4
14
1

The two kindergarten students we serve at Merrywood do not currently take MAP testing. They
came into Merrywood Elementary in August knowing fewer than 10 letters/sounds and could
not count to 10. They also could not write or spell their name or identify any shapes or colors.
Since there is no test for kindergarten students, we rely heavily on this informal data that we
take at the beginning of the school year.
Students Interests
These students interests are much the same of the other children their age. They love to play
with anything electronic. The computers, iPads and SMART boards are always a big hit when
they are used in instruction. The students love playing outside and interacting with their friends
at school and their friends at home. The students also love pretend play, whether it be
pretending to re-enact video games or television shows or just pretending to be something they
are interested in such as a superhero or a princess. This group of students is very typical in their
interests, much like their peers.
C. Instructional Implications
One important instructional implication is taking the deaf/hard of hearing children into
consideration. One student has double cochlear implants and can hear quite well. She has
trouble speaking and her expressive language is very low. She often uses gestures and hand
motions that she makes up to get her point across. Encouraging her to speak is important in a
small group to build her confidence. The other deaf/hard of hearing student only wears hearing
aids and the amplification device is not used in our classroom due to the nature of the small
group. He also claims that in close proximity it hurts his ears. So since the device is not being
used, it is very important to establish eye contact with this student to ensure that he can read
your lips while you are talking to him.
Another important instructional implication to take into consideration is the fact that there are
different levels of students in the classroom at the same time. While the students may be
working on the same skill (addition), it is important to provide differentiation for the students.
Have one student working on touch point addition 1-10 and another working on 2 digit addition
with regrouping.
Also, a few of the students are significantly below grade level in reading or math and require
lots of general praise and positive reinforcement due to low self-esteem. Providing them with
the safe and comforting environment in our classroom will be very important and will also help
build up their low self-esteem.