College of Education Etucational Policy and Leadership | MARQUETTE [gorges USIERSITY |e ns Be The Ditference. | ara.98 7375 Fenazss.so0s W marquetteedu/education April 12, 2015 Dear Sir or Madam: Lam pleased to write this letter on behalf of Ms. Kaitlin Moon. As a faculty member in the College of Education, I have known Ms. Moon for two years. She was my student in the third of three literacy courses in our teacher preparation program, an advanced practicum in reading assessment and instruction located in Marquette’s Hartman Literacy Center. In the course, pre- service teachers serve as instructors for small groups of urban primary grade children who read below grade level. The pre-service teachers learn to assess reading ability, design appropriate instructional interventions, implement the interventions across a 10-week program session (90- minutes, twice weekly) and evaluate their students’ pre- to post-program progress. Ms. Moon earned a grade of “A” in the practicum. This represents outstanding work in the practicum, as grades are based upon demonstrated competence rather than effort. Moreover, and critically, Ms. Moon’s knowledge of reading acquisition and instruction was reflected in her Hartman Center students’ reading gains. Ms. Moon taught two second-graders ang two third-graders. Her students” pre-program instructional reading levels were grade one as identified by the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5. At the end of the 10-week session, her students’ instructional reading levels had increased to grade two, and all students had increased their reading rates by at least 25 words-correct-per minute. This is remarkable progress in ten weeks and was in large measure due to the targeted and consistent instruction that Ms. Moon designed and implemented. Ms. Moon's record of excellence at Marquette was demonstrated beyond the course in which she was my student. Her performance across her education and mathematics majors earned her a competitive, compensated student teaching internship sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Additionally, Ms, Moon has been invited back to Marquette’s Hartman. Center this summer as a teacher in the inaugural session of the “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program that former Marquette student and current Miami Heat basketball player Dwayne Wade recently funded. Ms. Moon is a talented young educator. She will be a considerable asset to any school and school district. 1 recommend her without reservation. Sincerely, / Kathigen F. Clark, Ph. D. Associate Professor Director, Hartman Literacy and Learning Center