Name of Program: Language Arts

· Writer’s Workshop

Best Practices--Reading with Meaning --Video (Click on 2. Explicit Teaching)
- Pre-reading --Video
  - Schema
    Creating Mental Images
    Digging Deeper
    Inferring
    Asking Questions
    Determining Importance in Nonfiction
    Synthesizing Information
- Writing with scaffolding
Jane Schaffer

· Reading Workshop

· National Standards http://www.ncte-in.org/normsstd.htm

Policies

www.goodcharacter.com

Time Allotments:

Reading Workshop (Daily)

10 Minute read aloud for enjoyment
5-20 Minutes Shared Reading and Mini-Lesson
40-55 Minutes Independent Reading, Guided Reading, Individual Conferences
5-10 Minutes Share Time

Writing Workshop (Daily)

5-15 Minute Mini-Lesson
30-40 Minute Independent Writing, Guided Writing, Individual Conferences
5-10 Minute Share time

Word Study – 30 minutes (Daily)

Mentorship Component for New Teachers:

Mentor Observation Form

Mentor Check List

Classroom Engagement:

v Visual Cues of Posted Objectives AND Word Wall

v Four classroom components

1. Curriculum Based Reading (Reading for Meaning)

o Previewing Material

o Previewing Vocabulary

o Set purposes

o Link

2. Discussion

3. Questioning

4. Writing

5. Defending

TWO WEAKEST CONCEPTS:

o Cultural Diversity Awareness – Add Biographical books, Social Study Writing Prompts, Science Writing Prompts

Integrate MUSIC and ART and Multicultural Diversity

o Main Idea-Summary and Inference – USE GLOVES!

Goals:

1. All students will be successful in exiting TIERS

2. All students will be successful on each benchmark test including writing prompt

3. All students will be successful on TAKS test

4. All students will strive for Commended on TAKS test

5. Reasonable growth will be evident in all areas of TAKS

6. All students will show reasonable growth on AYP

7. Consistent improvement on writing samples in conventions, voice, focus, organization, and development.

8. Consistent improvement in reading abilities.

Major Concepts:

Objective 1 – Demonstrate a basic understanding of culturally diverse written texts.

Objective 2 – Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of literary elements and techniques in culturally diverse written texts.

Objective 3 – Demonstrate the ability to analyze and critically evaluate culturally diverse written texts and visual representations.

Objective 4 - Demonstrate the ability to revise and proofread to improve the clarity and effectiveness of a piece of writing.

Concept Weaknesses:

Main IDEA –Summarization & Draw Inferences

Story Structure

Cultural Diversity

Example Activities:

http://www.ncrel.org/rf/sbrr/comprehendvid.htm reading comprehension video

http://www.mcrel.org/lesson-plans/lang/langlessons.asp

Lesson Plans

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/elak7/elatoc.htm

K-7 Resource Package

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/03-1/lesson035.shtml

3-5^th hands on outline-------main idea--details

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/05-1/lesson021.shtml

Elements of a story - Character

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Language_Arts/Reading

Lesson Plans

http://home.cogeco.ca/%7Erayser3/writpro2.txt

Writing topics to add to topic list

Writingchecklist

Peer Editing Checklist

http://www.cincinnati.com/nie/writersreaders/Writers_Readers.pdf

Writer’s Workshop mini-lessons

Resources:

http://www.mcrel.org

Provides links to abbreviated lesson plans geared to specific TAKS objectives also National Standards

http://www.readwritethink.org/

NCTE- National Council of Teachers of English\

lesson plans and standards + links (ie. Marco Polo)

http://www.ncrel.org/

How to teach children from diverse backgrounds/

how to handle difficult classroom situations/

school improvement

http://www.ncrel.org/litweb/elementary.php

Elementary Literacy

http://www.ncte-in.org/normsstd.htm

National Standards

http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org

Research information

http://FunLessonPlans.com

Reading Lesson Plans 4-8

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/ReadStrats_20Best.html

20 Best Reading Practices

http://www.starfall.com/ K-2 online phonics

Accountability:

v TPRI (Use last assessment to identify reader's needs K-3rd)

v YEA (pre-assessment at the beginning of the school year)

v Benchmark tests (at the end of each six weeks) with writing prompt

v STAR tests (at the beginning of the school year, at the end of each semester)

v TAKS test (administered during the spring semester)

v Classroom Walk-Through once-a-week

v Observations

Tier 1: This will include students that have failed to meet minimum requirements on the Yearly Expectations Assessment, based on objectives the student needed to master from the previous grade level given the third week of school, or failing on of the six weeks benchmarks, based on objectives taught during the six weeks. These assessments are given in Reading and Writing. Parents of the students qualifying for Tier I will be notified by letter.

Tier 2: students that have failed to master benchmarks twice during the 1^st- 4^th six weeks of school or failed TAKS from the previous school year. This will be measured on a benchmark test given at the end of each 6week period. The parents of the students qualifying for Tier III will be notified by letter.

Tier 3: students that have failed to master objectives taught for the 1^st semester of school or any combination of Tier I and/or II will be place on Tier 3. This will be measured on a benchmark test given at the end of the 1^st semester. The parents of the students qualifying for Tier III will be notified by letter.

Tutorial Options:

v After school tutorials

v Content Mastery

v Peer tutoring

v Software Centers

Materials:

v Blast Off to TAKS

v TAKS

v Computer Tutorials

*United Streaming VIDEO

*L&M TAKS MATH SOFTWARE

*TEA Formative Tests