Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, Jane O’Connor continues to expand our vocabulary in her splendiferous book that describes the challenges of decorating for Christmas. Heirlooms, delectable, and devastated are only 3 of the fancy words that Fancy Nancy uses as the Clancy family prepare for a Joyeux Noel (that’s French for Merry Christmas). Besides the great vocabulary, Nancy also shows us how we can create our own heirlooms! ISBN#978-0-06-123590-0
Kids in 3rd grades and up will enjoy the rich details in Audrey Wood's text and Robert Florczak's illustrations in A Cowboy Christmas~The Miracle at Lone Pine Ridge. The challenges of surviving the spectacular, yet harsh realities of ranching in the pioneer West, plus the trusting bond between a cowboy and a young boy make this a great read for girls and boys! ISBN#0-689-82190-5
Cynthia Rylant, author, and Diane Goode, illustrator, share a beautiful account of how many celebrated the joy of the holidays with homemade ornaments, Christmas Eve service, and brown bags with candy, nuts & tangerines. It makes one yearn for Christmas In The Country! ISBN#0-439-76985-X
These are only 3 of the many awesome books that reflect the joy and wonder of the holidays. What are some of your favorites?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Differentiated Instruction is a Way of Thinking, Not a Formula
With strong, informed instructional leaders, schools can focus to establish mechanisms to increase student achievement. A coherent school-wide plan for high-quality instruction, organized resources and personnel to support that instruction and frequent and on-going observations of classroom instruction with specific feedback teachers and consistent clear communication between all staff members are all vital components for successful and systematic implementation of differentiated instruction.
Professional development can be used to strengthen and enhance knowledge and skills of teachers and staff as they plan and deliver differentiated instruction so every student may become successful.
The following describes an all-day professional development session that can be customized by Reading Instruction Co. to meet the needs in your schools.
Putting Differentiated Instruction Into Practice
Responding to student data means intentionally planning and delivering differentiated reading instruction. How to organize data-identified, flexible small groups for instruction that targets the most important components per grade level, yet follows the same scope and sequence and instructional routines as the core reading instruction will be discussed. Participants in this workshop will learn how to appropriately plan differentiation within any or all of the following four components: content, materials, activities, and instructional delivery. Participants will have opportunities to practice differentiating lessons for all students, including those struggling to learn to read well, those successfully reading on grade level, and those easily reading beyond grade level.
Looking for more information on RTI?
The National Center on Response to Intervention, http://www.rti4success.org/, provides a wealth of resources, plus evidence-based tools/interventions.
The RTI Action Network, http://www.rtinetwork.org/, shared documented ways to fund RTI strategies by effective use of ARRA funding. The free RTI Action Network webcasts may eithr be viewed in real time or accessed in the listed archives. Presentations by national experts, including Don Dresher, Jack Fletcher, and Lynn Fuchs, clearly share specific findings from recent research. These webcasts can be a valuable tool in professional development.
Reading Instruction Co. offers the following sessions to support full implementation of RTI in your school district.
Using SBRI and RTI TO Help ALL Students Become Successful Readers
Scientific-Based-Reading-Instruction (SBRI) and Response-to-Intervention (RTI) are not simply current "buzz words" in reading education, but reference realistic ways that schools can significantly increase student achievement in reading, especially for those students struggling to learn to read. School leadership teams, including superintendents, principals, and district/school Special Education and Title I professional staff will have an opportunity to further develop and enhance their knowledge of how they can systematically implement RTI so it becomes institutionalized within their schools and consistently improves student reading achievement.
Implementing Tiered Instruction: Meeting Literacy Needs of Diverse Learners
Tiered reading instruction holds great promise for reducing overall reading problems in the elementary schools. School-wide approach to effective reading instruction includes:
The RTI Action Network, http://www.rtinetwork.org/, shared documented ways to fund RTI strategies by effective use of ARRA funding. The free RTI Action Network webcasts may eithr be viewed in real time or accessed in the listed archives. Presentations by national experts, including Don Dresher, Jack Fletcher, and Lynn Fuchs, clearly share specific findings from recent research. These webcasts can be a valuable tool in professional development.
Reading Instruction Co. offers the following sessions to support full implementation of RTI in your school district.
Using SBRI and RTI TO Help ALL Students Become Successful Readers
Scientific-Based-Reading-Instruction (SBRI) and Response-to-Intervention (RTI) are not simply current "buzz words" in reading education, but reference realistic ways that schools can significantly increase student achievement in reading, especially for those students struggling to learn to read. School leadership teams, including superintendents, principals, and district/school Special Education and Title I professional staff will have an opportunity to further develop and enhance their knowledge of how they can systematically implement RTI so it becomes institutionalized within their schools and consistently improves student reading achievement.
Implementing Tiered Instruction: Meeting Literacy Needs of Diverse Learners
Tiered reading instruction holds great promise for reducing overall reading problems in the elementary schools. School-wide approach to effective reading instruction includes:
- Tier 1 where the teacher uses the core reading program (or basal) to provide instruction to all students, both in whole group format and in small, flexible groups.
- By analyzing assessment data, the teacher identifies those students who need additional, targeted instruction delivered daily in a small group (beyond time and place designated for Tier I instruction). While Tier 2 instruction is often delivered by the classroom teachers, some schools use other professionals to provide Tier 2 reading instruction/intervention.
- Progress monitoring of students receiving instruction in both Tiers 1 and 2 can result in the identification of the students whose reading achievement has not yet met expectations. These students are then identified for Tier 3, a more intensive and more sustained level of additional reading instruction/intervention. In most schools, students in Tier 3 are provided the additional daily instruction by interventionists.
- Remember: Students served in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 OR students served in both Tier 1 and Tier 3 you may see, But students served in both Tier 2 and Tier 3, may never be!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Angry Thunderstorm
In The Angry Thunderstorm, author Carol Henson Keesee and illustrator Rachel Henson show us a glimpse into both the world of a frightened child and that of a thunderstorm who wants to be understood! Parents will have fun sharing this book to calm youngsters’ fears of booming thunderstorms. While gaining accurate information about weather, children can also gain great appreciation for the role of the particular thunderstorm in this charming story.
The illustrations clearly reflect the changing emotions of the young child and this thunderstorm. Keesee’s use of rhythm and rhyme make this a delightful read-aloud! Plus, the robust vocabulary makes it outstanding for discussing word meanings and descriptive language.
Details about ordering this book are available at www.picklebearbooks.com.
Classroom teachers of Pre-K through 3rd grade students have enjoyed using The Angry Thunderstorm to develop and extend students’ vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills. Teachers have also effectively used this text to model of personification as they honed the writing skills of older students. Secondary school teachers have used it to review the story elements of a short story.
Information about the customized curriculum (including vocabulary study, graphic organizers and Readers’ Theater)from Reading Instruction Co. may be obtained by emailing abfiala@sbcglobal.net.
The illustrations clearly reflect the changing emotions of the young child and this thunderstorm. Keesee’s use of rhythm and rhyme make this a delightful read-aloud! Plus, the robust vocabulary makes it outstanding for discussing word meanings and descriptive language.
Details about ordering this book are available at www.picklebearbooks.com.
Classroom teachers of Pre-K through 3rd grade students have enjoyed using The Angry Thunderstorm to develop and extend students’ vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills. Teachers have also effectively used this text to model of personification as they honed the writing skills of older students. Secondary school teachers have used it to review the story elements of a short story.
Information about the customized curriculum (including vocabulary study, graphic organizers and Readers’ Theater)from Reading Instruction Co. may be obtained by emailing abfiala@sbcglobal.net.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
