Reading & Math Foundations
For K-3 Teachers
Newsletter Purpose:
Hot Topic: Fluency
According to research, the best strategy to improve fluency is to offer multiple opportunities for students to engage with the same text. This can be done through the use of choral reading, audio books, paired reading, read alouds, and teacher modeling. Teachers should not only emphasize rate, but also prosody and intonation. In order for students to benefit from text interactions, the text must not be at a frustration level for the student. Other ways to foster fluency is to preteach difficult or unknown words, use poetry or repetitive texts, and reader's theater. Fluency should not be overly emphasized until students have a good foundation in decoding with accuracy.
Math:
In order to develop an understanding of the basic facts that lay the foundation for automaticity, students need time to develop efficient fact strategies. Efficient fact strategy practice such as engaging games and hands on materials lead to mental math habits. In order to do this, fact activities should be based on number relationships and an intentional development of reasoning strategies. (see below)
Ultimately, the goal is for students to choose from these strategies and use the strategies they prefer until fact fluency is fully developed.
Fluency and English Learners:
Instruction in fluency can be especially beneficial for English learners. Activities that develop reading fluency can also contribute to oral language development. As students practice reading text accurately and automatically, they develop vocabulary skills that can contribute to oral language fluency, as well as reading and listening comprehension.
For more information, read the following article: click HERE
Additional Information:
Reading---
Universal Design for Learning Tech Toolkit
Math-----
"Math Running Records" by Dr. Nicki
Facts:
Tech Tools for Struggling Learners
Learningally
Reading Support: Learning Ally www.learningally.org
Audiobooks for students with print disabilities
Click HERE for videoWriting: Google Voice Typing
Writing Support: Google Voice Typing
Click HERE for video
For more information contact Jill Beall jbeall@esc7.net
Math: Various Paper
Math Support: Various Paper
Click HERE for video
Upcoming Training Opportunities:
Click HERE for Upcoming Sessions
Special Events:
ELL Students With Disabilities
This two-day workshop via distance learning will focus on English Language Learners with disabilities served in general education settings. Day 1, participants will understand the unique needs of English learners with a disability and how language proficiency impacts their ability to access and make progress in the general curriculum. Day 2, participants will learn the necessary steps to take to develop an appropriate IEP for a student learning English.
Register HERE
Hidden Gems
Most often, when we skim student writing, we look through negative, or deficit eyes-noticing what's wrong and what's missing. Instead, Katherine demonstrates how we might approach responding to our student writing by noticing what is already there-what unique gifts and strengths our students have and naming those hidden gems the way writers would, using language of the writer's craft. Students begin to feel like real apprentices learning an art!
Register HERE
Region 7 Contacts:
Math: Jane Tarr
English Learners: Joseph Pino / Carmen Delgado
Special Education: Jacquelyn Reavis / Sonya Burnett / Jill Beall