Mustang Musings
January 13, 2019
Three Questions Your Students Should Be Able to Answer
1. What are you reading that you love?
2. What is your power goal?
3. How do you practice your power goal?
What are YOU reading?
To develop a culture of reading in our school we must all talk about what we are reading. How powerful would it be if every child heard us all talking enthusiastically about what we are reading!
On Target for IRLA Reading Level
Our goal is for every child to show at least a year of growth this school year.
At this point in the year, our students should be at these points:
K-.40
1st-1.40
2nd-2.40
3rd-3.40
4th-4.40
HES creates readers!
1hour of reading each day equals more than 2.66 years of growth without any other interventions.
On Target for Reading Practice
We no longer have 100% of our students on target for their reading steps. We need to think about what we need to do to have 100% of our students on target. Contact parents? Have reading time first thing in the morning? Partner with another grade level and have the students read together? Let's think about how we can overcome obstacles. It is not really about steps, it is ALL about the engaged reading practice.
Bring Your Bling!
Please continue to encourage your students to wear all their medals for Bling Friday. Let's build engagement and encourage more reading.
ARC Swimming Pool
Are Your Students Growing?
Reading Goal for IOWC-All learners will receive the differentiated support needed to ensure at least a year’s worth of growth.
By now we should see at least 0.4 growth points for students. Things to think about if your students are not showing that growth:
- Have you given them credit in foundational skills for everything they showed they can do during entry?
- Do they have home reading and engagement down?
- Are you able to see those lower students often enough to capture their learning?
- Are they ready for the next level?
Steps calendar for this month
ARC Focus of the Week
- Make sure you are conferencing daily
- All students should know their power goal and how to practice their power goal independently
- Address phonics gaps first
- Reading steps need to be entered daily.
- Every child should be conferenced with at least one time every 10 days. Students in emergency must be met with more frequently.
- Your conference and the evidence you record should be focused on the student's power goal.
Turnaround Tuesday
Our next Turn Around Tuesday will be Tuesday, January 22. Please count the books in each of the book bins and place a sticky note with the number on top. Books should be in the bookroom by 8:30 am. Please complete the book request form that was included in your initial book delivery and place it in the clear plastic folder near the light switch.
Teach the Teacher
Reading Engagement is the KEY to reading growth.
Learning to read is laborious. Students’ minds are constantly decoding words, remembering what they have read, and making sense of the text. It’s no wonder so many students decide reading just isn’t for them by the middle grades! This doesn’t have to happen, though. Teachers in the primary grades can turn students on to reading for years to come. How? By utilizing highly effective engagement strategies that put students in charge! Click the link below to find out ways to build engagement and get students excited about learning.
Great Idea, Mrs. Haislip!
Power Goal Recorded
Mrs. Haislip first discussed the Power Goal with the student and then recorded it on the student's Power Goal card.
Goal Notebook
Next, Mrs. Haislip used a small notebook to create the student's goal notebook. Let me know if you need any of these small notebooks. I have many!
Examples of the Power Goal
The student then found examples of the power goal in the book that she was reading and recorded them in her power goal notebook. During their next conference, Mrs. Hailsip will be able to review the evidence with the student. This will be a great opportunity to clarify the student's misconceptions.
It's ALL in how you present the books!
These books have been displayed in a way similar to NETFLIX. We can help to make books more relevant to our students by presenting them in an appealing way.
Suffolk Reading Council
Isle of Wight County is part of the Suffolk Reading Council (SRC) Chapter and supports teachers dedicated to the promotion of literacy in schools and communities. The SRC membership grants teachers opportunities to access exclusive resources from the Virginia State Reading Association (VSRA), awards, and grants. Along with the many benefits it provides for educators, the VSRA holds an annual reading conference and this year it is in Norfolk! If you would like more membership or conference information, please contact Natalie Street (CAES) nstreet@iwcs.k12.va.us.
Choosing to read!
Mrs. Stafford's students CHOSE to read during recess. It was made clear to them that they did not have to, but they chose to in order to gain more reading minutes for Read Bowl! You can't tell from the picture, but one of these students is a resistant reader!
Learning about the Read Bowl!
Mrs. Thompson's students were excited to learn more about the Read Bowl and begin earning minutes!
Earning Minutes for the Read Bowl!
Mrs. Craig's students have been busy reading and earning minutes for the Read Bowl! Look at that engagement!
What can I do for you?
- Modeling
- Side-by-side coaching
- Coaching and modeling of using the IRLA
- Round up resources
- Assist with differentiating lessons or materials
- Cover your class so that you can observe a colleague's class
- Cooperatively plan a lesson or series of lessons that meet best practices
- Serve as another pair of hands for a lesson
- Offer strategies for classroom management
- Help you connect with other teachers in the district
- Lend an open ear for a topic of your choice
- Reflect on student learning in your classroom through conversation and observation
- Work collaboratively to bounce ideas off one another to address a concern
- Evaluate new students to guide instruction
Hardy Elementary School
We are creating students who are lifelong readers!
Email: lhenk@iwcs.k12.va.us
Website: http://hes.iwcs.k12.va.us/
Location: 9311 Hardy Circle, Smithfield, VA, United States
Phone: 757-357-3204
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hardy-Elementary-School-205065852892284/
Twitter: @Mrs_Henk