M-Power Students to Succeed
Mrs. D's Monthly Literacy Lessons: January 2017 Edition
Let's Get This Party Started....Second Semester!
Now that I'm an instructional coach, I operate with a similar mindset. As I learn more about pedagogy and instruction, I know I have the opportunity to share those ideas with the teachers I serve on a continual basis.
For this semester, I will be sharing monthly literacy strategies to assist you with incorporating more reading into your own classes and ways to help your students tackle that reading successfully.
Review of Strategies from the Fall Semester
One aspect to remember about reading comprehension is that a student should be using at least (2) of his/her senses when reading to improve overall understanding of the text.
For example, reading and highlighting the text or reading the text aloud and then turning to a partner and commenting on what one has just read.
If you would like to begin using either of these strategies and want help implementing them, let me know. I am happy to co-teach a lesson with you to model these interventions.
Digital Resources to Assist with Incorporating Informational Text
The best part of this digital resource is a teacher's classes are preloaded for them. There is no need to create a class and add students on your own. NewsELA is a wonderful resource to expose students to content specific informational text on their reading level and for teachers to obtain standards specific data on how their students are performing.
Teachers and students can access NewsELA from the MGSD Digital Resources Page.
Feel free to contact me for assistance with using this product: aprildavala@mgsd.k12.nc.us
I know the content I want my students to read, but I need a strategy to do so. Help!
**You will be prompted to sign in to Discovery Ed to explore these***
Throughout the semester, I will be highlighting some of my favorite strategies for literacy integration.
Tips for Reading Non-Fiction (aka Informational Text)
Reading non-fiction is a necessary evil for high school students because much of what they will encounter and read in college and beyond will be complex and dense texts--like contracts, manuals, articles and college texts, etc.
Equipping students with the skills necessary to tackle these complex texts is important in high school to a student's continued success as a reader beyond graduation.
Refer to this link for Tips for Incorporating Non Fiction Texts into Your Classes
Understanding "how" to build a student's background knowledge
If a student has a larger base of cultural knowledge and experiences, then they will comprehend texts they are reading more deeply. Simply put, they have memories and experiences which allow them to make a personal connection.
For our students who have had limited cultural and/or life experiences this is where the use of technology comes into play. As teachers we must use the technology to bring those life experiences to our students. If you are discussing the Battle of Gettysburg, then show them pictures and movie clips, take a virtual field trip to Gettysburg via Google Maps, etc. Using the technology we have available to us to build a student's background knowledge is the key to improving reading comprehension overall.
Coming in February...
For More Tips and Tricks..Follow My Blog
April Davala
Follow my blog at Mrs. Davala's Instructional Tips and Tricks
Email: aprildavala@mgsd.k12.nc.us