April ELA Update

We are excited to get our SY 23-24 LETRS Cohorts established. Volume 2 is full, but Early Childhood and Vol. 1 are still accepting applications. The deadline has been extended to Friday, April 7th.

LETRS Coursework Recommendations:

Pre K - LETRS Early Childhood

K, 1st, 2nd - LETRS Early Childhood and Vol. 1

3rd - 12th - LETRS Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

Information and applications are available here.

This spring we will begin looking at the most recent update to the ELA standards. There will be multiple training opportunities in March, April and May, as well as throughout next school year. Our standards are the core of what we are teaching and we need to understand our focus!

Upcoming session dates are below. All session will take place at the ASC in the Boardroom from 4:30-5:30. Sessions will be interactive and teachers will leave with a new spiral bound copy of the standards.

All sessions will be the same, this is not a series. Just pick the date that works for you. More dates will follow, but this is what is planed through April.

April 11th

April 19th - Originally April 20th

April 26th

May 9th

Phonics and Spelling:

This is a revamped version of our "Rethinking Spelling Instruction" PD from February. This session is based on teacher feedback. Teachers asked where to start, and how to make phonics/spelling instruction purposeful and fun. Teachers will learn an instructional routine that reaches all learners, and is backed by the science of reading.

When: April 12th from 4:30-5:30

Where: Santa Fe Elementary Media Center

Presenter: Terri McCabe

Best Practices with Small Groups:

How do we take our instructional routines to small group time? How do you make the most of this time? In this session we will focus on best practices with our most important time of day: Small Group!

When: April 18th from 4:30-5:30

Where: Santa Fe Elementary Media Center

Presenter: Terri McCabe

Summer Reading Camp is an exciting opportunity for summer growth. This opportunity is available to K - 3 students in MPS. All K-2 students at Title I school are able to attend and enrollment forms will be made available through your Title I teacher the week of conferences. If you are a Non-TItle I site, you are able to enroll any student who has been on an RSA plan this year. All third graders are funded through RSA.

Why do students need this opportunity? Summer slide is a real problem. If you have a student that has made a lot of gains this year in their reading proficiency, Summer Reading Camp can help them to maintain, rather than lose that progress.

• Title I sites, please get with your Title I teacher after March 6th for all the information you need.
• Non-Title I K-2, please use my website for the forms and directions.
• 3rd Grade at all sites, please use my website for the forms and directions.

RSA Summer Reading Camp Website

The camps are all the same, we just fund students in different ways. Please encourage your kiddos to attend! The deadline to enroll is April 28th.

Are you getting Spring Fever? The days are longer, the kids are getting restless, and everyone has summer on their mind. Now is the time to try a new strategy!

Try Gramit! Students use an image to illustrate the main idea of a lesson, concept or text, paired with a hashtag that summarizes their understanding.

Click here for all the strategies from the K20 Center!

Have you checked out the "State Standards Mastery -Class Report" in Renaissance? This report is helpful to look at, beginning in January, after students have tested 3 or 4 times. It predicts mastery of ELA and Math standard. This is a report that can help you fill "holes" in student learning. Once you have identified a weak standard, you can either directly assign that standard in IXL, or use that standard in a "Class Jam" for whole group practice. If you have any questions, please email me and I will help you get this started! I love to visit you!

Now sure what a "Class Jam" is? Click here, you will love it!

Nonsense words are one the most misunderstood concepts of RTI and teaching reading. We teach reading by teaching kids phonetic skills, and they use those skills to decode the sounds and make words. We assess this ability by using "nonsense" words to determine if they can decode, or if they have just memorized the most common words we use. We should NEVER be directly teaching kids nonsense words. We teach phonics, and only use nonsense words for assessment purposes.

Not sure where to start in the phonetic sequence? Here is a quick screener. If you need help screening your students please reach out. I would love to help you get started. This screener will tell you where to start, and then you can assess with your DIBELS screener for RTI.

Would you like to read more about this topic? Here is a quick article from Reading Rockets.

I know many of you are looking for a fun way to end the year. Novel study is a great resource when the curriculum runs out. However, please be sure you are using our district approved novel study list. If you know of a great book and would like to see it added to the list, you can submit ideas using the link below. Both of these items are also always on my website.

District Approved Novel Study List

Novel Request Form

Are you looking for a place to start your own summer reading? Have you ever challenged yourself to read all of the Sequoyah books? Teachers are great about encouraging students to read, but don't forget about yourself. For the current lists, click here. The Elementary, Intermediate, and High School lists are a great place to find your next new favorite book!

Are you wanting to stay in the know with the Science of Reading? Podcasts are a great resource and I personally love how they allow me to multitask. Below are a few of my favorites.

Below is a link to a collection of books, articles and research pieces to keep you in the know.

Many of these were used in the research of "Sold a Story" and " Educate".

With all of the resources, technology and materials at your disposal, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. What should you really be focusing on? Let's look!

1. State Standards: The state standards outline what a student should master by the end of the year. There are a set of standards for each subject by grade. ELA Standards are found here.

2. District Provided Curriculum: HMH Into Reading is our district provided curriculum. If you teach with these materials you will cover the necessary teaching standards.

3. Pacing Guides: Pacing Guides and the Editable Weekly Plans by HMH help you to break down your lessons by module and week. These are essential tools to help you plan. These are your road map for the school year. Click here to go directly to the website.

4. Lesson Plans: Lesson plans are your chance to personalize and organize how your day/week will flow. You can plan down to the minute of each day to ensure you are on track for success. These plans are the road map for your day and week. Detailed lesson plans are a crucial tool for effective teaching.

5. Canvas Plans: This can be a duplication of your lesson plans for parents and students. It can also be a valuable tool to each from each day. Think of it as a digital binder with all of your links, lessons, and activities. You can even use the Editable Weekly Plans in your Canvas. Here is a quick video if you need more information.

Looking for a quick activity to help kids with spelling/phonetic patterns and word play? Here you can make your own Wordle!!

Looking for a challenge for yourself, or to do with your students? Check out these fun logic puzzles from Penny Press puzzles. I'm currently obsessed with Places, Please.

In the Puzzler's Corner you will find:

• Word of the Day
• Trivia Quiz of the Day
• Brain Boosters
• Free Daily Puzzles and so much more.

Click here for all the fun!

Thank you to everyone for the helpful feed back last month! Tracy Louviere and Jamiee Yeo you have won $25 in teaching materials and supplies from Amazon. Email me for more information.

This month I have a few questions, all names of those who help will be entered into a drawing. Thank you for your help!

April Feedback Form - All feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Current Podcast: Educate

Email: MichelleBurks@mooreschools.com

Website: https://www.mooreschools.com/Domain/64
Phone: 405-735-4263