Read, Write, Talk
WCPS Elementary English Language Arts Newsletter
Late April 2015 Edition
Teacher Highlight
Scooping Transferred!
In Joan Barr's classroom at Paramount Elementary, students have been studying verse. Joan has noticed that students who have been in Fundations where reading fluency is developed through the use of "scooping" have had a much easier time reading verse than their peers who have not been taught to scoop. What a great transfer of skills from foundational instruction to reading poetry!
VIRTUAL VISIT
Intermediate Teachers: Books for Whole Class Instruction
At the secondary level, teachers must use the Protected Book List when they are choosing books for whole class instruction. You can find the list on our Portal at any secondary grade level under Instruction – Texts – Text Selection Resources. Here’s a direct link. You’ll be most interested in the second document (6-8). The first page gives you an overview of the purposes of the list and then you can find the list after that. I want to be clear about two things: first, there is no intention to develop a list for elementary; and, second, just because a book is on the PBL for middle school doesn’t mean you can’t use it in elementary school. Essentially, the list doesn’t “apply” to you the way it does for secondary teachers; HOWEVER, I’m asking that you please review it and consider any titles on it that you might use for WHOLE CLASS instruction – either as a read-aloud or an everybody-gets-a-copy-to-read-and-study sort of thing. The challenge is that teachers at the middle school might also be using that text for whole class instruction. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a student reading something twice – absolutely! But it sure is frustrating when you’ve written an entire unit around a book, secured 80 copies for your students to read, and then find out on the first day that half the kids studied it already. So, all we are asking for is conversation and consensus. I’ve asked the middle school ELA department leaders who have encountered overlaps to reach out to their feeder elementaries to have a conversation, but it would be helpful if you could reach out too in order to give a heads up and come to a consensus on where the book makes most sense to be studied for your community. Perhaps it makes sense in elementary – perhaps it makes sense in middle school. Please talk through any possible overlaps. Again, we’re not so concerned about a few kids who’ve read something in a lit circle or independently; the concern is around whole class instruction. Here are the middle school department leaders – an awesome group of teachers who, I’m sure, would love to talk with you about both books and kids!
· Northern – Chris Gaddy
· Western – Julie Cardenas
· Boonsboro – Amber Woody
· Clear Spring – Joan Myers
· Hicks – Rich Helfrich
· Hancock – Lora Amtower
· Springfield – Kelly Mowen
Teaching Video Highlight
Resources to Explore
LDC K-1 Task Template Collection
LDC 2-5 Task Template Collection
Check out the Literacy Design Collaborative's latest collections of templates to create teaching tasks.
Leadership & Learning Opportunities
Wilda Storm Summer Workshop
Who: Core content and ELL teachers in grades 2-12 who work with ELLs .
What: Daily writing strategies for even the newest ELL. Focus on various critical strategies such as sentence structure, vocabulary development, academic language, grammar, phonemic awareness, listening, speaking, reading and writing comprehension.
Facilitated by: Wilda Storm, nationally acclaimed PD ELL expert, consultant, and author as featured at national conferences and in Educational Leadership
When: 6/22/15 and 6/23/15 (Must attend both days)
Where: CES Auditorium
Times: 8:00-2:45 (lunch on your own)
Receive: ready to use free blackline masters, resource book, and instructional materials
$25.00/PD pay for active participationREGISTER through the WCPS Employee Resource Site.
Registration closes April 30th! Don't miss it!
MSDE Summer PD
2015 College and Career Readiness Conferences
Gifted & Talented Training
Don't Be Shy!
The Office of English Language Arts
Carroll Sager - Lead Teacher for Special Ed/ELA
Danae Doubledee - Lead Teacher for Elementary ELA
Elizabeth Lewis - Lead Teacher for Secondary ELA
Linda Lehman - Secretary
Email: downibet@wcps.k12.md.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/wcps.k12.md.us/ela/
Location: 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, MD, United States
Phone: (301) 766-8706
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/WCPS-English-Language-Arts-Teachers/411174112350034
Twitter: @downibet