Mustang Musings
April 7, 2019
ARC Focus of the Week
How is your equitable conferencing going?
- Emergency students must be met with at least 3 times in a two week period
- At risk students must be met with at least 2 times in a two week period
- Students who receive SPED or Title 1 services must be conferenced with by BOTH the regular ed teacher AND the SPED and Title 1 teacher.
Second and third-grade emergency and at-risk students need to have their reading levels checked for accuracy.
Please let me know how I can best support you as we seek to help all of our students become successful readers.
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-.70
1st-1.70
2nd-2.70
3rd-3.70
4th-4.70
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
Spring is almost here and as the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, this percentage may drop. What can we do to encourage our students to continue reading? What about a book talk? At this point in the year, every child should be able to tell about the book they are reading and why other students should read it as well. This would take just a few minutes a day if one child shared their favorite book a day. This short few minutes could have a big impact on our culture of reading!
Steps calendar for this month
Turnaround Tuesday
Our next "Turnaround Tuesday" will be Tuesday, April 9th. 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
Literacy should be a part of our daily lives...
Our students should be reading, writing and talking about literacy!
Have YOU explored all the great tools on Flocabulary?
Great Ideas!
Bright Spots in Instruction!
This past week, I had the opportunity to watch great instruction in action! Here are some bright spots:
- One teacher put on some great, upbeat music and had her whole class singing and logging their steps. At the end of the three minutes, all of her students had logged their steps, been signed off and she had entered their steps into School Pace. THAT is a great procedure!
- One teacher was able to quietly, privately prompt a student to continue reading without disrupting the class. That saved the child's feelings, changed his behavior and did not disrupt the rest of the class. Great way to improve engagement!
- One teacher was modeling their thinking during the read aloud and building their student's vocabulary. Great I Do!
Students Still Struggling...
with b and d reversals? Here is a great idea to help our students with this common challenge.
Show me a student with a strong vocabulary....
and I will show you a better reader! Click this link for LOTS of activities that will help students in all grades develop a stronger vocabulary.
The power of Greek and Latin Roots
Students who are reading in the upper levels must have an in-depth knowledge of the Greek and Latin roots. This link will provide some games and ideas to help make these skills automatic for our students!
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
Thank you for reading to the end of this newsletter!
I hope that you have found a nugget to help you as we seek to help ALL of our students become engaged readers. Please let me know how I can best support you. Send me an email or stop me in the hall and let me know how I can help you. Do you need a think partner? Would you like to share a success? Do you need support in conferencing with a particular student or need help with a level? I am here to help you!
ARC Swimming Pool
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