Mustang Musings
December 8, 2019
The Power of Power Goals
ARC Focus of the Week
- We will use equitable conferences to meet the needs of all of our students.
- Our equitable conference schedules will be posted in the classroom.
- Our emergency students must be conferenced with 3 times in a 10 day period.
- At-risk must be conferenced with 2 times in a 10 day period.
- Proficient students must be conferenced with once in a 10 day period.
- Log home and school steps daily
- We will continue to focus on entering quality evidence into School Pace.
IWCS Reading Goals
ALL learners will receive the differentiated support needed to ensure 1 year of reading growth.
And we are striving for GREATER with this added part of our goal...
Proficient learners will make at least 1.0 (1 year) of reading growth.
At-risk learners will make at least 1.25 (1 year and 2 and half months) of reading growth.
Emergency learners will make at least 1.50 (1 year and 5 months) of reading growth.
On Target for IRLA Reading Level
K- .30
1st- 1.30
2nd- 2.30
3rd- 3.30
4th-4.30
HES creates readers!
On Target for Reading Practice
STEPS calendar
Reading as medicine?
Teach the Teacher
The Lowdown on Main Idea
Teaching our students about the main idea of a book can be challenging, but you already know that! This article has four strategies for helping students grasp the concept. Here is a snapshot...
Teaching Main Idea: Start with the Title
Teaching students how to use a title to help them figure out the main idea of a reading passage is one of the easiest and most overlooked strategies. In nonfiction especially, the title will usually tell you exactly what the topic of the passage will be, which is the first step to figuring out the main idea.
Teaching Main Idea: Group Words
This is a simple yet powerful activity that can help students distinguish between the topic and supporting details. Simply provide students with a list of words from several categories, have students organize those words into groups, and then have them come up with an appropriate title for each group.
This activity helps address an important struggle students have when it comes to main idea. Students have a hard time understanding that the details that support a certain main idea should all relate to each other to support the main idea. Requiring students to sort words into groups is a great introduction into this concept.
Teaching Main Idea: Cross Out Sentences that Don’t Support the Main Idea
This activity takes a lot more prep but is a valuable way to assess students’ understanding of main idea and supporting details while getting them to think more critically.
Before the lesson, write a paragraph that has a very clear main idea. Then, add a sentence to the paragraph that is somewhat on topic, but doesn’t really support the main idea of the paragraph. Students must read the paragraph and determine which sentence doesn’t belong.
Teaching Main Idea: Scaffolded Graphic Organizers
Instead of expecting students to be able to come up with the main idea statement themselves on a blank graphic organizer, provide students with the main idea and details but DON’T tell them which statements are the details and which statement is the main idea. Then have students put the statements in the correct spots on the graphic organizer. This takes away the frustration students feel of trying to come up with the main idea from thin air, while at the same time giving students valuable practice in distinguishing between the main idea and supporting details.
The more students do this type of activity, the more capable they will be of coming up with the main idea and supporting details themselves.
There are SO many great ideas in this article! There are even freebies at the end. Check it out!
Main idea and supporting details
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
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