UA Treasure Box by Hilda

Universal Access Treasure Box

Have you ever wondered, “How can I prepare for a UA/RTI time where my student groups can be organized enough to work independently?” Get them the supplies necessary to lead group work without you! “But, how do I do this?!” you might ask, it’s time for Reading Treasure Boxes in your class!    

Okay, so they are not really a treasure box, but if you get kids to believe that the materials in the box will bring a wealth of knowledge, they will be thrilled to get this daily treasure. There are essential necessities to assist in reading growth…

According to the National Research Council, a group of experts convened to examine reading research and explored components in powerful instruction:

1.     Teach essential skills and strategies.
◊ Effective reading teachers teach skills, strategies, and concepts.

*After teaching/reteaching the Sound Spelling Cards, provide laminated copies in each box for students to begin their group review of sound patterns learned.

*After going over FRY’s words and testing your students, provide them a list (per week) to continue to study. My students keep their list in an envelope in the box to quiz each other as they wait for me or have finished their group work.

2.     Provide differentiated instruction based on assessment results and adapt instruction to meet students' needs.
◊ Effective teachers recognize that one size doesn't fit all and are ready to adapt instruction—both content and methods.

While your UA will be leveled instruction, remember that you still have different reading levels within the group. Provide each group with the Wonders Leveled Readers that are at their Lexile Level Range. I use the Leveled Readers to provide guided reading instruction, but after we read together students keep the books in the box to reread on their own/with a partner. 

3.     Provide explicit and systematic instruction with lots of practice—with and without teacher support and feedback, including cumulative practice over time.
◊ Students should not have to infer what they are supposed to learn.

*Allow teams come up with a team name for ownership and buy-in that teamwork makes the Dream Work! Purchase pocket sleeves to hold a team name/picture on one side and the other side will hold explicit directions of work for the day/week.

4.     Provide opportunities to apply skills and strategies in reading and writing meaningful text with teacher support.
◊ Students need to be taught what to do when they get to a "hard word."

*Provide Question Cards/Sentence Frame Cards to guide their independent reading, after they have read with the teacher. You can find a copy of the cards I use, linked to my profile.

*Provide passages (from Wonders) and sand timers for independent Fluency practice.

5.     Don't just "cover" critical content; be sure students learn it—monitor student progress regularly and reteach as necessary.
◊ Effective teachers adjust their teaching accordingly to try to accelerate student progress.

*Provide feedback (scoring, if necessary) on the independent writing or fluency practice for students to monitor progress.

You have read the experts’ suggestions and my classroom suggestions (by the asterisk in bold print). Please take these suggestions to make your reading instruction more powerful! Try something new, add your own touch, your “umph” and your students will TRIUMPH!! J

References:
http://www.rtinetwork.org/essential/tieredinstruction/tier1/effectiveteaching 

Live, Love, Teach!

Hilda Sanchez

JUST WRITE! Reflect & Respond Journaling

Reflect & Respond Journaling

Here is a routine that I started implementing this year.  My class knows it as "reflect and respond" journaling.  The goal is to encourage students to JUST WRITE by offering a variety of writing stimulus - an interesting picture, an inspirational quote, a paragraph from a text or short video clips (Ted Talks for kids is an awesome resource on youtube).

STEPS:

1.  The item you choose should engage student THINKING.  Always start with reasons to write.  Just recently, my students watched this video:

2.  Allow about a minute for students to reflect silently (this is the REFLECT part of reflect & respond journaling).  I explicitly teach them that writers gather their thoughts before writing.  I encourage them to think about how the item made them feel.  Could they connect the ideas presented with something in their personal life or to something they've experienced in a text?

3. Students write for 15 minutes (this is the RESPOND part of reflect & respond journaling).  This step is important as ALL YEAR they will write for 15 minutes non-stop.  This builds stamina and writing fluency as well as volume.  Gentle, quiet reminders to keep writing can be given if you roam the room.  However, I encourage you, as the teacher and model, to also write along with them in your own journal.  Below you can see a short video of our class responding to the video above.  However, we only had ten minutes on this occasion because of parent conference week shortening our schedule - you can literally hear the lunch bell towards the end of the video! (I highly encourage the use of timers).

Author's Chair

4.  Once the timer is up, we move to Author's Chair.  Students volunteer to share their journaling with the audience.  You may choose as many volunteers to read depending on your time constraints.

5.  This part of reflect & respond journaling is crucial.  The teacher must listen carefully to responses and take notes as to specific ideas that come from one of your volunteers.  It could be a phrase or an interesting expression that comes from their responses.  I have started to encourage the audience (those listening) to try to state the main idea of each response.  For example, in a recent student response, one student wrote how "small kids can have big hearts."  This caught my attention and I asked the class to think about what those words mean.  I explicitly want them to build on one another's ideas in a meaningful and authentic way.  They had conversations about it right at that moment.  I encourage students to support their answers with examples in their own lives if they can.

6.  Select that ONE student journal that you think might stimulate more writing.  I have done this all year long and I can guarantee you that you will always find at least ONE response that stands out.

7. Make a copy of the selected journal entry and transcribe the journal on a word document.  Make double-sided copies (one side has the handwritten journal entry, the other side has the same text in typed format) for all students.  Each student will receive a copy of this entry to annotate.

Students should LOVE to write!

8.  Use that student's journal entry as the mentor text for the next day's reflect & respond journaling.  Think about the implications this has on your students - using THEIR writing as the text for reflecting and responding.  Even your most struggling student will have an opportunity to have the class respond to their writing because the focus is on IDEAS not grammar (yes, this will be difficult for those teachers who really want to correct every mistake but don't do it; celebrate ideas!).  Students will analyze that student's ideas and build upon them with examples and/or more thinking.

9.  There are SO MANY ways you can alter or change this routine to fit your needs.  It is very organic.  Don't be afraid to try it.  The more you implement this unique writing opportunity, the faster your students will become and you will also see their enthusiasm to write something OTHER than a prompt (we all know they get enough practice on those!).  If you have questions, please email me.  I am more than happy to assist or offer ideas!

1.  How long does this take?  30 minutes would be sufficient (4 to 5 minutes to present stimulus + 15 minutes to write + 8 to 10 minutes Author's Chair).
2.  How often do you do this?  Depends on the week.  I try to do this on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.  However, it truly depends on your scheduling.  If you have a busy schedule, try once a week at least.
3.  Is this the only type of writing you do?  No.  I have a formal writing program where students will still continue to learn how to write constructed responses, essays, and other writing items.  It does NOT supplant my regular instructional program.
4.  Common Core standards addressed?  Here are the ones that float to the top (however there are many more if you really dive deep):

Writing Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

Listening and Speaking Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.2
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D
Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

There are two solid reasons why I love to implement this routine:

• Students become writers NOT students of writing.  There is a difference.  They begin to see writing as a tool of expression.  They write because they want to write.  Offering them the reasons to write is the tricky part for the teacher, however, I assure you this will become habit after you feel comfortable with the routine.
• RACE and SBAC - I have noticed that this routine sort of "frontloads" and then supports the "E" skill in RACE.  I understand that many teachers struggle with how to teach students to explain, elaborate, or extend during formal constructed response activities.  When our class begins a lesson of this nature, I remind students that the "E" in RACE is basically what they do during reflect & respond journaling - can you connect the text with something you've read before or a life experience example.  This can be very abstract especially for fourth graders and I have witnessed that our journal routine has enhanced responses since the beginning of the year.  It is not as difficult for them to wrap their heads around this.  Obviously, if students become more proficient in RACE, they will most likely meet the rigors of SBAC where a huge piece of assessment is the ability for students to find connection between ideas whether within one text or comparing two texts.

Would you like to learn how to strengthen your OWN writing abilities?  Why not apply for the Invitational Summer Institute?  Follow this link to my first blog of this school year for information on how to be part of this amazing opportunity:

Click here to learn about the Invitational Summer Institute

Happy Writing!
Gustavo Macuil

Read to Succeed by Hilda

Read to Succeed

Happy February Teachers! Last month we reflected to have a fresh start coming back from break and getting the New Year started. I hope your students are recharged and going ahead with achieving their goals for the school year.

"Don't let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do." ~John Wooden

 If you have read my blog from the beginning of this school year, you are aware that I have had an intensive reading group for Universal Access/Response to Intervention time and it was difficult just getting the students started, focusing on instruction, goal setting, and believing they can achieve. My students did not have the confidence to get further in academic ability. I modeled a lot, they worked independently, and they struggled through the learning. There was frustration, feeling lost, and tears at times, but I every day I reminded them that there is a lot of learning through the struggle. Low and behold, all the learners that thought they would never get any Reading Counts points and would never get past a BR level have achieved their goal; ALL my BR readers now have 30+ points in Reading Counts and have increased their reading score by 100 points!

So, how did this happen, you might ask? You can always go back to read my 2017-2018 blogs for more detail, but for now I will summarize. J

UA/RTI in Mrs. Sanchez’s Class

1.   Homogenous Student Groups-you can use the Wonders Diagnostic Screening and Reading Comprehension Scores to group students.

2.   Grade-Level Teaming- if you have the intensive group, make sure your group is 20-1; allowing for small groups of 4-5 students per group. If you are providing intervention within your own class, you would still make your intensive group the smallest.

3.   Provide Intensive and Systematic Instruction- I personally like to have a Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension, and Grammar groups. I still run the Sound-Spelling cards with my group and then practice segmenting/blending sounds, focusing on the pattern of the week. For fluency, I have students use the Your Turn Practice Book fluency passage of the week, but if it is too difficult, I will copy Wonders Fluency passages that students can read independently. For Comprehension, we use the Leveled Readers. I pick the book most appropriate to their reading level and we work on guided reading (this should be the Teacher Group). Finally, you have a grammar; this would be your computer/technology group that can log into their Wonders Reading account to play the grammar games. There are many other ideas, tied to Wonders materials, for your groups, do your research and find the best instruction for your students.

4.   Organization is KEY! I have baskets with materials that will keep your students organized and engaged within the academic focus for the day/week. There is a lot that goes into this piece; therefore, if you are interested, stay tuned and I will be talking about the Reading Treasure Basket (and any other components that you want to know more about, let me know in the comments) in March! J 

      For now, happy reading and hope you remember that no matter the struggles, stay positive because, as one of my students reminded me last week, “A teacher’s influence is never erased.” You ARE making a difference, you are not just a Teacher, you are an Educational Rock Star! J

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." 

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Live, Love, Teach!      

Got S - t - r - e - t - c - h Text? (PART 2)

Thank you for returning to my 3-part blog regarding stretch text.  Last month, I introduced this idea of what stretch text means in the classroom.  I highlighted some frequently asked questions and this month I want to continue sharing some of these insights and questions with you!

FAQ's:

Why stretch text?  http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf  Read pages 1 - 11

What essential questions can I use during stretch text lessons?  The one essential question that I use during ALL stretch text lessons: “What makes this text difficult?”  This simple yet powerful essential question is what I want my students to think about throughout the lesson.  By “deconstructing” the text, my students can dissect, explore, investigate, and “reassemble” the text like a puzzle.  If they can succeed with stretch text, they will certainly succeed with grade level text. Ultimately, I want my students to think about their thinking.

Where do I find stretch text?  NOT on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Instead, I have found that famous speeches or Ted Talks are ideal to use as stretch text (they are also free).  Try to select speeches that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful or that tie into Wonders anthologies in some manner.  For example, in fourth grade Wonders unit 4, week 3 includes the anthology selection The Moon Over Star.  This historic fiction selection focuses on the night of the moon landing.  You could tie the famous Moon Speech by JFK to this particular selection (which I actually have done).  Another example in fourth grade Wonders is unit 4, week 1 leveled reader “A Day in the Senate.” Last year, we deconstructed part of the Constitution using it as a stretch text in order to extend the understanding of the leveled reader.  The possibilities are endless. I try to make sure that my students understand that my selected stretch text is either part of an article, document or a transcript of a speech. This is why I try to avoid TPT worksheets or TPT articles. It is no secret that Common Core has made the understanding of technical texts a cornerstone of these new standards.  Stretch text lessons allow the teacher to at least begin to encourage and build self-efficacy within students in order to challenge them to continue “reaching and stretching” their reading abilities. My "look for" when I am searching text is mainly vocabulary. Does the text include a fair amount of academic vocabulary for students to grapple with? Be careful though! Too much may become too frustrating.

Note:  If you find a video on youtube, it usually offers the option to view the transcript.  Copy and paste the transcript onto your desktop in order to print the text for students.

How long do stretch text lessons take?  If you decide to do stretch text lessons during a 30-minute time block of UA, you can expect to take approximately three to five days to grapple with the passage.  It really depends on how deep you want students to go into the text. It is up to you and your learning outcomes.

Are there any resources that I can use?  Yes, I have included below some links that you can view at your leisure to see some examples of stretch text lessons.  Be warned, you will not find much resources by googling “stretch text.” You will usually find resources about accessing complex text (which may in itself be helpful as well):

1.  READ pages 1 - 11 in Appendix A of the common core initiative document (yes, I know it may be a struggle but, hey, if you want your students to do this, then we need to do this as well):

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

2.  Teaching Channel videos:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/teaching-declaration-of-independence

Happy Writing!
             Gustavo Macuil

Got S - t - r - e - t - c - h Text? (PART 1)

So a few years ago, my principal challenged us to include stretch text during our UA activities.  I remember thinking: "What IS stretch text?"  

This seed began to bloom in my curiosity to know, understand, plan, and deliver lessons using stretch text. Here comes the reality:  there is minimal - if any - resources out there.  Thus my journey began. 

That year I began working closely with my evaluator, the assistant principal, as well as our site data coach.  Through a variety of co-teaching opportunities as well as collaborative planning sessions, we began to understand this idea of "stretch" text.  Please be aware that I am sharing my learnings and I will be sharing these throughout the next three blog posts so if this is something that intrigues you, please return!

In order to make sense of how stretch text works, read the Frequently Asked Questions below.  On my last post, I will include a video lesson of myself delivering a stretch text lesson.

FAQ's:

Why stretch text?  http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf  Read pages 1 - 11

What is stretch text?  Stretch text is text that is far above a student’s Lexile range.  For example, if a student’s Lexile range were 650 – 800, then an ideal stretch text would be anything above, say, 1000+.   Expect students to struggle with stretch text.  However, through this experience of grappling with text that is complex, sophisticated, and academic, students begin to build grit and stamina.  They begin to use previously learned comprehension strategies in order to figure out the “gist” of stretch text, if not more.  NEVER underestimate what your students can do!  Avoid “rescuing” them from the struggle.  Delete any assumptions.   You will also find that stretch text lessons are organic.  You may plan a sequence of activities to meet your goals but do not be surprised if you need to alter these due to unexpected new learning or understanding.  Let the students lead and tell you where to take them next.

How do I explain stretch text to my students?  I usually teach my students the difference between reaching and stretching.  Their independent reading range is “reaching” – it implies some effort and they can “reach and grab it.”  On the other hand, “stretching” implies much more – more energy, more effort.  When we stretch out for something that is out of reach, it requires our whole body to help the arm grab it.  Sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot but we keep trying.  I have also used the idea of weights as an illustration.  In order to build more muscle, a person needs to increase the weights when they workout.  After much practice, they notice that the weights are not that heavy, so they have to adjust the weights again.  Highlight the fact that reading high-level text is like working out, it might be painful at first but the results are beneficial.

When can I teach a stretch text lesson?  I usually try to fit stretch text lessons during the end of unit testing week in Language Arts. Usually, the sixth week of a unit in Wonders would be a perfect time.  Stretch text lessons are ideal for UA since students are grouped within a focused Lexile range.  For example, my current UA group is reading within 600 – 750 Lexile range.  An ideal stretch text for the whole UA class would be anything above 1000+ Lexile.

Are there any resources that I can use?  Yes, I have included below some links that you can view at your leisure to see some examples of stretch text lessons.  Be warned, you will not find much resources by googling “stretch text.”  You will usually find resources about accessing complex text (which may in itself be helpful as well):

1.  READ pages 1 - 11 in Appendix A of the common core initiative document (yes, I know it may be a struggle but, hey, if you want your students to do this, then we need to do this as well):

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

2.  Teaching Channel videos:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/teaching-declaration-of-independence

Happy Writing!
          Gus Macuil

Universal Access (part 2)

Universal Access (part 2)

Have you ever wondered how to differentiate reading in your classroom? Have you wanted to help your struggling readers and help your proficient readers dive into deeper thinking?  You can! If you read my blog last month, you learned about my Language Arts Universal Access and how I group my scholars with SUCH different needs in order for them to achieve success in reading and writing. Now, as teachers, we are continuously looking at numbers for success, but I look at success as overcoming obstacles that have prohibited one from achieving a goal. To reinforce the idea of positivity and motivation getting us to where we never imagined, students watch videos and read stories of leaders and celebrities overcoming obstacles.

When students focus on the positive,
the NOW and ALL they have accomplished,
you get them to realize they ARE smart and can achieve what they set their mind to.

The goal of my Universal Access Time is to target the different areas and different pace due to different academic needs. The goal would be GREAT to have all Proficient/Advanced students and be able to form our groups according to the Multiple Intelligences, but it’s not likely. Therefore we celebrate the small steps, the daily effort that is leading us towards success and adds activities/lessons to also target the Multiple Intelligences. Student BUY-IN (students have to know the answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?”) leads to independent learners., but the key to continued success is keeping them engaged within their team when you are not there to support. Have them come to an agreement with a team name and draw/write the talent/strength he/she can bring to their team.

In order to keep them engaged, I keep them on track with team roles. Since I am not there to support every team on a daily basis, students know to choose a leader, writer, time-keeper, and the rest are responsible for being collaborative workers that can add to their team as they see fit necessary (this all comes from the teaching of “The Importance of Teamwork” which I have previously talked about in my blogs). Once they have the responsibility, the teams will function without your assistance); for the most part, the students will read their directions and just roll with it. Now, it’s not to say that you won’t have to revisit norms and responsibilities because it’s always good to teach at the beginning of every trimester, to give students a new and refreshed perspective when working in a team.

As you get ready to set up your Universal Access, look at numbers initially to form your teams. Form homogenous groups, meaning you focus on Diagnostic/Placement and  Scholastic Reading Inventory to know who your readers are: Far-Below Basic, Below Basic, Basic, and Proficient/Advanced. I usually have 25-30 students; therefore end up with 4-5 groups. I keep my Far-Below Basic and Below Basic groups, the smallest, 5-7 students, my Basic group will have 7-8 students, and my Proficient/Advanced group will have approximately 10 students (but you can split this team into two if it suits best). Keep in mind, after setting up your groups/teams, let your students know that they are fluid; groups can and should change due to progress.

That's at the core of equity: understanding who your kids are and how to meet their needs. You are still focused on outcomes, but the path to get there may not be the same for each one. ~Pedro Noguera

Once it’s all said and done, don’t go above and beyond on recreating what’s already there. Wonders McGraw Hill has many resources for our use! I have four groups this year:

Teacher Group

Technology Group

Fluency Group

Writing Group

The Teacher Group is meeting time with ME. We read and discuss the Wonders Leveled Readers. For my struggling readers, I always start with a 5-10 minutes Phonics review, running the Spelling Cards and focusing on segmenting and blending a couple of words that have our spelling focus of the week. We then focus on Sight Words, 5 minutes of rapid automaticity naming words that don’t follow Phonics and Decoding rules.

The Technology Group works on Wonders Grammar Games. The Fluency Group focuses on the fluency passage of the week, found in the Student Practice Book. The Writing Group focuses on the RACES strategy answering the Essential Question of the week; students use their student book and Anthology to find evidence in supporting their answer.
My Proficient/Advanced group works on all of this, but I also challenge them by reading a chapter book together that will lead to deeper discussions and the writing of poetry or story skits. Universal Access is an hour of our learning day; the first half hour of Mondays/Tuesdays is dedicated to my Far-Below Group and the second half hour is dedicated to my Below Basic Group.  By Wednesday and Thursday, we have read the Leveled Reader twice and are ready to do the 3rd read without my support. I leave them to read and take notes to form a summary of the book. This gives me time on Thursday/ Friday to meet up with my Basic and Proficient/Advanced groups to check on their progress and know if they need my assistance in any area. It’s not a perfect setting because things will go wrong, but I can say that my students have gained an interest in reading and writing. The interest has led to LOVE for some, and that LOVE has led to academic growth.

Live, Love, TEACH!

Hilda Sanchez