Lake Tract Elementary PLC 2013 - 2014

1. Lake Tract Elementary PLC 2013 - 2014 Teachers:  Rachel Contreras, Shari Douglass and Lois Stewart Vertical Articulation (5th - 6th grade)

2. BOOKS:The Book Whisperer by Donalyn MillerIntegrating Literacy and Math – “Strategies for K-6 Teachers” by Fogelberg, Skalinder, Satz, Hiller, Bernstein & Vitantonio • Goal:  To implement effective cross-curricular strategies within ELA and MATH curriculum.

3. The Book WhispererFocus on creating a classroom environment for students to read using choice and self-reflection. • “Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them.  It strengthens their self-confidence, rewards their interests, and promotes a positive attitude toward reading by valuing the reader and giving him or her, a level of control.

4. Independent Reading p56Conditions for Learning p34 • ·     Immersion • ·     Demonstrations • ·     Expectations • ·     Responsibility • ·     Employment • ·     Approximations • ·     Response • ·     Engagement

5. Genres: pg.78 1.     Poetry 2.     Traditional Literature 3.     Realistic Fiction 4.     Historical Fiction Fantasy 5.     Science Fiction 6.     Mystery 7.     Informational 8.     Biography, autobiography, memoir 9.     Chapter-book choice

6. Teacher Reflections;Ways “The Book Whisper” has influenced instruction in the classroom; • Rachel Contreras (5th Grade – In Class Support) • Shari Douglass (6th Grade) • Lois Stewart (5th Grade)

7. Integrating Literacy and Math • Standards “emphasize the following practices as important to providing an effective math curriculum:” helping students learn to “think algebraically,” leading to greater achievement in high school; • Emphasizing problem solving as early as kindergarten, so students learn to pull problems apart and identify their essence; • Developing deep and meaningful understanding of mathematics by helping students talk and write about the significance of their math learning.

8. * Underlying similarities of strategies apply within ELA and Math ·     Making connections ·     Predicting ·     Asking questions ·     Being aware of their thinking (metacognition) ·     Making inferences ·     Visualizing ·     Summarizing ·     Determining importance

9. Teacher Reflections; Ways “Integrating Literacy and Math” has influenced instruction in the classroom; • Rachel Contreras (5th Grade – In class support) • Shari Douglass (6th Grade) • Lois Stewart (5th Grade)

10. Rachel Contreras 5th Grade In class support…Reflections • Inspired by both authors of The Ghost Whisperer and Integrating Literacy and Math, my students have benefited greatly; • 3-4 mornings/wk they are exposed to various genres in short articles/selections or essays. Their responses are not only written, but discussions, debates and connections are being made (more student centered).

11. R. Contreras Reflections (cont). • Morning Math Messages now often include questions about how the student understands a math concept. The responses are either verbal or in sentence form. • Peer Helpers, who tend to grasp material quickly are challenged to ”teach” their own peers in learning a concept. • While grading can’t be replaced, my students are often assessed on personal growth and improvement within a specific area of ELA or MATH. For example, writing formulas and explaining in “words” how they understand the formulas has helped struggling students to remember the concepts more fully.

12. R. Contreras – Reflections (cont.) • BOOK TALKS vs. always assessing a written assignment encouraged students to relax when completing in class novels; sharing viewpoints, concerns and lessons without the pressure of an official grade. This allowed students to enjoy the reading material more. • Finally, as a tutor after school ,some of the authors strategies for comprehension and expression have been successful in keeping the students more engaged.