Read 180 Alyssa Eckhardt Room 406

Notecards Use this card to: – Ask any clarifying questions – Ask questions about your student specifically – Request a meeting with me – Let me know of anything you think I need to know about your student – Please leave your name, student’s name, and contact information

A Bit About Me Master in Teaching from University of Washington Professional Membership – National Council for Teachers of English, Washington State Council for Teachers of Social Studies BA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from University of Washington (minor equivalents in English and History) Third year at IMS Seattle Public Schools – Madison Middle School – Aki Kurose Middle School Teaching reading is my passion!

Best Way to Stay Informed Check the classroom website regularly me with any questions Call me or set up a meeting time with any concerns Link: ms/staff/ms_eckhardts_site/default.aspx ms/staff/ms_eckhardts_site/default.aspx

Why I teach?/My Classroom All students are creative unique individuals with an important voice – Reading/Writing – middle school critical time for literacy Growth mindset – Meet each student where they are – Mistakes are proof that you are trying – Students are always encouraged to improve their work We become lifelong learners when we learn to ask critical questions! Conferencing –we always have a plan for improving our work and growing Engagement first

My Goals for Your Student – Become resourceful independent learners – Become stronger readers, writers, speakers and listeners – Learn how to set reading and writing goals and work towards achieving them – Enhance skills and strategies for engaging in academic conversation – Learn how to apply appropriate reading strategies to a variety of text types across content areas – Guide students to transfer Read180 skills learned to work from core classes – Know why the reading, writing, speaking and listening we learn and practice in this class are important for you in the real world  We are readers of the world around us.

We Are Readers of Our World “ ‘Adolescents’ and ‘analytical’ may at first seem to be terms that live on different planets. But in truth, your students are already the closest of close readers – they are just closely reading everything else in your classroom except the book in front of them. They know what you’re wearing, could repeat verbatim (citing accurately) what you said to a fellow teacher in the hall about your weekend plans, and will later debate with evidence whether a student’s reaction to someone stepping on her backpack was justified over overdone. Even a three-letter text can generate heated claims and counterclaims. The interpretations seemingly unstoppable and never-ending. Middle schoolers in fact, are probably the most obsessive analyzers out there – so let’s channel that energy and show them how to transfer it to reading.” - Teacher’s College – Developing Analytical Reading Practices

Read180 Program and Curriculum

Instructional Model Two Day Rotations Schedule Whole Group – rBook or supplemental materials Guided Stations Instructional Software Modeled and Independent Reading Small Group Proven Model

Typical Week

Units Topic oriented Cover a variety of text types Focus reading and writing skills My belief – work I ask students to do should be authentic Students will be challenged to apply skills to a real world scenario or problem

A Bit on the Research…. Most students in middle school struggle more with applying appropriate comprehension strategies to texts than decoding words. (Conderman, 2010) – Comprehension = making meaning from a text This means many students “read” without reading or understanding That’s why we will focus on: – Understanding text types, structures, setting a purpose for reading and applying the appropriate strategies to the text to come to a deeper understanding of the text

Whole Group Reading, Writing and Vocabulary Model active reading strategies Model fluency Variety of texts (Science, LA, SS) Practice and apply appropriate reading comprehension and analysis strategies SET A PURPOSE FOR READING

Skills and Strategies of Focus Active Reading Strategies (1 st Read) – Ex: – Identifying academic vocabulary – Predictions – Connections – Reading with a question in mind – Inferences – Point of view – Get the gist Reading Comprehension Strategies Required you to break down parts of a text Text Structure – Chronological – Problem/solution – Compare/contrast Main Idea/Detail Identify supporting evidence Sequencing Events Synthesis Summarizing Author’s Purpose Analyze Evaluate Plot Devices Good readers adjust their reading behaviors depending on whether they are reading for details or general impressions (Pearson, 2002).

Importance of Transferring Skills Metacognition Wednesdays and Small Group Work SkillWhat it is?Social StudiesScienceLA SequencingOrganization of events in a text -ordered by time, or sometimes back and forth Identify sequence of events during a specific time period or significant incident EX – The Civil War Identify the sequence of events in an experiment or process (ex. Photosynthesis) Identify sequence of plot events (sometimes flashback or flash-forward) Organize sequence of events in our own writing

Instructional Software Intensive, individualized skills practice CHOICE OF TOPIC Program continually adjusts based on students assessed needs Provides diagnostic reports Guides teacher’s small group instruction Helps students target and set goals

Independent and Modeled Reading Scholastics Library Tested for Lexile Level Student Choice Engaging age appropriate materials that promote success Daily reading response and log Skills focused practice sheets Reading Counts! Quizzes Students are re-tested for their Lexile level each trimester and at the end of the year

Independent Reading – Why it is so important Why? – Important factors in middle school: motivation and engagement – This is the time to the gap for students widens or closes At home – Read with your student if you have time – Ask your students about their reading – Prompt them to explain their thinking – Share your own thoughts about your reading – Emphasize its importance – See handout for sample questions/discussion starters. Students need to read at their reading level to increase reading proficiency, comprehension and level.

Handout Please see handout for ideas for questions to ask your students about their reading, and ideas for promoting reading at home.

Grading Philosophy The purpose of grading is to reflect the extent to which the student has met the learning standard. Students’ own self-assessment and reflection of their progress towards meeting a learning standard is just as critical as my own assessment. It does not matter when a student meets a learning standard, but if they meet the learning standard. Growth Mindset

Participation What I say to students: “Students, your success in this class will largely depend upon your perseverance and how seriously you take your personal growth. We are all very different readers and writers and our goal is to help you grow as a reader and writer of the world around you. In order to do this, you will need to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, set goals and reach to attain them – then reset and work towards new goals. You will get to choose topics and books that interest you the most and use those to continually strive to be the best learner you can be.” Academic conversation Investigating, learning, scholars, readers

Grading Policy Daily Participation (15% of grade) – Participation Trackers Whole Class and Small Group Work (15% of grade) – These activities include warm-ups, rBook activities, and other Small Group assignments (including rBook quizzes). Scholastic Read180 Software (20% of grade) - Through the program, students will track their progress in: reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing. Independent/Modeled Reading (20% of grade) – Growth Portfolio (30% of grade) - This grade consists of five assignments, tests, or writing projects that the student chooses which he/she feels best reflect his/her growth in the class. - For more information, please see the syllabus/grading policy letter

Written Pieces – Rubrics

Growth Mindset Students will be allowed to continually improve their work and their grade by setting new goals, working to constantly improve their work I will always allow students to improve their work

Afterschool Availability Available weekly on the class calendar

Thank you ISF and PTSA