Some great quotes, images, and other random stuff!

 

and a great podcast, because, why not!? 

MyView Learning Letter #23 - Rigor

Raise your hand if, UFFDA, MyView is rigorous. Yep! I think we are all feeling it. Ok. You can put your hand down. :) 

Here is what I wrote for families: 

Our new curriculum is rigorous. It is thorough when teaching our students foundational reading and writing skills through explicit instruction. Because of the high expectations of what students are learning and doing, students may find it difficult until they get used to it. All that we teach in literacy is from the VA Standards of Learning, These new standards (SOL), which are also rigorous, are taught through our curriculum, MyView. 

Another part of the increased rigor includes the fact that our students are writing all the time! Students write in reading and in writing. They are writing vocabulary and spelling words. While it is wonderful for students to write a lot, writing is one of the most complicated and taxing things for a student to do. The act of writing by hand is a complex skill that goes beyond the simple act of putting pen to paper. It involves a symphony of cognitive, perceptual, and motor skills that intricately work together.

Finally, another reason MyView is so rigorous is the fact that we are asking students to do a lot of thinking! We are teaching children the process of thinking about what they are reading and writing and then being able to communicate that to us through speech and writing.

Here is what I am writing to you, teachers:

Our new curriculum is rigorous. It is laying some serious foundation in ALL the skills in ALL the grades. You might find yourself teaching something that you don't think is valuable for your grade. I would argue that it is valuable because you are building background knowledge that will help students later. An example is suffixes. Suffixes seem like an upper elementary skill, right? Yet, we are teaching -s and -ed in early elementary. (See image below.) 

Yes. It is difficult for students, now. Yes. They can't do it, yet. However, we are going to start with what they DO know and CAN do. Look for other posts about differentiation and scaffolding support to help our students rise to the rigor!

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MyView Learning Letter #22 - Missing Conferencing?

One thing that was beloved by all with American Reading Company were the conferences. Conferences were one one one times with a student that were guided by the IRLA assessment to specifically teach what a student needed for reading skills and they afforded a time to listen to each child read aloud to you. 

Well, there are still things in MyView that do just that! 

Online, these resources provide you with a ton of options for kids to read aloud to you AND many provide you with lessons. (The exception is the Games and Digital Practice.) 

Other options include - 

- the Foldable Readables in grades 4 & 5

- the MyFocus Readers (this is like Scholastic News)

- the decodables in the Foundational Skills Toolkit for grades K-2

- MyFocus Intervention Passages 

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

 

During PLC with your reading coach, you will experience professional learning on dyslexia. Stay tuned! :) 

If you don't want to wait, read this blog or check out the links below.