English Language Arts
English language arts is a subject that is critical for all students to be successful in. They will use the skills learned here not only for their entire academic career, but in their daily lives for the rest of their lives. All students need instruction that meets them where they are at. This is especially important in ELA. Below, I have included links to some examples of times that I have had to identify present levels of students and how to best assist their needs, along with ideas for engaging students and getting them excited to learn!
It is important to remember that all students are on different levels and need different types of instruction. A series of assessments were performed with a student to identify her current levels in spelling. From there, a series of lessons were created to meet her specific needs. Click the button to view the process.
The Language Experience Approach allows students to take their common experiences and write about them, typically as a class. From there, they learn to read what has been written. This is great for building up confidence and getting children excited to read!
Text talks assist students in learning to interpret texts and think critically about them. Text talks can be used with students of all ages and can be targeted at a variety of goals. They can be used as social stories and are great for allowing students to share their thoughts with others!
When planning lessons, it is important to make sure that standards are being met. However, it is even more important to ensure that students are engaged in the lessons being taught. Click this button to see an integrated lesson and reflection based off of The One and Only Ivan. In this third grade lesson, students used technology to create character cards for characters in the book.
Writing is often one of the forgotten subjects. It is not as highly tested, and is therefore unfortunately placed on the back burner. However, writing is a place for students to share their thoughts and learn to express themselves with the world. Follow the link to view a series of lessons that I put together with some of my colleagues on how to implement a writer's notebook and a few writer's workshop ideas!