Family Involvement Celebrated at Cahaba

The staff of Cahaba Elementary designed an amazing opportunity for parents and students to celebrate reading and learning Thursday evening.  The school was packed with families that included students, parents, and lots of grandparents!  GaTE students sold their wares at their annual Marketplace, with the direction and support of GaTE teacher, Porshia Franklin.

The Scholastic Book Fair was open in the school's library for families to browse and purchase books.

Chick-fil-a provided the opportunity to have dinner at the school, and teachers greeted students and their families in classrooms for Open House.  The doors of all classrooms were decorated in honor of Read Across America.  The goals of the event were to encourage parent involvement, share student work with parents, and to encourage students and their families to read.  No doubt that those goals were met!  Congratulations to Cahaba for a fantastic family event!

 

   

Paine Hosts Literacy Night

Paine Elementary hosted "Recipes for Reading Success," last night for parents and students to gain a view into how TCS teachers teach reading and how parents can support their children at home.  There were sessions for each grade level where students and parents participated in a reading lesson.  Additional activities included a Book Tasting, where students could view trailers about various books and write reviews of ones they have read.  A book swap, Literacy Breakout Session, photo booth, delicious snacks, and delightful decorations made the evening magical for parents and students.

We are so thankful for the hard work of the staff to make the night such a success. 

 

 

 

Renaissance Reading Tip #3: Understanding text complexity

Are your students challenging themselves with their reading choices?

The latest research reveals most are not. On average, students are choosing to read books at the very bottom of the recommended reading level range for their grade. As a result, they're likely not building the skills needed to comprehend grade-level texts.

Here are 3 essential insights for understanding text complexity—and helping students read at the just-right level of challenge to boost their reading growth.

Text complexity and background knowledge
Measures of text complexity, such as ATOS® or Lexile®, are helpful for understanding which texts might be too easy or too difficult for a student to read. For example, if a student can comfortably read texts at ATOS 5.6—meaning the typical reading level of a fifth grader in their sixth month of the school year—then a book at 2.3 might be too easy, while one at 8.8 might be much too hard.

However, no measure of text complexity can account for a student’s vocabulary and background knowledge. If the student is very familiar with a topic, they may have little difficulty reading a book at an 8.8 level. If the topic is totally new, the text at 5.6 might actually be too hard—and a less-complex text might actually be the “just-right” option.

Reading below-level texts to reach grade level
When students engage in high-quality reading practice with texts at or just above their reading level—texts in their zone of proximal development—they can grow their reading skills and, over time, work their way up to grade-level reading. For struggling readers, this means reading lots of below-grade-level texts may be exactly what they need to get up to grade level.

In contrast, pushing below-level readers to read grade-level texts may not actually help them reach grade level. One study found that students who read texts far above their individual reading levels made the same reading gains as students who read at their individual reading levels—but the first group was less motivated to read and less likely to stay on task. Over time, lowered motivation can mean less reading practice and students falling even farther behind.

Scaffolded exposure to grade-level texts
While it may not be beneficial to push below-level readers to read grade-level texts, it can be powerful to expose them to this level of text complexity—with the appropriate support.
• Read aloud: Many students can understand more of a complex text when it’s read aloud than they can when they read the same text independently.
• Build background knowledge: Have a student read a text or two on a topic at their individual reading level, then read and discuss an excerpt of a grade-level text on the same topic in pairs or small groups.
• Model comprehension strategies: As a whole class, read an excerpt of a grade-level text together, pausing after each paragraph to analyze the information presented. Out loud, walk through applying a specific comprehension strategy to the text.

Renaissance Reading Tip #2: How to boost nonfiction reading

For nearly a decade, there has been a call for students to read more nonfiction. Many standards and frameworks recommend students read between 50–70% nonfiction, but today’s students only read about half that (20–26%).1

Your students need your help to increase their nonfiction reading.

Read nonfiction aloud.
The magic of reading aloud isn’t limited to fiction—nonfiction can be just as entrancing when read aloud. Plus, reading nonfiction aloud is a great way introduce students to new academic vocabulary. You can model the pronunciation of words students may have never heard before, pausing as needed to explain new terms or concepts as you go along.  Look for titles on topics that match your students’ interests—and don’t be afraid to look several grades higher or lower, as students can often understand more complex text when it’s read aloud than when they read independently.

Focus on visuals.
Informational texts are often filled with graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, and other information-heavy visuals. Taking the time to dig into text features and reveal all the interesting information they share can make reading nonfiction much more engaging for students.

You can use any nonfiction text—even a science textbook—for this activity. Use a projector or smartboard to display a visually heavy informational text for a small group or classroom. Ask students what they think the main idea or theme is using only the visuals, then read the article as a group and have students discuss how the visuals support or enrich the text.

Connect to real life.
Students who read about something that pertains to their lives pay more attention and begin to develop a greater love for informational texts.  Encourage students to find nonfiction books and articles on topics that relate to their daily lives or personal interests.

Jerry Tracey Visits Paine

The 4th graders in the classes of Mrs. McKinley and Mrs. Waites celebrated their current nonfiction unit and shared their research on Extreme Weather topics. Special guest, Mr. Jerry Tracey, chief meteorologist  from WVTM 13, visited Paine to enjoy and learn from the students. Mr. Tracey was impressed and commented on their depth of knowledge with their topics! 

Twenty-two Trussville Teachers Attend Serravallo Workshop in Auburn

Trussville City Schools had twenty-two educators from the elementary schools and middle school attend Jennifer Serravallo’s “Reading and Writing Strategies and Structures:  Connecting Assessment and Instruction” conference in Auburn, Alabama, December 6.  TCS teachers have studied Serravallo’s work as a way to improve literacy for students.  The conference provided time to explicitly work with key strategies that can be used in the classroom, as taken from Serravallo’s  The Reading Strategies Book and The Writing Strategies Book.  Teachers were able to go through some specific ways to help students grapple with both fiction and nonfiction texts.  In addition, participants were directed through writing prompts, requiring all to take on the role of writers, just as they would have students do.  It was a powerful practice reminding participants of the challenges and victories students experience in their classrooms.  

#supportinglearnerseveryday

Our official hashtag for Curriculum and Instruction this year is #supportinglearnerseveryday.  The goal of our department is to provide professional learning and support to teachers, administrators, and students.

Today, K-2 teachers were led by Reading Coach Kelly McGough in a discussion of Wiley Blevins' A Fresh Look at Phonics and a discussion of ways to provide the most effective phonemic awareness and phonics instruction for emergent readers in kindergarten, first, and second grades.  The participants will provide turnaround training for teachers at their schools.

During the afternoon, representatives from all five TCS schools met for the District Literacy Team meeting. Participants reviewed literacy and ELA standards, Reading Reconsidered, a book that has led the group's learning for the past two years, and Jennifer Seravallo's The Reading Strategies Book.  This group will provide turnaround training within the month for teachers in each school.