Structure Teamwork Assess ResponsibilityBe There Understand Respond Stay Focused Trust

Miss Chelsea’s STAR BURST Literacy Guide

Reflecting as a teacher has placed me back into the role of a student. In the past week I have read back through parent e-mails, spoke with the students about their own success, watched video clips of myself instructing, analyzed pictures of the student’s body language during class time, and assessed the their growth over the past 4 weeks. In doing this I have learned many vital key points the students that make up our class. We have different learning styles, we work at different paces, and we have different interests, yet we all share one goal: to succeed and to smile a whole bunch in the process. My goal for my students is to enrich the journey of succeeding so much that it’s not all about the destination. I want them to be so wrapped up in their activities and peer interactions that it doesn’t always seem like work. However, I also want enough structure that I can assess them, teach them in an orderly fashion, and provide them with adequate support that comforts and challenges them at their own unique level.

I have restructured our Language Arts and Reading class to meet the following goals: Create a cross-curricular component Engage the students using their passions and strengths Work Daily on Grammar Improve their self esteem and sense of self by supporting them in reaching their own

goals Foster independence Allow them to take part in their education by making functional, meaningful choices that

directly impact their daily learning Simplify homework by handing out one homework packet a week. Create a more meaningful and accountable home-school connection by having the

students read at home. Provide the paraprofessionals with enough guidance and support that they feel confident

and successful in their interactions with the students. Provide the paraprofessionals with evidence and data showing them the positive impact

they have on the students in our classroom Dive into the passions of the paraprofessionals and myself in regards to literature to

promote a love of reading within the students. Create a community based and Life Skill connection. Create a leadership position for the students within the school.

While keeping in mind the learning profiles of each of our students infused with the goals I have set for our class, I have used multiple resources to create our new class structure: StarBurst.

Structure Teamwork Assess Responsibility Be There Understand Respond Stay Focused Trust

What it looks like in the classroom…

Students begin three of the four classes a week by reading a book of their choice independently or with a paraprofessional, teacher, or peer. Students brainstorm topics they enjoy learning about, and then take periodic trips to the public library to obtain an independent reading book based on their interests. One day a week the students listen to a text read to them by myself, a paraprofessional, a guest, or by TumbleBooks on the SMARTBoard. The purpose of reading aloud to the students is to support growth in the areas of: building word-sound awareness, stimulating language and expanding vocabulary, modeling affect and tone when there is a change in character or setting, and supporting their attending skills.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayIndependent Reading Book

Independent Reading Book

Class does not meet today.

Independent Reading Book

Read together as a whole group.

Prior to expecting students to sit and engage in an entire 20 minutes of reading, it is vital to scaffold their attending skills. Sensory breaks and self-regulation supports such as visuals and timers are vital to student success. Also, providing text that is meaningful, age-appropriate, and at a slightly challenging level are key factors in

engaging with each of the students. Appropriate breaks for questions, use of affect and movement, discussions, and getting the “wiggles” out are also important considerations when promoting success. For example, when you see the students begin to loose focus, have them listen for verbs, make a list, then act each of them out as a class. This way the students remain connected with the text, but also fulfill their sensory needs.

Three days a week the students will be reading independently or with a peer or paraprofessional. Paraprofessionals must be attentive to the student’s comprehension paired with word

recognition. We all must keep in mind that a child’s ability to read aloud or track silently does not directly correlate to their comprehension. Therefore, it is important to ask probing questions while a child is reading, to provide opportunities for them to connect the text to their own life. More importantly, we are looking to assess if the students are seeing word endings, changing their voice when characters change, or stopping for a break after a period. For students who track while an adult or peer reads to them: can the child stop tracking when the person stops reading, can the child focus on the text for extended periods of time without fragmenting, can the child reflect on the reading to display comprehension, can the child find a specific place in the text, can the child make a connection with the text? It is important for the paraprofessional to take note of the type and amount of prompts need for each reading session. This is valuable information when writing goals and selecting appropriate qualifiers.

During the 20 minutes of class, the assessment will be authentic, meaning it will be opinion based, as opposed to specific information seeking answers. Holding myself accountable, I use the chart below to monitor each student’s weekly progress. A full checklist can be found in the Materials portion at the end of this text. Students have bookmarks as visuals to provide them with their responsibilities while reading and well as tips to help them succeed. Paraprofessionals also have bookmarks with tips for them to support the child. Bookmarks are provided under Materials.

Example anecdotal notes…Student Monday Tuesday Thursday Observations, Strategies

8 minutesNovel

5 minutes requires para to track, uses slant board

5 minutesSnakes

10 minutes need to make tracking devise

15 minutesHow does Popcorn Pop

engages in “how-to” books – build during FT

10 minutesComic Story

5 minutes focus on changing tone during dialogues

Students are expected to enter the classroom, navigate to the book selections, choose their book, and find a place within the classroom to begin reading. Students will read for 20 minutes. The atmosphere of the classroom is quiet, calm, and relaxed. After students put away their reading books, they push a chair up to the front of the room and participate in a five-minute sensory diet inspired by the Connect Experience Write Handwriting Program created by Carrie Davis MS OTR/L and Michele Parkins MS OTR/L. Students then have 5 minutes to eat their snack while I organize their centers for the day.

In addition to the reading center that houses the student’s independent reading books and my choice of a book for Friday’s Whole Group Reading, there are 4 other centers. The four centers are set up in the same place in the classroom each day, creating constancy and structure for the students. Students spend 15 minutes at each center, equaling 2 centers per day.

Daily Centers:

Vocabulary Reading Comprehension Handwriting Grammar

Student Monday Tuesday Thursday FridayVocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

VocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

GrammarHandwriting

VocabularyReading Comprehension

Planning for the centers a little something like this.

Each week the teacher is responsible for planning the following week. Materials should be gathered, organized, and prepped. Purchasing 2 4 drawer plastic container is best to organize materials. Tubs are labeled: “current week” and “next week”. Labels are placed via Velco, so at the end of the current week, labels can be switched and the “next week” container can being filled. All materials from the completed week are to be organized and filed in a binder. Selecting one paraprofessional to assist in the preparation process will alleviate responsibilities of the teacher.

The teacher planner is presented as a table to support organization.

Homework packet is handed out each Monday and returned a week later. For students who do not complete homework at home, they are to take the work and complete during Independent work time, during any down time/transitions, or during a Related Service time.

Center Activities ResourcesVocabulary

*Students work on the same group of 21 words for two weeks.

Week #: _______

Print Vocabulary/Spelling List for each studentPost on WebsitePrint the Dictation Sentences for Day 4

Make Flashcards (words on one sheet, definitions on another)*Template provided in Materials Section

Weekly Homework: Week One: Use each word in a sentence.Week Two: Study Spelling words & definitions

Day One: Introduction Put words in ABC Order – using

vocabulary cards, not writing. Match words with definitions Make Flashcards

Day Two: Understand the words Act out the words if possible Match words to a visual

Day Three: Interact with the words Game with words (letter scramble,

shaving cream writing, matching game, silly sentences)

Day 4: Assessment Students will be assessed in various

ways to meet their unique learning style

Vocabulary Lists & Dictation Worksheets:http://www.k12reader.com/fifth-grade-spelling-words/

MaterialsChecklist

(name of para helping with each task)

Task Materials

Vocabulary List for students computer, printerWrite vocabulary words at the centers dry erase makersPost words on website comptuerPrint Dictation Words and place in Binder – Only have to do this once for entire year

binder

Type words into Flashcard Template templateType definitions into Flashcard Template templateMake Flashcards glue, scissorsAdd Homework to Homework Template templateMake Visuals or Action cards for day 2 internet, printerPlan Game for Day 3

Create Assessment

Notes:

Students to observe, video:Center Activities Resources

Grammar

Weekly Skill:__________________

Print out worksheets for class work Print out worksheets for homework*follow units in sequential order

Weekly Homework: 1. Worksheet2. Home connection at bottom of worksheet

Day One: Worksheet Gross Motor

Day Two: Activity to show understanding Fine Motor

Class work:http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghbgrd5.html#

Homework:http://www.mhschool.com/reading/treasure_workbooks/national/g5/grammar_pb.pdf

MaterialsChecklist

(name of para helping with each task)

Task Materials

Print class work Title: _____________________

computer, printer

Print homeworkTitle: _____________________

computer, printer

Write homework page and title on Homework Template templatePlan, type, and post Gross MotorIdea:

Plan, type, and post Fine MotorIdea:

Notes: Students to observe, video:

Center Activities ResourcesHandwriting Choose one writing prompt

Choose one picture prompt

Weekly Homework: Write or type vocabulary words 4 times each

Day One: CEW Letters Writing Prompt

Day Two: CEW Letters Picture Prompt

Writing Prompts:http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/2010/online_writing/writing_prompts/gr_5_writing_prompts.pdf

Picture Prompts:http://www.slideshare.net/beckerl1/pictures-for-writing-prompts

MaterialsChecklist

(name of para helping with each task)

Task Materials

Type, print, and post Writing PromptPrompt:

computer, printer

Print Picture Prompt and place at center in page protector computer, printerWrite homework in homework template and attach 2 pieces of writing paper

template, writing paper

Make Copies of CEW Sheets for each student*Collaborate with Michele or Shanna (OT)

computer, PDF’s from binder

Notes: Students to observe, video:

Center Activities ResourcesReading

ComprehensionChoose 2 Reading Comprehension sheets from website. 5th Grade: Class work4th Grade: Homework

Weekly Homework: Worksheet (Grade 4)

Day One: Read questions, highlight key words. Read passage, looking for answers

Day Two: Review questions Read passage once more Answer questions

Cross-Curricular Worksheets:http://www.k12reader.com/subject/5th-grade-reading-comprehension-worksheets/

http://www.k12reader.com/subject/4th-grade-reading-comprehension-worksheets/

MaterialsChecklist

(name of para helping with each task)

Task Materials

Print Grade 5 for class work and place in folder at center computer, printer, folder

Print Grade 4 for homework, write in the homework template computer, printer,homework template

Make sure working highlighters are available for the center

Notes: Students to observe, video:

Dear Students and Families, Below you will find directions for the weekly homework. I have listed the tasks that need to be

completed and handed in one week from today. This means you have all week, as well as the weekend to complete the work. I have also created a planning chart to be filled out together. The chart allows you to decide each week which nights the homework assignments will be completed. Attached are the resources and materials you will need. If you have questions, first check the classroom website, then e-mail Miss Chelsea. E-mail responses will be answered within 24 hours, between the hours of 8am and 4pm. Lastly, please allow 1.5 weeks for homework to be checked and returned.

Thank you!

Homework for the week of: ______________________________Due Date: ______________________

Tasks to be completed:

Subject Task1 Vocabulary Write one sentence for each word

OR try to use two words in one sentence2 Grammar Worksheet page number:

Remember to do the home connection on the bottom of the page.

3 Handwriting Write or type Vocabulary List words 4 times each4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet page number:5 Leisurely Reading Read a total of 60 minutes this week. The choice of what you read is yours

Planning Chart:

Day of the Week Task Person Helping Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday