jon kern mandarin middle school jacksonville, florida 13 years teaching (language arts + intensive...

Jon KernMandarin Middle School

Jacksonville, Florida13 years teaching (language arts + intensive reading)

Currently: 7th grade language arts (standard, advanced, inclusion)Co-Creator of PW Impact!

Recipient of Milken Educator Award One of five finalists for Duval County T.O.Y two different times

4 years United States Marine Corps InfantryPersian Gulf War Veteran

HusbandDad

Softball Coach

Learnin’ Strategies and Other Crazy Ideas

Unit Question

• In what ways do you give your students an OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN?

Daily Questions

• What are two new ways you can engage and motivate your students?

• What is a way to immerse your students in words?

• What is an easy way to differentiate?• Why do we “activate background knowledge?”• How do we “tie it all back together” and

ensure that they “got it?”

Brief How’s and Why’s of Effective Reading Instruction

Don’t Tell Them to Read. Teach Them to Read.

Climbing the MountainWhy we must:

QuestionClarify

SummarizePredict

For many students, reading is like climbing a mountain.

They read a little.

And, they trudge on…

And, on…

Never really taking the time to take a look around as they climb.

And, they get near the top and are excited, only because they are “almost there.”

Then, they finally get to the top, when…

…we ask them what they saw along the way.

But they don’t really know. Because they weren’t taking the time to have a look around.

So, we tell them, “Well, you’ve got to go back down and climb the mountain again.”

To which their actions tell us, “I don’t want to climb the mountain again. I’m TIRED of the mountain.”

So, it is our job to teach them HOW to climb the mountain.

And, how to “look around” as they read through Questioning, Clarifying, Summarizing, and Predicting.

The ability to ask Questions is one of the most important skills you can teach a young reader. Teach them to WONDER as they read…

I wonder why that fourth tree is blue?

Teach them how to Predict. Make them guess what is going to happen next. By basing their prediction on information they’ve been given so far, you are also teaching them how to draw their own conclusions. Plus, making a prediction gives the reader a purpose for reading. They will want to read on to see if their prediction is correct.

Those horses are running away from something. I think there is something up ahead that has scared them.

Then, they can Clarify. When they clarify, they can answer the question they have asked, determine a word’s meaning using context clues, determine if a prediction was correct, or anything else that helps them “clear up meaning.”

Oh, I get it now! There is an alien. The horses were scared of something. It was the Martian and his UFO.

Teaching them to Summarize means making them constantly ask themselves “Do I get it? Do I understand what is going on right now?” If they do (and can remind themselves of what they have read), they can keep reading. If not, they reread that short part and Clarify for themselves until they feel they are ready to move on.

So far, I’ve seen a few green trees, with a suspicious looking blue one. I saw six horses running away from an alien and it looks like now I’m going to run into a ram. Ooo- I wonder if the alien turned the tree blue?

They should continue to use any of these four habits as they read...

Why are those eyes watching me?

So, when they get to the top of the mountain, they can tell us what they saw, because they were THINKING on the entire trip about all of the details along the way.

This mountain is full of some strange things. It feels like you are always being watched. Something has happened to turn a tree blue and there is an alien that is scaring the horses. The ram, however, doesn’t seem to be bothered by anything, because he stands straight and tall.

Why Activate Background Knowledge?

We always say that two important things to do BEFORE reading are to Activate Background Knowledge and to Set a Purpose for Reading. Ever wonder WHY those two habits are REALLY important?

Why Activate Background Knowledge?If you begin by knowing what the basic concept of the article is…

The Simpsons

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, you remind yourself…

The Simpsons

Why Activate Background Knowledge?Of the few things you know about it…

The Simpsons

Why Activate Background Knowledge?Then, one thought can build on another…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, another on another…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Why Activate Background Knowledge?Until you get to the point where you have built a “skeleton” of knowledge in your brain…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Why Activate Background Knowledge?Then, as you read, that original background knowledge will serve as a magnet for any new information you are provided by the article. In effect, you are doing something called “building your schema.”

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, as you keep reading, you keep attaching information…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

The Simpsons, the movie

Krusty the Clown

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, that information might be used to attract more information…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

Krusty the Clown

Intelligent

Tavern owner

Plays tricks on Moe

Another Sister

Maggie

Oblivious

December, 1989

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, the “magnet” keeps attracting new ideas…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

Krusty the Clown

Intelligent

Tavern owner

Plays tricks on Moe

Another Sister

Maggie

Oblivious

Nurturing

Proud of Bart

ParodySarcasmIrony

December, 1989

Why Activate Background Knowledge?And, it gets bigger and bigger…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

Krusty the Clown

Intelligent

Tavern owner

Plays tricks on Moe

Another Sister

Maggie

Oblivious

Nurturing

Proud of Bart

ParodySarcasmIrony

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

Plays tricks on family

Lunchboxes

December, 1989

On FOX

Why Activate Background Knowledge?Creating a fuller…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

Krusty the Clown

Intelligent

Tavern owner

Plays tricks on Moe

Another Sister

Maggie

Oblivious

Nurturing

Proud of Bart

ParodySarcasmIrony

Lunchboxes

December, 1989

On FOX

Longest running comedy

Still cares for them

Safety Inspector

Unaware

Mr. Burns

Why Activate Background Knowledge?…schema for that topic…

The Simpsons

Television Show

Other Characters

T-shirts

Smart Sister

Mom has tall, blue

Family

Live in Springfield

Satire

Postage stamps

Eats Donuts

Creative

Prankster

Krusty the Clown

Intelligent

Tavern owner

Plays tricks on Moe

Another Sister

Maggie

Oblivious

Nurturing

Proud of Bart

ParodySarcasmIrony

Lunchboxes

December, 1989

On FOX

Longest running comedy

Still cares for them

Safety Inspector

Unaware

Mr. Burns

Why Activate Background Knowledge?

And, remember. You started…

Why Activate Background Knowledge?With this…

The Simpsons

Why Set a Purpose for Reading?We tell students to Set a Purpose for reading in order to give them an idea of what they are looking for before they start looking for it.

If your principal were to say to you, “Go into your classroom and start looking,” wouldn’t you ask, “For what?”

If she replied, “I’m going to ask you to report on what you find,” wouldn’t you be a little disturbed?

Why Set a Purpose for Reading?However, if she tells you, “Go into your classroom and start looking for all of the desks that are broken,” we are a little more confident.

This is an extreme case, but it is why we must also teach students how to “set a purpose for reading.”

You can use the Anticipation Guides and Starter Questions as tools for “setting a purpose for reading.”

Why Set a Purpose for Reading?

We should also assume that many students may never look back to the text for the evidence that will help them answer our questions.

Another great test-taking strategy is to teach them to skim the questions before reading. Not only does this “set a purpose for reading,” it also helps students to “activate background knowledge.”

Having them “set their purpose for reading” will at least give them a head start on what we hope they comprehend.

GRADING MADE EASY

This is the oversimplified, easy-for-students-to-understand version of my grading scale…

GRADING MADE EASY

Show Them Where They Are GoingPre-Test

Unit Big Question

Weekly Agenda

Daily Questions

End of Week

Questions

Post-Test

Answer Unit Big

QuestionAs a “motivational

tool,” always let the students know

where they are going and constantly

ASSESS-TEACH-REASSESS.

Show Them Where They Are GoingMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Unit Pre-Test

Unit Post-Test

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayUnit Pre-TestUnit “Big” Question

Unit Post-TestUnit “Big” Question

Show Them Where They Are Going

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayUnit Pre-TestUnit “Big” QuestionPost Weekly Agenda

Post Weekly Agenda

End-of-the-Week Questions

Post Weekly Agenda End-of-the-Week

Questions

Post Weekly Agenda

Unit Post-TestEnd-of-the-Week QuestionsUnit “Big” Question

Beginning of Class:Daily Question

Beginning of Class:Daily QuestionEnd-of-the-Week Questions

Post Weekly AgendaBeginning of Class:Daily Question

Beginning of Class:Daily QuestionEnd of Class: Daily Question

Beginning of Class:Daily QuestionEnd of Class: Daily QuestionEnd-of-the-Week Questions

Post Weekly AgendaBeginning of Class:Daily QuestionEnd of Class: Daily Question

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayUnit Pre-Test

Unit Post-Test

For instance, use the Vocabulary Assessment at the beginning of the unit to conduct a “Pre-Test for Vocabulary.” Use it again in a few weeks for the “Post-Test for Vocabulary.” You could also use the High Interest article as your “Pre-Test” and the Technical Extension as your “Post-Test” for comprehension.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayUnit Pre-TestUnit “Big” Question

When should people who have committed atrocious crimes be permitted to have “second chances?”

Pose a Unit “Big” Question. Word it in the form of an assignment if you want to. Tell students they will use details from the “Second Chances” Unit in order to write an essay in answer to the “Big” Question.

Post Weekly Agenda

Monday:Pre-Vocabulary AssessmentDiscuss Words/ Word Parts

Tuesday:Practice RATA with supplemental article

Wednesday:Anticipation GuideStarter QuestionsReview Words

Thursday:High Interest Article: “Second Chances” + QCSP in groups

Friday:Reading Strategy SheetComprehension Assessment for “Second Chances”

End-of-the-Week Questions

Questions

Post Weekly Agenda

End-of-the-Week-Questions:-What is the meaning of “arduous?”-What do we to “monitor for understanding?”-What two things should we always try to do before we begin reading?-What are the meanings of the prefixes “re-” and “con-”?-What do Michael Vick and Robert Downey, Jr. have in common?

Daily Question:-What is the difference between the meanings for “confinement” and “emerge?”-What is the meaning of the prefix “re-?”

Begin the class period by telling the students that these will be the questions you will be learning to answer by the end of the period.

Daily Agenda:

Also, ALWAYS use a Daily Agenda… Let them use it like a checklist… it allows them to see where they are headed and where they have been on a daily basis.

Daily Question:-What is the difference between the meanings for “confinement” and “emerge?”-What is the meaning of the prefix “re-?”

At the end of the period, ask the question again.

The end-of-the-period question could be done in the form of an exit slip; or, by asking the entire group; or, by calling on two or three students, etc.

Use that Vocabulary Assessment as the Unit Post-Test for Vocabulary. You could also choose to use the Technical Extension from a PW Impact! unit as the Post-Test for Comprehension.

Work on answering the Unit “Big” Question that you posed at the beginning of the unit.

When should people who have committed atrocious crimes be permitted to have “second chances?”

The important thing to remember is to constantly give the students a “reason” for the day’s/ week’s/ month’s lessons by:

-providing a pre-test; -providing a unit’s “big” question;

-posing daily questions to them; -and providing a ‘weekly agenda’

to let them see where they are going.

Then, when the unit is complete, they can look at:

-their post-test scores;-their answers to the unit’s “big” question;

-the list of daily questions;-the weekly questions;

in order to see just how far they’ve come.

Daily Activities,Strategies

and other crazy ideas

The Balloon Game

When asking students for answers and to encourage class

participation…

For every correct answer you get,

The Balloon Game

Blow a puff of air in the balloon…

The Balloon Game

Another correct answer…

The Balloon Game

Another puff…

The Balloon Game

And, another…

The Balloon Game

And, another…

The Balloon Game

Until…

The Balloon Game

B A N G

The Balloon Game

The Balloon GameYou’ll be amazed at the participation you’ll have gotten from the “deviant” children who sit in the back row and never try to answer!

While the cute little kids up front that ALWAYS answer, shut up, plug their ears and stay quiet until all the TOUGH kids have popped the balloon.

Card-Flipping Vocabulary Game

Or, how to use physical activity to develop their memories.

• Trying to get students to memorize short definitions?

• Trying to get them to remember things like the meanings of prefixes and suffixes?

• Try coupling physical activity with repetition to increase their retention.

• Let’s say you are trying to get them to remember prefix meanings (you can do this with vocabulary words, also, but you’d have to use short definitions or synonyms).

• Have the students spend a few minutes looking at the prefixes and their meanings.

PREFIXES:

Pre-: BeforeTrans-: AcrossAn-: Not, WithoutBio-: LifeCon-: With, Together

• After they have been given enough time to study the material, call two or three of them to the front of the room.

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameTake your deck of cards…

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameStart flipping the cards off the deck and calling out prefixes…

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameKeep flipping cards, alternating between students, calling out prefixes.

before

TRANS-PRE-

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameTRANS-

across

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameAN-And, keep

flipping back and forth…

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameBIO-… calling out

prefixes…

Not, without

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameTRANS-

BIO-AN-

And, keep going back and forth, calling out…

AcrossTogether

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameCON-

AN-PRE-

TRANS-

And flipping…

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameCON-

TRANS-

And, the students keep calling out the meanings and catching as many cards as they can…

Without

Across

Before

With, together

Until you are tired of flipping; the students are tired of catching; you’ve run out of cards; or they’ve proven to you that they know the meanings…

Then, they count the cards, and the student who caught the most…

Card-Flipping Vocabulary GameWINS!

Vocabulary Room Label

Ever see a kindergarten classroom?

Everything is labeled.

The “door.”

The “window.”

The “rules.”

Why do they do that?

To expose children to words.

So, why can’t we label things in the secondary classroom?

A “door” can be labeled for its “threshold.”

“Rules” can be “the Manifesto”

The “lights” can be labeled with “luminosity,” “radiance,” “brilliance,”

and “illumination.”

The trash can can be labeled “debris.”

The overhead projector can be labeled “apparatus.”

And, on and on, as creatively as you, or your students can get.

• Go to a party store. Look for a wall hanging of a superhero or some other popular character. Many party stores have background settings you can hang on a wall for a kid’s birthday party. Hang a white sheet of butcher paper on your wall. Then hang your superhero on top of it. Use your superhero as the center of a graphic organizer you’ll create for your word of the week. I call mine SuperWords. Write words, synonyms, antonyms and related words on the butcher paper under the superhero. It’s just a way to jazz up your room and make it more colorful and alive-looking.

Superwords

SuperWords

Synonyms: Antonyms:

SuperWord: ___________

Related Words:

SuperWords

Synonyms: Antonyms:

SuperWord: Intrepid

Related Words:

BraveFearlessCourageous

ScaredWimpyFrightened

SupermanThe militaryBungee JumpingTony Hawk

Tic-Tac-Toe Vocabulary Activity

Here is a challenging way to get students to use their vocabulary words while capitalizing on “making connections” between the words.

Arduous Confinement

Remorse skeptical

Arduous: (adj.) requiring great effort; difficult

Confinement (n.) the state

of being restricted

Remorse (n.) deep and

painful regret

Skeptical (adj.) having

doubt; questioning

Tic-Tac-Toe Vocabulary ActivityArduous:

(adj.) requiring great effort;

difficult

Students will write a sentence

here using “arduous” and “confinement.”

Confinement (n.) the state of being

restricted

here using “arduous” and

“remorse.”

Students will write a sentence here using any combination of

words.

here using “confinement” and “skeptical.”

Remorse (n.) deep and painful regret

here using “remorse” and

“skeptical.”

doubt; questioning

Tic-Tac-Toe Vocabulary ActivityArduous:

(adj.) requiring great effort;

difficult

Students will draw a picture

here illustrating “arduous” and “confinement.”

Confinement (n.) the state of being

restricted

here illustrating “arduous” and

“remorse.”

here illustrating any combination

of words.

here illustrating “confinement” and “skeptical.”

Remorse (n.) deep and painful regret

here illustrating “remorse” and

“skeptical.”

doubt; questioning

Or, to

change it

ave st

udents

pt to d

illustr

ating b

ords i

nstead o

writing se

ntence

Student Analysis Answer Document

Create an answer document that gives you (the teacher) more data about your student by providing them with a column for a “Second Best Guess.”

Also, provide them with a column for “Problems, concerns, etc...”.

This student, at first glance, missed 5 out of 14. Not so good. But, after going over his “Second Best Guess” answers, we see that he was pretty close on three of the five. Maybe his comprehension isn’t as bad as we originally thought.

Give Your Class a SOUNDTRACK

Imagine a movie with no soundtrack. BORING!

Add appropriate music to your curriculum to spice up the “atmosphere”

of your lessons.

Soundtracks: Read Aloud

• Adding music to your Read-Aloud or Read-Aloud- Think-Aloud provides that extra “edge.”– Pick and choose the spots where the music will add

the most suspense, such as:• Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack for Treasure Island

on the first page or any of the fight sequences,• Jaws theme song in Touching Spirit Bear when the bear

is creeping up on Cole,• Remember the Titans theme song for The Watsons Go to

Birmingham during the sequence in which the church is bombed.

Short Writing Activities

• When giving students short writing activities or prompts, short summaries to write, etc. use fast-paced soundtrack music to “move them along.” Here are a few movies from which to choose:– Star Wars– Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom– Miami Vice– The Simpsons– The A-Team (they may not know it, but it will get them

going)– Rocky

Soundtrack: Writing ActivitiesELEMENTS of FICTIONWhat STORY do

you see in this picture?

What is its plot structure?

What is its setting?

Who are the characters?

What is the conflict?

What is its theme?

What is the tone? What is the

climax?

Independent Reading• A lot of times, it is good to play soundtracks without lyrics while

students read quietly. In a way, it trains them that when the music is playing, the expectation is that they are relaxed, quiet, and reading. Try out the soundtracks to these movies:– Legends of the Fall– Titanic– The Last of the Mohicans– Zorro– Immortal Beloved– Master and Commander– Gods and Generals– Rob Roy– Braveheart– The Greatest Game Ever Played

• When students face off against each other in academic competition, use themes from movies such as:– The Good, the Bad and the Ugly– James Bond– Hang ‘em High– Rocky (song is called Gonna Fly Now)– Theme to the Olympics

• Or, if students are competing in group games, music from the following movies is appropriate (clean music that is at least tolerable to most students):– Shark Tale– Flushed Away– Glory Road– Remember the Titans

– Bob Marley is normally a pretty safe bet, too. Most of the students enjoy him, and (for the most part), he’s clean and you don’t have to worry about the lyrics.

Soundtracks

• Check out your local CD stores for anthologies of soundtracks.

• Or, go on line and check out the sites where you download music. (I find Walmart.com to provide a pretty good selection at pretty decent prices. Plus, I feel comfortable with the security of what I’m downloading from them.)

• Another cheap way to get music is borrow it. Check with your local public library. Many of them have pretty good selections of soundtracks. Keep in mind copyright laws, however.

4 Corners ActivityFor discussing answers to multiple choice questions

Sometimes it can be very difficult to get students to stay focused while discussing the answers to multiple choice questions. They often just want to know the answers to the questions and be done with it. However, the true learning takes place when they come to an understanding about why a certain option is correct.

The following slides describe an interactive activity that requires the students to get up and move around so that they stay alert. It also requires them to be ready to explain why they chose the answer they did.

This activity works best for a small class size (15-20 or less) in a room that is not too small. If you have a larger class size (or if your room is fairly small), you could have students work in groups and then each group sends a “representative” to move to the appropriate corner of the room when it is time to do so.

Begin by completing an item analysis for the multiple choice questions the students have just completed. (To do this, compare all of the assessments to determine the amount of students that missed question 1. Then, repeat for question 2, question 3, question 4, etc. until you’ve got a count of the number of students that have missed each of the questions.)

After you have completed the item analysis, decide which questions you must discuss. It is not necessary to go over any questions that all of the students got right, or that few of the students missed (you can go over those questions with students individually later on if time permits). Students will just get bored if they are required to discuss questions that most of them got correct.

You should find about four or five questions total that you could discuss and use for the 4 Corners Activity.

Set up by labeling each corner of the room A/F, B/G, C/H, and D/ I. You can just use a magic marker to write the letters on a sheet of paper. Then, tape the papers in each corner.

D/IA/F

Explain to the students what you are doing and why:

• We will be discussing questions ___, ___, ___, and ___, etc.• You will be choosing a corner of the room to go to based on the answer you

have chosen for each question.• You will be given a chance to talk to the other students in your corner about

why you chose the answer you did.• You will be given the chance to listen to the other groups/corners explain

their answers.• You will be given the chance to change your answer.• The point to this activity is to learn how to truly look at all of the options in

a multiple choice question and to use evidence from the text to determine the best choice.

Explain the rules (rituals and routines) to the students:

• When it is time to move around the room, you must walk like civilized human beings (no running, skipping, jumping over desks, military crawls, pouncing like Tigger, etc…). If you do not walk appropriately, you will remain in your seat for the rest of the activity.

• When we are moving around the room you may not touch another student (not accidentally, on purpose, accidentally on purpose, or purposefully accidentally). If you touch another student, you will remain in your seat for the rest of the activity.

• When we are moving around the room, keep your hands/ bodies off the walls, tables, whiteboards/ chalkboards, equipment, tables, etc…

• When we move around the room, you MUST take your book with you.• You must stay silent in your groups until I say it is time to talk. When I give the signal

for silence, everyone in the group/ corner must get quiet.• You must remain silent in your group when a student is given permission to

talk/explain an answer.• Remain respectful of everyone and their comments.• As the teacher, I get to make up new rules as we move along to keep everything in

order (because I am the SUPREME COMMANDER!).

Then, begin discussing the first question. Reread the question, tell the students what your brain is thinking about as you read the question (clarifying the “meaning” of the question).

D/IA/F

Then, tell the students to choose a corner of the room based on the answer they chose while completing the assessment. (Remind students of your rules before allowing them to move. No touching, no running, no talking, no leaning on tables/desks/equipment in the room, no horseplay, etc…)

D/IA/F

Then, have the students talk to each other in their corners to decide why they chose the answer they did. Give them about 30 seconds to come up with a solid reason that will convince the rest of the class why their answer is correct. Students should have their books with them in order to include strong evidence from the text in their answer.

D/IA/F

Call on each group to explain their choice. Remind students in other corners to keep quiet and listen to the explanations provided. Tell them that each student will be given the chance to change corners after each group has explained their answer.

D/IA/F

I chose…because…

We chose…because…We chose…because…

After students have been given the chance to explain their answers, give them the option of switching corners based on the evidence they have heard. Remind them again of your rules for classroom movement during the 4 Corners Activity.

D/IA/F

Now, explain the answer to the question. When you are finished, have the students return to their desks and repeat the process for one of the other questions you have decided that you must discuss.

D/IA/F

2 Minute Explosion of Knowledge

Start your class period with a question students should be able to

answer by the end of the period.

And, Teach

Then, when there is a transition,or

a quiet moment…

Stand up HIGH

and scream

B O O M !

“Time for the 2-Minute Explosion of Knowledge!”

“At this point, I ask the QUESTION, and you give the answer- to anyone- anyone at all-

anyone in front of you, behind you, beside you- it doesn’t matter where, but you’ve got to be

talking to someone. I’ll be listening!”

Then, you ask a question about what you’ve been covering. Tell them they have 2 minutes (they probably won’t need that long) to answer the

question. They have to be talking to someone. Ready! Set! Go!

When they are pretty much talked out, ask if anyone talked to someone who gave a good answer. When

someone raises his hand, ask who gave him the answer. Recognize that person and then ask the first

person what he learned. Making him repeat the other student’s answer just reinforces it that much more.

If you use exit slips, it would be good to use a variation of the question you asked in the

2 Minute Explosion of Knowledge. Hopefully, they know the answer.

Fluency Bobsled

-Place students in groups of four.-Try to have four “levels” of readers.

Fluency Bobsled

-Provide an article to the students.-The article should be broken up in small parts.

-Each part should be around 100-200 words.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Fluency Bobsled

-Students should practice reading their “parts” in the group.

-Then, groups will compete against each other for the best time and fluency using a rubric which judges students on

Knowing the Words, Giving it Life and the Right Speed.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Students can utilize Echo Reading and Paired Reading depending on their abilities in order to practice.

Fluency Bobsled

-Place four desks or chairs at the front of the room. These will be your bobsled.

-Students will sit in order of their parts and attempt to read the article for the best time and fluency rubric

score (Turn Up the Fluency).

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Fluency Bobsled

The winning team will have the best time and the best overall rubric score for:

Knowing the Words

Giving it Life, and

The Right Speed

Differentiation

Add differentiated activities to your warm-up or

bell-work

Easy way to do it…

Differentiation

Often give warm-up work that only “fits” about 60% of your students? Leaving 20% lost, and 20% bored?

Differentiation

Provide a choice of short activities revolving around the same concept.

Differentiation

Warm-Up:Prepare for our Read-Aloud:Read page 54 of Animal Farm, then choose one of the following activities to complete:-As you read, write down one word of which you don’t know the meaning or pronunciation. Use context clues or the dictionary to define it and determine how to say it.-As you read, write two questions that your brain is “wondering about.”-After you have read, explain what type of attitude Napoleon is taking with Boxer. Tell why he is acting this way.

Example

Differentiation

Warm-Up:Read the following sentence:The monkey ran threw the forest and then jumped into the treetops as the tiger clawed helplessly at him.Choose one of the following to complete:-Determine which word is spelled incorrectly. Write its correct spelling.-Rewrite the sentence, adding a vivid word to it in order to allow the reader to better visualize the scene.-Rewrite the sentence as two or three separate sentences, using the shorter sentences to build suspense.

Example

Differentiation

The intention is to give a short warm-up that can be completed and

discussed in a few minutes. It can also lead into the day’s lesson.

Differentiation

If students begin with different activities based on their abilities,

they will be more comfortable with the lesson as a whole.

Differentiation

Hopefully, they will feel encouraged by their success with the warm-up

and will be more open to participating in the work period once

the focus lesson is complete.

Differentiation

At the end of the period, ask them what they learned during the class

period. Request their answer on an exit slip. Tell them it could be

something simple they learned from doing the warm-up.

One Step Further…

Differentiation

It’s all about setting them up with learning opportunities. Provide them

with activities that teach them something or that challenge them.

Remember…

Differentiated Warm-Up Activities and Work Period

Examples from Jon Kern’s classroom November 2008

Warm-Up offering different levels of activities based on one common assignment. Students pick the activity that is “slightly above their level” or that “best suits their ability level.” I conference with them if I feel they are not challenging themselves as they pick the activity.

Agenda with the Work Period Activity

Differentiated Work Period Activities for the same reading assignment. The work period is tied to the warm-up activity. Following a short mini-lesson and discussion of the warm-up, I assign the activity to students based on my reading comprehension assessments. Some students complete the activities with a partner. Some complete them individually depending upon the assistance level they need.

Another differentiated warm-up activity.

The work period is based on the warm-up activity. I assign the students one of the three work period activities based on reading comprehension assessment data.

Agenda for the previous differentiated work period and warm-up activities.

DifferentiationFCAT Flash-Cards

Students can read the same article, or articles based on their ability levels. Then, they can choose one of the FCAT Flash-Cards with generic questions to complete with the article they have read.

Students should know the areas they are weak in. Then, they should be encouraged to pick the card that will provide them the greatest learning opportunity.

For something slightly different, cut the cards apart…

Then, punch holes in them and place them on a ring. Make a class set and each student gets his/her own set.

Above all, make the students take ownership of what they are learning. They should know what they need to work on and make use of the cards that will…

Give them the

OPPORTUNITY

TOLEARN

Finding Readability Statistics

Finding the Lexile ScoreFirst: Save as a Text File

2. Under “Save as type”, choose “Plain Text”

3. Choose a File name and Save

1. Choose “Save As”

Lexile Analyzer• http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/• If you have trouble entering this web address, just Google “Lexile Analyzer.” This

address will probably be one of the first sites that pops up.• Follow the directions given to register for the analyzer

Follow the directions to register and create your Username and Password.

Finding the Lexile Score of the Article

After you have signed in, you will be able to choose a file from your hard drive for the site to analyze. You will click on Browse to find the Text File you have just created.

1. Make sure you are set to choose from “All Files”

2. Click on the text file you want to analyze.

3. Click on Submit

Then, SHAZAM!, the Lexile Score of the article appears.

In what creative ways do YOU provide your students an OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN?

Closing Questions

• What are two new ways you can engage and motivate your students?

• What is a way to immerse your students in words?

• What is an easy way to differentiate?• Why do we “activate background knowledge?”• How do we “tie it all back together” and

ensure that they “got it?”

jon kern mandarin middle school jacksonville, florida 13 years teaching (language arts + intensive...

unit question

easy way

new ways

daily questions

young reader

different times

crazy ideas

duval county t

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