Ms. Cummings
Welcome Back from Fall Break!!
In class, we have started the writing portion of the Read 180 Workshop. In 8th grade we have analyzed a student model of an Argument Essay. Seventh graders have analyzed a student model of an Informational Summary, and Sixth graders have analyzed a student model of an Informational Paragraph. Students will be using the information from the texts we have been reading in class to write their own essays. We will begin brainstorming/outlining this week. Remember to sign-up for your parent-teacher conference. Conference week is coming! October 15-19th. Please sign-up at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4AA9AC22ABFD0-conference4 to schedule your conference. I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you. On Friday, I was able to conference with students regarding their Instructional Software progress. Students are expected to be actively participating with the READ 180 program 15-20 minutes, three times per week. The information I shared with the students focused on their current status/level, time-on-task, and performance grades for each of the "zones".
While on the computer, students are guided through different "zones" where they practice a variety of comprehension skills with the help of a virtual reading coach. Students are given a grade that is generated by the program, so it is important for students who are frequently absent, tardy, or not following the expectations for the Instructional Software rotation (quickly & quietly get logged on to the program, headphones on, and stay focused on their computer) to make arrangements for before school tutoring. I will provide tutoring passes for students to make up missed software time. Unfortunately, students can not access this portion of the program from home. ***Remember this Friday, September 21st is the deadline to have the first book completed. This includes the QuickWrite turned in, as well as, the Reading Counts Quiz passed with a 70 or higher. Many students have already completed the Quick Write, Organizer, and passed the Reading Counts quiz for their first book deadline (September 21). I have promised a special celebration day for the classes with 100% of the class meeting this deadline. We will be playing Uno, Jenga, Uno Spin, and Perfection.
For struggling and reluctant readers, reading a whole book independently while actually comprehending what they are reading is a major reason to celebrate! Hope to see you all at Parent Night this Tuesday or Thursday. Remember to keep encouraging your child to READ, READ, READ... Read 180 is in full swing! We started our first Workshop in the rBook. We have set our 1st Independent Reading Rotation book deadline (September 21st). We have tracked individual progress with Lexile scores since May, and students have set personal goals for the next Reading Inventory in the Small Group Rotation. Students are diligently working to complete segments in their Instructional Software Rotation.
Please encourage your student to use their class time wisely. Read 180 is an amazing opportunity for students to increase their Reading Level while reinforcing a variety of essential comprehension skills. Remember to read, read, read! We are definitely off to a great start. Students have become familiar with the expectations, procedures, and routines of the READ 180 classroom.
Our instructional model begins with a 20 minute whole group rBook lesson. After, we break in to 3 20 minute rotations: Small Group I will use this time to conference with students. Students will also practice a variety of comprehension skills during this rotation. Independent Reading Students choose a book (on their level) from the class READ 180 library, they read, work on activities to connect with the books, and pass a Reading Counts quiz. Instructional Software students are actively engaged in reading activities on the computer with the guidance of a virtual reading coach. Please be on the lookout next week for the syllabus and welcome letter. If you would like to volunteer for the PBIS Rewards Day please sign-up using the link below. Your help will be greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, May 15th starting at 9:30 www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050B4CA4A72FAB9-parent Greetings! We have completed our year-end Reading Inventory (RI) for 2017/2018 school year! After the first RI administration, I conferenced with each student. We discussed and reviewed their individual expected growth goals for the year. After reviewing the data: 1st period- 61% of the class met/exceeded their individual growth goal increase for the year. 2nd period- 74% of the class met/exceeded their individual growth goal increase for the year. 4th period- 75% of the class met/exceeded their individual growth goal increase for the year. 6th period- 76% of the class met/exceeded their individual growth goal increase for the year. 7th period- 81% of the class met/exceeded their individual growth goal increase for the year. To maintain these gains over the summer we MUST keep on READING!!! The only way to become a better reader is to read! :) Hello,
I have been so proud of my students over the past two weeks. The testing schedule was very demanding, yet each of them came to my class ready to do their best. We will be taking our year-end reading inventory this week. Please encourage your child to do their best. They all have what it takes to increase their reading levels. Once their level increases, it is important to continue to read books within the new range (50 below to 100 above the Lexile). *Reminder* Daily reading will continue to foster growth in their Lexile level over the summer. Happy Reading! :) Happy Wednesday!
Due to the large number of students testing on the computers this week, we have not been able to log in to the Read 180 program. Instead, students have been given class time to focus on independent reading assignments they have not turned-in, as well as, extra time to meet the goal of 8 books read in class this year. Please encourage your student to take full advantage of the grade recovery opportunities I am giving this week. Welcome Back! I hope you all had a restful break. With testing taking place over the next several days, I will be providing extra opportunity in class for students to catch up on their independent reading and instructional software usage.
The goal is for each student to have read, completed the corresponding QuickWrite, and passed the Reading Counts quiz for a minimum of 6-8 books in class over the course of the school year. Several students are still working to achieve this goal. Please remind your student that all classroom expectations for routines/behavior are still expected daily. As schedules are changed for testing, it is easy for students to get out of sync with the usual expectations. Sending positive vibes for testing! :) We have one more week before Spring Break! This week we will be having 3 rotations each day. Instructional Software, Independent Reading, and Small Group. In Small Group, we will be reinforcing our test taking strategies with practice lessons focusing on identifying different types of writing prompts (narrative, expository, and persuasive). We will also be reading non-fiction passages and practice answering questions using previously learned strategies.
Have a great week. Please email me with any questions or concerns you may have about your child's progress. Over the past few days (since retention letters have been mailed out), I have had several of my students ask me, " How can 'they' expect me to bring my Lexile level up before the end of the year?" In response to this question, I reminded all of my students that if they have been being an active participant in whole/small group (listening when not sharing out), appropriately utilizing the instructional software, actually reading their book during independent reading, and reading at home daily for at least 20 minutes-then I have NO doubt that their Lexile will go up. I know not every student has taken full advantage of the opportunities the class offers. However, I have faith in knowing that each and every one of my students has what it takes to bring their Lexile up. Please remind your child of that as they prepare for the Georgia Milestones.
Happy reading!!! This week we will begin our final workshop in the rBook. It is very important that each student continues to stay focused, on task, and do their best to avoid any distractions that might impede their success.
I am available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for tutoring. If you are interested, have your child see me or email me, so I can provide them with a pass. Remember, the only way to become a better reader is to READ! Have a great week!! Please check Student/ParentVue regularly. Several students are not turning in the weekly homework log, and it is beginning to impact their overall grade.
Report cards will be going home March, 21st. Please don't wait until the last minute to turn in late/missing assignments. *Some students have informed me that they have been having trouble using the link to the eBook library from home. I have reported the problem to the person who takes care of the technology aspects of our class. Hopefully, the link will be up and running soon! **Reminder- the media center is now open before/during homeroom and at lunch for checking out books. It is imperative that students take full advantage of the opportunities the class offers. Please continue to encourage your child to do their best not to get behind on their independent reading, and to utilize the eBook library for access to eBooks and eReads on their level. *All students now have access to the Cobb County Library with Library PASS (click parent resources button above) Homework logs are due each Monday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The links to access eReads and eBooks from home are found under the "parent resources" tab. Students will sign in using their lunch # for both the user name and password. *This counts for their 20-30 minutes of reading at home. **Remind your child to log their reading and take the corresponding Reading Counts quiz when they come to class. |
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