One Stop Shop for ELA Curriculum!

Thanks to an idea that Sarah Knight envisioned and lots of help from Stevie Stryker, our uber-positive and up-for-anything web designer, our online curriculum pages are now up and running!

Once you sign in to Nixa's web page, you are a few short clicks away from *TONS* of grade-level resources.  The best part is, it really is a one-stop-shop!

Once you select "ELA Resources" from your grade-level page, this is what you'll see:

From here, you can access ELA assessments, curriculum resources such as the scope and sequence and curriculum cards, quick access to our district blogs, and links to all of the Units of Study that our tireless grade-level teams created during their final LNW sessions!

Scroll down a little farther, and you'll see this:

Here, all of the Missouri Learning Standards for ELA are listed with links to mentor texts and various resources that are listed for each standard.  This is a living document that YOU can help us continue to improve!  Simply fill out the Google form at the top of the resource page to share your favorite resources with all our Nixa teachers.

A quick video is posted below where Sarah will walk you through the steps to get to the new online curriculum pages.  ENJOY!

Poetry Resources for Poetry Month

Check out this Teaching Channel video, 
Poetry Work Stations for the Upper Grades:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/poetry-and-technology

30 Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month:

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41

Check out this website, 
Poetry for Upper Elementary Students:

http://farhadtash.blogspot.com/2008/10/poetry-for-upper-elementary-students.html

Poetry Resources for Younger Students 
and Older Students:

http://farr-integratingit.net/Integration/General/poetry/

Nixerest - Writer's Workshop Field Trips Week Three

Sharing Time

Students love when teachers, "Make writers famous," during sharing time.

When a student is finished sharing their piece of writing, the other students give them 3 stars and 1 wish, and then they get to pick a class cheer to celebrate. 

 

Save time during sharing by having 2 authors' chairs.  When the first student is done sharing, the second student is ready to start without a bunch of movement.

Another way for authors to get feedback from the class is to have a reminder to audience members about what they are listening for:  Praise (something the author did well), Ponder (something you have a question about), or Polish (something to work on).

  Anchor Charts

 

 

 Prompt Writing and Conferring

  

 

 

Third graders are preparing for the writing portion of the MAP.  They are writing to a prompt, conferring with their teacher about their prompt writing, and earning blue ribbons for a job well done.

When Do Students Illustrate?

Students Write Independently

Students can use resources such as a dictionary, thesaurus, or mentor text as they write independently.

Students Write Across the Curriculum

ELA

 

 

Science

 

 

 

Social Studies

Shared Forms

Thanks to Relyn Lawson for sharing the forms she used during Writer's Workshop visits!

Editor's Checklist

Beginning Middle End Planning Page

Anecdotal Record Pages

Nixerest - Writer's Workshop Field Trips Week Two

Mini-Lesson Anchor Charts

 

 

Teachers take pictures of anchor charts and store them in a notebook

for students to use as a resource.

 Conferring with Students

Teachers keep anecdotal records in a variety of ways 

to guide future writing instruction.  

Pick the way that works best with your management style.

Record what the student is writing - PIECE

Start with a STAR - what the student is doing well

Write down any other notes you want to remember - NOTED

Ask the student, "IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO WORK ON?"

Finish the conference with your TEACHING POINT

A = Always

M = Most of the Time

S = Some of the Time

N = Never

This could also be adapted to:

3 = Meets

2 = Partially 

1 = Not Meeting

NA = Not Assessed

Some teachers prefer to meet with students at their desks.

Others teachers confer at a table and students come to them.

Choose the way that works for you and your student.

Sharing Time

2nd graders loved sharing their writing with a microphone.

Students sit in a circle for sharing time.

Students can also use sharing time to share their writing piece with a partner.

Time Management

Use your cell phone to time conferences.  (3-5 minutes per student)

If conferences go too long, students get overwhelmed.

Keep it short, and give students one idea to work on as they continue writing.

 Display Student Writing 

 

Students display their most recent piece of writing in the hallway.

OR

 

Students keep a collection of writing in the hallway 

adding their most recent piece of writing on top.

Plastic folders house student writing projects, 

so friends can read and enjoy them.

Vocabulary

Students read like writers.

 They are always looking for interesting words in what they read, 

so they can use new and novel words in their writing.