Welcome to the month of May!
As a reminder, this month's newsletter is the final newsletter of the 23-24 school year. Summer is our busiest time of the year, so we'll be out and about delivering professional development in the region. The newsletters will resume again in September 2024. Until then, any necessary communication during the summer months will come through our ELAR Listserv, so be sure that you have signed up using the button at the bottom of the newsletter.
We hope you've had a wonderful school year and an even more fantastic summer break!
Back That Thang' Up: Using Evidence to Support Constructed Response Gr 3-8
The new writing demands of the state assessments will require students to construct short responses to text-based questions. Students’ ability to clearly answer the questions asked and select the best text evidence to support their responses will depend on the number and quality of opportunities they have to practice these vital skills. In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the new STAAR assessment requirements for constructed response questions, learn strategies to create text-based questions based on the TEKS and help facilitate students’ abilities to compose written responses that provide appropriate text evidence.
Date: June 10, 2024 and July 11, 2024
Time: 9-4
Location: Region 10 ESC
Presenter: Chandra Shaw
Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @CShawR10
911 ECR Emergency Gr 3-8
Preparing students for the rigor of standardized tests can be daunting, especially when trying to equip your students with the essential skills needed to excel on the STAAR test's Extended Constructed Response (ECR) items. This session aims to alleviate the challenges by offering practical strategies, valuable insights, and collaborative activities designed to empower teachers with the tools to provide direct, explicit instruction that guides their students toward writing exceptional ECRs. Join me for a hands-on, interactive workshop designed to enhance teachers' expertise in effectively teaching ECR writing.
Date: June 24, 2024 and July 15, 2024
Time: 9-4
Location: Region 10 ESC
Presenter: Chandra Shaw
Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @CShawR10
The 411 on EOC ECRs
The Extended Constructed Response (ECR) on the English 1 and English 2 End of Course (EOC) exams set expectations that incorporate text analysis and evidence-based writing that is foundational to students' college readiness. In this session, participants will review strategies to promote text-based thinking before getting "the 411" on how EOC writing expectations align with various college-readiness standards. In order to inform instructional practices around writing, participants will take a deep dive into rubrics and samples of student writing craft. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in reading and writing experiences that will foster authentic writing growth for increased success on EOCs and beyond.
Date: June 20, 2024 and July 15, 2024
Time: 9-4
Location: Region 10 ESC
Presenter: Jennifer Gunn
Email: jennifer.gunn@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @GunnTexas
ESC Region 11 invites you to the Literacy Event of the Year! The Texas Reading Initiative Conference: Literacy Connects Us to The World provides a space for secondary ELAR educators and leaders to come together to collaborate around literacy and language experiences for 6th through 12th grade.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from well-known authors and experts in the field! There will be a variety of keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and time to collaborate with other literacy leaders in the state. This conference has no registration fee, so please join us for a great day of professional learning.
- Click here to register!
- Event Date: July 18, 2024
- Event Location: ESC Region 11, 1451 S Cherry Ln, White Settlement, TX 76108
- Conference Vision: Equip secondary literacy teachers with content knowledge, research-based practices, and tools to meet the diverse needs of the readers and writers they serve.
- Conference Mission: Curate learning opportunities and resources that model best practices in the field of secondary literacy.
Sixteen years ago, Renaissance began publishing their What Kids Are Reading report based on their previous year's data. When I first started working at Region 10, the ELAR team would share this report through our listserv each year. It's been a while since I personally checked the list, but in the current educational climate, in which the practice of reading whole books seems to be more and more under fire, I thought it appropriate to post the report here as we prepare to take a break from our monthly newsletter publishing. No matter your personal take on the use of the Accelerated Reader program or others like it, as literacy educators, it's good to know the types of books students are reading.
It might surprise some of you to find out that I personally don't feel AR is the evil "love of reading killer" as some posit. To me, its effectiveness is based on how schools use it. When NOT used as a "gatekeeper" to keep students relegated to certain "levels" of books, I think it can be a tool to get many students to read more and offer a quick check for basic comprehension. However, it's just A TOOL schools can use to support student reading, NOT the only tool. This thinking is how I feel about most topics, resources, strategies, curriculum, etc., in education, "It's all about HOW you use the tool," as to whether or not it's good or evil.
As for AR Reading, I never prevented a student from reading a book because it wasn't at their level. In fact, when students selected books above their independent reading levels, I'd find ways to make those texts accessible to them, usually through offering the audio version and scheduling weekly check-ins with the student to discuss the book. Sometimes, I'd read the same book with groups of students and hold little book club meetings so they could feel successful in reading more complex texts. Likewise, I didn't discourage students from reading books for which there was no AR test. My students knew they could read any book. If we didn't "own" the test for a title, students could create their own bank of questions to go along with that book to be entered into our school's database of quizzes. Many of my students chose this option. Students also set their own personal goals for points, not me. My students liked this autonomy and almost always achieved their own goals.
For students who tried to take shortcuts...You know the ones who'd check out a Harry Potter book on Monday and take the quiz on Tuesday, those results were simply deleted from their profiles, and students were given a warning. It really didn't take much effort on my part to keep a system of checks and balances in place. However, the truth is, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually had to do that in a 7 year period teaching 4th graders. My years teaching 5th and 6th grade yielded similarly low numbers. Once students knew I was actually checking, it was a non-issue.
Yes, as literacy educators, first and foremost, we should strive to create an intrinsic love of reading for ALL students. No program will ever do that. However, we can certainly use tools our districts already pay for to our advantage. I see nothing wrong with that. And let's be real, programs like AR are NOT the main reason children aren't reading as many books anymore. I mean, honestly, when was the last time you picked up a book to read just for pleasure?
I enjoyed reading through this year's list. It was great to see so many new titles and new book series, and equally refreshing to see some classic books on the 2024 list. For me, any time a student has a book in their hands is a win.
Read the report here.
Sincerely,
Ms. Shaw
Cult of Pedagogy Podcast by Jennifer Gonzalez
In this episode of Jennifer Gonzalez's Cult of Pedagogy Podcast, she sits down with Jennifer Borgioli Binis to discuss the hot topic of standardized tests and offers 5 principles we use to craft our own moves to reduce the harm caused by standardized tests.
Listen to the Podcast here.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The bestselling historical fiction novel from Kim Michele Richardson, this is a novel following Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her quest to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves, perfect for readers of William Kent Kreuger and Lisa Wingate. The perfect addition to your next book club!
The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.
Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.
Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.
Grissom Greenup Farm Children's Series
This story began many seasons ago on a farm in Greenup, Illinois. The farm, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Grissom, was dedicated to growing corn, grain, and to raising livestock. It is situated on a rural road about seven miles from former President Abe Lincoln’s Family Farm. Every summer at the Grissom Greenup Farm, family traveling from several states, came together to celebrate life, work, and each other. Herein, four first cousins share their memories in a series of stories for children. Sit back and enjoy the Adventures of the First Cousins on Grissom Greenup Farm.
About Us
The Region 10 ELAR team provides literacy support through professional development services, instructional coaching, and technical assistance.
Twitter: @R10ELA
Dr. Pearl Garden
Email: pearl.garden@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1318
Twitter: @LiteracyPearls
Chandra Shaw
3-8 Literacy Consultant
Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1564
Twitter: @CShawR10
Jennifer Gunn
6-12 Literacy Consultant
Email: jennifer.gunn@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1080
Twitter: @GunnTexas