This may start a new discussion, but I'll go there anyway. This is not a quick review. This is a system that I fought tooth and nail against for months, and lost. But I must admit, I have found it useful. We actually use a "test prep" curriculum called "Standards Plus." I can't find exactly where it came from.
By doing this a little every day, we have negated the need to use a review now that we are so close to testing. We use it five minutes every day. Now I never use a worksheet curriculum the way it is laid out. I HATE worksheet work, so I put it on my computer projector, and we do it together. They write their answers in a cheap notebook. I have found that I like the way it addresses standards in very small chunks. It has no more than 6 questions on a sheet. It maintains what they've learned, and assess right in order. I even use the tests as lessons. It touches on standards I may have not specifically taught, nor would I have had time to teach a full lesson on. But because these standards have been touched on, I can spend three minutes explaining them. I do not use the scripted part, but our new teachers do. As you all have said, the middle schoolers need action. I write the kid's names on regular playing cards with permanent markers. Every day, I shuffle the deck and flip over the cards for folks to answer the questions. Now I toss the cards to a student and let them do it. I LOVE your white board idea. I have got to figure out a way to incorporate that into the Standards Plus. What a paper saver and BOREDOM saver. Kim -- Kimberlee Hannan Department Chair Sequoia Middle School Fresno, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
