Maggie, Here in Ohio we have to follow the state standards and give the Ohio
Achievement Tests in May. We have been working on curriculum maps for 2
years; then when the test comes out, we look to see what is emphasized. We
then try to concentrate on those standards while using literature from our
selections in our classrooms. We begin with the strategies ("Strategies that
Work"..Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudis) and continue hitting all those
strategies all year long. We are trying to align our all-class reading with
our Social Studies department and will be hitting the Civil War period hard
this year, including a cross-curriculum research project. If we are teaching
figurative language, literary elements, etc. we will do poetry. We also do a
mixed genre study on the Holocaust, which is amazing. I teach 8th grade, but
the strategies apply to every grade level. In the beginning of the year, I
use picture books (both fiction and non-fiction) to review the strategies.
It is so overwhelming, if you would like, email me personally (off list) and
I can be much more specific. AND, as Ashli said.....BREATHE! IF something
doesn't work (and it often doesn't), just tweak it or throw it out. Life is
short!
Janet Smith
8th Grade Reading
Conneaut, Ohio
-------Original Message-------
From: Maggie Dillier
Date: 7/25/2007 11:07:55 AM
To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.
Subject: Re: [LIT] The BIG question - expert advice needed!
Thanks, Ashli! (I'm in Irving, by the way.) My district has a curriculum,
sure, but it is based on comprehension tests and book reports and all that
icky stuff that I don't want to do. It's also based around genres, and I am
just not sure about that. *So, everyone, if you can't find the time to
respond to my whole email, can you at least tell me*: *Do you base your
curriculum on genres (Sept = fiction, Oct = poetry...) or strategies (Sept =
making connections, Oct = synthesizing...)?* I have been thinking about this
for so long, and I just can't decide. Please help!!!
~Maggie
5th/TX
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