Summary
Contents
Subject index
Teaching IS rocket science—and you are the pilot!
Teach Reading, Not Testing reinforces what teachers already know–test preparation worksheets and drill-and-kill activities do not make children into lifelong readers. The authors' conscientious approach to reading instruction combines an insider perspective on the development of high-stakes tests with classroom experience in achieving successful reading outcomes at the elementary and secondary levels. Their research-based methodology, building on teachers' expertise about best practice, is based on five key components:
Aligning instruction to the state or national core standards; Using formative assessment; Connecting units to real-world contexts; Motivating students effectively; Holding on to best practice in literacy instruction
Included are end-of-chapter quizzes and real-life scenarios, plus a full chapter on teaching literacy with special populations. Readers will find helpful solutions for teaching children to love reading in the midst of the accountability movement, and an approach to test preparation that doesn't require teachers to sacrifice everything they already know about teaching kids to read.
Chapter 1: Conducting an Alignment Study
Conducting an Alignment Study
Chapter Highlights
- How to determine the alignment between the curriculum standards and what you teach by conducting an alignment study
- How to determine any areas missing from your curriculum by conducting a gap analysis
- How to supplement any missing areas to ensure all standards are being taught
Without question, teachers are faced with intense pressures to address the individual needs of students who come to their classrooms with a wide range of reading habits and abilities. This differentiation of instruction becomes even more difficult when reading groups are designated by an external literacy coordinator, mostly based on results from a district-selected reading test. There is also great pressure on teachers to address multiple facets of reading for all kids: fluency, vocabulary, phonics, ...
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