Fractions on my Mind

We are busy getting our kiddos ready for our end of the year exam.  I'm amazed at the progress they've shown through the year, but there are always things that we need work on.  One thing that several of our kiddos need help with fractions of a group.  We have an intervention time that we rotate every 2 weeks.  So this week, fractions of a group is on the menu!  :)

I have created a fun plan for helping them wrap their heads around this concept.  It is set up using a gradual release of responsibility:

Day 1 - Pretest/Teach/Launch/Review

Day 2 - Model

Day 3 - Practice Together

Day 4 - Practice Together

Day 5 - Independent Practice

Day 6 - Independent Practice

Day 7 - Review and Test

Throughout these 7-9 days, I have compiled videos and lessons, pre/post-tests, as well as a Smarties fraction activity and a Froggy Fraction Fun Task Card activity for you to work on with your kiddos.

I hope you'll check it out and find it useful in your room!  Click here for the plans.

Thanks so much!

Rachel,

and as always,

I am Thrilled in Third!  J

Thanksgiving GIVE AWAY!!!

I am a firm believer in trying to reach the students where they are at and not just teaching to the whole of the class.  I have blogged about my intervention time, which I like to call W.I.N. Time (What I Need), and have shared about some of the resources I have created.  On Thanksgiving, I will be choosing at random 1 person who has liked my Facebook page to be the recipient of all of my W.I.N. Time resources that I have created up to this point.  It would include the following:

WIN Time Pamphlet, explaining what I do
WIN Time/Assessment Binder
Place Value WIN time lessons
Adding/Mental Math WIN time lessons
Money WIN time lessons

Elapsed Time WIN

That is a total of  $20 in freebies!    So spread the word!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!  :)

W.I.N. Time (Intervention) Lesson Plans

Yesterday I blogged about a concept called W.I.N. time.  Basically it is a time built into the schedule for interventions and challenging your higher students.  I do a new concepts for students every two weeks.  I try to have groups no larger than 6.  I get people into my classroom to help lead groups and I have some students working independently.  I always try to follow this model as I am planning the intervention lessons:

Day 1 - Teach or Reteach a concept already taught
Day 2 - Model for students how to do it
Day 3 - Practice Together
Day 4 - Practice Together
Day 5 - Independent Practice
Day 6 - Independent Practice
Day 7 - Review and Assess

I have given a very detailed description of what W.I.N. Time is and how to do it in a pamphlet I posted on TPT.  You can access that here.

In my TPT store I also have several W.I.N. Time (intervention) lesson plans already laid out, with many more to come.

 

You can find my Intervention lesson plans here.  For this week only, I will be giving  my W.I.N. Time/Assessment Binder away for free!  Tell your friends!

I feel like we can't just continue to teach to the whole.  It is difficult to differentiate for every student, but this is one way to be collecting data and responding to that data with purposeful intervention.  This is something that had been lacking in my classroom and I am seeing some great results because of the intentional effort being put into seeing where every student is at and trying to help them move forward from there.

Make it a great day!

Rachel 

How to...Intervention - The W.I.N. Time concept

A few years ago, my school started getting into PLC's and looking at data pretty heavily.  The goal was to use the data to help improve the data.  How do you do that?  I know Johnny is low and Jenny is high, but what do I do with that?  I came across a concept that can be very powerful in getting the results we want.  One thing that we all have to remember is that styles and preferences as teachers come into play.  You have to do what comes naturally to you.  I will briefly outline what I do and if you want more information, check out my free download on teachers pay teachers that goes more in depth.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Collect Data (I usually look at spelling, reading, and math)

2.  Establish an Intervention team (could be partner teachers, special ed teachers, paras, parents, etc. - 3 or 4 is ideal)

3.  Plan a common intervention time where all of the team can be available to work with students.

4.  Look at the data as a team.

5.  Find common areas of need among students, placing students in intervention groups.  Some of your higher level students can be working independently in their area of need or on something more challenging.

6.  Decide who is going to plan, prepare and teach which interventions and preparing for your independent students.

7.  Plan for 7-8 days of intervention on that topic.  Every two weeks, re-evaluate where the students are at.  You may teach the same concept the following 2 weeks, but to some different students and some of the same students.

8.  Throughout the year, plan common assessments.  As you look at the data from those assessments, you can see common areas where students struggled or maybe one class did better than another.  Don't be offended, find out how they taught that concept.  This is one way where you can hone your skills as a teacher as well.  I am all about becoming better at what I do.  I try not to let my pride get in the way.  I always try to remember why I do this, for the students.

Here is what I call it - W.I.N. time.  It stands for What I Need.  That covers everyone.  Even if they are not identified in your assessments as needing an intervention in anything, you can still give them things that will challenge their thinking.  Projects or taking a concept to the next level.  Think outside the box.  :)

To learn more about W.I.N. time, check out my TPT store for the free download with information on what, how, who, etc.  There is also a download for organizing all your information - your data, assessments, etc.