[Simtrainer-l] Need some ideas

[Graner, Patricia Sampson]

Hi Christine,
How fun! I am very interested in how your new work proceeds.

Of course, districts do not do much assessing of older students' reading knowledge, so you will need your diagnostician's hat. IEPs may give you some hint - or not - about students' levels, if they have IEPs.

I have attached the IES Practice Guide on Adolescent Literacy because, despite its 2008 publication, the information holds up. And as Ed and Monica and Bev pointed out, vocabulary is king. The evidence is strong for providing explicit vocabulary instruction. It helps students to not only learn the meaning of new words, but it also helps them to develop stronger independent skills in constructing meaning from text. This document may prove useful to substantiate a focus on vocabulary.

I also attached a 2012 article that Michael Faggella-Luby, Don Deshler, Sally Drew, and I did about the importance of general strategies in the adolescent literacy/disciplinary literacy (DL) arena. Shanahan and others have done a great job of providing reasons for ensuring a focus on DL, and we remind readers that, especially for students with disabilities, the strategies like the SIM strategies are still an important foundation for kids.

Good luck in this next chapter and let us know how we can be helpful to you!
Patty

Patricia Sampson Graner, PhD
University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning
Director of Professional Development
SIM® Professional Developer
1122 West Campus Rd  ::  JRP, 708
Lawrence, KS 66045
pgraner at ku.edu
O: 785.864.0622 :: F: 785.864.5728
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From: Simtrainer-l <simtrainer-l-bounces at lists.ku.edu<mailto:simtrainer-l-bounces at lists.ku.edu>> on behalf of SIM Listserv <simtrainer-l at lists.ku.edu<mailto:simtrainer-l at lists.ku.edu>>
Reply-To: Christine Bouck <christinebouck at gmail.com<mailto:christinebouck at gmail.com>>
Date: Monday, August 1, 2016 at 12:00 PM
To: SIM Listserv <simtrainer-l at lists.ku.edu<mailto:simtrainer-l at lists.ku.edu>>
Subject: [Simtrainer-l] Need some ideas

Dear Colleagues,

After 10 years in higher education, I am moving back into the classroom. Starting next week I will be teaching high school again. One of my classes is what's called "curriculum assistance" and the other four will be co-teaching math and English. I could use your help. The CA class is for students with more severe learning differences. It's set up so we can work on IEP goals and (the best part) learning strategies to help the students be more successful in their classes. The principal seemed very impressed with the SIM strategies at my interview, and I am excited to be implementing them.

Here is where I need some help. I have free rein in this class to teach whatever I feel is best for my students. It's been a long time since I've been in the classroom, and I only had a few strategies to choose from. Now that I have most of the manuals and know so much more, I'm feeling overwhelmed. Does anyone have any suggestions for how you go about determining which strategies to teach first? I've always taught the strategy to everyone at once but I was thinking about trying to do some differentiation if possible. If anyone has suggestions for that I would love to hear them. Basically, if you have any advice, I'll take it. I'm thinking that once I get back into the classroom I'll be fine but the planning stages are giving me fits. I would appreciate any suggestions you have. Thanks!

Christine
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