ELA: Idaho Core Workshop Resources

Missed our first three ELA Workshop sessions? Grab the take-aways here!

More than twenty-five Post Falls teachers have been meeting on Thursday afternoons to tackle the ELA Idaho Core Standards.  The sessions will continue at Seltice Elementary until Spring Break. If you’d like to join us it isn’t too late. Just head on over!

ARCHIVE:

Idaho Core Basics

• ELA Anchor Standards K-12
• First Grade StoryTown TIA Document
• Second Grade StoryTown TIA Document
• Third Grade StoryTown TIA Document
• Fourth Grade StoryTown TIA Document
• Fifth Grade StoryTown TIA Document

Digging into Informational Text

• ELA Informational Text Standards K-5
• Online Sources for Informational Text
• Scholastic Close Reading Graphic Organizer
• Scholastic Informational Reading Graphic Organizer
• EQUIP ELA Rubric for ELA K-2
• EQUIP ELA  Rubric for ELA 3-12
• Book Talk Cards 1st Grade
• Book Talk Cards 2nd Grade
• Book Talk Cards 3rd Grade
• Book Talk Cards 4th Grade
• Book Talk Cards 5th Grade

Scaffolding Complex Text

• Qualitative Dimensions of Text
• Achieve.Org Qualitative Rubric for Informational Text
• Achieve.Org Qualitative Rubric for Literature
• Idaho Core Text Exemplars K-5
• Technical Report Linking AIMSweb to Lexile Framework for Reading
• Achieve.Org Common Core Reading Level Conversions
• AR Lexile Conversions
• Lexile Find a Book
• Lexile Text Analyzer

UPCOMING

Using Academic Vocabulary — February 20 & 27

Text-Dependent Questioning — March 6 & 13

Writing in the Idaho Core — March 20

Want more information about the ELA Workshop Series? Looking for something specific? Email me at jolsen@sd273.com.

ELA: Informational Book Talks With StoryTown

Looking for a more intentional way to use your red, green, and blue StoryTown readers? Try an Informational Book Talk!

Third grade students in Julie McCoy’s classroom at West Ridge Elementary have been busy  talking about books! Every Monday morning students meet in small groups to read their red, green, and blue StoryTown non-fiction readers before working together to answer comprehension questions. Sounds like a traditional classroom activity, right? But not so. These Informational Book Talks have a twist! Students use the same seven questions based on the Idaho Core Standards to explore each week’s text.

Students examine the text for evidence, use context clues to learn new vocabulary, identify author’s purpose through text features and structures and connect ideas throughout their reading. Students are quickly becoming more and more familiar with new academic language and are able to practice their speaking and listening skills while engaging in group discussions.

Feel free to try the Book Talk Cards in your own small groups or as a whole class. The cards can be printed to 3X5 cards and then laminated for student use. I have only created cards for third grade at the moment, but if you are interested in cards and talking prompts for a different grade level please email me and we can work together to examine the Idaho Core Reading Standards and create grade-level appropriate prompts. I’m also available to model the Book Talk Cards in your classroom or with your grade level team.