Planning for a Standards Based Classroom
Small Group Instruction
- Students are engaged in small group Guided Reading and Guided Mathematics groups. Students are grouped according to student needs and ability levels. Guided Reading consists of four groups: above level, on level, below level, and extremely below level. Extension activities and higher grade level material are used with students in the above level group. Grade level activities and material are used with students in the on level group. Phonics, language, and comprehension skills are scaffolded for students in the below level groups using materials matching their grade levels. Guided Mathematics consists of four groups: above level, on level, below level, and extremely below level. Extension activities and higher grade level material are used with student in the above level group. Grade level skills and concepts are scaffolded for students in the on level group. Instruction for the below level groups is highly supported by the use of manipulatives to develop mastery of math skills at the concrete and abstract levels before teaching at the algorithm level.
Standards Based Learning Centers
- Students are actively engaged in standards-based learning centers. These learning centers provide students with the opportunity to practice skills and concepts learned throughout the entire school year. Skills and concepts reinforced at learning centers include sight words, phonics, spelling, contractions, homophones, synonyms, antonyms, writing skills, mathematics vocabulary, addtion, subtraction, multiplication, division, money exchange, making change, multi-step mathemtics problem solving, peer mathematics tutoring, partner reading, independent reading, peer reading tutoring, reading comprehension, science vocabulary, and social studies vocabulary,. The standards-based center activities are presented in the form of fun and engaging games, puzzles, and hands-on activities that can be completed independently, in pairs, and in cooperative learning groups. Students have so much fun, they forget they are learning.
Cooperative Learning
- Students participate in reciprocal scaffolding by working together in cooperative learning groups to solve multi-step mathematics word problems. The groups consist of two or more students. Students learn from each others knowledge and experiences. The scaffolding is shared by each member and changes constantly as the group works on a task. Students develop higher level thinking skills through this form of scaffolding.