Alum Rock Union Elementary School District

K-5

Imagine It!

Handbook

2013 - 2014

Stephen A. Fiss, Superintendent

Table of Contents

Purpose 1

Acknowledgements 2

Pacing/Lesson Planner 3

Room Arrangement 4

Concept/Question Board 5

Sound/Spelling Cards 7

Phonemic Awareness 10

Blending 12

Word Analysis 14

Phonics and Fluency 15

English Learner Support 16

Workbooks 18

Dictation 19

Pre-Decodable/Decodable Books 22

Vocabulary Strategies 23

Selection Vocabulary Bank 24

High-Frequency Word Bank 25

Clues/Problems/Wonderings or K/W/L 26

Reading Comprehension Strategies 27

Reading Comprehension Skills 28

Reading Strategies 29

Classroom Discussion 30

Thinking Aloud/Teacher Modeling 31

Spelling 32

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics 33

Writing Process Strategies 34

Workshop 36

Assessments 38

Supplementary Materials 39

PURPOSE

It is the expectation of our district that the reading/language arts program, Imagine It!, is

fully implemented according to the guidelines found in the Teacher’s Editions at all grade

levels.

In conjunction with the Teacher’s Editions, this handbook will provide quick access to

the contents of the research-based, state-adopted reading language arts program.

Much of the information in this handbook was taken from the Imagine It! Teachers’

Editions in grades K-5.

For a thorough understanding of each component in depth, please refer to the Program

Appendix. Songs, games, and other program components can be found in the Level

Appendix in each Teacher’s Edition at all grade levels.

In addition, the Routine Cards in the back of each Teacher’s Edition are a very valuable

resource. Routine Cards are also available online at:

http://www.imagineitreading.com/NA/ENG_US/index.php

The Imagine It! website can be accessed at http://www.sraimagineit.com/g_login.html.

Please see your site administrator for the access code.

1

This handbook was originally developed by the ARUESD Language Arts Teachers

Handbook Committee. After careful collaboration at all grade levels, the committee

recommended this handbook to all teachers in Alum Rock Union Elementary School

District.

It was revised by Sharon DeAngelo, Director, Academic Services, Candace McIsaac,

First Grade Teacher and the following Literacy Coaches: Adriana Bellini, Maria Salas,

Jim Vinson, Lisa Deshpande, Eleanor Vade Bon Coeur, Laurie Hersey, Kelli Sorich,

Kathryn Mohlenhoff, Beatriz Prado, and Jennie Roldan in 2009.

We welcome your input and suggestions on making this document useful for our

district. Please email all comments and suggestions for improvement to Sharon

DeAngelo at sharon.deangelo@arusd.org.

2.

Pacing/Lesson Planner

Each grade level will follow its respective Imagine It! 2010-2011 Pacing Guide. Pacing

Guides are updated yearly and available on the District’s website. In order to have

consistency throughout each grade level, teachers are expected to be within a few days of

their Pacing Guide.

The California Lesson Planner pages found in each Teacher’s Edition will assist you in

pacing each lesson and unit.

Plan ahead of time and review the Teacher’s Edition with your grade level team to

become familiar with the lessons prior to teaching them.

REMINDER:

It is important to remember that reading/language arts instruction must take place daily –

regardless of holiday programs and/or district/state testing.

KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE: At this level, teachers are following a ‘lesson-a-day’ format.

GRADES 2-5: At these grade levels, teachers are following a 5 day lesson format.

GETTING STARTED: The “Getting Started” lessons introduce and/or review key routines of the program. It is

an effective way to evaluate what your students know and help prepare them to be

successful in your class. The getting started incorporated in the district’s pacing guide

and is part of each Teacher Edition in Unit 1.

K – 2 10 days

3 – 5 5 days

TIME: State Frameworks require: K – 90 minutes

1st – 3

rd 150 minutes

4th

– 5th

120 minutes

Please refer to the Lesson Planner for recommended time spent per section in the

Imagine It! Reading Program.

3.

Room Arrangement

Use the “U-shape” or a modification shown below to provide an environment that is

conducive to the components of the Imagine It! Reading program.

The “U-shape” allows all students to focus their attention on the area of the

classroom where the majority of direct instruction is occurring. It gives the teacher

access to each student for direct instruction and personal attention; it gives the student

direct visible access to the sound/spelling cards and facilitates student interaction.

Front of Class

3.

Traditional

U shape Modified E - Shape

Traditional Open

4. 5. 6.

F – Shape Modified Double U

Traditional

Closed

4.

2. 1.

Concept/Question Board

One of the primary goals of Imagine It! is to help you and your students form a

community of learners. To do this, sharing information is essential. As the class

progresses through a unit, the Concept/Question Board serves as a place where common

interests become evident. As these interests emerge, students can use them as the basis

for forming collaborative groups to explore ideas in greater depth (e.g. Inquiry and

Investigation).

In addition, the Concept/Question Board gives students an outlet for questions that arise

as they read independently. It lets students know that questions are not problems but a

way of learning. Questions thus become a springboard for further exploration.

SPECIFICATIONS:

The Concept/Question Board is a public display of the growing conceptual knowledge of

the theme, and a springboard for inquiry and writing. This board will be used throughout

the year to develop the theme of each unit.

REQUIREMENTS:

Must have a permanent place

At least 5 x 4 feet

Displayed in the front or side of classroom

Easily accessible to students

“Concepts” posted on left, “Questions” posted on right

Do not divide the board (because concepts drive questions and question can

become concepts)

Title and contents of board will be changed with each unit theme

Supplies such as self-stick notepads, index cards, thumbtacks, tape, paper cut in

various shapes that represent each story and writing instruments should be on-

hand for students to use to attach their concepts and questions to the board.

5.

Concept/Question Board (continued)

HOW TO BEGIN:

It is imperative that each unit start by introducing the Concept/Question Board.

The Concept/Question Board is formally addressed under Launching The Theme

and introduced in Lesson 1 of each unit.

Encourage students to bring in items to add under “Concepts”. These items may include

newspaper clippings, magazine articles, information taken from the Internet,

photographs, realia, written concepts, etc.

NOTE: You may need to model by bringing in examples to spark the interest of your

students.

Encourage students and provide opportunities for them to continue to add to the

Concept/Question Board throughout the unit. Students should be informed that the

Concept/Question Board is a public display of their growing knowledge of a given theme.

DAILY REFERENCE:

In order to ensure that students have a deep understanding of each unit theme, it is

extremely important to reference the Concept/Question Board on a daily basis.

Teachers should ask students if they have anything to add to the Concept/Question Board.

Also, it is very important to reference the Concept/Question Board after each reading. To

do this, teachers must remember to bring the focus back to the unit theme. One way to do

this is to ask students, “Now, why do you think this story is in this unit?” Another

question you might ask is, “How does the behavior of a given character, or how does this

story, represent this unit theme?”

Finally, teachers should consistently encourage and provide opportunities for students to

post questions on the Concept/Question Board and to attempt to answer each other’s

questions during Workshop time each day.

6.

Sound/Spelling Cards

The Sound/Spelling Cards (in grades 1-5) and the Alphabet Sound Cards (in

kindergarten) are an essential component of the Imagine It! Reading Program.

They should be displayed in the front of the classroom high enough for all students to

see and use them but low enough so that they can be touched with a pointer, by you and

by your students. Students should have an unobstructed view so that during reading and

writing, students can readily see and use them.

The cards serve as a reference for students at all grade levels. Teachers should remind

students of this and consistently model explicit use of the cards as often as possible. The

cards should remain on display for the entire school year.

The cards are numbered and should be displayed in order.

““TThhee ffaasstteerr tthhee ssttuuddeennttss lleeaarrnn tthhee ccooddee aanndd hhooww iitt wwoorrkkss,, tthhee ffaasstteerr tthhee wwhhoollee wwoorrlldd ooff rreeaaddiinngg ooppeennss ttoo tthheemm..”” ((IImmaaggiinnee IItt!! TTEE PPAA1133))

NOTE: The Sound/Spelling Cards are such a vital component to the program and should not be

confused with other alphabet displays. Please remove other alphabet displays that

contain a different letter/picture association to eliminate any possible confusion by the

students.

7.

Sound/Spelling Cards (continued)

KINDERGARTEN:

The Alphabet Sound Cards are numbered and should be displayed in order with only the

letter side showing. In later lessons, as the sounds are introduced, you will turn the cards

over to show the picture side. Please remember this at the beginning of each school

year. At this level, students are not exposed to the spellings (as in grades 1-5).

NOTE: It is important to follow the directions in the Teacher’s Edition. Do not turn

cards over until they are formally introduced in the lessons in Imagine It!

because the units are intentionally sequenced in the kindergarten program to

support students’ developing phonological and phonemic knowledge.

GRADES 1-5:

The Sound/Spelling Cards are used to introduce or review sounds and spellings. Each

card contains the common spelling or spellings of a sound. With the exception of the

long vowel Sound/Spelling Cards, each card depicts both an action-sound association and

a picture of something whose name includes the sound.

GRADE 1:

The Sound/Spelling Cards are formally introduced in first grade. Teachers must hang the

cards with the picture side to the wall at the beginning of each school year. As you

introduce each card, you will turn it over to show the picture and the spellings on the

front of the card.

8.

Sound/Spelling Cards (continued)

GRADES 2-5:

The Sound/Spelling Cards should be referenced on a DAILY BASIS. This can be

accomplished throughout the day by blending, word analysis, dictation and “running” the

cards.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GRADES 1ST

– 5TH

LEVELS:

The Sound/Spelling Cards are approximately 88% in alignment with the “rules” of the

English language. Not all sounds and spellings that occur in the English language will

appear on the cards. Teachers may use post-its to add additional spellings to the

Sound/Spelling Cards when the teacher’s manual explicitly states that they can do so and

when deemed absolutely necessary. The addition of extra spellings on to the

Sound/Spelling Cards must be done judiciously. Post-its must be taken off at the end of

the year.

The pictures that appear on the short vowel cards were carefully chosen, as the name of

the picture contains the letter within it. This is a key concept to remember as most often

in the English language we see and hear short vowel sounds within words, not at the

beginning of words. Make sure that the Imagine It! Sound/Spelling Cards are the focus.

GRADES 1-3:

Miniature Sound/Spelling Cards are available in grades 1-3 for students to use during

Workshop. Students can practice “running” the cards or play the games mentioned in the

Workshop Planner of the T.E. (or Workshop Resource Book) with a partner.

For further reference regarding the Sound/Spelling Cards and the Alphabet Sound Cards,

please consult Program Appendix, pages 11-14.

9.

Phonemic Awareness

The basic purpose of providing structured practice in phonemic awareness is to help the

students hear and understand the sounds from which words are made. Before students

can be expected to understand the sound/symbol correspondence that forms the base of

written English, they need to have a strong working knowledge of the sound relationships

that make up the spoken language. This understanding of spoken language lays the

foundation for the transition to written language (Imagine It! T.E., PA 2).

Reading researcher Louisa Cook Moats states in her article, Teaching Decoding, “One of

the most fundamental flaws found in almost all phonics programs, including traditional

ones, is that they teach the code backwards. That is, they go from letter to sound instead

of from sound to letter. Such programs disregard the fact that speech evolved at least

30,000 years before writing. Alphabetic writing was invented to represent speech; speech

was not learned from reading. Following the logic of history, we should teach awareness

of the sound system (phonology) and anchor letters to it,” (Printed in the American

Federation of Teachers, Spring/Summer 1998).

According to the Glossary, found in the Program Appendix, pages 82-84, Phonemic

Awareness is defined as ‘the ability to recognize that spoken words are made up of

discrete sounds, and that those sounds can be manipulated.’ Below are some other

very important terms related to the Phonemic Awareness component in Imagine It!, along

with their definitions (taken from Imagine It! T.E., PA 82-84):

● Phoneme – the smallest sound unit of speech; for example, the /k/ in book or in

stick

● Oral Blending – the ability to fuse discrete phonemes into recognizable words;

oral blending puts sounds together to make a word

● Segmentation – the ability to break words into individual sounds

Oral Blending and Segmentation begin in kindergarten and continue into grade 1. The

focus of these lessons in the ‘green section’ is to help students hear and understand the

sound/symbol correspondence that forms the base of written English. Students need to

have a strong working knowledge of the sound relationships that make up the spoken

language. This understanding of spoken language lays the foundation for the transition to

written language.

Phonemic Awareness activities provide the students with easy practice in discriminating

the sounds that make up words. Phonemic Awareness consists of quick, game-like

activities designed to help students understand that speech is made up of distinct,

identifiable sounds. The playful nature of the activities makes them appealing and

engaging, while giving the students practice and support for learning about language

(Imagine It! T.E., PA 2). 10.

Phonemic Awareness (continued)

GRADES K – 1ST

:

When presenting these lessons remember that the focus is not on vocabulary. This is an

oral activity.

Students will not see these words. Teachers must pay close attention to the lesson

described.

GRADES 2-5:

Phonemic Awareness activities are not found within the lessons in the Teacher’s

Editions at these levels. However, if you have students who are struggling with

Phonemic Awareness, you may refer to the Program Appendix (pp. 2-6) at the back of

each T.E. for suggested activities or you may contact kindergarten or first grade teachers

for assistance. Teachers may also refer to the Reading Intervention Kit found in grades 1

through 3, the Workshop Kits and the EL Support Guide.

11.

Blending “Blending is the heart of phonics instruction and the key strategy students need to learn to

open the world of written language.” (Imagine It! T.E., PA 15)

The purpose of blending is to teach the students a strategy for figuring out unfamiliar

words. Initially, students will be blending sound by sound. Ultimately, the students will

sound and blend only those words that they cannot read. Eventually, the blending

process will become quick and comfortable for them (Imagine It! T.E., PA 16).

In Imagine It! Reading, blending is defined as ‘combining the sounds represented by

letters to sound out or pronounce a word’ (in contrast to oral blending). Blending

occurs in grade 1 and continues through grades 2 and 3.

In grade 1, the teacher formally introduces the blending procedure. There are 4 different

blending techniques:

1) Sound-by-Sound Blending

2) Whole-Word Blending

3) Blending Syllables

4) Blending Sentences

In addition, Vowel-First blending is an alternative to sound-by-sound and whole-word

blending for students who need special help. Please refer to the Program Appendix

pages 15-16 for specific procedural information regarding these techniques.

Blending occurs on a DAILY BASIS in grade 1 beginning with Unit1, Lesson 3

(Level 1 T80).

Grade 1 teachers need to begin with Sound-by-Sound Blending and move into Whole-

Word Blending and Sentence Blending only when students are capable of making this

transition.

12.

Blending (continued) A primary cause of a student’s blending failure is his/her failure to understand how to use

the Sound/Spelling Cards. Students need to practice sounds and spellings when the

Sound/Spelling Cards are introduced and during initial blending. They also need to

understand that if they are not sure of how to pronounce a spelling, they can ‘check the

cards’. This is why it is very important for teachers to reference and review the

Sound/Spelling Cards on a DAILY BASIS.

Early blending may be frustrating. You will need to lead the group almost constantly.

Soon, however, leaders in the group will take over. Watch to see whether any students

are having trouble during the blending. Include them in small-group instruction sessions

(i.e., Workshop). At that time you may want to use the vowel-first procedure to reteach

blending lines.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Teachers should follow the Imagine It! program step-by-step by properly modeling

blending procedures, as this may determine whether a student is able to read and

write (Refer to Imagine It! T.E., PA 14-15).

Teachers should keep the pace moving through this section.

Teachers should remember not to get bogged down in vocabulary development. The

focus of blending is to teach students to decode, not to develop vocabulary. In order

for students to be successful in this area, teachers may need to pre-teach, re-teach, and

use ELD strategies before teaching the core instruction.

In Sound-by-Sound Blending it is important to remember to blend each sound with

the students, stopping after a vowel to blend the word through the vowel (refer to

routine card).

Videos are available through your Instructional Coach or Principal.

Blending lines from the Teacher’s Edition should not be written out beforehand when

using sound by sound blending. Teachers need to write them on the board as they are

taught. It is through the Sound-by-Sound blending of the words and sentences that

students learn the blending process. Blending should be written out letter by letter

(during Sound-by-Sound Blending) and in the ‘chunks’ indicated for the other

blending procedures. Chart paper and overhead projector transparencies are

recommended for blending.

If chart paper is used during blending, display the completed chart in an area for

students to practice reading during workshop (after teaching the lesson).

Students are not to be writing during blending. They should only be reading while

the teacher writes.

GRADES 4-5: Blending is not a component of the Imagine It! program in these grade levels. However

teachers in grades 1-3 can be a great resource if you have students struggling with

decoding. 13.

Word Analysis

The Word Analysis activities consolidate what students have learned about reading

words. The purpose of the activities is to teach students how to deconstruct words (break

them into morphological units) which is important for fluency, vocabulary development,

and comprehension.

This component of the Imagine It! program exists only in grades 3 - 5 (begins in Level 3,

Unit 4). Teachers of kindergarten and grade 1 and 2 will not have this component in their

program.

Use direct teaching when instructing students in the Word Analysis component. In

grades 3-5, refer to routine card Words with Prefixes and Suffixes.

If students are capable of reading the whole word in the Word Analysis section, teachers

may instruct them to do so. Teachers should be aware of the level of the majority of the

class. If the majority is struggling, the teacher should instruct this section using the

blending procedures. Teachers should take note of students who continue to struggle and

review these Word Analysis lines during workshop in a small group.

Word Analysis usually occurs on days 1-4 and is reviewed on day 5. It is important to

adhere to the Lesson Planner, as students are to be exposed to this section prior to the first

read of any selection. In grade 3 (beginning in unit 4) students will have one list on days

1 and 2 and a different list on days 3 and 4 with a review of both lists on day 5.

Teachers should not get ‘bogged down’ with extensive vocabulary development during

the Word Analysis component. It is important to remember the focus of this section.

Students should not be writing the words found in the Word Analysis section. Students

are only to respond to the teacher’s prompting during this component of the program.

Students must not be provided with a copy of the Word Analysis Chart when introducing

the words.

MAY DO:

Teachers may write the lines of the Word Analysis section beforehand or use the

transparencies provided by the program. However, teachers should only expose one line

at a time with the whole class.

After completing this component, teachers may post the Word Analysis section in an area

of the classroom for students to practice reading during workshop.

14.

Phonics and Fluency

The major difference between the Word Analysis component and the Phonics and

Fluency component in the Imagine It! program is the level of instruction provided by the

teacher. In Word Analysis students are expected to read and discuss the similarities in

the words on a given line. In Phonics and Fluency teachers should use the blending

procedures found in the T.E. and in the P.A. at all grade levels. Teachers should use

direct teaching when instructing students in the Phonics and Fluency and Word Analysis

components.

The Phonics and Fluency component provides review and maintenance for students who

have previously used the program. It also serves as a general course of phonics

instruction for students who have not been exposed to the program.

The Phonics and Fluency component exists only in grades 1-3. Kindergarten and grades

4-5 will not be exposed to this component. In grade 1, Phonics and Fluency begins with

Unit 8, Away We Grow. In grade 3, the Phonics and Fluency component ends after Unit

3.

During the Phonics and Fluency component, teachers must continuously and consistently

refer to the Sound/Spelling Cards. Teachers should review the targeted sound/spellings

for the given Phonics and Fluency lesson prior to blending. Teachers should do this by

either pointing to or physically taking down the Sound/Spelling Card(s) that will be

discussed on a given day. Students need to master the Sound/Spelling Cards to become

fluent readers and writers.

Phonics and Fluency usually occurs daily in Imagine It! (Beginning in grade 1, Unit 8

and going through grade 3, Unit 3).

The words found in the Phonics and Fluency section should not be prewritten before

instruction in this component. The goal and focus of this component is to build words

with the students and blend those words to enrich decoding.

Students should not write any of the words found in Phonics and Fluency, as students

must be focusing on decoding these words with the teacher.

Teachers should not get ‘bogged down’ with extensive vocabulary development during

the Phonics and Fluency component. It is important to remember the focus of this

section.

MAY DO:

After completing this component, teachers may post the Phonics and Fluency section in

an area of the classroom for students to practice reading during workshop.

15.

English Learner Support

English Learners may need extra help with the Imagine It! lessons. The English Learner

Support Guide and EL Support Activities provide direction in supporting students in the

four stages of English proficiency. The English Learner Support Guide provides an

instructional scaffold of phonemic awareness, phonics, word structure, language

structures, comprehension strategies and skills, and grammar, usage, and mechanics so

students can successfully learn to read while advancing along the continuum of English

acquisition. The English Learner Support Guide allows teachers to pre-teach English

Learners. Please refer to the Imagine It! English Learner Support Pacing Guide.

The primary objective of the guide is to make the Imagine It! lessons as comprehensible

as possible for students learning English, while also providing opportunities for oral and

written responses for these same students. The goal is teaching the students sufficient

English to understand the Imagine It! materials so that they can develop the foundations

for reading English. In the Introduction to the English Learner Support Guide, teachers

will find information on the components.

The lesson plans in the English Learner Support Guide correspond to the units and

lessons found in the core Imagine It! Teacher’s Edition. Each English learner support

lesson should occur before or within the Imagine It! reading lesson. Pre-teach English

learners in partners or as a group so they are better prepared to understand the upcoming

Imagine It! lesson.

The English Learner Support Activities that accompany the guide will give students the

opportunity to practice the skills they learn by completing the activities in the book.

Lessons allow students to further their skills in reading. The workbook pages include

activities that will help students better understand the English language or the selection.

In addition, each grade level has an English Language Development Newcomer

Blackline Master and CD-ROM to help support newcomers. The purpose of this guide

is to teach students the basic vocabulary they need to survive in daily situations. The

CD-ROM contains a Photo Library, a dictionary, and games.

The English Learner Glossary provides tips for explaining many words that students are

asked to blend, segment or read in Imagine It! lessons. This glossary suggests

dramatizations and drawings that clearly show the student the meanings of the words.

16.

English Learner Support (continued)

Teachers should use the English Learner Support Guide and the English Learner Support

Activities during workshop for English learners. These activities give key principles as

well as specific techniques for helping English Learners. In-depth practice in each lesson

is provided and allows for “frontloading” lessons.

Even if all students in the classroom are in need of English language support, teachers

must remember that the core instructional time for language arts (as described in the

Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools) is 2 ½ hours in grades

1-3, and 2 hours in grades 4-6, at a minimum.

English learners may be taught in a small group or whole group, perhaps one day in

advance, to support them during the core instructional time.

The pre-teaching lessons, as well as the other materials in the Imagine It! program, are

intended to help English learners with limited English to gain better access to the core

program. Any approach that relates vocabulary to concrete objects and actions and that

increases English learners’ affinity for reading will help them make faster progress in

learning to read and write English.

17.

Workbooks

The workbooks that are listed below are a key component of the Imagine It! reading

program and must be completed using whole-group direct instruction and guided

practice. Teachers must direct students to the page(s) indicated in the T.E. and complete

the page(s) together as a class.

Skills Practice 1

Skills Practice 2

Students should be using their individual workbooks and following along with the teacher

while actively engaged in the instruction.

Workbook pages should not be torn out of the workbook. These are not to be used for

homework assignments or for independent practice.

If some students are having difficulty completing the page(s) with the class, the students

should continue during workshop time to complete the pages with the direct assistance of

the teacher.

It is recommended that the teacher consider using an overhead projector, LCD projector,

or Promethean Board for this component. Student workbook page should be duplicated

on overhead transparency sheets so that the teacher fills out the Skills Practice workbook

while students are filling theirs out.

* Please remember that Skills Practice Workbooks are not to be done as

independent practice, but as whole group guided practice.

18.

Dictation The purpose of dictation is to teach students to spell words based on sounds and

spellings. In addition, dictation teaches students a strategy for reflecting on the sounds

they hear in words to help them with their own writing. As students learn to encode

correctly, they develop their visual memory for words (spelling ability) and hence

increase their writing fluency.

Reinforcing the association between sounds and spellings and words through dictation

gives students a spelling strategy that provides support and reassurance for writing

independently. A dictation activity is a learning experience; it is never a test. Students

should be encouraged to ask for as much help as they need.

There are three kinds of dictation:

Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation

Whole-Word Dictation

Sentence Dictation

The three types of dictation differ mainly in the amount of support they provide the

students in spelling the words. The instruction varies for each type. (Imagine It! T.E.,

Program Appendix PA 17)

Dictation begins at the end of kindergarten (in the form of the Word Building Game) and

continues through third grade. Dictation formally ends after Unit 3 in grade 3.

MUST DO:

The dictation component of Imagine It! follows blending (Phonics and Fluency). The

words chosen for dictation relate to the same pattern that was introduced/reviewed in the

blending section. Therefore, it is extremely important for teachers to review the

identified Sound/Spelling Card prior to blending.

Dictation must be introduced to the whole class using direct teaching. Teachers must

reference the Sound/Spelling Cards as the class encodes each word (physically touching

the Card with a pointer). Teachers may want to train students to ask which spelling to

use when they are referencing a Sound/Spelling Card with more than one spelling

associated with the card. As teachers notice students becoming more confident with their

ability to encode, the class may move to Whole-Word Dictation. Just as in blending,

teachers must pay close attention to those students who continue to struggle with

dictation. Teachers must work with these students during workshop.

When instructing Sentence Dictation, remind students of capital letters and

punctuation.

Teachers may want to make their students a “Dictation Book” where students can keep

all of the dictation lessons in one convenient place. This can be helpful during

conferences.

19.

Dictation (continued)

STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL DICTATION LESSON:

1. Have students take out their Dictation Book, pencil, and proofreading pen.

2. Have students put the date at the top of a new page.

3. Teacher explains the routine for dictation prior to starting the lesson.

NOTE: Teachers should directly teach the proofreading routine. Teachers should use directions

such as “pencil in the air” or “pencils down” to ensure that students are not writing until

the teacher says, “Write it.”

NOTE: If a Sound/Spelling Card has more than one spelling revealed, students should be trained

to ask the teacher, “Which spelling is it?” (Students will automatically ask the teacher

this question if we train them to do so). After students are more comfortable with the

spellings on the Sound/Spelling Cards, the teacher can then begin asking the students,

“What spelling do you think it is?”

NOTE: Please keep in mind that the teacher must be addressing sounds and then spellings. This

will help students to distinguish between the two.

The teacher should be using an overhead transparency or the white board for this

procedure. After completing a word or line, the class as a whole should proofread the

word or line together. The teacher should write the word and walk around the room

to check for understanding. (Please see the Proofreading section on the following

page.)

Depending upon the need of the class, teachers may move to Whole-Word Dictation

as soon 75% of the class is ready. The 25% that need additional support should be

pulled at workshop and pre-taught/re-taught the lesson.

Please refer to the Program Appendix, page 17, at all grade levels for further instruction

in the dictation procedure. You can also reference the routine cards.

20.

Dictation (continued)

PROOFREADING:

The Proofreading techniques are an integral part of dictation. Students’ errors should

lead to self-correction and, if need be, to reteaching. The dictation activities must not

become a frustrating ordeal. The students should receive reinforcement and feedback.

Students should proofread by circling—not erasing—each error. After they circle an

error, they should write the correction beside (or above) the circle. This type of

correction allows you and the students to see the error as well as the correct form.

Students also can see what needs to be changed and how they have made their own work

better. (Imagine It! T.E., PA 17)

Students must use a pen or pencil that is a different color than the original pencil used to

write the dictated word.

Proofreading should be:

done after each word during Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation.

done after each line in Whole-Word Dictation.

done after the completion of a sentence in Sentence Dictation.

WORD BUILDING GAME: The Word Building Game occurs only in kindergarten and first grade. Each teacher at

these grade levels should have received one box of the Alphabet Letter Cards. There

should be 20-30 of each letter of the alphabet in this box.

It is extremely important that teachers follow the T.E. when instructing the Word

Building Game. Please refer to the Program Appendix, page 17-18, for further

information.

For organizational purposes, teachers may want to use plastic baggies or plastic baseball

card sleeves to store these Letter Cards.

21.

Pre-Decodable/Decodable Books

Pre-Decodable Books are used in kindergarten through Unit 3, Lesson 13 and in first

grade through Unit 1, Lesson 1. Beginning with Lesson 2, students in first grade will use

Decodable Books. Decodable Books are used throughout grades 1, 2, and 3 to provide

practice in reading the words found in the blending lessons and in the Phonics and

Fluency lessons of the program. They are designed to help students apply, review, and

reinforce their expanding knowledge of sound/spelling correspondences. Therefore, it is

imperative that teachers constantly review the Sound/Spelling Cards.

FYI:

Pre-Decodable Books contain rebus pictures to assist students in reading in the early

stages.

KINDERGARTEN:

The Pre-Decodable/Decodable Books provide students with opportunities to apply their

knowledge of letter names, left-to-right directionality, and print and book awareness.

GRADE 1:

The Decodable Books focus on the new element introduced in the lesson.

The Decodable Books review and reinforce the elements that have been taught since the

last book.

GRADES 2-3:

Decodable Books are found in the Getting Started section.

Decodable Books are found in all units in second grade.

Decodable Books are found in the first 3 units in third grade.

It is extremely important to follow the procedures titled “Reading Decodables and

Building Fluency” found on pages 22 and 23 of the Program Appendix in the Teacher’s

Edition (teachers may refer to the Routine Cards found in the back of each T.E.). This

will allow for consistency among all classrooms in kindergarten and grades 1-3.

Pre-Decodable and Decodable Take-Home Books are packaged in “workbook-style”

books. Teachers should receive one book for every one student in class. Teachers must

pull each book apart and staple the mini books for students before reading. Taking class

time to tear out and staple books causes a loss of valuable instructional time.

Teachers may make use of a ring to hold Decodable Books together for students or

simply use a large Ziploc bag or manila envelope. It is imperative that students have

access to these Pre-Decodable/Decodable Books and that these books are sent home for

students to practice once they have been mastered.

22.

Vocabulary Strategies

Strong vocabulary skills are closely connected to comprehension and achievement

throughout school. Considerable vocabulary growth occurs incidentally during reading.

A clear connection exists between vocabulary development and the amount of reading a

person does. The purpose of vocabulary instruction is to teach students new words and

to provide students with strategies for learning unknown words.

During the Reading and Responding strand of the Imagine It! program, vocabulary is

addressed before, during, and after the first read of any story. Before reading, the teacher

presents vocabulary words from the selection. The teacher assists the students using

skills such as Context Clues, Apposition, and Word Analysis to figure out the meaning

of each of the vocabulary words. These selection vocabulary words are not only

important to understanding the text but are also high-utility words that can be used in

discussing and writing about the unit theme.

During reading, students monitor their understanding of words and text. When they do

not understand something, it is important to encourage them to stop and clarify what they

have read. Students should use these same skills—Context Clues, Apposition, and Word

Analysis—to clarify the meanings of additional words encountered while reading.

Figuring out the meaning of words while reading, prepares students for the demands of

independent reading both in and out of school. Therefore it is very important for teachers

to model this behavior for students.

After reading, students should review the vocabulary words that they learned before

reading the selection. They should also review any interesting words that they identified

during reading. Students record both the Selection Vocabulary words and any new words

encountered in their Writer’s Notebook and should be encouraged to use both sets of

words in discussion and in their writing. (Imagine It! T.E., PA 28)

It is extremely important that teachers follow the routine found on page 29 of the

Program Appendix in each Teacher’s Edition. This information is also found on the

Routine Card in the back of the Teacher’s Edition.

Teachers must have all vocabulary strategies posted in the classroom where direct

instruction takes place. They must be posted on paper with a font size large enough for

students to read from their desks. Vocabulary strategy cards are available on our

district’s website.

23.

Selection Vocabulary Bank

Teachers must make use of a Selection Vocabulary Bank in the classroom. This

Vocabulary Bank should be located near the Concept/Question Board and should contain

the Selection Vocabulary words found in the Reading and Responding strand (red

section) of the Teacher’s Edition.

As teachers are introducing the Selection Vocabulary words throughout a given unit,

these words should be posted under the heading “Selection Vocabulary Words” on or

near the Concept/Question Board. With the Selection Vocabulary words on or near the

Concept/Question Board, students can practice reading and writing these words during a

given unit.

The vocabulary words posted on the Vocabulary Bank must be written in a font large

enough for students to read at their desks. Teachers may want to consider printing these

words on index cards or sentence strips (cut to the size of the word).

After a unit has been completed, teachers should take down the Selection Vocabulary

words associated with the unit.

Teachers may want to keep these word cards in a folder labeled with the unit theme so

that students can manipulate them in a “Vocabulary Area/Center” during workshop time.

24.

High-Frequency Word Bank

Teachers at all grade levels must make use of a High-Frequency Word Bank in the

classroom. This Word Bank must be in a location that is easily accessible to all students,

i.e., in the front or to the side of the classroom where the majority of direct instruction is

taking place. Students must be able to have access to these words while reading and

writing.

The Word Bank in all classrooms must contain high-frequency words addressed at the

grade level of instruction. See below for specific grade level information.

KINDERGARTEN AND GRADES 1-3:

Teachers must use the high-frequency words found in the Pre-Decodable and Decodable

Books in the Imagine It! program.

Teachers should print the high-frequency words on an index card or sentence strip (cut to

the size of the word), keeping in mind that the words should be large enough for students

to read throughout the room. Teachers should not use the High-Frequency Word Cards

found in the Imagine It! Phonics Kit to post on the Word Bank as these cards are too

large to fit on a Word Bank.

Teachers should not copy the High-Frequency Word List from the Level Appendix found

in the Teacher’s Edition for the Word Bank, as this is a generic list of the most common

high-frequency words that students will encounter throughout multiple grade levels.

POSTING THE HIGH-FREQUENCY WORDS: One of the two options should be used when posting the high-frequency words onto the

High-Frequency Word Bank:

1. Words are hung using the miniature Sound/Spelling Cards (found in grades 1-3) as a

guide. This supports the sound/spelling system in Imagine It!.

2. Words are hung as they are introduced throughout the school year.

GRADES 4-6:

Teachers in grades 4-6 must also make use of a Word Bank. If unsure of which high-

frequency words to post at these grade levels, teachers should:

1) Consult with teachers in third grade

2) Use words that are often misspelled at these grade levels

25.

Clues/Problems/Wonderings or K/W/L

Beginning with Unit 7 in grade 1 and through grade 5, teachers will make use of a

Clues/Problems/Wonderings chart or K/W/L prior to the first read of each anthology

selection. The Clues/Problems/Wonderings chart or K/W/L chart appear in the Reading

and Responding strand (red section) of the Imagine It! program during Preview and

Prepare. It is very important for teachers to use either the Clues/Problems/Wonderings

Overhead Transparency found in the Overhead Transparency Binder or a piece of chart

paper (positioned horizontally) labeled with the headings “Clues”, “Problems”, and

“Wonderings” or “K”, “W”, “L”.

As students are “browsing” the anthology selection (it is very important to use this

terminology), teachers must record (in note form) any clues, problems, or wonderings

that students may encounter with the text.

The Imagine It! program uses a K/W/L chart for expository text and C/P/W chart for

narrative text.

When “browsing” the anthology selections, teachers must remember that students should

only browse the first two pages of a narrative text and the entire selection of an

expository text. If more than two pages of a narrative text are browsed, the “Predicting”

comprehension strategy will not be effective.

It is very important to limit the time of this activity to approximately 8 minutes, as this is

the amount of time recommended for Clues/Problems/Wonderings or K/W/L.

Teachers should return to these charts during the reading of the reader selection to add

any clues, problems, or wonderings. Also, teachers should return to these charts after

completing the reading to confirm and discuss any clues, problems, or wonderings or to

determine what they have learned.

EXAMPLES:

Clues – author/illustrator, illustrations, genre, content, headings

Problems – words with unknown meanings, unfamiliar content, confusing

illustrations

Wonderings – connection to the theme, connection to other books by same

author (Wonderings help determine the purposes for reading.)

NOTE: Please refer to the Routine Card found in the back of the Teacher Editions in grades 1-5.

26.

Reading Comprehension Strategies

The primary purpose of teaching students to read is comprehension. Good readers are

problem solvers. Experienced readers generally understand most of what they read. Just

as importantly, they recognize when they do not understand, and they have at their

command an assortment of strategies for monitoring and furthering their understanding.

The goal of comprehension strategy instruction is to turn the responsibility for using

strategies over to the students as soon as possible. Good readers use a variety of

strategies to help them make sense of the text and get the most out of what they read.

Trained to use a variety of comprehension strategies, students dramatically improve their

learning performance. In order to do this, the teacher models strategy use and gradually

incorporates different kinds of prompts and possible student think-alouds as examples of

the types of thinking students might do as they read to comprehend what they are reading.

(Imagine It! T.E., PA 31)

The following are the Comprehension Strategies that are addressed throughout

Imagine It! beginning in kindergarten and continuing through grade 5:

Summarizing

Clarifying

Asking Questions

Predicting

Confirming Predictions

Making Connections

Visualizing

Adjusting Reading Speed

Teachers must have all of these comprehension strategies posted in the classroom where

direct instruction takes place and must indicate (using an arrow or clothespin, for

example) which strategy is being addressed on any given day of reading instruction.

They must be posted on paper with a font size large enough for all students to be able to

read from their desk. (Comprehension Strategy Cards are available on our district’s

website).

Comprehension strategies are addressed during the FIRST READ in all reading

selections. Teachers are encouraged to use their own authentic think-alouds as often as

possible, keeping in mind to use the given comprehension strategy.

Explicit modeling of thinking aloud is extremely important. Students must witness the

teacher “making thinking public” in order to fully understand using comprehension

strategies. After explicitly modeling thinking aloud to students, teachers must encourage

students to use these same strategies when they are reading on their own.

Teachers should refer to pages 31-33 of the Program Appendix in the back of each

Teacher’s Edition for further information regarding comprehension strategies.

27.

Reading Comprehension Skills An important purpose of writing is to communicate thoughts from one person to another.

The goal of instruction in reading comprehension skills is to make students aware of the

logic behind the structure of a written piece. By keeping the organization of a piece in

mind and considering the author’s purpose for writing, the reader can go beyond the

actual words on the page and make inferences or draw conclusions based on what was

read. Strong, mature readers utilize these “between the lines” skills to get a complete

picture of not only what the writer is saying, but what the writer is trying to say.

The following are the Comprehension Skills that are addressed throughout Imagine It!

in kindergarten through grade 5:

Author’s Point of View

Sequence

Fact and Opinion

Main Idea and Details

Compare and Contrast

Cause and Effect

Classify and Categorize

Author’s Purpose

Drawing Conclusions

Making Inferences

Reality and Fantasy

Teachers must have all these comprehension skills posted in the classroom where direct

instruction takes place and must indicate (using an arrow or clothespin, for example)

which skill is being addressed on any given day of reading instruction. They must be

posted on paper with a font size large enough for students to read from their desks.

(Provided by district).

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Comprehension skills are addressed during the SECOND READ of all reader selections.

Teachers are encouraged to use the overhead transparencies found in the Overhead

Transparency Binder that correlate to the comprehension skills being addressed.

Teachers must explicitly teach the skill of “reading between the lines.” Teachers should

remind students that when reading we need to “read from the writer’s eye” to try to

“figure out” what the writer wants us to understand and how the author created the text

(writer’s craft). This is the reading and writing connection PA, pg. 37.

Teachers should refer to page 35 - 36 of the Program Appendix in the back of each

Teacher’s Edition for further information regarding comprehension skills.

28.

Reading Strategies

Reading Recommendations Routine

At the beginning of the school year, students should be encouraged to read selections

aloud. Reading aloud builds fluency and increases comprehension. Teachers should

make sure that they set aside time to hear each student read during the first few days of

class so that they can determine students’ abilities and needs. As the year progresses,

students should continue reading aloud often, especially with particularly challenging

texts.

It is recommended that teachers use choral reading on the FIRST READ of all reader

selections as this will aid students in becoming more acquainted with the text prior to

reading it silently.

After the first choral reading (whole class) of a reader selection, teachers should use a

variety of techniques for subsequent readings. Teachers are discouraged from using the

typical “Round Robin” strategy as this does not support good reading habits. Some

suggestions for fun reading aloud strategies are:

--pulling students’ names from a hat

--calling on students wearing green, etc.

--calling on students with brown hair, etc.

--calling on students whose birthdays are in January, etc.

--calling on students whose first name begins with ‘A’, etc.

--cloze reading

--Popcorn reading

It is important for teachers to move from one type of strategy to another so as not to

consistently call on the same students.

29.

Classroom Discussion

Discussion is an integral part of learning. It is through discussions that students are

exposed to different points of view and learn how to express their thoughts and opinions

coherently. Through discussion, students add to their own knowledge, learn to explain

their thoughts and voice any confusion. The purpose of classroom discussion is to

provide a process through which discussion can proceed.

“Handing-Off” is a method of turning over to students the primary responsibility for

controlling discussion. Having the students “hand-off” the discussion to other students

instead of the teacher encourages them to retain complete control of the discussion and to

become more actively involved in the learning process. When a student finishes his or

her comments, that student should choose the next speaker. In this way, students

maintain a discussion without relying on the teacher to decide who speaks.

When handing-off is in place, the teacher’s main roles are to occasionally remind

students to hand off and to monitor the discussion to ensure that everyone gets a chance

to contribute (keeping in mind that not all students will be able to contribute in one

discussion). This is why it is very important to have classroom discussions often.

In order for handing-off to work effectively, a seating arrangement that allows students to

see one another is essential. A circle or semi-circle is effective.

Actively encourage this handing-off process by letting students know that they, not you,

are in control of the discussion. (Imagine It! T.E., PA 40)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Teachers should be using the “Handing-Off” procedure for classroom discussions.

Classroom discussions are usually driven from reading the reader selections in the

Imagine It! program. In order to facilitate “Handing-Off” in the classroom, the teacher

should use such things as a “Handing-Off” hand, a ball, a pointer, etc. Students should be

allowed to use their reader for reference.

This activity, although it can be difficult to get started in the early primary levels, should

not be skipped. Teachers should use Handing-Off as a routine for classroom discussions

to expose students early in their educational careers and to prepare them for subsequent

years for discussions. It is very important that the teacher becomes part of the discussion

rather than leads the discussion.

Teachers could use the discussion starter questions located in the Program Appendix on

page 42. Teachers should follow-up classroom discussion by inviting students to respond

in writing in their Writer’s Notebook.

Please refer to pages 40-41-42 in the Program Appendix found at the back of each

Teacher’s Edition at all grade levels. Also, “Handing-Off” is on a Routine Card.

30.

Thinking Aloud/Teacher Modeling

Teacher modeling is the key to systematic, explicit instruction. The Imagine It! program

gives teachers the opportunity to model a repertoire of skills and strategies students will

learn to apply independently. Suggestions for Think Alouds are provided throughout the

T.E. Refer to Program Appendix pg. 33.

Imagine It! follows the direct instruction model of teaching. According to Joyce, Weil,

and Calhoun, in Models of Teaching, the phases of a direct instruction lesson are as

follows:

1. Orientation

2. Presentation

3. Highly Structured Practice

4. Guided (semi-independent) Practice

5. Independent Practice

It is important for teachers to consider the gradual release of responsibility and the use of

collaborative learning to provide students the opportunity to work together to complete

tasks and to solve problems. Students who work in collaborative groups tend to retain

subject matter and in general like school more. For additional information, please refer to

Better Learning through Structured Teaching by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey.

It is only after thinking aloud, explicit modeling, and the first three phases of direct

instruction should teachers be turning over responsibility to students. This is especially

important when working with Skills Practice Workbooks in Imagine It!.

31.

Spelling

The Spelling component is found in the Language Arts strand (blue section) of Imagine

It! The key to spelling words correctly is not just memorization. It is important for

students to internalize English spellings of phonemes. Some learners do this naturally,

while others need explicit and direct teaching.

Teachers also need to remember that the spelling lessons begin with direct instruction and

quite often lead to completing a skills practice page (guided practice) relating to the

lesson.

Spelling is a fundamental skill in written communication. Although a writer may have

wonderful ideas, he or she may find it difficult to communicate those ideas without

spelling skills. Learning to spell requires much exposure to text and writing. For many it

requires a methodical presentation of English spelling patterns. (Imagine It! T.E., PA 50)

32.

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

Like most of the lessons, the Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (GUM) lessons are direct

instruction. After direct instruction, students are given guided practice with the Skills

Practice page(s), and can complete this activity during workshop time (as needed).

It is important to remember that students should not work independently until they are

able to complete a given task with 85-90% accuracy. The Skills Practice pages should

not be assigned as independent work until this level of mastery has been attained. Guided

Practice should be used.

The GUM lessons are structured to focus on skills in a logical sequence. Skills are

introduced, modeled and practiced in reading and writing on subsequent days to ensure

that skills are not taught in isolation.

To make grammar instruction effective, Imagine It! applies 5 principles in the program

appendix. In summary the principles are:

1. Define each GUM skill in a functional and complete manner

2. Establish the skill is important

3. Model how the skill is used

4. Provide opportunities for guided practice and support, moving to

independent practice as a student is able

5. Have students apply the skill to their own writings

A complete description can be found on page 48 of the program appendix.

33.

Writing Process Strategies

Writing is a complex process. The best writers are not the best because they are naturally

talented. They are the best usually because they work hard.

The art of writing well requires the ability to use a variety of skills and involves the

writer’s craft, which is the ability to manipulate words and sentences for effect. Good

writers really do take more time than others in the planning and revising stages of the

writing process. Poor writers make writing look easy by writing without planning and

typically build a composition sentence by sentence. They turn in their papers with little

or no correction.

Just as the goal in phonics instruction is to teach students to read, the Writing Process

Strategies instruction in Imagine It! focuses on skills, structures, and strategies for

writing. The goal of this instruction is to learn how to write, rather than to develop a

particular idea.

In Imagine It! the first unit of every grade level teaches the writing process and traits of

writing. Each subsequent unit focuses on a particular genre appropriate for the unit

content. Expository and persuasive writing are typically in the units with research

themes; personal narrative, descriptive, and poetry writing are in units with universal

themes. The goal of writing in Imagine It! is not to develop full-blown novels and

compositions, but to familiarize and practice the structures of different forms of writing.

(Imagine It! T.E., PA 28)

The order in which things take place during the Writing Process Strategies lessons is as

follows:

-Stages of the Writing Process

-Teach

-Guided Practice

Throughout the Writing Process Strategies lessons, students should be reminded of the

stages of the Writing Process:

1.) Prewrite-getting ideas, brainstorming, planning, organizing

2.) Draft-write ideas in sentences

3.) Revise-changing/adding to the content

4.) Editing/Proofreading-checking

5.) Publish-sharing

34.

Writing Process Strategies (continued)

BEST PRACTICE TO IMPLEMENT:

1. Students keep a Writer’s Notebook containing 5 components: Response journal,

Vocabulary, Inquiry, Writing Ideas, and Reference. The reference section should

contain such things as: The writing process, a copy of proofreading marks, a list

of suffixes and prefixes, etc.

One of the most important things for teachers to remember while teaching the

Writing Process Strategies lessons is to model thinking aloud. The teacher must

use authentic modeling of his/her thoughts when sharing his/her writing example

with students. Teaching the Writing Process Strategies involves direct instruction.

After careful modeling and thinking aloud of his/her thoughts and writing, a

teacher may turn the task of the writing process over to students during the time

remaining for Writing Process Strategies and continue into workshop time.

2. It is important that teachers refer to the Sound/Spelling Cards while modeling the

Writing Process Strategies lessons. Also, teachers must remind the students to

check the Sound/Spelling Cards when they are writing.

3. The Writing component of Imagine It! must be used in its entirety, as it makes

connections between the other components of the program (i.e., Phonemic

Awareness and Reading and Responding). Teachers at some schools

supplement the Writing component with other writing techniques. (e.g., Step Up

to Writing): however, teachers must not substitute another writing program for the

writing lessons in Imagine It!.

4. Teachers must provide frequent feedback to students on their writing. There are

several ways of doing this. One way is to allow students to participate in a

Writing Conference. This will encourage students to share their work in

progress.

KINDERGARTEN:

Keep in mind that by the end of the year in kindergarten, students must be able to write

one complete sentence or more that is related to the topic in order to show mastery on the

District Writing Assessment. Teachers may need to supplement (not supplant) the

writing during workshop, so that students meet this criteria.

For further information regarding the Writing component, please refer to pages 43-48 in

the Program Appendix found in the back of each Teacher’s Edition.

35.

Workshop

The goal of Workshop is to make time everyday to differentiate instruction for students

who need extra assistance. It is the period of time in which students work independently

and collaboratively to practice and review material taught in the lessons and on which

they have achieved 85-90% mastery.

Each grade level comes with a Workshop Kit that contains a Workshop Resource Book

and a Support Activities Annotated Teacher’s Edition. The Workshop Resource Book

will help you use the many resources provided in the Workshop Kit and will give you

opportunities to help students practice a variety of skills with game-oriented activities.

The blackline master to the Support Activities ATE can be found online and printed out

at http://www.imagineitreading.com/NA/ENG_US/index.php .

With lots of guidance and encouragement, students gradually learn to make decisions

about their use of time and materials and to collaborate with their peers. (Imagine It!

T.E., PA 66)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Workshop can occur at any time during the school day. Teachers should use

workshop time when it is most effective for his/her classroom. Workshop needs

to occur daily.

2. Workshop should initially be highly structured. Teachers should use the “Phasing

In” procedure (SB472).

3. For workshop to be effective in the classroom, teachers must be very explicit

about teaching and reinforcing the rules. Teachers should post the following (or

similar) workshop rules in the classroom:

Be polite

Share

Whisper

Take only the materials you need

Return materials

When the teacher is working with others, do not interrupt

36.

Workshop (continued)

4. Teachers may make use of Areas/Centers in the classroom to accommodate

different activities for the ‘May Do’s. Such areas might be used: Reading Area,

Writing Area, Listening Area, Language Arts Area, Inquiry and Investigation

Area, Computer Area, and/or Art Area. These areas do not necessarily have to be

large areas of the classroom. In fact, students may need to bring an “area”, such

as an activity basket, back to their seats.

5. The idea of using Areas/Centers in the classroom is to develop and reinforce the

content of the daily lesson in Imagine It!. Students should not be assigned to

“rotational centers”.

6. A ‘Menu’ for the ‘Must Do’ and ‘May Do’ activities should be utilized. Typical

‘Must Do’ listings might be to reread a Pre-Decodable/Decodable Book or an

anthology selection, and complete any writing that began during the Language

Arts strand of Imagine It!

7. Lastly, the most important aspect of workshop is for the teacher to take time

to differentiate instruction for ALL students while allowing the students time

to complete work and participate in activities that reinforce the daily reading

language arts instruction.

8. Workshop is also an appropriate time to administer the Imagine It! Assessments.

For further information regarding workshop and Workshop Management Tips, please

refer to pages 66 - 69 in the Program Appendix found in the back of each Teacher’s

Edition at all grade levels.

37.

Assessments

Assessment is a tool the teacher uses to monitor students’ progress and to detect students’

strengths and weaknesses. Teachers are encouraged to use the Imagine It! Lesson

Assessments as needed.

Benchmark Assessments:

Benchmark assessments are a form of general outcome measurement and serve as a

valuable diagnostic tool for determining the needs of your students.

The Imagine It! Benchmark Assessments must be administered in the format and manner

stated in the Teacher’s Materials with the exception that students must read the passages

and answers quietly to themselves. The comprehension passages need to be READ BY

THE STUDENTS SILENTLY. The fluency assessment needs to be a FIRST TIME

ORAL READING of the passage by the student. Students may not receive any

assistance from the teacher nor use resources such as dictionaries, thesauruses, or

glossaries. These procedures need to be followed so that the results are valid measures of

student learning.

Unit Assessments:

Unit Assessments cover the most important skills featured in any given unit. These

assessments help determine how well students are grasping the skills taught and help

inform you about any additional instruction that needs to take place. Unit assessments

allow you to monitor student progress over time. Unit Assessments are given at the end

of each unit according to the guidelines outlined in the Teacher’s Edition.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Time is allotted within the Imagine It! Pacing Guide to administer the Imagine It!

Assessments. Teachers must keep in mind, though, that they must make use of workshop

time to administer the fluency portion of the assessments.

If students are absent during the Imagine It! Assessments, please remember to administer

the assessment to them as soon as they return.

Teachers must use the results of the Imagine It! Assessments to inform instruction. It is

also important for teachers to remember to collaborate with others. When teachers are

discussing the results of their assessments, all students will benefit from a more informed

teacher. Teachers can share strategies and techniques they are using to ensure that all

students are learning to read and write well.

For further information regarding Assessment in the Imagine It! program, please refer to

pages 62-65 in the Program Appendix at the back of each Teacher’s Edition at all grade

levels.

38.

Supplementary Materials

Teachers must use the materials associated with the Imagine It! program. There are

many manipulatives available within the program to use with students. Teachers in

grades 4-5 should utilize the resources of the primary level teachers if students are having

difficulty with phonemic awareness.

Materials such as worksheets from other programs are discouraged because teachers

should keep the focus on the components of the Imagine It! program. However, other

manipulatives that will provide students with ‘hands-on’ experiences connected to the

activities in Imagine It! should be used.

39.