Search Results

Common Core Standards Plus About Learning Plus Associates* Standards Plus is a unique, nonprofit organization that provides supplemental educational products and professional development services to school districts, schools and classrooms throughout the United States. Our products and the people who provide our professional services have helped to successfully raise student achievement in over 1,500 schools, in 20 states, affecting over one million students. Founded in 2001, it has grown to a very vibrant and exciting company driven by the increase in student achievement in schools and districts using our educational materials. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Learning Plus Associates.

As the new school year approaches, schools across the country are in a hiring frenzy. How are districts filling the gap? As one rural Texas principal told me recently, “We’re having to rely on online courses more heavily than ever before. High school math teachers are hard to come by in small Texas towns. So, smaller districts like ours are using self-paced online courses when we can’t find a teacher for the course. What’s scary is that we don’t really know how good the courses are.” Learni...

Starfall Education provides supplemental reading programs for grades PK-1 and supplemental mathematics materials for grade 1.  Resources are available in print and online formats.  Learning List recently reviewed reading products for grades and K and 1 and Starfall’s first-grade math program. Starfall’s reading programs focus on literary and informational texts and the phonological awareness foundational skills of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). At grade K, instruction also addresses phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and motivating early readers. At both grade levels, content includes diverse sets of reading materials, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry texts. Literary texts are emphasized and include folktales (e.g., Chicken Little), myths (e.g., Pegasus), Chinese fables, and comics.  Instruction provides opportunities for students to act out “Three Little Plays” in a reader’s theater or puppet show format.  Texts at both grade levels have colorful, age-appropriate illustrations and most have audio readers that highlight each sentence as it is read aloud. Content for the grade 1 math program is organized in terms of the CCSS mathematics domains for first grade and include “Operations & Algebraic Thinking,” “Base Ten Numbers & Operations,” and “Measurement & Geometry.” Instruction is provided in short interactive videos that address specific standards (e.g., add and subtract within 20) and concepts (e.g., regrouping). Videos have characters that will appeal to young learners (e.g., a skateboarding dog) and include audio that reads problems and solutions aloud. Although not specifically for the first grade, Main Index page includes additional mathematics resources, such as songs and games that may be used for instruction. About Starfall Education* Starfall strives to create a love of learning in an environment of collaboration, wonderment, and play. Starfall provides free and low-cost educational resources that promote understanding, diversity, and compassion. Starfall is the brain-child of Stephen Schutz. At age 9, Stephen was still struggling to read. What came easily for his peers required many more hours of his work. As a reader, he was consistently toward the bottom of his class. Now a PhD in physics and a successful publisher and artist, Dr. Schutz, with the help of his dedicated team, created Starfall to ensure today's children have resources that can help. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Starfall Education.

Hundreds of AP teachers from across the country will arrive in Austin, Texas, this week to attend the  AP Annual Conference .  Many will attend sessions with master teachers to learn how to teach the rigorous AP content.  A   critica l component to students’ success in AP courses is their instructional materials. The materials must teach students not only the content required for each course, but also the skills the courses are designed to develop. Districts spend more money to purchase AP products than any other instructional materials. When Learning List started receiving requests for reviews of AP materials, we contacted College Board to inquire whether they review and recommend texts to AP teachers. We were told that College Board does not recommend texts and that they shared our concern that AP materials must align with the course frameworks for AP courses in order to support student success.  They explained that in the past, course descriptions were too general to make an alignment of materials instructionally meaningful.  However, in response to teachers’ requests, over a 15 year schedule, College Board will be publishing new course frameworks that specify the content and skills students are expected to learn and will be tested on for each AP course. With a shared goal of helping publishers produce materials that will prepare students for success in AP courses, Learning List worked with College Board to develop alignment templates based on the recently r eleased course frameworks.  Learning List now reviews AP materials for alignment to the Learning Objectives (LO) (i.e., what students must be able to do) and separately to the Skills and Practices (i.e., larger transferable skills) contained in the newly revised course frameworks for AP Physics (1 and 2), Chemistry, Biology, World History, European History, and US History.  Reviews of materials for AP Calculus AB and BC will begin this fall.  For Texas subscribers, Learning List also reviews AP texts for alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the relevant course. Learning List’s alignment templates not only help educators identify where the materials are or are not aligned, but also provide ongoing professional development to help AP teachers better understand the connections between Learning Objectives and Science Practices in AP science courses and between the Thematic Learning Objectives and Historical Thinking Skills in AP social studies courses. Recognizing the unique nature of AP courses, Learning List hires subject matter experts (SMEs) who are certified in the subject of the AP course and have experience teaching the course, as well.  Our SMEs report that reviewing AP materials is especially challenging because of the density of the texts.  “One cannot skim over a page or video to see whether a topic is addressed; you have to read all the text to determine whether it is aligned to an LO,” they explained. Subscribing districts have requested reviews of AP materials from several publishers; Wiley Publishing was the first to submit their products for review.  Wiley representatives commented that Learning List’s review process helped them better understand how educators will use the new course frameworks instructionally, which in turn will help them develop products more closely aligned to the content and skills of the frameworks.  As a result, teachers and students will benefit.

Sensible Solutions ’ A Common Sense Guide for Teaching Common Core Literacy is a resource to support grade 6-12 educators in transitioning to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for literacy. The print-based Guide clarifies the CCSS and the progression of literacy standards across grade levels. Content is primarily designed to support teachers in adapting their instruction and materials to meet the demands of the CCSS. The Guide’s first chapter breaks down each standard into its core concepts and tracks the development of concepts across grade levels. Learning List has completed reviews of the materials for grades 6-12. The Guide also contains guidance and supplementary materials for teaching literature and informational texts. These materials define key concepts (e.g., tone and voice) and provide examples and tips to help clarify meaning for students. Other resources include an extensive glossary of terms and concepts that apply to the CCSS and 300 pages of multiple-choice and open-ended questions that teachers may adapt and use for assessment. About Sensible Solutions* Sensible Solutions of Norton, Massachusetts, is an educational publishing company that is dedicated to providing quality school supplies and teaching aids at unbeatable prices. Co-founded by a middle school English Language Arts teacher of 9 years and former United States Recon Marine and entrepreneur, the company has combined its experience and expertise to build a business that caters to the unique needs of today’s teachers. Their aim is to save teachers time and money and to stay current on the educational trends and initiatives. With the Common Core Standards Initiative, they continue to strive to showcase the best products on the market to help teachers implement the new standards and will continue to offer new, innovative products as they are developed. Visit their  site  to see what’s new. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Sensible Solutions, Inc.. © 2015 Learning List

LearnZillion is an online, open educational resource that provides supplementary mathematics teaching materials for grades 2-12. Resources are free and address the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). At each grade level, instruction is presented in short Video Lessons and detailed lesson plans (i.e., Full Lessons) that focus on a particular standard or set of standards. Learning List has recently completed reviews of LearnZillion’s OER math materials. Video Lessons are narrated slide shows that focus on particular mathematics concepts and skills (e.g., “Find the volume of 3-dimensional objects”). Lessons begin with a review of what students already know and then provide step-by-step guidance in solving problems, including the use of mathematical tools (e.g., unit cubes) in finding solutions. Some Video Lessons include a “Commentary” video that provides background information about the topic and the approach to instruction for teachers. Full Lessons are detailed lesson plans centered on slide shows with teaching notes. Slide shows focus on problem-solving and include activities that foster “productive struggle” with concepts. Academic vocabulary is highlighted and instruction encourages students to consider multiple solution paths and share their solution strategies with the class. Full Lessons reference the Mathematical Practice Standards (MPS) addressed in each lesson and lesson plans provide teachers with detailed guidance in incorporating the MPS in instruction. About LearnZillion* LearnZillion is dedicated to championing teachers and supporting their ongoing professional development. Teachers develop expertise and insights while working with students, and have exceptional ideas for how to improve classroom learning. However, they have never been able to integrate that expertise into a curriculum that keeps getting better. LearnZillion believes that empowering teachers to collaborate and share best practices creates new possibilities for students, and the profession. LearnZillion.com offers a free and growing set of Math and English Language resources for grades 2-12 that have been developed by expert teachers directly from the Common Core State Standards. LearnZillion’s premium participatory curriculum platform enables schools and districts to accelerate the successful implementation of the Common Core, augment the efficacy of their coaches, create class time capacity to address differentiation needs, and build teacher leaders. The idea for LearnZillion began at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. where co-founder Eric Westendorf, was principal. After watching 6th grade teacher Andrea Smith teach her students what it meant to divide by fractions, Eric wondered, "could powerful learning experiences be captured so that teachers didn't have to re-invent the wheel every time they taught a standard?" He decided to find out. Working with Andrea and a few other E.L. Haynes teachers, he created a homemade website that featured screencasts of high quality, Common Core lessons. The website worked. Not only could teachers find examples of high quality lessons, but parents and students also benefited from the explanations. Thanks to a Next Generation Learning Challenge Grant, Eric was able to grow the idea. He teamed up with former classmate and teacher, Alix Guerrier, and together they recruited an initial corps of 20 Dream Team teachers from across the country. The  Dream Team  grew to 123 the following year. In 2013, 200 teachers from 42 states worked on high quality Common Core lessons. There are now over 10,000 high quality resources on the site, covering grades 2-12 in math and ELA. LearnZillion also launched it's premium offering to enable states, districts, and schools to provide powerful and invigorating professional development experiences for their own teachers. For more about the founding story, check out  this post  on their blog, The LearnZillion Insider. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from LearnZillion. © 2015 Learning List

Discovery Education’s Science Techbook for Texas is a comprehensive, web-based science curriculum for grades K-12. At each grade level, the multimodal program includes a range of digital resources, including interactive text; embedded videos, animations, and virtual investigations; and hands-on explorations. Techbooks support struggling readers, English language learners (ELLs), and students with disabilities. At grades K-8, resources include Lexile-based, or “leveled,” text in English and Spanish to address the needs of students at different reading at, below, or above grade level. Learning List has completed reviews for Discovery Education’s web-based science curriculum for grades K-12. Content is structured to help students think and communicate in scientific language. Lessons focus on answering “essential questions” and are organized using the 5E Instructional Model. Instruction builds conceptual understanding and develops scientific process skills, such as establishing hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, drawing evidence-based conclusions, and applying concepts to new problems. Partnerships with the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and other publishers facilitate access to high-quality and engaging materials that connect science to real-world problems and events. Techbooks aggregate a diverse set of interactive, multimedia tools in a single digital platform. The program’s user interface is intuitive and easy-to-use. Content for both teachers and students is explicitly organized in terms of the 5E model and is searchable by keyword for students and by keyword and TEKS. Click here for a 60-day evaluation. About Discovery Education* Discovery Education transforms classrooms, empowers teachers and captivates students by leading the way in providing high quality, dynamic, digital content to school districts large and small, rural and suburban and everything in between. Discovery Education courses are designed to accelerate student achievement in each district by capturing the minds and imaginations of students with the fascination of Discovery, tapping into students’ natural curiosity and desire to learn. Discovery Education offers a portfolio of opportunities for districts to meet students where they want to learn in the digital age. With award-winning digital content, interactive lessons, real time assessment, virtual experiences with some of Discovery’s greatest talent, classroom contests & challenges, professional development and more — Discovery helps to lead the way in transforming classrooms and inspiring learning. Click here for more information about Discovery Education. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Discovery Education. © 2015 Learning List

Read Naturally Live is a web-based program that provides differentiated instruction to meet the needs of struggling readers and second language learners in grades 1 through 8. The customizable program supports improved vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension through a system of repeated, timed student reading and includes ongoing phonics instruction in grades 1 through 3. Learning List has completed reviews for the web-based program in grades 1 through 8. Read Naturally includes a web-based diagnostic assessment of oral reading fluency that ensures students start at the appropriate reading level. Instruction is sequential and addresses multiple reading levels for each elementary and middle school grade. At each reading level, the program provides 24 non-fiction texts that are grouped based on difficulty and include relevant, age-appropriate content. Diverse passages focus on history, science, and biography and address the challenges and accomplishments of real people from a range of backgrounds. Audio files help students learn the sounds of letters and the phonics and syllable patterns common to the English language. Through repeated timed readings, students practice decoding words at increasingly faster rates. Timing tools and quizzes allow teachers and students to measure improvements in reading comprehension and fluency. Headphones are recommended to reduce classroom distractions, and Spanish language translations are available for students in grades 1-4. See the video on the right for a brief overview. About Read Naturally* In 1989,  Candyce Ihnot  was a teacher, graduate student, wife, and mother of four active children (ages 18, 14, 12, and 6). That year, as part of her master’s program in special education, Candyce developed a unique and highly effective strategy to help struggling readers achieve fluency. She combined three research-proven methods (teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring) into a simple set of steps that would later become known as the  Read Naturally Strategy . Eventually, this strategy would help millions of struggling students read more fluently. Along with her husband, Tom, a high school economics teacher and basketball coach, Candyce founded Read Naturally , Inc., in 1991. Early on, the husband-and-wife team ran the business from their kitchen table. As Read Naturally's sales increased, they cleared space in a spare bedroom to expand operations. The kitchen table continued to host “board meetings,” and the basement doubled as the assembly and warehouse space. Candyce developed curriculum materials and trained teachers around the country to implement the strategy. Tom handled the business side of Read Naturally, servicing customers, shipping orders, and keeping the books. All four of their children were employed to stuff envelopes, assemble materials, and carry out countless other tasks. It was truly a family affair—and it still is, after more than 20 years in business. The Read Naturally family has now grown to nearly 30 dedicated and hardworking people, most of whom work in an office less than one mile from the kitchen table where it all started. The Read Naturally staff prides themselves on the quality of their materials, dedicated service to educators, and the success of students who use their products. They believe that curricula should be interesting and appropriate for each and every student, and that materials should be flexible and adaptable for many situations and environments. Read Naturally believes that teachers understand best the needs of their students, and that teachers should be supported in their efforts through professional development and coaching. Developing literacy is one of the most important steps toward a successful future. Reading is not only a necessary skill, but also an enjoyable and rewarding practice that enables a lifetime of exploration and discovery. For these reasons, Read Naturally is dedicated to producing  better tools ,  better readers , and  brighter futures . For more information, click here . *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Read Naturally. © 2015 Learning List

Gourmet Learning Reading is a vertically-aligned, supplemental reading comprehension program for grades 1-8. The flexible program allows teachers to customize instruction for students reading above, on, or below grade level. The program’s modular design meets a range of teaching needs, including whole-class instruction, supplemental instruction, and Response to Intervention (RtI). Content includes multiple opportunities for re-teaching and for students to interact with peers. Learning List has completed reviews for the supplemental reading comprehension program for grades 1-8. Instruction emphasizes the skills and strategies that support independence with the reading process and students’ ability to learn from what they read. Across grades, content includes cross-curricular, fiction and nonfiction reading selections with a high level of differentiation to engage diverse learners. Content-related games and collaborative projects provide opportunities for students to interact with classmates. Teachers monitor student learning through periodic observational assessments of comprehension and skills. Resources include a practice test, a benchmark test, and a final assessment for each unit of instruction. Click the video for a quick overview of Gourmet Learning's benefits. About Gourmet Learning* The Gourmet Learning team has 100+ years of collective classroom experience. Their programs are research-based principles and practices from The National Reading Panel, NCTM, NSTA, Marzano’s and Hunter’s work on effective classroom strategies. Each reading program actively involves students in critical thinking strategies and application of skills, based on the work of Benjamin Bloom. Lessons are comprehensive in scope, modular in design and are ideal for differentiated instruction. Our scope includes Math and Reading objectives in many states. “Modular Design” means you can use our materials to teach or reinforce a single learning objective, a summer school course of selected objectives or an entire year’s curriculum. For more information, click here . *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Gourmet Learning. © 2015 Learning List

Texas Economics: Math & Personal Finance is a free set of lesson plans for teaching mathematics and personal financial literacy in grades K-12. Lesson plans reference the relevant Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the National Standards for Personal Finance, National Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Benchmarks, and the National Council on Economics Education Voluntary Standards in Economics. Resources are available for download on the Texas Council on Economic Education website . Learning List has completed reviews for Personal Financial Literacy (Grades 4-6), Personal Financial Literacy - Lessons for Classrooms and After School Programs (Grades 7 & 8) and Texas Economics: Math & Personal Finance (Grades K-3). Lessons are supplemental and designed to meet the economics strand of the TEKS. At grades K-8, instruction addresses income, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving and investing. Content incorporates age-appropriate children’s literature with plots linked to personal finance (e.g., Curious George Takes a Job ) and include activities that address concepts introduced in readings. Each lesson includes rubrics to guide assessment by observing students’ participation in activities and evaluating completed activity sheets. About TCEE* The Texas Council on Economic Education (TCEE) has a vision that by working with kindergarten through grade 12 educators, TCEE can establish the seeds of a healthier U. S. economy and personal financial stability.  TCEE’s goal is to provide teachers with hands-on lessons and programs that allow students to practice implementing  real life economic and financial skills, and thus pave the way to a life of economic security and a Smarter Texas. As a 501(c) 3 nonprofit founded in 1949 and incorporated in 1969, TCEE has strong program roots throughout the state. TCEE coordinates programs to provide statewide student activities and teacher staff development with a goal to ultimately reach the 5 million school children of Texas.  TCEE strives to provide free or low cost programs that school districts and teachers can afford in times of significant budget cuts.  Each year TCEE reaches at least 2,000 educators who then impact the learning of 2 million students. TCEE seeks partnerships to promote its vision that the U. S. become a nation of citizens who have the knowledge and skills to make sound, informed economic decisions. *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from TCEE. © 2015 Learning List

WriteSteps is a comprehensive, stand-alone writing program for grades K-5. Resources address the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and grammar and are available in print and digital formats. Instruction focuses on developing writing skills using the “6 Traits of Quality Writing” framework (i.e., ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions). Learning List completed reviews of the comprehensive (K-5) program. WriteSteps develops writing skills characterized by CCSS “text types.” Text types include opinion, informative/explanatory, narrative, research, and, at grades 3-5, response to literature. Content is organized in multi-day units that focus on a particular text type. Across grade levels, instruction includes opportunities for students to work with peers, participate in collaborative writing projects, and to develop editing and revision skills. Writing tasks are connected to students’ lives and experiences and include integrated instruction in grammar and usage. See video overview on the right. Each unit includes a Formal Core Writing assignment that serves as a summative assessment. Rubrics based on the CCSS and the 6 Traits of Quality Writing support the evaluation of student work. At grades 2-5, WriteSteps includes a writing prompt early in each unit that may be used as a pre-assessment of students’ skills. Click here for a Free Trial. About WriteSteps* WriteSteps Founder & CEO Suzanne Klein is a former K-5 teacher and writing consultant with extensive training in writing pedagogy best practices, especially writer’s workshop and 6 Traits. Klein holds a Master of Arts degree in teaching, is a National Writing Project fellow, and draws inspiration from teachers such as Ralph Fletcher, Barry Lane, Lucy Calkins, Katie Wood Ray, and John Collins. WriteSteps is a 2015 SIIA CODIE Finalist and a 2015 AAP Revere Awards Finalist. *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from WriteSteps. © 2015 Learning List

Mathalicious is an online, supplemental resource that supports Common Core middle school and high school math instruction. Instruction emphasizes the application of math to real-world issues and focuses on algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability at the high school level. Instruction is teacher guided and focuses on engaging students in meaningful conversations about mathematics. Learning List has completed reviews for Mathalicious Lessons for Grades 6-8 as well as Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. Lessons are designed for use with LCD projectors or interactive white boards and last about two days (block scheduled). Online resources are organized in three parts Plan, Teach, and Reflect. Content includes video and audio clips and interactive slide shows that help students visualize the concepts they are learning. Discussions of problem-solving strategies are integrated throughout instruction. Mathalicious lessons may be searched by grade level, topic, standard, and key word. Interactive tools enable teachers to display charts, graphs, and data in ways that support student understanding. For example, the “Projector Mode” tool makes interactive graph images bolder and larger for easier viewing using LCD projectors or interactive white boards. About Mathalicious* The Mathalicious team thinks the world is an interesting place full of interesting questions.  Do people with small feet pay too much for shoes? Do taller Olympic sprinters have an unfair advantage? How have video game consoles changed over time…and are we building the Matrix? They also think math class is the perfect place for students and teachers to explore questions like these, and that it can be the most interesting part of the day. All teachers want to engage their students in meaningful learning experiences. Mathalicious helps teachers create a different kind of math class. They create lessons that explore the math behind real-world topics, from sports to shopping to the odds of finding life on other planets. These lessons put teachers and students in a position to have interesting conversations that foster a classroom culture of curiosity and rigorous mathematical thinking. According to Mathalicious, teachers who use their lessons say they enjoy their jobs more, and that their students look forward to coming to class. The Common Core Standards emphasize problem solving and critical thinking. Every Mathalicious lesson is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. In fact, most lessons connect multiple content standards, and help build deep conceptual understanding through real-world contexts. And live more fully in it. *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Mathalicious. © 2015 Learning List