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Close the Achievement Gap
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Close the Achievement Gap
Simple Strategies That Work



January 2005 | 104 pages | Corwin
The idea that the person doing the talking is the person doing the learning seems counter-intuitive. Yet, that is exactly the case. When students put their thoughts into words, they internalize the learning. As they dialogue with peers, articulate their ideas, and express themselves, their oral language skills translate directly into written language skills. Explore six strategies that address the challenges of the achievement gap:

1) Set High Expectations: Get Kids Emotionally Involved
2) Challenges Students to Think: Teach Higher Order Thinking
3) Require Rigor: Require Complete Sentences, Standard English, Formal Register
4) Leave Nothing to Chance: Revisit! Review! Re-teach! Revise!
5) Make No Excuses: Encourage At-Risk Participation
6) Insist on Results: Emphasize Reading

 
Introduction
Introductory Comments

 
Achievement Gap Facts

 
A Story: Through the Cracks

 
The Matthew Effect

 
The Field Trip

 
Heads Together

 
Six Simple Strategies to Close the Achievement Gap

 
 
1. Set High Expectations: Get Kids Emotionally Involved
Quote: "They don't teach us enough."

 
Strategies:

 
Brain Principles

 
Student Choice

 
TESA -- Teacher Expectations, Student Achievement

 
Facing the Day with Feelings

 
The Right Way

 
Reflection: What Teachers Make

 
Film: Dead Poets Society

 
 
2. Challenge Students to Think: Teach Higher Order Thinking
Quote: "Make kids think."

 
Strategies:

 
Three-Story Intellect

 
Fat and Skinny Questions

 
Unpack the Language

 
The Threaded Model

 
Nine Best Practices

 
Reflection: The Average Child

 
Film: Saturday Night Live: The Best of Jerry Seinfeld "World War II 101"

 
 
3. Require Rigor: Require Complete Sentences, Standard English, Formal Register
Quote: "Good Morning, Class. I'm Miss Hobbs!"

 
Strategies:

 
Down Memory Lane

 
Diagramming Sentences

 
Put Words in My Mouth

 
The Sentence Squad

 
Mr. Pete's Questions

 
Reflection: Mr. Parnes' Questions

 
Film: To Sir, with Love

 
 
4. Leave Nothing to Chance: Revisit! Review! Re-teach! Revise!
Quote: "I told them what they're supposed to know."

 
Strategies:

 
Revisit with a Two-Minute Buzz

 
Review by Dialing 4-1-1 and Connecting

 
Re-teach the MI Way

 
Revise for Precision and Accuracy

 
Reflection: Invitation to Learn

 
Film: Teachers

 
 
5. Make No Excuses: Encourage At-Risk Participation
Quote: "What is it about me you can't teach?"

 
Strategies:

 
Fishbowl, Card Game, and TAG

 
Co-operative Learning Strategies

 
Whole Group Strategies

 
Partner Strategies

 
Reflection: You're a Hero to Someone

 
Film: Mr. Holland's Opus

 
 
6. Insist on Results: Emphasize Reading
Quote: " When kids can't, won't or don't read, nothing else matters."

 
Strategies:

 
Learning to Read

 
Loving to Read

 
Getting Kids to Love to Read

 
Self-Selected Reading

 
Vocabulary Building

 
Comprehension Strategies

 
Delve Into Data

 
Reflection: Let the Data Tell the Story

 
Film: Pay It Forward

 
 
References
 
Bibliography
 
Poem

"Society must come to believe that it is possible for all students to achieve. When a given population decides it is possible, children not only learn but they also thrive."

 

From the Introduction

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