Gifted Resource
Language Arts/Math
Welcome to Curriculum Night!
Shari Solberg-Ayers
A Bit About Mrs. Solberg-Ayers
• Teaching experience in CA, Arizona and Connecticut,
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Classrooms 2nd-5th grades, Gifted and SEI.
Home state of California – Family of Teachers
Masters in Elementary Education, emphasis in Multicultural
Education from ASU
Masters in Geographic Education, March ‘09 from ASU.
Gifted Endorsement, K-8 Certification
Family: Husband, two kids, 17 & 15 (for another month!) one
dog
Love to travel, learn languages, cook (if someone else cleans
up!), hike in the mountains, run on the beach, write and read.
Reading:
• Goal: We want kids to enjoy and choose
reading. We want them to actively
construct knowledge while reading and be
emotionally connected to literature; able to
participate in discussions.
Literature is chosen that encourages a
lifelong love of reading. We may read
seven novels and 24 Jr. Great Books
stories in the year. Move at a good clip.
Literary Responses
• What is a Literary Response? The little voice in
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your head that talks to you, things you observed,
feelings you had while reading.
Locus of control is with students not teacher
It’s natural and enjoyable, encourages interaction
with text, active reading.
Students write on sticky notes, transfer on to
paper, turn questions in.
Use Self Evaluations, asking questions such as
“Did I complete reading on time? Did I write On
the Lines, Between the Lines, Beyond the Lines?”
GR program is about the last two.
Kinds of Responses: Practicing
Process Skills
• Questions you had while reading
• Predictions
• Words you didn’t understand and what you think it
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might mean
Words or phrases you liked and why
Quotes with page numbers, what you think it meant.
Use the author’s name when making observations (I
really like how Oscar Wilde said…)
Write about the moral, or theme in one response.
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• If it’s from the heart; there’s no wrong response.
Literature Discussions
• Written responses brought to the discussion.
• Students learn to share the air time, after
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speaking they need to let someone else
respond.
Students use eye contact (listener and speaker),
Use the text, stay on the subject, speak loudly
and clearly, respond to what is said
(acknowledge with head nod, or comment, to
show you were listening).
Students learn to invite people in….What did you
think of that Stacy? Do you agree…?, etc.
Reading Expectations
• Students must do the reading and write
their responses. They cannot participate if
they don’t.
• Responses must be done neatly, with
sentences written correctly, hand written
with pencil or typed.
• Papers should have proper headings.
• They will always have 2-4 days to complete
reading and responses.
Vocabulary Development
WordSmith
• Biweekly Vocabulary development
• Greek and Latin stems
• Master List : 2 – 3 year word cell list
• Instead of just prefixes, roots and suffixes.
This gets at the meaning of those parts or
cells. (Hyphen placement is important to
meaning).
• E.g., Tele- (from afar) Vis (see)
-Ion( -ing, act)
WordSmith
(Continued)
• Flash Cards – Great way to study
• Possible projects – creativity can come
out, practice presentation skills.
• Word-’O – Review game we’ll play.
• Spelling comes from daily writing.
• Parents: Quiz using flashcards, practice at
home on words, ask about progress.
Wordly Wise –
Vocabulary and Comprehension
• Booster shot for vocabulary development
• Help students meet state standards for
vocabulary and reading comprehension
• Emphasizes learning from context
• Uses prefixes, suffixes, roots
• Uses graphic organizers and semantic
maps
Writing
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Daily writing
Writing Folder, organization and process
Writer’s Workshop, journals, choice pieces
Teacher directed lessons on different genres
Poetry
Grammar lessons
Six Traits Writing
Lessons pulled from Literature or text books
Projects
• High Interest Research
• History
• Poetry
• Others
• Optional: Year-long research project on
topic of personal interest.
Homework
• 20-30 minutes a night per subject
area
• 3-4 nights a week
• Assignment Calendar, filled out daily
• Not prepared/missing assignments –
Parents notified.
Math
Students must demonstrate mastery of
grade level curriculum.
Then Accelerated Curriculum
Acceleration has proven to be
twice as powerful as enrichment
when dealing with gifted students.
(gifted students generally work a grade above their peers)
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Math – Adopted Materials
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Investigations in Data, Number, and Space
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encourages students to think creatively
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develops critical thinking skills
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supports a deeper understanding of the
mathematical content
2. Scott-Foresman Mathematics text
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a traditional textbook approach
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encourages problem solving, practice and spiral
review
3. Fosnot Materials
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problem solving approach
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uses real-life situations to model mathematical
ideas
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Math Units
Number Sense: Expressions and Estimation,
Number Theory, Fractions (Multiplication,
Division of), Decimals, Integers and
Rational #’s, Ratios, Rates, Proportions,
Percents, Measurement, Geometry, Data
graphing, Probability, Discrete Math
Nonverbal
Students work in their classrooms for nonverbal.
Children placed in gifted for nonverbal
reasoning typically enjoy:
• Puzzles (jigsaw or Rush Hour type)
• Taking things apart and perhaps …putting them
back together
• Building things (Legos or blocks)
• Paper crafts (origami, paper airplanes, Rube
Goldberg books, etc.
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Gifted Wish List
Colored highlighters
Crayons, colored pencils
Colored gel pens
Pretty colored paper for publishing
Sticky notes in different colors
Large Baggies for books
College ruled writing paper
¼” graph paper
Index cards
Clear sheet protectors for 3 ring binders
Trinkets from Dollar Store, etc. - Quarterly Auction
Home-School Communication
• Conferences are two times per year to
review progress and set goals
• Voice mail/phone (may take 24 hours to
return, email is faster)
• Check grades on Genesis
• Web Pages
• Weekly Student Reflection Sheets
• Email questions anytime:
ssolbe@kyrene.org
GR Schedule of Classes
• MATH:
8:00 – 9:30
M, T, TH, F
• Reading: 9:45 – 11:05
M, T, Th, F
Looking forward to working with
you and your child.
Thank you for coming.
Mrs. Solberg-Ayers: ssolbe@kyrene.org