
English Language Arts
Grades 5-8
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening - Learning
There is no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books. - James Patterson
Independent Reading
Each learner in the Manheim Central School District is assessed using the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA). The goal is to locate each learner's independent reading level and match learners with texts that will foster a passion for reading. Learners will be reading 30 minutes in school each day, as well as 15 minutes at home each day. For every 15 minutes read, learners will have completed a step. The steps will be recorded by students and logged by facilitators throughout the school year. The goal for each learner is 16 steps per week - 10 during the five days of school and an additional step six nights a week. Learners may be reassessed for reading level movement at any point throughout the school year, if progress in the current color level is apparent.
Literacy
The ELA Department at Manheim Central Middle School is dedicated to improving literacy for students in all content areas. At this level, students read to learn by interacting with a variety of texts through active reading strategies. Routine writing is a second key to the ELA classrooms, ranging from short, timed writings geared to show understanding or prior knowledge to full-process essays polished to publishable levels. Students need to be able to read and write in all content areas, and the groundwork for that success is laid in the ELA classroom.
Curriculum and Instruction
The ELA classrooms function on a rotational learning model. This model allows the teacher to work directly with a small group of students, while the other students in the classroom are engaged in collaborative and independent content learning. This model - used throughout the middle school - allows teachers to easily differentiate learning. For example, each grade level has units with multiple different novels at various levels. Each book is tied together by genre (historical fiction, science fiction...) and theme, but students are paired with a book based on interest and reading level. The rotational model allows teachers to instruct students where they are in their learning, focusing on individual learning and growth instead of a one-size-fits-all model.
Instructional Facilitator - ELA 5-8
Matt Baker
Instructional Coach 5-8
Instructional Facilitator ELA 5-8
Email: bakerma@manheimcentral.org
Website: https://mcmscoach.blogspot.com/
Location: Manheim Central Middle School, White Oak Road, Manheim, PA, United States
Phone: (717) 664-1833
Twitter: @CoachMCMS
Matthew Baker
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