As the year 2018 winds down, many of us look toward 2019 filled with hope and expectation. We look forward to the chance of starting fresh, and many of us will make New Year’s resolutions. Myself included. The coming of the new year encourages us to evaluate our needs and wants and set goals. Throughout the first semester, I have been working on two goals. My first goal is to decrease the number of minimally proficient students and my second goal was to increase enrichment activities to promote more engagement and academic rigor for students. To reach those goals I have incorporated the program Lexia PowerUP into my classroom structure.
Lexia PowerUP is a computer-based reading program that builds students’ knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. When your child first logs in to PowerUP, they take an assessment to determine their vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension levels. The program then builds lessons and activities specific to your child’s reading needs. Unlike previous reading programs, the PowerUP program provides your child with video lessons on specific skills and then constantly monitors your child’s progress and understanding of those lessons. The program also alerts me when your child is struggling with specific concepts so that I can work with them individually on that concept. In addition, the program sets a time goal for each reading area. For example, your child might have a goal of 35 minutes of word study, 45 minutes of grammar, and 35 minutes of comprehension each week. To help your child reach their time goals I have set aside 30 minutes a day for 6th and 7th grade to work on PowerUP.
As with all goals, it is essential to evaluate progress and take note of what is and is not working. For example, when I assessed my progress, one need has stood out to me clearly. Students need more time with guided practice. I feel the Lexia PowerUP program will be beneficial toward meeting my goals and addressing the lack of guided practice. The program will give each student the guided practice they need, and while the class is working on PowerUP, I can pull students aside to work with them individually on standards they still need to master. Correspondingly, since Lexia is computer-based, students who have access to a computer can work on Lexia outside of school as well. Just like the new year, the start of the second semester is a time to begin fresh, and I am looking forward to working with your children and seeing all that they will accomplish.
Sincerely,
Natalie Broehm