Running head: BEST PRACTICES HANDBOOK

Scarlett Palmieri
Best Practices Handbook
Regent University
Running head: BEST PRACTICES HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Practices Page #

1. Inference Chart ……………………………………………………………………….. 3
2. Overused Words & What to Use Instead …………………………………………….. 3
3. Differentiated Reading…………………………………………….………………….. 4
4. Partner Reading………………………………………………………………………. 4
5. Argument/Editorial Essay Graphic Organizer……………………………………….. 4
6. Peer Editing: For the Editorial Essay………………………………………………… 5
7. Vocabulary Word Map ………………………………………………………………. 6
8. Student Opinion Articles…………………………………………………………...… 6
9. Four Corners………………………………………………………………………….. 7
10. Plot Diagram………………………………………………………………………… 8
11. Cause and Effect Rockets…………………………………………………………..... 8
12. Hamburger Writing………………………………………………………………….. 9
13. Affinity Mapping……………………………………………………………………. 9
14. Word Wall……………………………………………………………………………10
15. Concentric Circles……………………………………………………………………10
16. Exit Tickets…………………………………………………………………………. 11
17. Dialogue Journal……………………………………………………………………. 11
18. Summarizing Graphic Orgnaizer…………………………………………………… 12
19. Popsicle Stick Method……………………………………………………………… 12
20. A Quotation a Day………………………………………………………………….. 13

Book List……………………………………………………………………………….. 14
Running head: BEST PRACTICES HANDBOOK

Best Practices
1. “Inference chart.” ELA in the middle, Word Press, 26 June 2013,
elainthemiddle.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/inference-chart/.

o INFERENCE CHART: An inference chart is similar to a T-Chart in that it has

two columns divided by a line. Students write what the text said under the first
column and then make inferences based off of that text in the second column. The
text passages should be pre-chosen by the instructor. This strategy is beneficial
because it encourages students to make their own inferences based on direct
portions of literary text. In addition, students can work individually or as a group,
writing their inferences on post it notes and then placing them in the appropriate
space.
o Example:

2. Frost, Jennifer. “16 Boring Words & What to Use Instead”

(Infographic). GrammarCheck.net - Check your text online, Grammer Check, 16
Nov. 2016, www.grammarcheck.net/boring-words/.

o OVERUSED WORDS & WHAT TO USE INSTEAD: This info graphic is

similar to a thesaurus in that it contains commonly used words and offers
alternative word choices for that particular word. This info graphic can easily be
adapted into a graphic organizer the class participates in completing. Each day,
the teacher may ask for a word that the students feel they overuse in everyday
language. The students may propose alternate, more descriptive words to use
instead. This tool is very beneficial because students tend to use the same words
over and over. This is an excellent way for students’ to increase their vocabulary
pool in a fun and interesting way.
o Example:
Instead of funny use: Instead of said use:
Amusing Silly Called Stated
Humorous Witty Cried Replied
Hilarious Comical Responded
Hysterical Exclaimed
Laughable Demanded
Remarked
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3. “Use Leveled Books in Student Led Discussions.” ELA in the middle, Word Press,
8 June 2017, elainthemiddle.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/use-leveled-books-in-
student-led-discussions/.

o DIFFERENTIATED READING: This practice allows students to read different

books that are all connected by a similar topic, genre, or theme. This practice is
very helpful because it prevents students from all reading the same book, yet still
grants students with the ability to talk and think together about a target idea. This
is beneficial in the classroom because it shifts the focus from reading a certain
book to honing in on the ideas students should understand by the time they are
done reading. Furthermore, differentiated reading encourages students to read at
their instructional reading level and take ownership of their learning.
o Example of differentiated reading list for the Pre-Civil Rights Era:

4. “11 Alternatives to "Round Robin" (And "Popcorn") Reading.” ELA in the middle,
Word Press, 17 July 2016, elainthemiddle.wordpress.com/2016/07/17/11-
alternatives-to-round-robin-and-popcorn-reading/.

o PARTNER READING: With partner reading, two students take turns reading
aloud to one another. Students should agree upon a reading pattern (the most
common reading pattern is switching readers every time there is a new
paragraph). This is beneficial in the classroom because it encourages students to
work with their peers, share a common task and read at their instructional reading
levels. In addition, it increases students ability to read aloud and provides students
with a buddy should they have a hard time comprehending the text.
o Example:
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5. The Learning Network. “Reader Idea | An Argument-Writing Unit: Crafting Student

Editorials.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Mar. 2016,
learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/reader-idea-an-argument-writing-unit-
crafting-student-editorials/.

o ARGUMENTATIVE/EDITORIAL ESSAY ORGANIZER: This graphic

organizer provides students with an outline for drafting an argumentative and/or
editorial essay. It breaks down each section of the essay and includes components
such as hook, thesis, ethos, pathos and logos. This graphic organizer is beneficial
because it allows students to organize their thoughts and ideas while encouraging
them to familiarize themselves with, as well as give attention to, the key
components necessary to constructing a strong argument/editorial.
o Example (portion of worksheet):

 Introduction Paragraph: Your introductory paragraph

sets the stage or the context for the POSITION you are
ARGUING for. This introduction should end with your
thesis statement that provides your claim (what you are
arguing for) and the REASONS for your position on the
issue.

Hook (get the reader’s attention!! Set the tone for the rest of
6. The Learning the essay):
Network. “Reader Idea | An Argument-Writing Unit: Crafting Student
Editorials.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Mar. 2016,
Claim/thesis (with 2-3 main reasons):
learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/reader-idea-an-argument-writing-unit-
crafting-student-editorials/.
Briefly summarize the three main points (include definitions of
o PEER EDITING WORKSHEET FOR THE EDITORIAL ESSAY: This tool
terms if necessary):
guides students through the peer editing process. Students begin by reading over
their peer’s paper to check for logic and fluency. Then they read over the paper a
second time, this time checking for grammar and spelling. Once students
complete parts 1 and 2 of the process, they are prompted to answer a series of
meaningful questions regarding their peer’s editorial essay, such as “Is the claim
clear? Why or why not?”, “What are the main supporting points of the
argument?” and “Is the evidence relevant to this claim?” This tool would be very
useful in a unit on argumentative/editorial essays. In addition this tool is a great
resource to enable students get a grasp on constructive feedback and reflection
processes.
o Example (portion of worksheet):

EVIDENCE (appeals to LOGOS): Is the evidence relevant to the claim?

Does the writer incorporate in-text citations appropriately and where
necessary? Are the quotations TOO long (should be less than 3-4 lines
AT MAX and only done once).

CONCLUSION: What is the writer's solution? How does the writer end?
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7. Word Maps | Classroom Strategy. (2017, December 20). Retrieved February 25, 2018,
from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_maps

o VOCAULARY WORD MAP: Word maps are graphic organizers that stimulate
vocabulary development. Word maps encourage students to think about a specific
term or concept in a variety of ways and therefore, gain understanding of the term
or concept in a variety of ways. This tool is helpful in the classroom because it
develops understanding of a specific word or concept and increases the chances
that a student will recall that word or concept. Word maps are also a great way to
build students vocabulary, activate prior knowledge and develop reading
comprehension skills.
o Example:

8. Proulx, N., Gilpin, C. C., Doyne, S., Gonchar, M., Schulten, K., & Network, T. L.
(2018, February 23). Student Opinion. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-student-opinion

o STUDENT OPINION ARTICLES: Student Opinion Articles are a series of

questions inspired by content contained in The New York Times. Because most of
these questions are posed around controversial issues, such as gun control,
technology in dating, and climate change, these articles require students to
develop strong personal opinions and then defend those opinions in the face of
criticism. This online tool is a wonderful resource to use in the classroom
because it engages students in real-world conversations, ones that are important
and need to be addressed, and encourages students to think critically about the
world around them. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to introduce
Running head: BEST PRACTICES HANDBOOK

apologetics, teach students how to construct strong arguments and respectfully

approach those who contradict their beliefs.
o Example:

9. Schulten, K. (2015, December 10). Skills and Strategies | The Four-Corners Exercise
to Inspire Writing and Discussion. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/skills-and-strategies-the-four-
corners-exercise-to-inspire-writing-and-discussion/

o FOUR CORNERS: Four Corners is a strategy that involves students moving

around the classroom to show their levels of agreement or disagreement with a
statement or series of statements in regards to a particular issue. The corners
should be labeled Strongly Agree; Agree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree and be
labeled priory to the activity so students know exactly where to go. The teacher
will read the statement(s) from the middle of the classroom, students will be given
some time to form an opinion about the statement and then students will move to
one of the four corners to show their point of view. In the classroom, this strategy
would be an excellent anticipatory set to see where students stand on a particular
issue or to get students thinking critically. Combining this strategy with a student
opinion article (see Practice #8) could also be a great way to further develop
students’ critical thinking skills and ability to formulate a firm viewpoint. I think
it would also be very interesting to do this activity at the beginning of a unit and
then again at the end of a unit to see how students point’s of view change with
relation to their newfound knowledge.
o Example:

Four Corner Topics: Bold statements to elicit student

 The health risks of response:
tanning  Climate change is a hoax.
 The purpose of  We need to change the way we
college raise boys.
 Dystopian literature  Gun laws are not strict enough in
 Capital punishment America.
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10. National Council of Teachers of English & International Literacy Association.

Plot Diagram - ReadWriteThink. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/plot-
diagram-30040.html

o PLOT DIAGRAM: A plot diagram is a tool useful for mapping plot structure.
These diagrams feature key characteristics of plot such as conflict, rising/falling
action, resolution, and protagonist/antagonist. This tool would be beneficial in the
classroom because it allows students to identify important characteristics of a
story’s plot in an organized manner. This diagram makes an excellent pre or post-
writing activity and allows teacher to formatively assess students understanding of
plot structure.
o Example:

11. Candler, L. Literacy Graphic Organizers. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/literacy/litgo.php

o CAUSE AND EFFECT ROCKETS: Cause and Effect Rockets allow students to
identify cause(s) and effect(s). This graphic organizer helps students gain an
understanding of the relationship between causation and consequence/outcome. I
would utilize this tool across the curriculum to develop students’ comprehension
of cause and effect; in language arts, students could address the actions of a
particular character in an expository or narrative text, in science, students could
discuss different causation theories for certain outcomes of a science experiment
and in history students could discuss what caused certain events to take place in
history such as World War I.
o Example:
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12. Paragraph Hamburger | Classroom Strategy. (2017, October 30). Retrieved February
25, 2018, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/paragraph_hamburger

o HAMBURGER WRITING: Hamburger writing is a visual organizer that outlines

the key elements of a paragraph. Most hamburger paragraphs include topic
sentence, detail #1, detail #2, detail #3 and closing sentence. This organizer would
assist students in learning how to construct a well-written paragraph. In addition,
it would help students become familiar with the formal elements of a paragraph.
o Example:

13. The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies. (2017, July 23). Retrieved February 25,
2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/

o AFFINITY MAPPING: This strategy requires students to generate responses to a

broad lesson-based question. Students write each one of their responses on a
different sticky note and then place their completed sticky notes on a wall or chart
paper. Once every student has posted their sticky notes in the designated area,
students begin working together to group the sticky notes into similar categories,
label the categories and discuss the similarities and differences between
responses.
o Example:
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14. Cronsberry, J. (n.d.). Word Walls: A Support for Literacy in Secondary School
Classrooms. Lecture. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/World_Walls_-
_A_Support_for_Literacy_in_Secondary_School_Classrooms.pdf

o WORD WALL: A word wall is a collection of words, displayed large enough so

that students can easily see and access them. This tool is meant to be interactive
and students should be expected to contribute new words to the wall daily and
seek out opportunities to use the words on the wall throughout daily instruction –
whether that be through reading, writing or speaking. Word walls are especially
useful in the classroom because they build students vocabulary, provide support
for literacy and reinforce understanding of subject-specific terminology.
o Example:

15. The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies. (2017, July 23). Retrieved February 25,
2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/

o CONCENTRIC CIRCLES: Concentric circles are a classroom discussion strategy

in which students form two circles, one inside circle and one outside circle.
Students on the inside are paired with a student on the outside. Student pairs
discuss their responses to a question or topic posed by the teacher. When the
teacher gives students the signal to rotate, students in the outside circle move over
one space to the right/left so that they are now facing a new person. The teacher
poses a new question or topic and students discuss in their new pairs. This
strategy is useful in the classroom because it is an engaging way to foster positive
peer relations and learning. In addition, switching up the pace and/or method of
normal class discussion ensures students don’t get bored.
o Example:
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16. Exit Slips | Classroom Strategy. (2017, October 30). Retrieved February 25, 2018,
from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/exit_slips

o EXIT TICKETS: Exit tickets, or exit slips, are student written responses to a
question or prompt the teacher poses at the end of a lesson or at the end of the
day. Exit tickets are useful in the classroom because they are one of the easiest
and quickest ways to informally assess students understanding of the
material/content.
o Example:

17. How Dialogue Journals Build Teacher-Student Relationships. (2017, August 17).
Retrieved February 25, 2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/dialogue-
journals/

o DIALOUGE JOURNAL: A dialogue journal is any kind of notebook in which

students and teachers write letters back and forth to one another over a longer
period of time (most typically the school year). Students should be encouraged to
decorate their notebook covers to showcase their unique personalities. In their
journals, students will write to their teacher using a series of open-ended prompts
such as, “What’s your biggest dream?”, “Who is your inspiration?”, “If you could
be anywhere in the world right not but here, where would you be?”, etc. Students
should respond to the teacher at least once a week, although some students may
prefer to write more often by creating their own additional prompts. Dialogue
journals are beneficial in the classroom for countless reasons; two of the most
important reasons being dialogue journals foster positive teacher-student
relationships and increase students writing fluency.
o Example:
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18. Jamerson, J. (2018, February 22). Reading Strategy: Somebody Wanted But So Then.
Reading presented in Centennial Elementary Literacy Coach.

o SUMMARIZING GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: This grpahic organizer requires

students to summarize a story using the prompts “Somebody…”, “Wanted…”,
“But…”, “So…”, and “Then…” This tool is useful because it allows students to
differentiate between summarizing and retelling a story. This organizer also helps
younger students, who may struggle with summarizing, focus on the most
important details of a story.
o Example:

19. The Teacher’s Toolkit. Popsicle Sticks. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/popsicle

o POPSICLE STICK METHOD: With the Popsicle Stick Method, students decorate
popsicle sticks with their names. The teacher then collects the popsicle sticks and
places them in a special jar. Anytime the teacher wants to use this method in
class, he or she will request something or pose a question to students and then
draw a popsicle sticks from the jar; whoever’s name is on the popsicle stick must
answer the question or complete the task. This strategy is helpful because it
increases student engagement and ensures the equal participation of every student.
o Example:
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20. Hopkins, G. (2002, June 18). A Quotation a Day: Just What the Language Doctor
Ordered. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson132.shtml

o QUOTATION A DAY: With Quotation a Day, students copy a new quotation

into their journals every day, take a few minutes to meditate on what it means,
how it relates to them and how they can apply it to their own lives. Students may
also paraphrase the quote in their own words or use examples that they think
demonstrate an understanding of the quote. This strategy is useful in the
classroom because studying quotations allows students to adopt more abstract
ways of thinking. Introducing a new quotation a day also allows students to
experiment with mindfulness, which in turn allows teachers to influence students’
intentions and moral character.
o Example:
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Book List
1. Meltzer, B. (2018). I Am Harriet Tubman. Penguin Young Readers Group.
This book describes the life of Harriet Tubman and tells of her heroic, pivotal role in the
fight against slavery. This book addresses SOL’s for third or fourth grade in Non-fiction
text, Oral language, and U.S. history (see USI.8d: Identifying the main ideas of the
abolitionist movement). Furthermore, this entire series by Brad Meltzer is a great tool for
describing key events in history and the roles of key individuals in those events such as
Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein.

2. Bruchac, J. (2000). Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving . Voyager
Books Harcourt Inc.
This story describes the life of Squanto, a Native American, who taught the English men
who traveled on the Mayflower how to survive and harvest the land. The story also
describes their participation in the first Thanksgiving feast. This book addresses SOL’s in
Non-fiction text, Oral language and Virginia Studies (see VS.2d, VS.2e, VS.3a).

3. Bang, M., & Chisholm, P. (2017). Rivers of Sunlight: How the Sun Moves Water
Around the Earth. New York: The Blue Sky Press.
This book describes the sun’s role on Earth as well as details our planet’s most precious
natural resource, water. This book addresses SOL’s for third grade in Oral Language,
Non-fiction Text, and Science (see Standard 3.9).

4. Lois Lowry (1989) Number The Stars. Houghton Mifflin Co.

This story describes the life of Annemarie Johansen and her experiences during
World War II. This novel addresses SOL’s for fifth grade in Fiction Text, Oral
Language and History.

5. Cole, J., & Degen, B. (2017). The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip. New
York: Scholastic.
This book takes place in Ms. Frizzle’s class and describes how electric currents travel.
This book addresses SOL’s for fifth grade in Non-fiction text, Oral language and Science
(see SOL 5.2 Force, Motion and Energy).