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Focus Students learn critical reading skills that focus on comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. They learn how to read and critique works from all genres ranging from classics to current titles. The vocabulary focus includes prefixes, suffixes, root words and using context clues to find and understand the meaning of words. The fluency focus will include learning how to read various texts for understanding, reading with expression, reading speeches and poetry eloquently, and how to increase speed in reading. The comprehension focus includes using various reading strategies including making inferences, summarizing, finding the main idea, sequencing events, analyzing the writing styles. Students also learn about various literary elements and techniques and how to apply them to their own writing. Time Distribution 30 minutes: Read aloud and class instruction– teacher guides students in reading and analyzing a particular text all while focusing on comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency skills. Students learn through book discussions using the Socratic method, using context clues to find the meaning of vocabulary words, critiquing the author's writing style, studying phonics and grammar rules, highlighting literary elements, and reading for fluency. Read alouds include stories from Great Books and other classic fiction and non fiction readings, essays, poetry, speeches, and magazine articles. 25 minutes: Independent reading and authentic assessments (see teaching and assessment methods). students will read various novels and stories which are grade level appropriate. Students in each group read the same novel and have discussions and assignments related to the story. Once the novel is completed, students will create and present an authentic assessment to the class. 20 minutes: Learning centers- Prekindergarten and kindergarten students visit learning centers based upon skills including the phonics center, Leap Pad center, fluency center, listening center, and sentence center.  Senate (2-3 grade) and President (upper grades) students visit the listening center, fluency center, story skills center, vocabulary center, or the story diagram center. Reading Projects Not only do students develop critical reading skills, they apply these skill to various projects which include: Creating a magazine for a story including a table of contents, letters to the editor (author), main character's editorial page (explaining how he/she sees a major event), advertisements for products in story or places, biography of one of the characters, vocabulary crossword puzzle, cartoon showing sequence of events and other components. Story maps and webs Creative flip books Vocabulary mapping projects such as creating a dictionary and thesaurus Authentic assessments that detail the main story elements such as creating a talk show, cartoon, 3D time line, mime, poem, rap / song, TV show, dioramas, book or other creative ideas that the students may have. Ongoing recording of reading: all students record themselves weekly reading on tape. This serves as an ongoing fluency assessment. Reciting famous speeches
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Holman Leadership Academy Enlightening Minds to Lead!
Student Presentations Our young leaders give weekly presentations on "Presentation Friday"! They are preparing now for successful futures.
Guest Speakers Our leaders learn from real business and community leaders on a bimonthly basis. Click on "Guest Speakers for previous and future guest speakers". Â
Community Involvement Our leaders learn about community concerns and have visited Operation Push, a City Council meeting, and the Black Wall street economic summit.
Hands on Learning Our leaders do a variety of projects which require them to use their knowledge on various topics.
Field Learning Students take bimonthly field trips to museums and cultural events. Click on "Field Trips" for previous and future trips.
Reading
