If you believe that you need some support to teach meaningful art lessons in your classroom then check out the “Arts Attack” series created by Marcia L. Osterink. An art teacher herself who found a need to create this program for the love of learning, created this collection of art lessons. The program consists of three components to support its goals of having every child to learn how to express him or herself through art by: learning how to draw, learning a variety of techniques, and working with a variety of media.

There are 24 lessons per grade level presented in a video format and supported by an easy to use teacher’s manual. The manual includes an historical overview, art concepts taught, artists studied, lesson objectives with supply lists, and a scope and sequence chart highlighting the elements of art and areas of emphasis. The levels begin from grade one to six, a multi-level version was introduced to support the needs of multi-level teachers, and a grade 7 and 8 edition were introduced in 2003.

I have not seen the multi-level program, but have used the grade 7 component in a grade 7-8 multi-level classroom as an entry point, and have great success with it. The structure of the guide is easy to follow, and I previewed the tape making quick notes as I watched and assessed how I was going to use it in class. The first time I used it I introduced the highlights of the lesson, listed materials needed, had them set up and assigned a group of four students to be helpers to pass out the supplies. The tape was set up and ready to roll. The instructor on the video takes over the teaching role as the lesson is introduced.

Once you try it you’ll be hooked on it because it works! Arts Attack will contribute to make teaching an exciting and rewarding activity. There is a time to pause the tape and to distribute the materials to the participants. Each tape is about sixty minutes long and is divided into sections of specified times. This makes it very manageable to use, depending upon the amount of time that you have for your class. The greatest reward of using this program is observing how each student moves into being engaged, actively participating, and directing one’s self-expression.

Submitted by Angela Tascona, Morris School

Practical Ideas to Spark Up the Year (K-3) is the second in a series for K-8 teachers. This quick read is jam-packed from cover to cover with practical, effective and easy to implement ideas. All 3 books in the series are based on four sections; Ideas for building Relationships; Ideas for classroom Organization; Ideas for classroom Assessment; and Ideas that are Reliable. Authors suggest you will be able to “ROAR through the school year” with this book!

Some of the ideas I used and easily implemented from the book include:

* Family Connections: inviting families and friends to class to come and read
* Your Turn: making transitions novel and effective
- Luck of the draw
- Check Mates: providing support to a partner
- End of the Day: reflecting and connecting
- End of day chant
- Leaving connected
* Class Surveys: engaging learners and challenging thinking.

With each idea detailed descriptions are given to get you started as soon as possible and photos are included of the strategies in action.

I encourage you to check out the Voices of Experience series including “Practical Ideas to Spark Up the Year.”

Reviewed by:

Leslie Dent, Grade 3 Teacher, Springfield Heights School

She reaffirms that getting to know your students and having high expectations of them and believing that they can all learn is the basis of best practice. The next belief is to lead your students to share responsibilities and help with the planning of how the classroom will look. She suggests building a library together by brainstorming and making a list of what should be in it. Capitalize on it and have it easily accessible for all members and share read alouds and book talks with materials from it. Building on students’ strengths and making positive comments back can help them gain an early confidence that will help them become better readers and writers.

Her book’s expert advice, specific demonstrations, photos, references and easy to read style will inspire you to reflect, teach and manage your instructional time more effectively – goals we all have as educators. I rate it highly as a good professional read.

Reviewed by Angela Tascona

The remaining chapters are more specific in reference to using classroom space effectively, curriculum planning as well as assessment.

CAFÉ, an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand vocabulary, includes goal-setting with students, posting of goals on a whole-class board, developing small-group instruction based on clusters of students with similar goals and focusing whole-class instruction on emerging student needs.

The Café system supports teachers to:
➢Organize assessment data so it truly informs instruction;
➢Track each child’s strengths and goals, maximizing time with the student;
➢Create flexible groups of students, all focused on specific reading strategy;
➢Help students remember and retrieve the reading strategies they learned.

The element of this program I liked was that I didn’t have to change my entire Literacy program. I was able to tailor it to what was already happening in my classroom and fine tune the time that I spend with individual students and small groups. The students in my classroom have become more focused in their own strengths and are developing the ability to assist in goal setting to improve their literacy skills. I really feel that I have a solid understanding of where my students are on their literacy journey based on evidence and they are able to see their own progress as well. The conferencing is quick but very focused. My students are feeling good about the goal setting process and like the fact that they are involved in this process. They feel empowered in their own learning and motivated to work independently. Everyone looks forward to our Literacy Block when they can choose what aspect of the Daily 5 they are going to work on each day.

Together, the Daily 5 and CAFÉ books have helped to evolve my Literacy Block into a focused, engaging and rewarding program where students feel empowered to be independent in their goal setting and learning and I have the time to confer with students on a regular basis to instruct and monitor their progress.

Although the initial introduction and practice of the components does take some time to implement, once the students have learned and have the opportunity to practice each component, they quickly are able to work independently during a Literacy Block time. My students love the choice that they are afforded by working within the structure of the “Daily 5.” One of the strategies that “the sisters” suggest is to explicitly model and have students practice what you want them to do. Part of this modeling and practicing is to have a student model the incorrect way of doing the activity. There was never a shortage of students who wanted to demonstrate this to their peers and it was an effective way to reinforce the proper procedures for each component.

The implementation of the Daily 5 took approximately 6 weeks, which worked nicely with the start-up of my classroom routines this year. I now have students in my class who are able to work independently during our Literacy Block and enjoy the choice that is embedded in the structure of the Daily 5. The book was well laid out and gave practical suggestions for implementing the program with my students.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to read the Daily 5, I highly recommend this very practical reference to assist with the implementation of a structure in your classroom that fosters independence in your student’s literacy development.

In responding to diversity we (teachers) have come to realise that the structure of grades may be countering our efforts to meet the range of educational needs among children. It is important, therefore, that we seek new structures that will assist us in planning for children’s unique talents and abilities. (Politano, C. & Davies, A.: Multiage and More: Building Connections. Peguis: 1994, p.1)

The authors then go on to give practical tips and strategies for teachers to use when planning and teaching their diverse classrooms, with ideas ranging from how to combine curricula when planning for the term to how to conduct a daily edit. The resource is organized by sections which include such topics as Planning for Diversity, Creating a Community of Learners, Using Physical Space, Materials and Supplies, Representing Our Learning and Accounting for Learning: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting. Included are reproducible masters and detailed descriptions of strategies set out in point form for easy perusal.

Though this resource was first published more than a decade ago, it is just as relevant to teachers today and it is a tool you may find yourself revisiting over the years. Politano and Davies write from their vast experience as multi-age educators, and many of these strategies are now widely used in classrooms.

Review written by Hilary Carey, George McDowell School

Respectfully Submitted by Member,

Angela Tascona