Professional Development Sessions

Hi Teachers! We are day 2 into the contest and there is a lot of great reading going on with 3rd graders across the state of Arizona. I know that some of you are still on break but no worries! Your kids will have plenty of time to read when they come back on Monday.

If you have not taken advantage of our free professional development sessions there is still time. I would love to work with you to help you get the most out of your myON experience. There are many ways we can do professional development from live on site sessions to webinars. During an onsite session I would come to your school at your convenience and work with your teachers and or students. I will show you all the ins and outs of myON and answer any questions that you might have. A live webinar works very similar to an onsite session except that I will be meeting with you remotely.  All you need is a computer and a projector and we can walk through myON together. More options for training are available as well.

If you'd like to schedule a professional development session please contact me.  I am here to support you any way I can so please don't hesitate to reach out with any thoughts or questions you might have. I am available by email and phone.  I look forward to working with you.

Stacy Goebel
sgoebel@myon.com
602-435-1443

Game Time

Hooray!  Today is the day!  The Read to the Final Four Literacy Challenge has officially begun! 

Starting today, when your students log in to myON, they will see a short message and a contest button at the top of their home page. When they click that button, it will take them to the contest page which will show real time data including how they are doing personally and how their school is doing.  Remember that there are actually two contests going at the same time. There is the school contest where your school is competing against schools all across Arizona. Then there is the individual contest where each student is competing against other 3rd graders across the state. Two contests means two chances to win, but when kids are reading it's really a WIN WIN for all!

All of the schools have been broken down into 4 regions. Your students will be able to see their region when they go to the contest page. These first two weeks is the tip off phase. Students should read as much as they can because at the end of the first 2 weeks only the top 68 schools will move on to the first round of bracketing. Then every two weeks there will be a new round and schools will be eliminated until we get down to our Final Four schools and ultimately our winning school.

If your school gets eliminated it's ok, because your students can still read on myON until August 31! Teachers, this is going to be a great resources for you and your kids will love the great library of over 5,000 books they can find on myON.

Keep checking this blog for more information, tips and ideas as the contest goes on!

GAME ON!

It's Almost Time

I'm so excited that I can't sleep!  In just one hour Read to the Final Four starts!  I can't wait to see how many minutes Arizona 3rd graders are going to read over the next few months! I just know that it's going to be a crazy amount! I am pumped to hear your stories about kids reading! Are you ready Arizona? Let's do this! 

New Year's Reading Resolutions

It's the start of a new year and the perfect time for kids to make some reading resolutions for 2017. Spend a few minutes with kids talking about the resolutions below.

My 2017 Reading Resolutions

1.  This year I would like to read __________ books a week.

2.  I plan to read at least _________________ minutes per day.

3.  A new genre that I would like to read is __________________________.

4.  I will share what I am reading with _________________ and __________________.

5. I will make sure to ask questions about things I don't understand when I am reading.

Having kids set reading goals helps create confidence and allows kids to take responsibility for their own reading.  

Happy New Year!

Holiday Reading

The holidays are in full swing. Between all the parties, presents and family get togethers make sure to set aside some time for your kids to read. With myON, kids have access to thousands of great books all through the holiday season. Don't have access to internet? No worries. With free apps for iPad, Android tablets and Chromebooks, students can read wherever they are. Just go to your app store and download the FREE myON app.

Check out these great Holiday reads!

One snowy Christmas, Little Hedgehog wakes from his deep winter sleep to find a very special gift from Father Christmas. It’s a snug, woolly hat that turns out to be the best Christmas present ever. The first book in the popular Little Hedgehog series, this magical story of friendship is the perfect Christmas gift for any fan of the other Little Hedgehog books – ONE WINTER’S DAY, ONE RAINY DAY, ONE SPECIAL DAY and ONE CHRISTMAS NIGHT. The simple Christmas story and warm, cosy pictures are just right for parent and child to snuggle up and share before bedtime.

Do you enjoy holidays throughout the year? Now you can celebrate them even more with Easy Holiday Origami. With a few simple folds you’ll make a pocket heart, a blooming tulip, a holiday stocking, and so much more. Grab some paper and start folding! 

Bright red poinsettias decorate homes and churches. Families gather together and sing songs during posadas. Children set out their shoes, hoping they will be filled with presents. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Mexico. Come explore the many Mexican traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

In Hanukkah, early readers will learn about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the ways people celebrate it. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage emergent readers as they explore this unique holiday. A labeled diagram helps readers understand the symbols of Hanukkah, while a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary. Children can learn more about Hanukkah online using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Hanukkah also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, and an index. Hanukkah is part of Jump!’s Holidays series.

Uh-oh! It’s Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is under the weather! Can Mrs. Claus save Christmas?

Logging In for the First Time

It's the warm up phase and students all over Arizona are logging in and reading on myON.  If it's your first time logging in, you will notice that there are two things that students will do before they get to the library. 

First, students will complete an interest inventory. This lets them tell myON what kinds of books they like to read. Research shows that when students are interested in what they are reading, they will want to read more. The second thing students will do is take an initial Lexile placement exam. This helps target student's' unique ability levels. By using the interest inventory and Lexile exam, myON can personalize a library for each student that will provide the right amount of challenge to promote reading growth. This personalized library will be found under the Recommended tab in the student's library.

It is good to allow about 20-30 minutes for students to complete both the interest inventory and the Lexile placement exam. The Lexile exam has 35 questions and is adaptive.  Once a student has finished both of these things they will go to their dashboard and be able to access books in their library.  

Make a Game Plan

There are only 12 more shopping days until Christmas and 23 more days until the start of the Final Four Literacy Project. Teachers, it's time to make a game plan.  Every great coach knows it's important to start with a game plan. Having a good reading plan will help improve comprehension and develop reading strategies that will lead to student success in and out of the classroom. You can help coach your students to victory by following this simple plan.

GAME PLAN

• Stretch It Out. Allow students to s-t-r-e-t-c-h a bit by exploring myON and their personalized digital library of “just right” books for reading.

• Develop New Plays. Introduce literacy tools to build active reading skills and promote student engagement.

• Practice, Practice, Practice! Students need time to practice reading with books that are at their level and meet their interests in order to develop and improve literacy skills.