[eMINTS] Com Arts Programs

[dillendt at louisiana.k12.mo.us]

I hear your comments and wonder what other teachers feel about Harcourt
Trophies.  That's the series our building is planning to get next year. 
Are any of you using that series now?  Do you like it?  How do the
different grade levels feel about it?

Tracy
5th grade
Louisiana Elementary School

> Our school is doing the Treasures Program from McGraw-Hill.
> My first impression of this program was that it was great and that it
> would
> fill in all those gaps that our district seemed to have with the GLE's.
> After teaching with it, (our district is making all of us do it, all the
> time), I have come to the conclusion that it is just another basal that is
> full of stuff.
>
> In fact, it has so much stuff, that it took about a quarter for most
> teachers
> in our building to get used to how it was set up.  It also takes a lot of
> time to implement, so plan on almost two and a half hours a day for
> communication arts.
>
> This series has a lot of workbooks! (YUK!)
> Reading has three different levels of workbooks: the approaching,
> on-level,
> and the beyond.
> There is a grammar workbook and also a Spelling workbook.  You will need
> all
> this stuff to implement the program.
>
> Assessment:  Our school has common assessments weekly. Treasures does
> supply
> these. These look just like the MAP test stuff.  We have two people in our
> district that oversee all the testing and assessments.  Teachers are
> responsible for all their own testing.  It seems like all we do is test!
>
>
> Bottom line: it stifles the constructivist/eMINTS philosophy, but any
> basal
> will, right?
>
> Patrick Myers
> 5th Grade
> DeSoto School District #73
> Myers.Pat at desoto.k12.mo.us
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: emints-bounces at lists.emints.org
> [mailto:emints-bounces at lists.emints.org] On Behalf Of Jonel Hammons
> Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 7:43 AM
> To: emints at lists.emints.org
> Subject: [eMINTS] Com Arts Programs
>
> My school is looking at adopting a new communication arts program for
> grades 1-6 as well as an assessment program. We are meeting with all the
> company reps, but I would like to hear the cheers and jeers from those
> who are using the programs.
> I am interested in finding the  good points and week spots of such
> programs as Macmillian/McGraw-Hill Treasures Series, Houghton Mifflin,
> Wright Group,  and Scott Foresman.
>   What is your school using to assess reading both from the grade level
> standpoint and the skills assessment/intervention standpoint. We have
> looked at both Dibbles and AIMSweb.  How is the assessment/intervention
> being accomplished - classroom teacher only, assessment team, building
> wide? I think information from those using it is more helpful than from
> the ones trying to sell it.
> Thanks for your help.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> eMINTS mailing list
> eMINTS at lists.emints.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> eMINTS mailing list
> eMINTS at lists.emints.org
>
>