11 Muhammad Ali Presents Go the Distance! Aligns to Title I, Part A The purpose of Title I, Part A Improving Basic Programs is to ensure that children in high-poverty schools meet challenging State academic content and student achievement standards. These schools must develop a comprehensive plan to improve teaching and learning. The following chart shows how Muhammad Ali Presents Go the Distance! Classroom Libraries can support a schoolwide Title I program. The criteria are drawn from the December 2, 2002 Title I Final Rules and Regulations, posted at this site: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/fedregister/finrule/2002-4/120202a.html 1. Provide opportunities for all students to meet the State s proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement, particularly in the areas of math, reading/language arts, and science Go the Distance! is a program of carefully selected fiction and nonfiction trade books and teaching resources that inspire all students in Grades 3-8 to become accomplished readers. Using an inquiry-based approach developed by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Alfred W. Tatum, Ph.D. and the passions and understanding of Muhammad and Lonnie Ali, Go the Distance! provides critical instructional support to raise reading achievement. The research-based instructional design of Go the Distance! helps students meet State standards in reading/language arts. Leveled books in multiple genres engage students with inspiring characters and encourage out-of-the-box thinking. (For a complete list of titles, please visit www.scholastic.com/muhammadali.) Provocative questions spark class discussions about personally relevant topics, such as building confidence, earning respect, and following one s convictions. Modeling comprehension and reading strategies, such as think-aloud and visualization, improve comprehension, boost vocabulary, and improve knowledge of literary elements. If you have any questions about Muhammad Ali Presents Go the Distance! or would like to place an order, please call your sales representative at 800-387-1437 or fax to 877-242-5865. Gradual release model helps students build resiliency. Teachers mentor students as they try new learning strategies, monitor them during independent reading, and assess and assist them as needed. Multiple instructional modalities, such as oral language activities, writing options, real-world connections, and review/reteach strategies, help students develop and monitor comprehension. June 2007 1
Provide opportunities for all students to meet the State s proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement, Continued Go the Distance! lesson plans contain easy-to-follow strategies for maximizing the program s effectiveness: Read-Aloud Lesson for each designated book includes before-, during-, and after-reading activities; explains how to use the Book Notes to model strategies and monitor and mentor students; provides oral-language activities; and connects the lesson to other books in the leveled library. Review/Reteach Comprehension Mini-Lessons introduce and model a comprehension strategy and provide practice activities in the context of a read-aloud book. Each lesson includes wrap-up strategies to provide additional instructional support as needed. Small-Group Lesson includes before-, during-, and afterreading activities for each designated book; writing option; real-world connections; and materials students will need, as well as connects the lesson to other books in the leveled library. ThinkMarks, designed to be used with the small-group lessons and independent reading books, encourage self-monitoring of comprehension strategies. Each Go the Distance! Classroom Library (for Grades 3-4, Grades 5-6, and Grades 7-8) contains all the components needed to successfully implement the program. 96 high-interest, paperback books for read-aloud instruction, small-group instruction, or independent reading as designated 25 copies of Scholastic Scope : Muhammad Ali Special Edition classroom magazine with content in a variety of genres, to be used for small-group instruction, to make personal connections, and to practice fluency and comprehension skills Professional Guide with the research behind the program and how to successfully implement it Professional Development Paper, Seeing Reading: Making Strategic Knowledge Visible and Available to Students (Chapter 1 from Dr. Wilhelm s book, Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud Strategies) Book Notes for read-aloud titles that present modeling and think-aloud prompts for making personal connections, building comprehension strategies, and exploring literary genres June 2007 2
Provide opportunities for all students to meet the State s proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement, Continued Teacher Resources CD with reproducibles o Six read-aloud lessons o Six small-group lessons o Six review/reteach comprehension mini-lessons o 36 innovative ThinkMarks for students Classroom poster 2. Address the needs of all students in the school, particularly the needs of low-achieving students and those at risk of not meeting the State s student academic standards Go the Distance! is designed to benefit all students, including low-achieving students and those at risk of not meeting the State s student academic standards. The leveled program contains: Strong comprehension strategies taught through multiple modalities and measures Compelling, relevant personal connections to the text and instruction and inquiry-based class discussions that engage students and motivate them to read Small-group lessons that provide scaffolding through a sequence of modeling, mentoring, and monitoring comprehension strategies to guide students to become independent readers Flexible grouping, which allows teachers to differentiate instruction ThinkMarks, a smart version of a bookmark, which encourage students to become metacognitive, able to monitor their use of strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness Continual informal assessment allows teachers to adjust the curriculum to meet individual or group needs. By observing students use of reading and writing strategies, as well as having students retell what they have read in their own words, teachers can: Establish each student s current reading level Identify reading comprehension skill needs Monitor reading and writing development To foster reading development, the curriculum and instruction provide students with: Challenges, as well as support to meet these challenges Clear goals and feedback, which are supported by opportunities for students to apply what they have learned, name what they have learned, and decide how they could use it in the real world June 2007 3
Address the needs of all students in the school, Continued A sense of students being in control of their own learning, expressing their own opinions, and constructing, sharing, and using their own understandings Social and collaborative activities Opportunities to learn how experts approach topics of interest and to become apprentices in how to approach their own topics Go the Distance! supports English-Language Learners (ELLs) through these strategies: Read-Alouds Students will develop oral vocabulary as they listen to quality literature and informational text read aloud Small-group instruction Teachers can build skills and differentiate instruction by: o Grouping students with similar needs and interests o Using the leveled books to scaffold skills development with less challenging text o Building background knowledge by linking story concepts to students backgrounds and experiences o Reviewing key vocabulary in greater depth o Adjusting the pace of instruction Independent reading Teachers can scaffold independent reading by: o Pairing students with native ELLs for buddy reading and book discussions o Allowing ELLs to make models, dramatize, or use visual aids to demonstrate their knowledge and comprehension of what they read Go the Distance! provides three leveled libraries with books that meet a wide range of reading abilities: Library A for Grades 3-4 Lexile Level: 280-960 Guided Reading Level: H-V DRA Level: 14-44/55 Library B for Grades 5-6 Lexile Level: 400-990 Guided Reading Level: L-X DRA Level: 24-60 Library C for Grades 7-8 Lexile Level: 430-1240 Guided Reading Level: M-Z DRA Level: 24-80 June 2007 4
3. Close the achievement gap between high- and low-performing children, especially the achievement gaps between minority and nonminority students, and between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers. By making reading relevant, providing targeted skills instruction, and guiding students to become independent readers, Go the Distance! can help close the reading achievement gap between high-performing children and lowperforming, minority, and disadvantaged children. Go the Distance! contains inspiring stories of children and adults who have overcome obstacles in school and in life. Muhammad Ali, a world-class athlete in the sport of boxing, was a struggling reader and has dyslexia. He relates to the challenges faced by children who can t read, who struggle with school, and who feel that reading and school have no real relevance in their lives often because of social and economic issues outside of their control. His commitment to increasing the academic achievement of these children underscores the entire Go the Distance! program. Go the Distance! motivates readers with leveled books and the Muhammad Ali Special Edition Scholastic Scope classroom magazine that explore topics and questions about six personal connections relevant to students lives: Following one s own convictions Building confidence Showing determination Giving of oneself Offering and earning respect Looking for mentors Go the Distance! uses an inquiry-based, active learning model, which is proven to create motivated, successful learners. The program s gradual release model enables students to maintain the reading skills they develop and apply them in all their schoolwork and in life. In the process, teachers: Read to students and model the effective use of strategies Read with students, informally assess them, and scaffold skills instruction Empower students to grow into confident and motivated readers by guiding them to independently and effectively using the strategies taught in the program June 2007 5
4. Use effective methods and instructional practices that are based on scientifically based research and that: Strengthen the core academic program Provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum Increase the amount and quality of learning time, such as providing an extended school year, before- and after-school programs, and summer programs and opportunities Go the Distance! is based on the teaching experience and research of two leading academics: Dr. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm is Associate Professor of English Education at Boise State University and a well-known teacher and author interested in supporting the learning of students who are often considered to be reluctant or resistant Dr. Alfred W. Tatum is Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois University and author of Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males. This book describes the social and academic factors that contribute to the struggles of black adolescent male readers and guidelines for helping them achieve success. Go the Distance! uses strategies and materials shown by research to be highly effective in raising reading achievement, including: Leveled text that is appropriately challenging and that motivates readers of both genders and of diverse cultural backgrounds Inquiry-based instructional approach that addresses the same curricular content as traditional methods, but has been shown to develop more student interest, success, and retention Explicit instruction of comprehension strategies that include visualization and think-alouds June 2007 6 Strengthen the core academic program Go the Distance! is a reading/language arts supplemental program that provides explicit instruction and practice of essential comprehension strategies. The program also supports the development of vocabulary, fluency, oral language, and writing skills, as well as improves knowledge of literary elements. Comprehension The program provides direct skills instruction, modeling, and guided practice through the readaloud lessons, small-group lessons, review/reteach comprehension mini-lessons and their related books; Book Notes; ThinkMarks; and the special edition of Scholastic Scope. Students also practice strategies while independently reading books in the program. Skills include: Make a personal connection Think aloud Visualize/enact Make inferences Make predictions Monitor/self-correct Ask questions Summarize information Flag the text Identify the main idea Compare and contrast
Use effective methods and instructional practices that are based on scientifically based research, Continued Vocabulary Students encounter a wide variety of contentarea words and topics in the reading materials contained in Go the Distance! The Book Notes present teachers with point-of-use prompts for modeling vocabulary strategies to clarify key words in the read-aloud books. Students can apply these strategies to understand words in the books and magazine articles they read independently in the program. Strategies include: Using context clues Looking up words in the dictionary Fluency The Scholastic Scope magazine contains a reader s theater dramatic play that provides students with oral fluency practice. The play contains Say It! callouts, which contain the phonetic pronunciation of key words in the play, and cues for reading the dialogue with appropriate expression. In addition, teachers model fluent reading as they read aloud books provided with Go the Distance! Oral language Students practice listening and speaking skills through meaningful class and small-group discussions about books in the program. These are in response to questions posed by the teacher from prompts in the BookNotes and lesson plans. In addition, each read-aloud lesson contains an oral language activity, such as creating a song, riddle, or description of something to be shared orally with the class. Writing Go the Distance! uses writing to help students reinforce the connection between their own lives and what they read, as well as to monitor their own comprehension as they read. The program provides multiple opportunities to use writing in support of reading before, during, and after engaging with text. For example, students can: Flag the text and write predictions, important details, and their own thoughts on sticky notes Complete graphic organizers, checklists, and other writing activities found in the Scholastic Scope magazine and in the read-aloud, small-group, and comprehension mini-lessons Literary elements Students read a variety of genres, such as nonfiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, biography, cartoons, poetry, and dramatic play in book and magazine formats. Point-of-use Book Notes for the read-aloud books provide prompts to teach literary and text elements. Go the Distance! also provides strategies for understanding literary elements in the read-aloud, small-group, and comprehension mini-lessons and in the ThinkMarks. June 2007 7
Use effective methods and instructional practices that are based on scientifically based research, Continued Provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum Research-based Go the Distance! can effectively fill the gaps in a reading/language arts curriculum, as well as enrich and accelerate it, by providing: A wide variety of high-interest, personally relevant paperback books and a colorful poster that motivate students to read Explicit instruction that provides students with the tools and support they need to comprehend text A gradual release model that moves students toward becoming successful, independent readers The opportunity for students to become active participants in the learning process by setting a purpose for reading, engaging in inquiry-based dialogues, and completing meaningful activities A safe environment in which students can openly explore real-life issues, such as following their convictions and building confidence All the components teachers need to successfully implement the program: lessons, paperback books, Scholastic Scope: Muhammad Ali Special Edition classroom magazine, Professional Guide, Book Notes, ThinkMarks, and a professional development paper. Increase the amount and quality of learning time, such as providing an extended school year, before- and afterschool programs, and summer program opportunities Go the Distance! can be flexibly implemented as a complement to the core reading/language arts program, as a stand-alone supplemental curriculum, as a motivational independent reading program, or for after-school enrichment. The program can be used with the entire classroom, in small groups, and for independent reading. June 2007 8
5. Provide high-quality and ongoing professional development that aligns with the State s academic standards Go the Distance! provides teachers with support to help them effectively implement the program to raise student achievement. This includes: 80-page Professional Guide with guidance on how to: o Implement an inquiry-based program and use thinkalouds to improve comprehension o Optimally use the Go the Distance! action strategies to build skills o Create a motivating classroom reading environment o Make the most of independent reading time o Use informal assessment to differentiate instruction Teacher Resources CD that contains: o Printable, easy-to-follow lesson plans for read-aloud, small-group, and comprehension strategy instruction sessions o ThinkMarks, each of which creates excitement about one of the small-group lesson or independent reading books and reminds students of strategies they can use to understand the text 24-page Professional Development Paper: Seeing Reading: Making Strategic Knowledge Visible and Available to Students by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. (excerpted from Improving Comprehension With Think- Aloud Strategies: Modeling What Good Readers Do) Book Notes, which are point-of-use sticky notes that accompany each read-aloud title and that provide thinkaloud prompts to model vocabulary and comprehension strategies, make personal connections, and identify text and literary elements 6. Involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the schoolwide program plan Parents can play an important roll in raising their children s achievement by encouraging them to independently read the books in the Go the Distance! program and praising them for finishing a book. Parents can keep abreast of their children s comprehension and written efforts by examining their work in Scholastic Scope and lesson assignments. 7. If appropriate, coordinate with other funding programs, including Reading First Go the Distance! can be effectively integrated with school activities that are being funded by other federal, state, or local sources. The federal programs for which this Scholastic product qualifies include, but are not limited to: Title V, Part A Innovative Programs 21 st Century Community Learning Centers Striving Readers Partnerships in Character Education June 2007 9