Archive for July 2020
Nifty 9—The Trilogy
One of the building blocks of afterschool programs is having a solid handle on creating a safe learning environment for youth. Whether you call this classroom management, maintaining control in a classroom, or discipline, it is important that a space for learning is created that encourages youth to actively, collaboratively, and meaningfully engage in hands-on,…
Read MoreFoundation for High-Quality Expanded Learning Programs
The Quality Standards for Expanded Learning Programs were published recently. You can find the full document on the California Afterschool Network website. The standards identified are: Safe and supportive environment Active and engaged learning Skill building Youth voice and leadership Healthy choices and behaviors Quality staff Diversity, Access and Equity Clear vision, mission and purpose…
Read MoreConcepts of Print
What is “concepts of print”? For younger children Concepts of Print include awareness that: print carries a message there is a one to one correspondence between words read and printed text there are conventions of print such as directionality (left to right, top to bottom), differences between letters and words, distinctions between upper and lower…
Read MoreImplementation of Common Core—Reading Informational Text
One of the key requirements of the Common Core State Standards is that at least 50% of the reading youth do in school is informational text. Historically, reading in school has been stories, novels, poetry, and plays and other forms of narrative text, yet in the “real world” much of the reading we do is…
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