PITR Guide

™

Grades 3–12

The Most Comprehensive and Effective Literacy Program AvailableFiction & Nonfiction

Full Support for the

Common Core State Standards

Table of Contents

2 3Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading www.triumphlearning.com800-338-6519

Plugged-in to Reading reflects Dr. Allen’s personal know-how and extensive involvement as a researcher in adolescent literacy

Plugged-in...✓ Is comprehensive! With a range of reading, writing,

vocabulary, technology, and test-taking strategy lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners from struggling to advanced

✓ Engages students with high-interest books and dynamic activities

✓ Delivers everything you need to increase the volume and diversity of student reading

✓ Uses Common Core State Standards to get students carefully engaged with rigorous instruction entrenched in reading texts, and comfortable with text complexity

✓ Supports teachers with essential professional development on every page

Meet Dr. Janet Allen Literacy Expert, Reading Specialist, Veteran Educator

Author and innovator, Dr. Janet Allen has developed extraordinary solutions to meet the needs of all readers and writers. With more than 20 years in her own high school classroom in northern Maine, and tenure as pioneer of English and reading education at the University of Central Florida, Dr. Allen has honed a vision for literacy learning that is meaningful, purposeful, and effective.

Plugged-in to Reading uses authentic literature and nonfiction print titles and audio books to motivate readers to develop essential skills and strategies. The Plugged-in programs allow teachers to release learning responsibility gradually—through a research-proven three-step instructional model, easy-to-follow lesson plans, and engaging small-group and individual activities. With Plugged-in, independent lifelong learners are developed using all aspects of Common Core State Standards: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

Dr. Janet Allen is the author of numerous professional books—including the bestselling Tools for Teaching Content Literacy and Words, Words, Words—articles and text chapters related to young adult literature, teaching reading and writing, and vocabulary instruction. She assisted in the creation of the Orange County Literacy Project and has received several teaching awards, including the Milken Foundation’s National Educator Award.

Dr. Allen is an internationally recognized expert in literacy, known for her pioneering work in the classroom, and for her merger of that experience with solid research in the highly effective Plugged-in to Reading program. For more information visit janetallen.org.

Built in the classroom, this highly effective literacy program hits every critical need.

Take a Look InsidePlugged-in to Reading Overview .................................. page 4–5

Teacher-Directed Instruction .............................................page 6

Peer-Supported Learning/Nonfiction ................................page 7

Peer-Supported Learning/Fiction ......................................page 8

Self-Directed Learning ......................................................page 9

Teacher’s Guide & Resource Materials Disc ...............page 10-11

The Research Base .....................................................page 12-13

Ordering Information ..................................................page 14-15

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All aspects of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language are improved, using the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Plugged-in Overview

Self-Directed Learning— with Independent Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening from Day OneIndependent reading starts at the onset of the program and continues daily, as students increase reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. They’ll clock essential reading mileage all year long with Plugged-in, and will increasingly practice the skills and strategies that have been modeled for them. By year’s end, students will be fully engaged in independent reading—having moved from learning skills and strategies with Core Texts to applying them independently and practicing those skills that need improvement.

Peer-Supported LearningDr. Allen has carefully selected novels and texts for small group study—Power Strategy Groups for the nonfiction program, and Literature Circles for fiction. Students learn with each other, practicing and reinforcing specific strategies taught during teacher-directed whole-class reading, that are now being transferred and applied for the second time in their small groups.

Each nonfiction group focuses on one of eight “Power Strategies” introduced with the Core Text, using identified Learning Objectives for each. Fiction groups benefit from clear guidance on the “how to” of Literature Circles. In both nonfiction and fiction, Dr. Allen has created a thoroughly manageable bridge between teacher-directed in-struction and self-directed learning.

Teacher-Directed InstructionPlugged-in to Reading begins with explicit instruction embedded in whole-class shared reading of a carefully chosen Core Text or Core Novel. Comprehensive outlines for each Core book provide step-by-step guidance for classroom implementation, including teacher-directed strategy lessons and guided and independent practice. There are extensive options for differentiation, making it easy for you to draw diverse learners into the reading and writing processes.

Plugged-in has revolutionized the way reading and writing is taught at our school. Our students are readers now. Our teachers are confident about their abilities to effectively teach reading and writing. Plugged-in has given them that confidence.

— Susan White, Caribou Middle School Principal

A simple but effective 3-component instructional model arms students with highly successful strategies for becoming active, passionate, and capable readers and writers.

Students assume responsibility in stages, leading to self-sufficiency.

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Gradual Release begins with teacher-led discussion and shifts to guided learning in small groups

Plugged-in Up Close

Teacher-Directed InstructionTeacher-Directed Instruction in a whole-group context allows the teacher to model key strategies and behaviors for students.

The first component of engaging adolescent and teenage students is teacher-led instruction. Plugged-in’s Teacher Guide outlines each carefully chosen book, offering teacher-directed strategy lessons and step-by-step guides for classroom implementation.

Dr. Allen anchors this phase of the program in a Core Text (nonfiction) or Core Novel (fiction) and provides detailed support for learning strategies that enable students to succeed with varied texts.

Specialized vocabulary development and comprehension are integral to the lessons. Each lesson leads down many possible paths, and Dr. Allen provides detailed teaching suggestions and activities to support each of them.

Peer-Supported LearningPeer-Supported Learning permits students to practice their emerging skills and strategies in a small group of peers.

Nonfiction ➜ 1 Core Text (24 copies)➜ 1 audiobook of the

Core Text

Fiction ➜ 2 Core Novels

(24 copies of each)➜ 1 unabridged audiobook

of each novel

The second component of the gradual release model involves a shift from whole-class, teacher-directed instruction to guided learning in small groups. Using books carefully chosen by Dr. Allen, teachers first model a lesson, and students then continue practicing the strategy through guided and independent learning.

Peer-Supported Nonfiction Power Strategy texts allow for small-group practice of specific learning strategies. Each group focuses on one of the eight Power Strategies introduced with the Core Text (see below). Dr. Allen has selected high-interest nonfiction books that grab attention and keep students focused and productive. Each text is used for two Power Strategies. With clear instructions on how to utilize the Power Strategy Groups, and compelling materials to keep students engaged, Dr. Allen fluidly connects teacher-directed instruction and self-directed learning.

8 Nonfiction Power Strategies1. Content/specialized vocabulary2. Text features3. Text structures4. Monitoring comprehension5. Previewing text6. Activating background knowledge7. Questioning8. Noting, organizing, and retrieving information

Nonfiction ➜ 4 Power Strategy

Group Texts (8 copies of each)

➜ 1 audiobook of each text where applicable

Plugged-in gives teachers guidance without thinking for them. The teacher’s personal touch paired with the abundance of resources makes for a successful learning environment led by a confident instructor.

— Laura Hill, Escambia High School Reading Teacher

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Gradual Release develops skills and strategies and builds independence

Plugged-in Up Close continued

All titles are subject to change.

Fiction ➜ 4 Literature Circle Novels ➜ 1 unabridged audiobook of each novel

More Peer-Supported LearningStudents reinforce specific strategies in small groups, and apply them collaboratively in their reading and writing.

Small Groups require students to take a more active role in the learning process. After a modeled lesson, teachers can observe students’ progress as they practice the strategy on their own. The combination of stimulating books and a focus on a specific learning strategy creates an environment that supports authentic student-led discussion and interaction with text.

Peer-Supported Fiction With fiction, Dr. Allen uses the concept of Literature Circles, allowing students to practice specific learning strategies in a collaborative group of their peers. The purpose of a literature circle is to help students learn how to discuss books authentically. As students progress, Plugged-in encourages independence and more in-depth discussions of the novels in question.

Dr. Allen starts students off in Literature Circles of three to five peers, with clearly defined roles and role sheets. With practice, students grasp the concept of these roles without the need to refer to physical handouts, preparing them for self-directed, independent reading and writing.

Fiction Reader Roles include:➜ Tour Guide=discussion leader➜ Photographer=visualizes key concepts➜ Interpreter=focuses on breaking down key vocabulary words➜ Journalist=seeks main idea and key details➜ Archaeologist=unearths personal, textual, and global connections➜ Teacher=chooses excerpts that demonstrate effective reading

and writing elements➜ Magician=rewrites elements of the text to create new plot lines➜ Detective=asks questions to support comprehension and

further study➜ Forecaster=makes predictions to support reading purpose

Self-Directed Learning— with Independent Reading From Day OneWith Independent Reading, students pull together all of the skills, habits, and practices that characterize genuine literacy learning and achievement.

The final component in the gradual release model gives students a chance to experience nonfiction and fiction on their own. Dr. Allen has hand-selected a variety of young adult texts with a practiced eye on those books that students will find hard to put down. Plugged-in’s Independent Reading Titles capture students’ interest and draw them into the joy of reading. A host of supports help them remain fully engaged with cross-content, cross-genre texts across a wide range of text complexity. All students have access to grade-level text complexity bands supporting close reading of the text with audio support. Students will read and write strategically, practice questions similar to those they will face in standardized testing, and most importantly, learn to love the act of reading and writing.

As the year progresses, the function of independent reading evolves. Students will still clock important reading mileage during independent reading, but they will increasingly practice the skills and strategies being modeled for them during whole-class and peer-supported learning—particularly those individual, teacher-identified skills that need improvement. Numerous resources are available for self-directed learning that aid in the transfer and reinforcement of strategic reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Fiction and Nonfiction ➜ 18 Independent Reading Texts➜ independent guide for every book➜ 1 audiobook where applicable

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Complete reinforcement to raise levels of student achievement in all students

The Teacher’s Guide

Plugged-in offers a rich array of robust activities and thorough teacher support

Booktalks, summaries, background knowledge, text features and text connections, and so much more—the Plugged-in to Reading Teacher Guide is rich in ideas and support:

➜ Program Implementation Guide provides compass for implemention of each level of the program

➜ Summary pages for every book in the collection➜ Implementation Guides for Core Texts and Novels, with

Lesson Guides for all instructional strands➜ Collaborative Reading/Writing Group Guides for running

Power Strategy Groups and Literature Circles➜ Dr. Allen’s guide for self-directed reading: Creating,

Managing, and Sustaining Independent Reading Programs➜ Assessments include pretest and posttest for each Core

Text, summative and formative assessments for progress monitoring and benchmarks, and an array of other assessment tools that support teaching and learning

Summary pages for every book in the collection, including the book’s main events, subjects, and themes; questions for student/teacher discussion; and relevant background information for instructional planning.

Program Implementation Guide helps you organize your lessons and adjust your focus to meet the needs of diverse learners. Includes suggested weekly schedules, time management advice, and guidance on using Plugged-in’s formative and summative assessments.

Authentic Assessments allow educators to evaluate both students’ achievement and interest. Plugged-in offers a number of assessment tools, including summative and formative assessments, and pre- and post-tests. All are designed to help monitor progress and check for understanding.

The Resource Materials disc includes everything you need to implement your Plugged-in lessons, all reproducible:

➜ Graphic organizers

➜ Handouts and activity sheets

➜ Power Strategy Learning Guides, Literature Circle student materials, and Independent Reading Guides

➜ Text Connections for every program title, linking the target text to other works of nonfiction and fiction

➜ Test-taking lessons

➜ Authentic assessments for each peer-supported title

➜ Summative and formative assessments for every program title

➜ Student self-assessment survey

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An extensive research base supports Plugged-in. The program’s collection of sources—Selected Readings and Citations—can be found at http://www.triumphlearning.com/PITRsources. However, there are a few aspects of the research that are critical to understanding the significance of each component of Plugged-in.

Reading To, With, and By: Plugged-in is a blend of teacher-directed instruction, peer-supported learning, and independent reading and learning. This three-step instructional model has Margaret Mooney’s “to, with, and by” model of reading as its foundation (Reading To, With and By Children, Mooney, 1990). The premise is that these varying degrees of teacher support and student ownership lead students to become lifelong, independent readers. Each level of support has a critical function in the balanced literacy classroom.

To Connect: During the “To” stage, the teacher reads to the students and chooses to connect direct instruction to this reading based on the teacher’s assessment of what students need. Mooney regards this as a time when “the teacher acts on behalf of the author, presenting the writing with as much enthusiasm and commitment as if it were his or her own” (Developing Lifelong Readers, 1988, 24). I believe that acting “on behalf of the author” also includes illuminating those aspects of the text that students might not see on their own. In Plugged-in, this is where we provide teachers with multiple ideas for teachable moments that can be chosen to match the needs of their students and their instructional goals.

With Reading: The “With” stage gives students the opportunity to learn from their peers as they participate in Power Strategy Groups (nonfiction) or Literature Circles (fiction). Vacca, Vacca, and Grove (1987) remind educators that there is no reason for teachers to know every single thing a reader is taking from a text. If we have carefully chosen the texts for peer reading groups, for example, and if we believe that reading is an active, meaning-constructing process in which each reader takes from the text in proportion to what he or she brings to it (Rosenblatt, 1976), then we can trust that—with some framework—peer reading groups provide an intermediate step toward full independence. As students learn together in these book study groups, they are learning with each other and—on some occasions— with the teacher, as the teacher may join each of the groups at times. In this way, the strategies taught during the teacher-directed, whole-class reading are reinforced and used to negotiate a new text.

By Choice: Finally, reading strategies solidify and reading volume increases as students participate in the “By” of independent reading. It has always seemed to me that there is a fine balance between supporting choice and helping students develop both breadth and depth in their reading. The three stages of reading (To, With, and By) characterize what Pearson and Gallagher (1983) note as a “gradual release of responsibility.”

As shown in the graphic below, students gradually take on more responsibility for their reading lives through reading aloud, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading with—and eventually without—audio support.

Dr. Janet Allen on Plugged-in works: The Research Behind the Program

Teacher’s Responsibility Students’ Responsibility

Reading Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Audio-supported Independent Independent Reading Reading

Plugged-In to Reading and the Common Core State Standards

Plugged-in to Reading offers comprehensive support to meet the criteria for the Common Core State Standards!

✓ Authentic, award-winning texts representing a wide-range of fiction and nonfiction genres

✓ Audio-support provides ALL students frequent and varied access to increasingly complex texts

✓ Quality anchor texts provide the foundation for instructional modeling and students’ demonstration of learning as they move toward independence

✓ Formative and summative assessments focus on the close connection between comprehension of text and acquisition of knowledge

✓ Whole-group, teacher-directed instruction is followed by peer-supported learning in small groups, leading to self-directed learning and independence

✓ Writing modules support students’ careful analysis, well-defended claims, and clear information through their writing

✓ Writing fluency and process strategies support students’ writing for argument and information with attention to language conventions and usage

✓ Students have multiple opportunities to engage in and document academic discussions—whole-group, small-group, and in pairs

✓ Brief, focused research projects provide increasingly complex performance tasks to demonstrate use of textual evidence and research expertise

✓ Specific strategy instruction supports multi-media and technological applications to demonstrate learning

Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy, Grades 3–12 David Coleman • Susan Pimentel

I. Text Selection1. Text Complexity2. Range and Quality of Texts

II. Questions and Tasks1. High-Quality Text-Dependent

Questions and Tasks2. Cultivating Students’ Ability To

Read Complex Texts Independently

III. Academic Vocabulary

IV. Writing to Sources and Research1. Writing to Sources—a Key Task2. Extensive Practice with Short,

Focused Research Projects

V. Additional Key Criteria for Student Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking1. Reading Complex Texts with Fluency2. Increasing Focus on Argument and

Informative Writing3. Engaging in Academic Discussions4. Using Multimedia and Technology

Skillfully5. Covering the Most Significant

Grammar and Language Conventions

Why

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Each Level Includes:➜ 2 Core Novels (24 copies of each)➜ 1 unabridged audiobook for each Novel➜ 4 Lit Circle Novels (8 copies of each)➜ 1 unabridged audiobook for each Lit Circle Novel➜ 18 Independent Reading books (2 copies of each)➜ 1 unabridged audiobook for each Independent Reading Book➜ 1 Teacher’s Guide with Resource CD

Level 0 Level 1a Level 1b Level 2a

Level 2b Level 3a Level 3b Level 4a

Level 4b Level 5a Level 5b

Contact UsPhone: 800-338-6519Fax: [email protected]

Triumph LearningPO Box 1270Littleton, MA 01460-4270

Fiction Core Novels

Each Level Includes:➜ 1 Core Text (24 copies of each)➜ 1 audiobook of the Core Text➜ 4 Power Strategy Group Texts (8 copies of each)➜ 1 audiobook of each Power Strategy Group Text➜ 18 Independent Reading books (2 copies of each)➜ 1 audiobook of each Independent Reading Book*➜ 1 Teacher’s Guide with Resource CD

Level 0 Level 1a Level 1b Level 2a

Level 2b Level 3a Level 3b Level 4a

Level 4b Level 5a Level 5b

* Note: Audio may not be available for select titles. Call Customer Service for more information. 800-338-6519

Nonfiction Core Texts

Call for your free quote today! 1-800-338-6519

www.triumphlearning.com

PO Box 1270, Littleton, MA 01460-4270 800-338-6519

PITR Guide

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