If you use the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL) in your daily instruction, then it is likely that you are tasked with teaching multiple content areas to your class. Perhaps you are responsible for teaching Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies to your students. Maybe you are part of a teaching team, where… Read More Try These VESOL Lesson Plans that Promote Cross-Content Instruction
Innovative Strategies for VESOL Instruction
On January 18, 2023, T-TAC ODU hosted The VESOL Alliance at the Newport News Marriott. This unique professional learning event offered a range of high-interest sessions and free resources to over 80 attendees from across regions 2 & 3. Our expert presenters shared VESOL-referenced lesson plans that can be used to engage learners of all ages. If you were not able… Read More Innovative Strategies for VESOL Instruction
Building Co-Teaching Relationships Together
Co-teachers can create a collaborative atmosphere and set the stage for a positive relationship by following some suggestions featured in the Virginia Department of Education publication, Stepping Stones to Success II; Collaboration: Working Together for All Students. Suggestions in the section entitled, Culture of Collaboration: What it Looks Like and How We Do It include; remain… Read More Building Co-Teaching Relationships Together
Writing Across the Content Areas
It is important for students to have daily opportunities to write. One way to provide regular writing practice for students is to ask them to write about what they are learning during math, science, and social studies lessons. A great benefit of writing about a specific content area is that it increases comprehension. Research… Read More Writing Across the Content Areas
Literacy Across The Content Areas
Literacy skills are essential for learning new information. According to Ulusoy & Dedeoglu (2011), the ability to read is critical to the success of a student in any subject area. Writing can also play an important role in learning across content areas. Research With the introduction of Writing ASOLs last year, many teachers expressed… Read More Literacy Across The Content Areas
Academic Standards or Functional Skills: Why Not Both?
Many commonly-taught functional skills can be easily paired with an existing Aligned Standard of Learning(ASOL). It is generally accepted that there is a link between life skills acquisition and life quality. It makes sense to teach academics and functional skills to students with significant intellectual disabilities. But how? And when? . Research What constitutes… Read More Academic Standards or Functional Skills: Why Not Both?
Thematic Teaching
“How will I find enough time to teach so many core content subjects and functional skills, too?” “What can I do to make lessons more exciting for the students and myself?” Teachers, if you are asking any of these questions, I have a two-word answer: thematic instruction. “How will I find enough time to… Read More Thematic Teaching
