Every school year brings new challenges and unexpected adjustments, but one constant in the classroom is: you. Thank you for all you do to inspire students’ inquisitive minds and instill in them the joy of learning. That means seeing students as whole people, honoring their individual experiences, and merging their interests with their learning moments.
Spark more learning moments this year as you support each student on their journey to reach their potential. Raz-Plus is here to support you every step of the way. Visit our Instill The Joy Of Learning page to find more ways you can spark “a-ha” moments with Raz-Plus.
SEL Resources for Culturally Responsive Conversations
Rooted in social-emotional learning (SEL), Meaningful Conversations present culturally responsive content in multiple formats with guided discussion activities to safely address important topics—like working together through difficult times, bullying, or differences in abilities—through inclusive and respectful classroom dialogues.
When students feel seen, respected, and supported, research shows they’re more likely to succeed both academically and personally. Research also demonstrates that when students are exposed to perspectives different from their own, instances of bullying and harassment can be reduced, and students become more willing to engage in respectful conversations inside and outside of the classroom.
By participating in discussion about culturally responsive topics, students develop SEL skills around around self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Relationships are the foundation of effective classroom management. Educators can support student engagement and reduce disruptive behaviors by learning about who students truly are (not who they supposedly should be, or who the system might say they are) while working to build rapport and trust with them.
Log in to your Raz-Plus or Reading A-Z account to access these resources.
Make Learning Personalized, Targeted, and Effective
The first step to accelerating learning includes giving students a strong foundation. If students lack foundational knowledge but then try to learn too quickly, they can easily become discouraged or even jump to the conclusion that they'll never understand the material. We want the opposite: we want students to be effectively prepared for learning, by starting with foundational knowledge that empowers them to grow and learn. Utilize your students’ NWEA MAP® Growth™ scores to quickly and easily find and assign Raz-Plus resources aligned to each student’s individual learning needs. These scores can also help you provide appropriately challenging texts over time.
By combining technology with powerful educational resources, our partnership with NWEA helps educators make meaningful connections between assessment and instruction, turning assessment data into actionable next steps for effective, personalized learning. Target specific reading skills in the areas of reading comprehension, reading strategies, fluency, vocabulary, and more to address identified knowledge gaps.
- Access scaffolded instructional support for the reading skills you want to target.
- View recommendations to pair the targeted skill with the best type of text.
- Access alignment to your state's standards.
- Save time by accessing all this conveniently in one place.
With Raz-Plus and NWEA, educators can feel confident that they're personalizing instruction to each student’s needs and helping students accelerate learning.
Keep Students’ Interests in Mind
The Reading Room is a digital library where students can read popular, high-interest books for fun and extra practice. Students can “favorite” books to reread or continue reading the next time they visit the Reading Room.
Giving students choice in their reading practice gives them autonomy in their learning and gives teachers peace of mind knowing that the Reading Room provides them with books at each student’s appropriate reading level.
When students are interested in something, it leads them to be more deeply engaged. Try to observe which books students “favorite” and incorporate those books in your lesson plans to increase engagement and participation!
Start Creating More A-Ha Moments With Your Students
We have so much more to share with you! Visit our Instill the Joy of Learning page to discover a wealth of additional resources.
Don’t have Raz-Plus yet? Try it free with your students for two weeks!
