Often Occasional Teachers are called to teach a class which may not be in an area of curricular specialty. This is the section in which you will find those subject specific supports which will help you shine!
Resources by subject
Content Literacy
This document from the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat’s Research into Practice series addresses the question: how can we teach content literacy to elementary students? It discusses the challenges that students face when it comes to reading informational texts that contain vocabulary and concepts that are foreign to them. The author presents teaching strategies and tips to assist teachers in helping students to overcome those challenges.
Learning Blocks for Literacy and Numeracy
This article, from the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat’s ‘Reasearch into Practice’ series discusses the importance of having 100-120 minute blocks for literacy learning and 60-70 minute blocks for numeracy learning. Emphasis is placed on the fact that learning blocks allow for differentiated learning. The author also suggests tips for planning a classroom timetable in addition to outlining a sample instructional sequence for learning blocks.
Balanced Literacy Diagram
This diagram shows the main components of balanced literacy program as well as the main features of each component.
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy in Reading Instruction
This is a one-page graphic representation of how to connect Bloom’s Taxonomy with reading instruction.
The Ontario Curriculum Exemplars Grade 1-8 Writing (1999)
The Ontario Curriculum Exemplars are intended to provide a model for planning, assessing, and improving student work across Ontario. The exemplars give Ontario teachers the opportunity to view graded student work that is based on tasks that were designed with the curriculum expectations in mind and assessed according to the four levels of achievement outlined in the curriculum. The specific goals behind publishing the exemplars are: to show examples of student work at each of the four levels of achievement; to work toward consistency in assessment across the province; to demonstrate an approach to student learning that is based on clear criteria; and to highlight the links between the curriculum expectations and assessment.
Read, Write, Think
Read, Write, Think is a joint venture between the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. The site provides tools for quality reading and writing instruction, web links, literacy-based activities, and lesson plans. There are also online reading and writing activities for students.
Boys’ Literacy Links
The Ministry of Education has developed a variety of resources to support boys’ literacy in the province. At this link you can find access to videos, reports, and booklets.
Acrostic Poems
In five 50-minute lessons students work on writing acrostic poems using the theme ’All About Me and My Favourite Things’.
Action Alphabet Book
In four 30-45 minute lessons students create an Action Alphabet Book. The lesson plans also contain a link to an online tool called the Alphabet Organizer which allows students to create an alphabet book or chart.
Lesson Plan: K-2 Writing
In this lesson, entitled Authentic Writing Experiences and Math Problem-Solving Using Shopping Lists, students engage in a meaningful writing exercise. Although the lesson suggests using food for the shopping part of the lesson small items or images of “products” can be substituted. There is also a cross-curricular connection to math since the students have a budget when they make their list. The approximate time to complete the lessons is three 50-minute periods.