Welcome to DI Curriculum Night!

Welcome to DI Curriculum Night!

Poll

How are you feeling tonight?

• Excited

• Tired

• Overwhelmed

• Indifferent

Open Ended

How does your child feel about the year so far?

My child feels ________.

Match

Can you match the teachers?

Ms. Bennes

Dr. Irwin

Ms. Whalen

Ms. Grant

• Ms. Bennes

• Dr. Irwin

• Ms. Whalen

• Ms. Grant

Reorder

Reorder the following

• Arrival

• Advisory

• Snack Break

• Lunch

• Dismissal

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Multiple Choice

What do the letters "DI" stand for?

• Differentiated

  Intervention

• Direct Instruction

• Dedicated Incentive

• Decorated Igloos

Multiple Choice

When we say our instruction is "Explicit," we mean...

• It is only appropriate for people over the age of 18.

• It is lengthy and extremely detailed.

• All information and skills are taught before being assessed.

Multiple Choice

Which activity would be most likely to happen in a DI class?

• Independent study of a preferred topic

• Explicit instruction with practice opportunities

• A demonstration with opportunities to take unstructured notes

• Show and Tell of activities like Juggling

Multiple Select

We collect data on each day's lesson because...

(Pick 2!)

• It helps inform our decision about the next day's instruction.

• We really like writing down numbers.

• We summarize the data for progress reports each term.

• The government reviews this data to ensure we're good teachers.

Multiple Choice

Memorizing math facts is important because...

• It frees up working memory for higher level math skills.

• It's an impressive party trick.

• It's the easiest math skill to teach.

Poll

My child's favorite way to build math fact fluency is...

• Practicing on xtramath

• Doing flashcards or timed drills

• Being quizzed in spare moments like car rides or waiting in line

• Competing against siblings or younger relatives to recall key facts.

Multiple Select

Learning parts of speech (e.g., noun, verb, adjective) is useful because...

(Pick 2!)

• It can help students deduce the meaning of an unknown word.

• It simplifies learning grammar and developing more complex sentence structures.

• People never use enough adjectives.

• A game of Madlibs has been added to the SAT.

Multiple Choice

Research suggests that the best predictor of reading comprehension is...

• Background Knowledge

• IQ

• Speed when reading aloud

• Ink Color

Multiple Choice

Make a deduction:

Strengthening listening skills improves reading comprehension.

Language programs strengthen listening skills.

So...

• Language programs improve reading comprehension.

• Language programs don't count as real English classes.

• No one uses real books in 2025.

Multiple Choice

If a student gets to a word they don't know, the best strategy is to...

• Look at a picture for a hint

• Sound out the word

• Pick a word that starts with the same first letter

• Re-read the sentence and guess a word based on context

Poll

I would like to have my child practice their writing skills at home by...

• Sending postcards to family members

• Writing emails to former teachers

• Keeping a journal of the day's highlights

• Composing stories to read to a younger relative

• Summarizing chapters or stories we read together

Multiple Select

The most valuable reasons for a robust knowledge-based curriculum is...

(Pick 2)

• Trivial Pursuit is an essential adult leisure skill.

• Background knowledge supports reading comprehension.

• Most students become Jeopardy contestants after graduation.

• Informed citizens can participate more effectively in a democracy.

Multiple Choice

During vocab review, we typically ask students to respond chorally.

Choral responding means...

• The students sing.

• The students all respond at once.

• Each student has a different answer they are responsible for.

• The students stand on risers wearing long white gowns.

​This year in Social Studies, we will learn about:

​

Ancient History and Geography of:

• Asia and Europe

• India

• China

• Greece

• Rome ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​This year in Science, we will learn about:

• ​Systems

• ​Classifying Living Things

• ​Ecosystems

• ​Earth's Structure

• Landforms and Disruptions

• Electricity and Magnetism

• ​Potential and Kinetic Energy

​​

​

​

​

​

Multiple Select

In Science and Social Studies, we choose our topics for the year by...

(Pick 2)

• Looking at the state standards

• Throwing darts at a list of possible topics

• Seeing what lessons we can download from Teacher-Pay-Teacher

• Identifying key ideas that are essential to further study in the field

How is my child doing?

• Your child's grades reflect their progress in the curriculum, at their current instructional level.

• They do not reflect a comparison to typical peers or expected performance in a general education class.

• DIBELS, STAR, OWLS, and MCAS measure performance relative to grade-level standards.

​​​​

Dropdown

To know if my child is making progress at their current instructional level, I should look at ​their ​

Select answer

, but to know how they compare to their typical peers, I should look at their ​

Select answer

.

Multiple Choice

If my child gets an A in their DI English class, I can conclude ___.

• They are doing their work and acquiring new skills.

• They would also get an A in a general education English class.

• They have the same skill-set as other students in their grade.

• Everybody must have gotten an A in the class.

What does the research say about grading?

• During middle school, most students start to feel more negatively about school, their abilities, and the value of learning.

• Doing well and having a positive academic self-concept in 7th grade is associated with higher self-concept, better grades, and more academic motivation in 9th grade.

• Our take-away: When students feel successful, they are motivated to work harder and become more successful.

​​​​

Multiple Choice

DI grades are based on progress, not norms because ___.

• Teachers get in trouble for giving bad grades.

• Recognizing success motivates students to work harder.

• It breaks our heart to see students feel sad.

What should my child do for homework?

• ​​​​The best option is to use the practice folders on DI Science and DI Social Studies. Each exposure to the material slows the forgetting curve and improves long-term retention.

• Students who are not yet fluent should practice their math-facts on xtramath every night.

• Reading and discussing non-fiction with a parent or older sibling is a great way to build background knowledge and comprehension skills.

• Independent packets can be sent home, but these are low-priority activities and need to be checked the night they are completed.

Multiple Select

I'm worried about my child's reading comprehension skills.

The best choices for homework are:

(Pick 2!)

• Practice the Science and SS Quizizz to build background knowledge.

• Read a book with my child and discuss it as we read.

• Buy an MCAS practice book for their grade level.

• Print random passages with comprehension questions off the internet.

Multiple Choice

If I decide to have my child get English and Math packets,

the work should be checked...

• By me on the day that the child completes it

• By me whenever I find the time

• By the teacher when the entire packet is handed in

• The work doesn't need to be checked; practice alone is fine without feedback

Fluency Programs

• XtraMath

• Typing.Com

• Quizizz practice

• Freckle Math

• All links can be found on Schoology.

How else can I support my child?

• ​​​​So many of the skills the students will develop in middle school have nothing to do with academics.

• Now is a great time to build independence. Students can learn to:

  • Plan, shop for, and prepare a favorite meal

  • Do chores like laundry, taking out the trash, and clearing the table

  • Be responsible for their own hygiene routines

  • Check the weather and choose their own outfits

  • Manage their allowance to save for preferred items or outings

• Our students may need clearer instructions, more practice opportunities, and stronger rewards to acquire these skills but we're happy to problem-solve with you to help them reach independence goals that are meaningful for your family.

Poll

One way I want to help my child build their independence this year is ...

• Doing chores

• Preparing food

• Learning their own hygiene routine

• Finding a form of exercise they love

• Developing a budget to manage their allowance

Multiple Choice

I yell, "Done" when I finish an assignment or question.

My classmates think this is...

• Cool

• Fine

• Weird or Annoying

• Against the Rules

Multiple Choice

When I tattle about Joe, who said a swear, my teachers feel...

• Thankful for the Information

• Annoyed at what I'm doing

Multiple Choice

I ask a friend if I can call them later.

They say, "No, I am too busy."

How would they feel if I called anyway?

• Excited

• Frustrated

​Expected Behavior

• Every class has the same expectations:

  • Arrive on time with my binder.

  • Listen to the teacher the first time.

  • Do my work and participate.

  • Be respectful.

  • Don't distract the group.

• When I meet expectations, I earn 5 minutes of computer break each class and a plus towards trade-in.

Poll

Which trade-in option do you think your child would choose?

• Basketball

• Computer Break

• Drawing

• Board Games

​Reminders and Feedback

• Each unexpected behavior will earn one X under my name.

• Three Xs in one period means a minus and no computer break.

• Behaviors that hurt others will earn an automatic minus. ​

• ​By turning my day around and earning no more minuses today, I can still earn trade-in!

Multiple Select

Two examples of behaviors that will earn an X are...

(Pick 2!)

• Raising my hand to ask a question

• Calling out an answer

• Getting my work done

• Chatting during work time

Multiple Choice

I earned a minus for the period.

This means...

• I am the worst student that has ever come to Oak Hill.

• I need to change my behavior and turn my day around.

• The teacher hates me and thinks I am an awful kid.

• I can never do anything right.

Multiple Choice

If I earn a minus, my best choice is...

• Yell at other people for making me make bad choices.

• Cry until the teacher offers me a second chance.

• Take a deep breath and remind myself that I can turn my day around.

​Next Steps

​

• Interested families can begin to schedule 6-week update meetings to discuss your child's progress.

• ​Feel free to email your case manager with any questions as they arise!