[JennScraps]

Hi!

I'm teaching the "gifted" readers this year. My district uses the Scott Foresman Reading series. Right now I'm very overwhelmed in trying to structure my program so that I can use the resources they provide, but challange my students.

There are some materials geared specifically towards gifted students, but I just can't seem to get in a groove that utilizes these materials. I"m also looking for other materials to pull in.

Can anyone make a suggestion? I'm especially interested if you've had this same challenge and use this series.

Thank you so much!

Jenn

[iluv1stgrd]

I use the readers that come with the series. They have A, B, and C. The C readers are for the high students. They have projects and activities to extend their learning and practice. This works well for me.

I taught a GT class for 2 yrs (5th) in a district that didn't use basals at all. Since they were all gifted and good readers, we could all use the same novels as a class or the kids could choose between 3 novels and we could have smaller groups. Either way worked fine for my kids. We ready The Cay, Adam of the Road, The Incredible Journey, The Golden Goblet and Wreck of the Ethie one year. In addition, they kept reading logs and gave a "book talk" every 6 weeks or so. I gave language lessons as needed depending on the issues that came up in their writing -plus new skills they were supposed to have for 5th grade - like using quotations correctly.

You could start off the year with poetry until you can figure something else out, too. You can find the poems online or in your school library. Teach them about rhyme scheme, alliteration, etc. Again, I don't know how old your students are. Folk Tales would be a good way to start, too. You can find folk tales from all different countries, compare them, find the moral to the story...etc.

My new district has a basal with leveled readers like the other poster mentioned. There are readers for low, middle and high and the stories in the book itself are for the whole class.