Create An Engaging Literacy Program Your Students Will Love
ALL YEAR LONG
Without the stress, disorganization or overwhelmed feelings of starting from scratch.
If Teaching Language Arts in Your Canadian Gr. 3-6 Classroom Was Easy…
Your reading and writing lessons would work together.
you could have lessons that just made sense. Your reading lesson could seamlessly flow into your writing lesson. Even your spelling words could be connected to what is happening in the rest of your language program. Everything would finally just make sense.
You would have all your weekly resources in one place
Each week you had one place to look and get everything you needed to meet the needs of all your students. Know the books you needed to use to cover your expectations and have the matching shared and guided reading texts for all your students at your fingertips.
You could keep kids easily engaged in every lesson.
Your students begged you for more time to read and write every single day. You never had to worry about what your early finishers would do when they are done because they were constantly engaged, on task and knew what to do without you needing to lift a finger.
All of your students would be working at their full potential.
You could have one lesson that worked for most of your students in a way that made modifying and accommodating for your neediest students simple and manageable. Students could all work at their own pace and monitor their individual learning goals.
But...
If you had the time, the resources and the roadmap you could finally focus more on building strong readers and writers and NOT just on gathering stuff for your next lesson.
You could actually focus on all these high yield strategies
The 4 Myths Holding You Back From an Amazing Language Arts Program.
The Truth Is: All students have a choice in what they write.
We get it! This is just the way it has always been done. It is the most basic way to check off that you covered your curriculum. But why is it that so many students resist, groan and underperform as writers when we teach this way? The answer is that writing is personal. When we as teachers make all the choices we suck the joy and fun out of a student’s ability to express themselves authentically. The solution? All students have a choice in what they write. Focus on their process and make the decision on what to write when theirs. We allow experimentation, exploration and learning to happen, all while we teach the details of various writing forms all thoughout the year.
The Truth Is: Student-centered classrooms are the path to success in literacy!
Yes, this could make your own planning and assessment easier. But in a classroom, we need to meet the needs of our students and meet them where they are. The reality is regardless of the grade that may be on the top of our class list, the reality is classrooms today are full with a wide variety of needs. This is why we need a solution that is focused on open-ended tasks, differentiated instruction with accessible learning activities for all our students. Student-centered classrooms are the path to success in literacy.
The Truth Is: Embrace an Inquiry approach in Language Arts
While our role as teachers still requires us to teach. We all know that no matter how much we know, we can’t compete with the collective knowledge of Google and Youtube. Instead by embracing the inquiry model students can explore what they want to write on their own schedule all while we teach the various forms in a spiralled approach. It is a 21st-century approach to teaching our 21st-century students.
The Truth Is: targeted lessons on spelling, grammar and conventions
How many times have you been asked by parents “where is the spelling list?” If one size fits all spelling lists were effective then everyone would be a good speller. You know spelling lists are not the best way to teach spelling but don’t always know a better way. What If I told you that targeted lessons on spelling, grammar and conventions were the way to go. Lessons taught in the context of other learning happening. With individualized lists based more on what the student needs to practice.
What if you could….
- Fit Reading and writing together in a way that makes sense
- Meet the needs of all your students without doubling or tripling your workload.
- Actually have time to do more guided reading and student teacher conferences.
- Have engaging and differentiated student centres that had your students cheering instead of groaning over the activities you planned.
- Have a complete plan in place that walked you through what to teach when with high quality resources without the prep, planning, and frustration.
The Complete Comprehensive Language Arts Program
This language arts program will help you fit all the things you need to teach language arts together so finally feels like once cohesive system. From your lesson plans, materials, and resources it’s everything you need from start to finish. It is organized into weekly easy to use packages that contain everything you need for the entire week from beginning to end.
Reading
1. Model good reading strategies using the provided read aloud guide for a high quality engaging picture book.
2. Complement these modelled texts with included shared and guided reading texts that follow the same themes and all week long.
3. Explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies through interactive and engaging lessons that fit the weekly theme.
Writing
1. Using student voice and choice helps engage students to develop their skills as a writer.
2. Writing instruction focuses on developing skills at each stages of the writing process and allows students to explore different writing forms and genres at their own pace.
3. Spiral your instruction to explicitly teach writing forms while allowing students to explore the form and genre that best suits their style
4. Using high quality mentor texts and targeted writing instruction students develop their skills through whole group and student teacher conferences.
Oral Language
1. Embedded into all aspects of the program is a focus on listening and speaking skills.
2. Integrating oral language skills within both reading and writing lessons as a key component of the gradual release of responsibility model.
3. Students will regularly listen to oral texts and demonstrate their comprehension while learning how to persuade, explain and share their ideas with others effectively.
Media
1. Focus on evaluating media is important for students to understand in the 21st century.
2.Analyze media for author’s purpose, and bias to help support their research skills.
3. Creating, and presenting various media texts both within the language arts program and into other core subjects is key to the success of a well rounded media literacy program.
Inside Every Week of Ignited Literacy
Reading Lessons and Activities
Each week's lessons are inspired by a picture book. These mentor texts model a variety of text forms and strong writing skills. To prompt meaningful connections a guide to each read aloud is included to assist in modelled reading strategies.
Key Strategies:
- Weekly Read Aloud Guides
- Paired Shared Reading Text
- Relevant Guided Reading Text at 3 Different Levels
- Independent Reading Comprehension Activity
Why:
Your reading instruction should fit together and just make sense while also making it easy to meet the needs of multiple students. Using the gradual release of responsibility model to support all your students on their path to be better readers.Get Students to Love Writing
Creating students who are confident writers is the goal of the Ignited Literacy Program. We accomplish this by spiralling our instruction and using an inquiry approach to writing.
Key Strategies
- Student Choice in what they write each week.
- Student-Teacher Conferences to support growth aligned with individual goals
- Focus on the writing process over kill and drill writing form units.
- Authentically teach writing forms through a integrated spiraled approach
- Teach spelling and grammar in context
Why:
We focus on the curriculum first which prioritizes the writing process over from and style alone. We recognize that writing is personal and getting students to write means acknowledging they need to be in the drivers seat over what they write
Independent Student Centers
Students will work on 4 independent work centers each week. These activities will allow a high degree of student voice and choice and support differentiated learning in the classroom. The centers are highly engaging as students choose topics that are personally relevant to write about.
Module Highlights:
The student independent work centers use differentiated choice boards to integrate and connect information within the centers to the weekly teacher directed lesson plans.
- Weekly Reading Responses that allow students to show a variety of comprehension skills.
- Student choice Writing Boards allow students to write about what they find interesting.
- Individualized Spelling Lists compiled with subject specific words and frequently misspelled works directly from the students own writing.
- Grammar Activities in context and connected to the weekly learning tasks and mentor texts.
Literacy Assessment
Ignited Literacy is designed to give you real, timely and accurate data on where your students are in their literacy development. With a focus on skills development that is individualized for your students without the burden of designing a unique program for each student.
Key Strategies
- Triangulation of data to collect observations, conversations and student products
- Student-teacher conferences with goal and progress tracking
- Tracking pages by expectation and skill
- Rubrics and Exemplars for Student Work
- Suggestions and ideas within the lesson plan for data collection.
Why?:
Because teachers are looking for ways to simplify thier assessemnt so they don't spend all of their free time marking and tracking studen data. By Using a three pronged approach through triangulting your data teachers can collect 2/3 of the datat they need on their students during the instructional day there fore reducing what they need to take home.
What's Included
THE FULL IGNITED LITERACY PROGRAM
You’ll get access to A FULL YEAR (10 months) worth of literacy lessons
- 38 Weekly Lesson Plans so that you can stop spending hours and hours planning and prepping for your language arts program. Everything is done for you and all in one place. These lesson plans use a gradual release of responsibility model and have you using modelled, shared, guided and independent teaching all week long.
- 100+ Whole Group Activities that cover each specific expectation using a spiraled approach to teaching language arts so students can build on previous knowledge instead of forgetting it.
- 114 Differentiated Guided Reading Texts so that you can have one text that works for many students (1 text at 3 different levels) even if they are reading above or below grade level. Having texts that fit your weekly theme and make sense with everything else you are teaching without scouring the book room to find yet another thing you need day to day.
- 38+ Read Aloud Guides so you know what to say, when to stop, and what skills to focus on every time you read a picture book to your class.
- 152 Centers Activities for students that embed choice and differentiation into the activity so that you can meet the needs of all your students without having to plan different activities for different groups in your classroom.
- 38 Weeks of Assessment Pages that include checklists, rubrics, anchor charts, and tracking guides.
Ignited Literacy includes everything you need in organized weekly packages so you can stop searching everywhere for what you need and trying to make it all fit together. This is the complete done for you solution that has you running a highly effective and engaging language arts program that will make you feel like you have it all together! (without the planning, prep, stress, overwhelm and sleepless nights)
Bonus #1: Always Current
We get it! The world of literacy is always changing. But we are here to stay on top of these changes. We strive to adapt and change to ensure that our Ignited Literacy program is always researched based on aligns with the the current curriculum (Ontario Based) So, when and if the curriculum changes, we change too. When the science points to better methodologies, such as the elimination of 3-cueing in reading. We adapt and update accordingly. This is why a purchase of Ignited Literacy isn’t just an investment in this year but an investment in years to come.
Bonus #2: Digital Program Access and App
The reality is that if you are a teacher, you also need to be flexible and be ready for everything. This is why we make accessing your resources simple an easy. Our Ignited Literacy program is more than just thousands of pages of files you download on to your computer to forget about, loose and become easily overwhelmed. We have done the hard work for you and host all our learning materials on an easy to use platform inside a program library. This is available on any online device (for those days you forget your laptop at home)
But that is not all. We also have made all of your program materials available on our digital app. This app has all your program materials at your finger tips on your phone or tablet. Want to screen share an anchor chart to your classroom screen…no problem. Want to quickly review the next day’s lessons at soccer practice..easy!
Bonus #3: 30 Days of Support and Coaching FREE
We know that sometimes teachers need a little extra support and guidance…especially if teaching literacy this way is new to you or it is not your favourite subject to teach. We have a year long coaching and support group for our Ignited Teachers and when you purchase Ignited Literacy you get a FREE 30 day pass to Ignited Teachers PLC.
In this group, teaching get bonus trainings, special events, access to month coaching calls and private Q&A channel with Patti (Madly Learning Founder and Creator of Ignited Literacy), guest speakers, special offers and a first look at all new products at Madly Learning.
But I don't know what grade I will be teaching?
Buy Now...Pick Your Grade Later
We get it, we're teachers too. Job assignments change. So we have designed a fool proof way for you to BUY IGNITED LITERACY NOW then if you need to you can PICK YOUR GRADE LATER once your assignment is confirmed.
Here is how it works...when you say YES to Ignited Literacy you are buying one licence to access Ignited Literacy. After your purchase you will be given the option to CHOOSE YOUR GRADE LEVEL PACKAGE NOW or your can CHOOSE IT LATER.
You Might Be Asking
You want ROCKSTAR level teaching without the time it takes to make it all yourself.
You crave a simple system to keep your literacy block better organized.
You want a structured approach that provides engaging activities, utilizes best practices, and builds strong literacy skills for students.
Don’t let another year go by before you create the language arts program you want!
Ignited Literacy is a spiraled approach to teaching language arts in the classroom. It guides you through the gradual release of responsibility model to structure your language arts in a systematic way. It hits a variety of expectations each week and revisits them throughout the year.
Because choice for students is a key component to this program their engagement in language arts is unmatched. In my 13 years of teaching no other program has produced better results and more engaged learners than this format.
There isn’t a magic formula here, it is just based on effective instructional practices and experience of knowing how kids tick.
But the key lies in how this program simplifies how to structure your language arts program. It starts by looking at the themes and big ideas and connects the ideas across learning strands (listening, speaking, reading, writing and media) to deliver this all together in a way that makes sense.
Let's Answer Your Question
Let’s be honest this program is not going to be perfect for everyone.
If you are simply looking for work sheets you can hand out to your students and have them sit quietly and work away at them then this is not the program for you.
But, if you want an engaging, dynamic program that gets your students excited about language arts, engaged in their learning, and enthusiastically going deeper into important topics then you are in the right place.
Ignited Literacy was designed for teachers in grades 3-6 who want more out of their language arts programming. They want the ability to move away from disconnected lessons and activities that feel choppy and piecemeal and want a way to connect and integrate ideas across all aspects of the language curriculum.
It is for teachers that believe students should be involved in constructing their own learning and have a voice and some choice in the activities they choose. It is meant for teachers that know that good teaching means that differentiating is key, and that we need to meet students where they are by teaching the child not the standards.
I don’t know about you, but I found units very frustrating in the classroom. Early in my career I was told to plan a 6-week unit and expect student mastery after that time. However, it never worked and left both me and my students overwhelmed and frustrated. Not to mention they retained very little of the information.
It was out of this frustration that I looked to new strategies that were happening in math and applied it to language arts.
Spiraling the curriculum in language arts just makes sense. Gone are the static one and done units and now students can cycle through reading and writing skills over a long period of time and gain more mastery as they try different forms and skills, are given feedback and the ability to revise and improve these skills over time.
Now in my classroom along with the hundreds of other teachers who have used this program, we get more done. My students make bigger gains over the course of the year too. They set goals for themselves and blow them out of the water. They develop a love of learning and language. They are inspired to do more and do better each and every time.
Ignited Literacy shifts my focus from simply covering expectations to really teaching my students. It helps me to help them grow as readers and writers. Units are good for teachers as we systematically check off our expectations, but we teach students and their needs as learners need to be first.
Ignited Math is organized by grade level. The content of a single grade unit is meant to cover the curriculum of the grade level indicated.
- All learning activities within this grade level are based on skills being taught within the grade assigned.
- It is assumed that skills taught in previous grades are known and can be built upon. For example grade 6 students focus on division of decimals. It is assumed that they have been taught their basic multiplication facts and division strategies from the grade 4 and 5 curriculum levels.
In each week, the guided math portion has four different leveled activities to support teachers in reteaching, reviewing, supporting and extending learning for students. While this support is provided it is important to note that it will NOT be sufficient to cover students working two grade levels behind.
So how will you support your students working below grade level?
When building this program we intentionally build each grade level week together. This allows each grade level of Ignited Math to work together and support each other.
We suggest that you use the grade level program that reflects the grade level needs of your students.
For this reason, we offer discounts for those that want to purchase a second grade level.
I was tired of having to pull and piece things together from a variety of sources to make my language lessons fit together.
So out of this frustration this program was developed. Each week’s lesson included EVERYTHING you need except the hard copy of the picture book.
However, many of the picture books that I have chosen are easily found in school libraries, teacher’s own collections (especially if you hoard picture books like I do), or within public library collections.
However, if you cannot find the hard copy of the book, alternative options and links are provided for you. Book links can be found on YouTube, TumbleBooks, or EPIC books. In some cases I have provided additional read aloud texts that can be used as an alternative.
This program includes:
- Read aloud guide
- Writing lessons
- Reading lessons
- Shared reading text and activity
- Grammar and spelling lessons
- Mentor text paragraph to teach grammar concepts within context
- Quote of the week
- Guided reading lesson
- Guided reading assessment
- Guided reading text
- Student Independent work centers including hand out versions that support notebook or duo-tang use.
- Reading response choice board
- Writing choice board
- Grammar activity
- Spelling practice choice board
- Detailed assessment tracking pages
This is a junior literacy program.
First and foremost it follows the curriculum expectations. It aligns with the expectations from Ontario and also matches the current curriculums from other provinces across Canada. This is our primary objective when creating resources.
However, we agree with the Right to Read Report that some changes are needed to update our language arts curriculums across the country.
We firmly believe that it is important to teach students about phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency. We also believe that the best way for kids in K-2 to learn to read is through a structured teaching of these skills through the use of decodable texts.
However, Ignited Literacy is not a early reading program. It is also not designed to support/supplement students with lagging skills below a grade 3 level. It is designed to support students in grades 3-6 and presumes these are students who are reading at a grade 3 reading level and beyond.
Ignited Literacy supports learning skills and strategies that are necessary from this point in the elementary years. The focus is on word identification, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. This means that we spend time every week learning about different grammar structures, spelling patterns, build vocabulary through high quality picture books, linked non fiction texts, and relevant guided reading texts. All learning is done in context and not in isolation so that students are not just memorizing words but building connections within and between ideas.
But here is the honest truth. We are all in this journey together on learning how to more effectively teach students from K-8 about reading. So the truth is…we can always improve and make things better. The ‘experts’ have long focused on the K-2 space as an area of much larger focus so while the research is out there for 3-8 it is less talked about and harder to find. But we are on it and doing the work to learn and relearn what is needed to better support our own students, you – the teacher, and your students too through our resources.
One area we will be striving to work to improve over the next year is redesigning the word work section of Ignited Literacy to make the teaching of concepts more explicit and structured. This will include a reorganization of ideas, the removal of spelling tests and self selected word lists. While currently these are included and align to the curriculum we anticipate that this curriculum will change and we want to be ready for that to ensure that all content is up to date and using best practices.
No
Madly Learning does not create resources for French speaking classrooms. We are unable to maintain the resources to our high quality standard in a language we do not speak.
We do not recommend those teaching in French use any Madly Learning product.
All teachers, who decided to do this, do so at their own risk. You understand that doing so involves a tremendous amount of individual work to adapt this to their classroom.
Each Ignited Literacy package is designed for students within the grade range of each package.
Grade 3-4
This resources covers the curriculum for grades 3 and 4. This level is designed for students that are working within the wide range of abilities at grade 3 and grade 4. The themes and content are appropriate for students at this grade level. This program is best for students that range from a 2.8-4.8 grade reading levels.
Grade 4-5
This resource covers curriculum expectations for grades 4 and 5. This level is designed for students that are working within the wide range of abilities of grades 4 and grades 5. This program is best for students that range from a 3.8-5.8 grade reading levels
Grade 5-6
This resource covers the curriculum expectations for grades 5 and 6. The themes and content are appropriate for students at this grade level. This program is best for students that range from a 4.8 to 6.8 in grade reading levels.
All Madly Learning products are digital downloads or accessed through a learning management software. Unlike books, or other hard goods digital products cannot be returned.
We only issue refunds on the following conditions.
- You have made a duplicate purchase.
- You have not downloaded the product OR logged in to the learning platform the program is hosted on. Once you have logged into the learning management program (For Ignited Math or Ignited Literacy) you have accessed the program and your ability to request a refund is void.
- Ignited Programs are sold as licenses which allows teachers to assign their license to the grade level of their choice after purchase. You may request a refund if you have not yet assigned your license and your request for refund (via email) is within 30 days of purchase.
- If you own one of our membership programs (Ignited Teachers PLC or Ignited Lessons) you may cancel your membership at any time. You will lose access to ALL resources (including downloadable resources) within the membership upon cancellation. We recommend that members download required materials prior to cancelling.
We do not offer refunds when:
- Your job assignment or duties changed. Madly Learning is not responsible for your personal teaching circumstances or job changes. This includes: reorganization, end of contract, job change, medical leave, personal financial issues, or your choice not to implement the program.
- You have logged in to the learning platform (www.ignitedteaching.ca) but you have yet to download any of the files. Your refund request is based on your access to the materials. Regardless of your action to download the materials or not once you log in and establish you have access to the program NO refund will be granted. This is non-negotiable.
- Your license was purchased more than 30 days ago.
For those on payments plans (using Paybright)
- You have used a third party service (Paybright) to pay for your access to our Ignited Programs. Your agreement and payment terms are with them and not with Madly Learning. Paybright is financing your payment. This means that you have loaned money from Paybright to gain full access to an Ignited Program. Paybright pays Madly Learning your license fee and you agree to pay Paybright back. This is just like financing a payment for a couch from a furniture store. Madly Learning is unable to issue refunds, or manage payments made through Paybright. Each customer using this service will need to contact Paybright directly.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND OUR REFUND POLICY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE
All Madly Learning products are for a single teacher/single classroom use.
This means that each teacher will need their own license.
Please see the following conditions to better understand how licenses work.
- Two full time teachers with their own classrooms = two licenses
- Two part time teachers sharing the FTE of a single classroom = one license
- One full time teacher (1.0 FTE) teaching in multiple classrooms (prep coverage) = one license
- Grade or Division team all using the resource for multiple classrooms – needs one license per full time classroom position. In this case you should consider a school purchase order.
Once your payment is complete you will have lifetime access to the core program including all future revisions.
Your access to the core program does not include any additional bonuses or extension packs that we’re not included in your original purchase and may be offered in the future.
In addition your purchase of the core program does not grant you access to monthly coaching or professional development support beyond technical support questions or the getting started materials provided within the course.
If you require additional support beyond the materials provided we recommend that you participate in the paid professional develop coaching provided by Patti the founder and CEO of Madly Learning.
No problem.
To determine which package is right for you please consider the following considerations
- Grade of Your Students each Ignited Literacy resource is designed to cover the grade level expectations outlined.
- Assess Student Ability – Where are your students skill wise. While we do not recommend teachers select a package for their class that is not aligned with their students grades it is important to consider ability. So for example if you are teaching grade 5 but know that your students are low we do not recommend getting the 3/4 package. This lower package will not meet the grade 5 expectations and will modify your program below grade level. Instead if you are teaching a grade 5 and your students are lower in ability we recommend getting the 4/5 instead of the 5/6
- Grade 4 and Grade 5 – both of these grades are covered in two different grade level packages. So sometimes it is hard to choose which grade level package to select. Consider the ability level of your students. (see #2)
- I teach grade 2 – this program is not designed to meet the needs of students working at a grade 2 level or below. Students who are still learning the fundamentals of reading need different supports and interventions that are not included in this program.
Save 25% - Nov. 25-28 - Use Code 'FOMOPROMO'
Ignited Literacy Full Payment
Make a One Time Payment-
40 weeks of Lessons and Activities
-
40 Weeks of Guided Reading Lessons to build comprehension
-
40 Weeks of Student Independent Task Centers
-
40 Weeks of Digital Ready Interactive Unit Pages
-
40 Weeks of Assessment Checklists and Guides
Purchasing Terms: Each purchase grants the buy one non-transferrable licence to a single grade package of Ignited Literacy.
Teachers will choose the grade level package they want to assign to their Ignited Literacy immediately after purchase. Alternatively teachers can choose to wait and assign their grade level package at a date in the future.
Once the license is assigned it may not be transferred or switched to another grade level package. Access to program materials are only granted once grade level is confirmed.