Instructing

• Educational Leaps
• TEKS Teaching Science Companion
• TEKS in a Test Tube
• TAKS Preparation Materials

TEKS Focused Themed Lessons for TAKS Mastery

TEKS Focused Themed Lessons for TAKS Mastery have been developed for educators to instruct students who are required to take the TAKS assessment. The activities were written by educators who know TAKS. They have developed instructional strategies and activities to insure the students have thorough understanding of what is expected of them when they take the TAKS assessment.

Teach reading TEKS for TAKS mastery by using creatively themed units. Each book covers a different higher level thinking skill designed to enhance reading comprehension by providing stimulating easy-to-implement activities for the students. (Classroom reproducibles are included.)

Titles Include:

• Fact and Opinion Mystery Themed Unit
  TAKS Objective 4

• Summary/Main Idea Critters that Bite Themed Unit
  TAKS Objective 1
• Inference Fractured Nursery Rhymes Themed Unit
  TAKS Objective 4
• Sequence Frozen in Time Themed Unit
  TAKS Objective 3

Humpty Eggs - The Inference focused unit (Fractured Nursery Rhymes) has a pattern to make these Humpty eggs using plastic Easter eggs.

A student is reading letters from an archeologist who traveled around the world. Then she uses these letters to determine the sequence of events.

Sequence Frozen in Time

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TEKS Multi-Sensory Tool Kits

In the TEKS Multi-Sensory Tool Kit, the Educational Leaps Reading series is included. These books address critical skills needed for learning in ALL areas of instruction: Summary/Main idea, Fact and Opinion, Sequence, and Inference.

Each book is built around a high interest theme. Lessons begin with manipulatives or games which gradually build to TAKS formatted passages. (This is not included in kit K – 2.)

An additional book called Mystery Eggs revolves around content specific vocabulary. Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain the overview of the content specific vocabulary. The book is meant to give the teacher a focused look at a specific group of TEKS. The book is not to be used to teach vocabulary in isolation.

Another book included in the TEKS Multi-Sensory Tool Kit is PhotoWriteExtra. This exciting group of black and white pictures captures a student’s imagination. Within PhotoWrite Extra is a booklet designed to extend the visual picture to other sensory ways of learning.

The Extra part of PhotoWrite is a series of 12 color pictures. Each picture is surrounded with a word bank. The idea is to allow students to look at the picture and use the words in their writing. PhotoWriteExtra directly correlates with the critical vocabulary threaded through the TEKS. For example, there is a picture of two children fishing. The picture does not show the water so a student must make inferences about what is really happening.

Imagine the possibilities of using the pictures in the classroom: bilingual students use the photographs to build their English skills, center writing, inferences, extend sequencing by asking what happened before, during, or after the photo was taken; perspective of the photographer; compare and contrast photos or ideas (then use graphic organizers to extend the concept even further); find the summary of the photo. The possibilities could go on forever!

In addition the tool kit contains the following:

• Durable Black and Decker tool kit
• Pull out caddy
• One reading phone
• Mystery Eggs
• Martian Fingers
• Magnifying Stones
• Plastic Critter
• A TEKS Multi-Sensory Guide

TEKS Multi-Sensory Math Tool Kit

This kit includes "out of the box" ideas for teachers to use to help students master TEKS for TAKS mastery. Try using stretchy body parts to teach measurement and rounding! The kit includes a durable Black and Decker tool box with pull out carrying cases and a caddy for manipulative storage. Two books accompany the kit which provides a variety of fresh, creative ideas to instruct students. TEKS Multi-Sensory Math Manipulative Tool Kit correlates the TEKS and TAKS and provides manipulative ideas. Math Mania provides daily TEKS practice and Multi-Sensory ideas.

• Durable Black and Decker Tool Kit
• Treasure Chest
• Stretchy Body Parts
• Mystery Eggs
• Stamping Set
• Pretend Microphone
• Glow-In-The-Dark Critters
• Basketball Hoop and a Foam Ball
• Clay
• Phone

TEKS to TAKS Reading Manipulatives and Games for Grades 5-8

This book has games and/or manipulatives for cause and effect, inference, author’s purpose, analyzing characters, supporting responses, and graphic organizers. Plus, the culminating activity requires students to read three passages and use the information to create a treasure map. Once the map is made, the students use their reading skills to solve the treasure map questions.

Manipulatives and/or Games For GRADES 5 - 8

• Cause and Effect
• Inference
• Author’s Purpose
• Analyzing Questions
• Supporting Details
• Graphic Organizers
  (Some of these skills are blended into one lesson for in-depth reading practice!)

Reading for Fluency

Reading for Fluency was developed to increase fluency by reading with a CD. The multi-ethnic musical CD has a strong beat which will help the reader increase his/her reading speed. Each song is repeated three times at three different tempos. Included in Reading for Fluency are poems, a news report, fictional stories, and nonfiction articles. Plus, each reading passage indicates the reading level, has five comprehension questions (three implicit and two explicit), pre and post reading fluency test, teaching ideas, and twelve vocabulary flashcards. (Classroom reproducibles are included.)

CD has 7 songs. Each song has 3 tempos which makes a total of 21 tracks of music.

Reading Manipulatives

Reading Phones
Hold the Reading Phone to your right ear. Whisper what you are reading so that your brain hears the words. Made out of PVC pipe for durability.

Martian Fingers
Supplemental hands-on for all content lessons: Great for editing, reading for detail, sequence, and active participation.

Magnifying Stones
Supplemental hands-on for all content lessons. Great to encourage reading for important information or even step-by-step processes.

Mystery Eggs

TEKS Focused Words for the Content Areas

Mystery Eggs is designed to guide student instruction by providing a list of words which are content specific. These words were gleaned from each content area TAKS test, TEKS, and the TEA Information Booklet. Auditory, visual and tactile/kinesthetic ideas are included in Mystery Eggs to remember the vocabulary words.

This book is named Mystery Eggs because one of the tactile/kinesthetic ideas is to hide a content specific word inside an egg. When a student finds it, he/she defines the egg, acts it out, or works with the word in another learning modality.

*Note: Mystery Eggs is not designed strictly for vocabulary study. It is
meant to keep instruction focused on the TEKS goal.

• Book 1 Mystery Eggs K – 2 - English and Spanish
• Book 2 Mystery Eggs 3 - 5 - English and Spanish

Daily Measurement and Daily Geometry
This book was designed by a fourth grade teacher. He wanted his students to have more daily practice in measurement and geometry.
He designed 137 days of questions covering measurement and geometry which are TAKS formatted as well as open ended questions.
This book is a perfect addition to any 4th and 5th grade curriculum! 137 days of classroom reproducibles!

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Teaching TEKS to Master TAKS
Mystery Themed Writing Lessons

• Whole Group Lessons
• Team Practice Lessons
• Individual Skills Refinement

This is a SUPER teacher companion. In addition, the lessons are scripted so that substitutes and tutors can easily teach the lesson. A teacher can choose to use the script or use it as a guide.

TEKS Teaching Companion Series

The TEKS Teaching Companion Series has been written by Texas teachers for Texas teachers. The goal was to design an instructional bridge between the district’s science curriculum and the science lab. So often, science instruction begins with the textbook and goes straight to the science lab. However, the TEKS Science Teaching Companion adds an extra instructional layer to science education by providing hands-on and creative thinking activities.

• Written by Texas classroom teachers for Texas classroom teachers
• TEKS and TAKS aligned
• Each TEKS section begins a page displaying the following information: Teacher to Teacher hints; activities; vocabulary/review vocabulary
• Each section ends with a TEKS Mastery Quiz
• TEKS Teaching Companion Series is designed as a bridge between direct instruction and the science lab
• Fourth Grade has several pieces of literature to explain the concepts in a story like fashion. (This will assist the fourth grade teacher when instructing his/her students for the writing TAKS)
• Workshops are available
  

• TEKS Teaching Companion Order Form
• Grade 3 Sample
• Grade 4 Sample
• Grade 5 Sample

The Science Program your school needs to master Science TAKS!

Each grade level has 30 lessons that take about an hour.

• The teacher does not need an in-depth science background.
• The accompanying assessments help to determine what skills have been mastered and those needing attention.
• All lessons are well-developed and easy to follow.
• Just follow the directions and you will be successful in helping your students discover their science skills.
• The program uses time wisely.

• Science Order Form
• Full Order Form
• Full Catalog

Here’s help for state-mandated tests

• Pretests
• Reproducible practice sheets
• Master skills lists
• Answer keys, and more.

• ECS TestSMART® is just the tool teachers need to help students review important reading and language arts skills and prepare them for standardized tests.
• Each book contains a comprehensive pretest and reproducible practice exercises. The reading series features practice in word analysis, vocabulary, comprehension, and study skills. Sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage are addressed in the language arts series.
• An extensive master skills list represents a synthesis of reading and language arts skills from major state test specifications and can be correlated from one state to another.*
• Evaluation is simple with the provided scoring guidelines and sample rubrics for open-ended questions and answer key for multiple-choice questions.
• ECS TestSMART® familiarizes students with both the content and format of state competency tests.

• Daily Practice
• Tutorials
• Homework assignments
• Summer school

TAKS MASTER®

TAKS Master Power Practice can be duplicated within each classroom.

Ideal for:

• Tutorials
• Homework
• Review Session
• Special Programs
• Summer School

Reading Books

More than 150 Practice Items. TAKS MASTER® Power Practice for School and Home for reading include:

• Narrative, expository, mixed, and paired passages
• Authentic passages of interest to students
• Grade-level appropriate reading level
• Labeled, objective-based questions
• Correlation chart of objectives and student expectations
• Graphic organizers
• Complete answer key

Math Books

More than 250 Practice Items. TAKS MASTER® Power Practice for School and Home for math includes:

• Problems like those encountered on the actual TAKS
• Exercises labeled by specific objectives and student expectation
• Grade-level appropriate items
• Effective pictorial models
• Grade-level math chart of formulas and conversion factors
• Master list of objectives and skills adressed on the TAKS
• New griddable response items
• Complete answer keys

• TAKS Master Order Form
• Full Order Form
• Full Catalog
  

Eye on Mastery

TAKS Mathematics Preparation & Enrichment
For Grades 6-11

Guided Practice Sessions

Guided practice sessions are designed to give direct instruction from the teacher to the student. To facilitate this process several products are needed.

Teacher Edition — This guide gives direct instruction to students in a small or class setting. The format is for the teacher and students to work through a series of sessions covering problems on the TAKS test. These problems come from a variety of TAKS objectives thereby replicating how the assessment will be given. These sessions are adapted to the need of the students. Each teacher edition has a classroom objective chart to track student performance.

TAKS Instructor Transparency Unit — Is a three-ring binder containing 180 transparencies for all guided practice and independent instruction. This is available for each grade levels.

Guided Practice Workbooks — Are used by the students to follow and respond to the teachers guided instruction. Each guided practice problem imitates the mathematical operation problems, problem-solving strategy
or higher level thinking skills required on TAKS.
These workbooks are non-consumable.

Independent Practice Session

Independent practice is provided during each session. Independent practice problems model the guided practice instruction. Each numbered problem in the independent practices follows the matching number in the
guided practice. These problems give added practice to the guided instruction. To facilitate this process the Student Workbook is available.

Student Workbook — It contains the independent practice problems. These student workbooks come in consumable and non-consumable formats. A minimum of 20 consumable workbooks must be purchased.

Class Objective Mastery Chart — This is an 18” X 24” chart for both teachers and students to keep their “Eye on Mastery”. The classroom mastery chart identifies whole class area of needs. As a result, future instruction can focus on areas of non mastered skills.

• Eye on Mastery Order Form
• Full Order Form
• Full Catalog
  

Forms and sample pages require PDF Adobe Reader.