Creating a Language Arts Block

-Allingtons 6 Ts-

When I am creating a language arts block for the day, I will be

pulling specifically from Allingtons six Ts. I have received a great
deal of information on how to approach each T, and I am most
comfortable with the format that Allington provides.

Time: Students should spend 50% or more of observed time

ACTIVELY READING and/or writing about lesson focus. This allows
for a more interdisciplinary approach to reading as well, since the
students can be given the opportunity to read texts from Social
Studies and Science curriculums.

Texts: The teacher should offer multiple choices of texts for

students to read at appropriate levels, OR the students can read
self-selected texts at appropriate levels.

Teaching: The teacher should select appropriate text for

instruction. The teacher also has active instruction and meets
needs of all of the students. The teacher models and
demonstrates his/her own thinking. Finally, the lesson covers
content and process.

Talk: The discussion in the classroom is conversational instead of

interrogational. The teacher to student and student to student
talk is purposeful to the lesson, and the majority of the teachers
questions are open-ended.

Task: Students have the ability to choose a task to complete on

the basis that the task is part of or related to a long term
assignment, and the students are engaged and have ownership of
the task.

Testing: Students have the assignment rubric along with the

assignment, and the final grade is only given once the students
have had the opportunity to get feedback and revise. Additionally,
the students are not surprised by the grade they receive. He/she
knows what grade to expect for their work.