Take Aim Semi-Independent Format: Planning and setting up

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Effective implementation of the Take Aim at Vocabulary program requires proper planning and setup, which involves preparing a schedule, choosing a setting, gathering materials, and preparing to teach the training lesson.

PREPARING A SCHEDULE

Each lesson in a unit normally takes a student about 45 minutes to complete. However, students who do not complete a lesson within a single class period should have no trouble stopping mid-lesson and resuming the lesson later. There are four lessons and various additional activities per unit, so each unit will take several days to complete. Read Naturally recommends using Take Aim five days a week in periods of 30–45 minutes each day.

CHOOSING A SETTING

Take Aim works well in a variety of settings:

Reading Lab/ Resource Room	Students come to a reading lab or resource room to work with a teacher on reading. Part of the instruction includes vocabulary development.
Classroom	The classroom teacher sets up a Take Aim station in the classroom. While most of the students in the room read quietly or work on projects independently, some students improve their vocabulary by working at the Take Aim station.
Extended Day	Teachers, parents, community education staff, or other volunteers can offer a Take Aim class before or after school. The instructor(s) can set up the station prior to class and take it down afterward.

GATHERING MATERIALS

To use Take Aim, you will need the following program materials and additional materials.

Program Materials

	Teacher's Manual This manual includes information necessary to ensure proper use of the Take Aim program and lesson plans for teaching students how to use Take Aim. It also includes blackline masters of materials needed to train students in using the program. Take Aim! at Vocabulary Teacher's Manual
	Unit Textbooks There are 12 unit textbooks in each Take Aim level. Each textbook includes four lessons and a glossary. The unit textbooks in Take Aim are not consumable, so students should not write in them.
	Audio CDs Each unit textbook has a corresponding audio CD. Each CD includes three recordings of each story in the unit, corresponding to the three appearances of the story in each lesson. Each CD also includes all target words and their definitions, all glossary words and their definitions, additional vocabulary lessons, and instructions. Superscript track numbers throughout the unit textbook indicate which sections or words have audio support.
	Blackline Master Books Each Take Aim level comes with two blackline master books that contain all reproducible items necessary for students to work in the program, including assessments, student packets, answer keys, graphs, a parent letter, and awards.
	Storage Box Each Take Aim level includes a convenient storage box that holds the unit textbooks and photocopies of student packets and related materials. The lid of each box becomes a second storage container.
	Divider Tabs Divider tabs are included for each of the units in a Take Aim level. When you store photocopies of student packets and related materials in the storage box, you can use the divider tabs to separate the materials by unit.

Additional Materials

	Audio CD Players Each student needs access to an audio CD player and must be able to work on this equipment alone. Ideally, each student would have a CD player at his or her own workstation. You will also need a power source such as batteries or an AC adapter. Order CD players
	Earphones/Headphones Earphones or headphones are very important for ensuring that students hear the audio recordings clearly. They also reduce the sounds of the other students reading along with the audio. Order headphones
	Student Folders Each student needs a folder for storing his or her target graph sheet, unit steps list, scores summary, and student packet in which he or she is working. Order folders
	Colored Pencils or Crayons Students use colored pencils or crayons to mark pretest and posttest scores on their target graphs. Using one color for the pretest (e.g., blue) and another color for the posttest (e.g., red) helps students and teachers to quickly identify the amount of progress being made. Order graphing pencils
	Timers All unit pretests and posttests are timed. Enough timers should be available so that students can time themselves on the pretests and posttests. In most cases, six students can share two timers. Choose digital timers with an audio signal that sounds when the time is up. The timers should not count down the seconds. If the seconds are displayed, students tend to take their eyes off the page to check the time remaining. Order timers

Optional Materials

	Red/Green Pouches These pouches are red on one side and green on the other. Students turn the green side up when they are working and do not need assistance. They turn the red side up to signal that they need assistance. Students can also keep their pencils/crayons and reading guides in the pouches. Order red/green pouches
	Reading Guides Reading guides are transparent pieces of plastic with a straight edge that students can use to help their eyes track words across a line of text. Order reading guides