![](https://mrslsleveledlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/base-logo.jpg"){kind=logo}
Looking for Distance Learning Resources?
Click Here
Follow By Email
Don’t waste time searching through my store or fan pages for updates; get instant links to new products and articles as soon as they’re published!
Coming Soon to my Store…
Leveled Assessments for Reading Information, Grades 3-8
Video tutorials for Writing and Teaching content with Scales
Save Time!
As Proficiency Scales become the NEW way to teach, more and more schools are looking for experienced teachers to share what works. Melanie has presented at multiple conferences to walk teachers through the process of creating, presenting, organizing, and assessing learning objectives with scales. SIGN UP to receive a free GUIDE to SCALES, and updates on conferences, professional development offerings, and classroom ideas!
Meet Melanie LiCausi
Melanie is the original creator of Leveled Assessments for Math and ELA. Leveled Assessments take Marzano’s research to a whole new LEVEL, by adding clear and objective tasks to proficiency scales. Melanie’s experience with differentiation comes from twelve years in the classroom teaching first grade, second grade, middle school math, and several years of Gifted Resource in a multi-age classroom for grades 3-5. She has mastered the art of aligning content at multiple grade levels to give students a smooth and defined path for progress.
LEARN to Do This!
Learning to create scales was a PAINFUL reminder of what my students often feel… tossed into content they didn’t choose… expected to master things they are still clueless about… feeling all of the uncertainty and intimidation that goes along with learning something new! I have heard from countless teachers who are struggling through the same process. Having resources already done for them is AMAZING! But, learning to teach scales and modify their own assessments will be ESSENTIAL as modern education moves towards differentiated instruction. That’s why I am working on a UNIQUE and EXCITING new online course that will actually TEACH TEACHERS my simple streamlined process for creating scales and assessments. I have spent the last 7 years writing Proficiency Scales and Leveled Assessments for grades 1st-8th. I can tell you that the same process applies to every subject and grade level. Creating scales is an investment in PLANNING, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Once you learn how to USE them in your classroom, you will see how it can completely transform the learning experience for you and your students. If you’re interested in learning to CREATE YOUR OWN LEVELED LEARNING GOALS AND ASSESSMENTS twice as fast, please sign up to follow me by email to get all the details this fall.
Watch this video for a quick introduction to how I teach scales for pre-assessment!
Mrs. L’s Blog
Distance Learning and the Homeschool Connection
Have you figured out what to work on with your child at home?
My name is Melanie LiCausi, and I am a mom of three, a classroom teacher, and trying out home-schooling for the very first time!
Having the unique experience of being on both sides of online learning has given me the chance to notice a few things.
Read on to see the simplest way to communicate your standards to students and parents in 4 easy steps!
Valentine’s Day Origami Projects
Kids LOVE origami, at least my students always have. In an effort to get kids working together as a team, here is a fun way to assign groups and 'solidify' partnerships using one simple origami fold. Students can leave their group piece in a special place to indicate...
4 Tips to Fit Your Students into a Proficiency Scale
You may already get how your learning objectives fit into a proficiency scale, but what about your students? Have you ever spent a lot of time planning a lesson or unit, and then realized, ugh… this is too hard or too easy, and now I have to change my approach! Nobody...
The Secret to Maximize Classroom Time – Emphasize Fewer Standards
Do you ever look at all your proficiency scales and feel overwhelmed? Not only do you have to cover 20-30 learning standards in each subject, but now you have 4 different levels to differentiate for? Did you know that you might get away with emphasizing just 5-6...
Inclusion – The Goal of Proficiency Scales
What's the most important reason to use proficiency scales? One word. INCLUSION. The goal of proficiency scales is not to be one more complicated thing on your to-do list, but to accommodate your students at ALL LEVELS at the same time. Four Levels of Differentiation...
Differentiate Eighth Grade Equations with Proficiency Scales
Proficiency Scales are all about helping students show growth in small steps instead of being overwhelmed by a year-end goal that seems way over their head. This video will walk you through one way to get your students understanding a scale. In this eighth grade equations and expressions standard, students must know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
Differentiate Seventh Grade Ratios with Proficiency Scales
In this seventh grade standard for ratios and proportions, students are expected to compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions including lengths and areas with different measurements.
