Zinc Journeys
Every student automatically has access to reading growth!
Zinc’s essential reading programs are now automatically available for students from the first day they log in with Zinc Journeys! Teachers continue to have the ability to assign A La Carte Activities to complement your classroom curriculum.
Introducing Zinc Journeys
With Zinc Journeys, students will learn and develop crucial reading skills. You’ll be able to track their growth and progress with comprehensive reports.
The three primary components of Zinc Journeys are:
Level Placements: Assessments to determine student reading levels and track growth.
Ignition: Hyper-differentiated, interactive lessons on Zinc's four essential reading skills. 45% of students who complete Ignition go up one reading level (or 1.5 grade levels)!
Missions: Auto-leveled and choice-based reading practice. In each themed Mission, students choose two articles and one Close Reading Experience. The articles selected by the student include relevant vocabulary. Students may also choose their own Vocabulary sets to work on throughout the year. Students have twelve missions to choose from in the Fall, and an additional twelve will open up on January 1.
Zinc Journeys is self-paced, so teachers are encouraged to make their expectations know for when students should complete activities. Students who complete all of the above activities will unlock Power Ups, leveled reading and vocabulary activities that will continue to keep them engaged for the rest of the semester.
Zinc Journeys lasts the entire year. An optional fresh Ignition will be available January 1, so encourage your students to complete it! Another Ignition will be available on May 1 for students to complete during the summer.
Spending 10 to 15 minutes a day with Zinc Journeys 2 to 3 times a week, such as a do-now upon arrival in class, will build reading confidence and raise reading levels in your classroom!
Tracking Zinc Journeys
On your homepage, you'll be able to see at a glance how far students in each class have made it in their Zinc Journeys. For more details, click on each class's report. You'll find a detailed overview along with tabs for Level Placements, Ignition, Lift Off, and Power Ups. For every activity, you'll see each student's performance, date of completion, and time spent.
A La Carte Activities
Along with Zinc Journeys, you have the option to assign Articles and Texts, customizable Vocabulary Games, and interactive Close Reading Experiences. You can sort each activity by topic, genre, reading level and more. For example, you could spice up a unit on Romeo and Juliet with an article about Shakespeare's Theater, pre-made vocabulary sets, and a Shakespearian Close Reading Experience! A La Carte Activities assigned by teachers will appear on the student's homepage with Zinc Journeys.
"Go do Zinc!"
Encourage your students to log in and get started on Zinc Journeys! As they progress, please check in on them with your reports. Remember, just 10 to 15 minutes a day, 2 to 3 days a week, can have a huge impact!