An opening routine in AVID Excel^® provides a structured start to each lesson that includes:

• Unit Title: This reminds scholars of the main theme that is the current unit of study. It gives scholars a sense of purpose to drive their learning and helps focus their attention on key concepts.
• Scholar Starter: This is an activity that scholars begin working on as soon as they enter the classroom, allowing them to practice all four domains of language acquisition within the first chunk of instruction each day. Along with reading, writing, speaking, and listening, Scholar Starters also target academic discourse, collaboration, and inquiry to develop a thriving and engaged academic community.
• Learning Objectives: These are clear, specific goals that scholars are expected to achieve by the end of the lesson. Each learning objective is composed of a thinking skill, content, and product to support scholars in understanding what they will be learning, why it's important, and how they will be expected to demonstrate their understanding.
• Essential Question: This is a thought-provoking question related to the unit that encourages scholars to think deeply and critically. It's designed to spark curiosity, drive inquiry-based learning, and provide a purpose for the learning.

The Opening Routines in AVID Excel accelerate language acquisition, content learning, and the development of agency for multilingual scholars. They provide a structured, consistent start to each session, which sets a tone for the class and helps scholars know what to expect so they are more ready and able to participate in rigorous learning activities. They also provide scholars regular opportunities to practice their language skills, engage with new concepts, and build their academic vocabulary.

• Provides a clear focus for each session so scholars understand what they will be learning and why it's important.
• Creates a structured, predictable start to each session, helping scholars feel more comfortable and ready to engage.
• Increases scholar engagement from the moment they enter the classroom, promoting a positive learning environment and a sense of urgency.
• Builds confidence through regular opportunities for language practice and accelerates language acquisition for multilingual scholars.