Curriculum Resources Kindergarten Sight Words
>Minnesota Academic Standards--LA Click the link above to print our flash cards to practice
>Wonders--Mc-Graw Hill at home.
> First Hand Phonics Lessons, Fountas & Pinnell
> Sing A Song of Poetry, Fountas & Pinnell
> Various Leveled Text A-Z
> Guided Reading, Fountas & Pinnell
> Units of Study for Primary Writing, Lucy Calkins
> 6 +1 Traits of Writing for Primary Grades, Ruth Culham
>Wonders--Mc-Graw Hill at home.
> First Hand Phonics Lessons, Fountas & Pinnell
> Sing A Song of Poetry, Fountas & Pinnell
> Various Leveled Text A-Z
> Guided Reading, Fountas & Pinnell
> Units of Study for Primary Writing, Lucy Calkins
> 6 +1 Traits of Writing for Primary Grades, Ruth Culham
Core Literacy Instructional Practices
High quality literacy instruction is a complex and purpose, socio-cultural, cognitive and linguistic process. Effective reading and writing instruction is multi-faceted and required teachers to implement multiple scientifically based practices. Students need a solid instructional foundation and require ample opportunities to participate in meaningful and authentic learning experiences. Teachers provide direct and explicit instruction (often called mini-lessons) which involves clear demonstration of a strategy and an opportunity for students to practice the new learning. Teachers confer withe students individually or in small groups to teach specific reading strategies and skills to further their development as readers and writers.
Shared Reading
Shared reading is when students and teachers share the task of reading the text which may be at an instructional level for most students. One of the goals of shared reading is to promote the enjoyment of reading and build a community of readers. Often the teacher identifies the objective in the literature that leads into a classroom disucssion on conventions, word structures, and/or vocabulary. The teacher also models reading fluency, the reading process, and strategies successful readers use to comprehend text. Shared reading enables a class to become familiar with a body of known texts students can use for independent reading and as a source for writing and word study.
Interactive Read Aloud
Reading aloud creates a community of readers through enjoyment and shared knowledge. It introduces student to the pleasure of reading and the art of listening. Reading aloud demonstates reading for a purpose and provides opportunities for teachers to model reading strategies. It provides an adult model of phrased, fluent reading and enhances oral language development. Through reading aloud, students understand that the lanugage of books is different from spoken lanugage. Reading aloud helps students develop an understanding of the patterns and structures of written language and promotes vocabulary development. Through oral reading, students are exposed to models of particular genres and forms of writing.
Small Group Differentiated Guided Strategy Instruction
The purpose is to promote independent reading and help students process a variety of increasingly challenging text with understanding and fluency. The teacher models reading strategies and guides students in developing effective reading skills, strategies, fluency, and confidence. Students are grouped based on comprehension strategy needs and/or appropriate instructional reading reading level (reading with 90-95% word accuracy and comprehension). Instruction is based in running records, miscue analysis, individual goal setting conferences, observations, and other forms of formal and formative assessments. The teacher coaches the students in the use of comprehension and/or word learning strategies:
**Comprehension stategies proficient readers' use--making connections, predicting, confirming, visualizing, synthesizing, summarizing, questioning, rereading and self-monitoring.
**Word learning strategies proficient readers' use--chunking, changing the vowel sound, saying the initial sound, thinking what makes sense, etc.
The goal of small group guided reading instruction is to increase a student's ability to apply these problem solving strategies in independent reading and across all content area reading.
**Comprehension stategies proficient readers' use--making connections, predicting, confirming, visualizing, synthesizing, summarizing, questioning, rereading and self-monitoring.
**Word learning strategies proficient readers' use--chunking, changing the vowel sound, saying the initial sound, thinking what makes sense, etc.
The goal of small group guided reading instruction is to increase a student's ability to apply these problem solving strategies in independent reading and across all content area reading.
Scaffolded Independent-Level Reading and One-On-One Conferencing
The purpose of independent-level reading is to build fluency, apply strategies independently, increase reading stamina and build confidence as a reader. All students are given adequate time to devote to independent-level reading. During independent-level reading time, teachers conference with individual students to monitor and access their progress in strategy application.
Writer's Workshop
The goal of writer's workshop is for students to make continous growth and apply writing strategies as they learn more about the writing process. Writer's workshop consists of a mini-lesson to demonstate a specific skill or writing strategy using literature, students writing independently, teacher conferecneing with small groups or individuals, and students sharing their work. Using think aloud, teachers model their own writing processes including rethinking, revising and editing. Through explicit instruction and modeling of the process of writing, students become aware of the connection between reading and writing.
Shared Writing
Students share experiences and interestes with the support of the teacher and generate ideas and language for composing a text. Teachers help students shape their words and pictures into a message. Teachers model the process of putting ideas into written language through using meaningful and interesting text. Teacher language is aligned with Six +1 Traits of Writing. Shared writing enables all students to participate and helps them gain confidence when writing independently.
Daily 5
Daily 5 is a structural management system created by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser in which students work on differentiated skills. The 5 components to Daily 5 are Read to Self, Read to Partener, Listen to Reading, Word Work, and Work on Writing. Students pick which component they will work on during each rotation to practice lanugage arts skills to become better readers.