Literacy-9 course has been designed to link elementary reading and writing instruction, providing students with the necessary skills to become independent readers and competent, creative writers. It is built on “best practice” research and is aligned with the Common Core Curriculum Standards. Instruction is designed to move students from guided to independent learning in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Through the use of a 90 minute reading/writers’ workshop approach OR two 45-minute periods, daily, students will participate in daily reading and writing activities. Workshop practices will include a combination of mini-lessons and large group instruction, small group work and individual activities.
Teachers will administer the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment at least three times per year (September, December/January, May/June). This assessment identifies instructional reading level.
The reading component includes a wide exposure to a variety of genres and texts while practicing: reading strategies, self-monitoring strategies, reading and comprehension skills (ex: phonics, chunking, cause and effect, fact and opinion), fluency practice, vocabulary skills, daily reading practice, listening practice, and responding to literature.
The writing component involves using the 6+1 writing traits and the steps of the writing process to develop many types of narrative, opinion, and informative texts. Spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and handwriting are integrated into the context of authentic written and oral language experiences that are audience/purpose specific.
In this Literacy course, reading and writing are designed to be taught together. The integration of these content areas allows for increased flexibility in teaching to students’ specific strengths and weaknesses. If a student finishes the requirements for the reading portion of the unit, he/she should then focus more carefully on the unit’s writing portion for the duration of the unit’s timeframe and vice versa. The next unit should not be opened until ALL the TSWs have been mastered. HOWEVER, within a literacy unit, mastery is evaluated separately for reading and writing. The course is intended for the student who has mastered the Elementary Literacy-8 outcomes or its equivalent. The student will master the course as a prerequisite for engagement in Elementary Literacy-10.
Literacy 9 is divided into two courses that are designed to be an integrated unit of study. Teachers must engage the students in both courses Literacy Reading and Literacy Writing. Students must receive an evaluation for reading and writing within each essential unit. Some selective units may only have one evaluation in either reading or writing. However, there should be no less than 20 total Literacy units mastered. All units may be taught in conjunction with units from Cultural Studies or Science that can integrate reading and writing skills.
Literacy Program Statement:
The primary goal of the Elementary Literacy Program is to foster children’s love for reading. Children should:
● Read and enjoy various genres of literature for a number of purposes
● Understand the meaning of what they read
● Develop a strong foundation of reading skills and strategies that include phonemic awareness, comprehension strategies, word study (vocabulary), phonics, and fluency.
● Set goals and evaluate their progress to read more complex text with sustained attention and interest
- Teacher: Kevin Sparling