Literacy and the new Language Arts

Curriculum

The Learning Community of Regional School District 14 Believes that:

"Literacy is a life long practice that involves complex skills, strategies, and dispositions

necessary to engage with a variety of texts in order to invoke feelings, thinking, actions and

positive change in the context of social activities" (Wells, 1990).

Balanced Literacy involves skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, observing, and thinking to actively create meaning.

Adapted from Wells, Gordon. (1990) Talk About Text: Where Literacy is Learned and Taught

How to Bartle Puzballs

There are tork gooboos of puzballs, including laplies, mushos, and fushos. Even if you bartle the puzballs that to vo inny and onny of the pern, they do not grunto any lipples. In order to geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples, you should bartle the fusho who has rarckles the parh too toos after her humply flu flu.

Answer the following:

1. How many gooboos of puzballs are there?2. What are laplies, mushos, and fushos?3. Even if you bartle the puzballs that to vo inny and onny of the

pern, they will not what?4. How can you geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples?

How to Bartle Puzballs

Answer Key:1. There are tork gooboos of puzballs.2. Laplies, mushos, and fushos are tork gooboos

of puzballs.3. They will not grunto any lipples.4. You should bartle the fusho who has rarckled

her parsh too to os after her humply flu flu.

Deeper Reading;Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12 by Kelly Gallagher

Region 14’s Literacy Focus

• Integrated into All DisciplinesIntegrated into All Disciplines

• Everyone’s ResponsibilityEveryone’s Responsibility– Professional GoalsProfessional Goals

• SupportSupport– Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development– MaterialsMaterials

• EvaluationEvaluation

Reading

1. Numerous Opportunities to Read

2. Wide Reading and Explicit Instruction

3. Different Kinds of Text

4. How Writers Organize Particular Texts

5. Explicit Instruction in Reasoning• Connections, Inferences, Responses

6. Shared Learning

Writing1. Learn to Write by Writing2. Writing is a Process3. A Tool for Thinking4. Writing has Many Purposes 5. Conventions are Important

• Finished, Edited Texts

6. Writing and Reading are Related7. Writing has a Complex Relationship to Talk8. Literate Practices - Embedded in Social

Relationships

By the Writing Study Group of the NCTE Executive Committee November 2004

BALANCED LITERACY COMPONENTS

WRITING WORKSHOP ESSENTIALS

WORD STUDY

READING WORKSHOP ESSENTIALS

GRADE NUMBER OF MINUTES PER DAY

NUMBER OF DAYS PER WEEK

About 15 minutes per day for ALL grade levels

GRADE NUMBER OF MINUTES PER DAY

NUMBER OF DAYS PER WEEK

K 30-45 3 K 90-120 5

1-5 45-60 4 1-5 90 5

6 45-60 4 6 30-90 5

7-12 40-45 2-3 (balanced with reading instruction)

7-12 40-45 2-3 (balanced with writing instruction)

Shared Writing Interactive Read Aloud

Shared Reading (includes choral, reader’s theater, & literature discussion)

Guided Reading

Independent Reading

Independent Writing

Guided Writing

Interactive Writing (K-2)

Word Study

K-12 Language Arts OutcomesK-12 Language Arts Outcomes

• Concepts of Print - Primary Only

• Phonemic Awareness – Primary Only

• Word Study

• Reading Strategies

• Comprehension

• Genre Study

• Writing

• Oral Communication

Resources

• Professional Development– Administration and Staff– Ongoing at Grade Levels, Department

and Faculty meetings, Individuals– November PD Days

• Professional Resources– Books, Journals, Flipcharts, Videos

• Literacy Specialists

USING COMMON PLANNING TIME FOR LITERACY

• Review Language Arts Curriculum (emphasis on the Comprehension Performance Outcomes) and how to integrate into each subject.

• Design Common Assessments within Subject Areas (emphasis on open-ended responses scored with a rubric).

• Design Writing Process Opportunities within each subject, particularly social studies.

• Create a Timeline for Writing Process Work that includes use of the writing lab.

• Design Writing Assessments in each subject area using John Collins Focus Correction Areas (FCA’s) related to the new curriculum.

EXAMPLES OF INTEGRATING LITERACY INTO ALL SUBJECT AREAS

WOODBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL

FOCUS THIS YEAR IS ON COMPREHENSION LEARNING

OUTCOMES

• Activate Prior Knowledge (Background Knowledge)

• Make Connections between Text and:– self, other texts, world

Enduring Understandings • Prior Knowledge, reading experience, and life

experience shape how readers read and respond to text.

• The connection readers make with the text affects their understanding of it.

Essential Questions• What am I bringing to the text? • How do the stories people tell me help me

understand who they are?

In the Classroom• Admit Slips (Social Studies and Science Examples)• Anticipation Guide (English Example)• BKWLQ Strategy (Science)

Use Evidence from the Text to Support Oral and Written Responses

• Enduring Understanding– Effective readers use appropriate strategies, as needed, to

construct meaning.

• Essential Questions– How do I use what I read to develop and support my ideas?– What is my strategy for reading this text?– How do I know if it is working?

• In the Classroom– Think-Pair-Share to solve word problem (Math)– Highlight words to support problem-solving strategy (Math)– Open-ended responses scored with a rubric (Math and

English)– Discussion/Debate (Math)– Note taking / Analyzing text structure (Social Studies)

Book Rooms

• A Wide Variety of Genres and Authors

• High Interest Non-Fiction and Fiction

• A Wide Range of Reading Levels

• Supports Explicit Instruction – Reading Strategies– Guided Reading, Literature Circles

• Supports Guided Practice

Independent Reading

• Is Provided on a Daily Basis• Student Chosen Text

– Variety of Genres

• Appropriate Level – “Just Right” Books• Explicit Expectations• Opportunities for Shared Learning

– Pairs, Small Groups, Whole Group

• Readers’ Notebooks

Word Study

The Opportunity to Learn About Words.

•Hands-On Instructional Approach •Activities to Help Students

–Discover Patterns –Form Generalizations–Memorize High Frequency Writing Words

“Core Words”

Region 14 Believes ThatWord Study:

• Includes an integration of phonics, spelling, and vocabulary instruction.

• Allows for the development of spelling skills in stages.

• Encourages the comparing and contrasting of letters of the alphabet, spelling patterns, and word meanings.

Research does not support rote memorization of weekly lists as an effective process for improving spelling.

(Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, Johnston 2008)

Instructional EmphasisAlphabet knowledge and sounds

Grades K-2

Spelling patterns Grades 1-4

Meaning Grades 3-8

Region 14 Students will Apply :Known Spelling Patterns and Mastered Core Words in their

Own Writing.

Language Arts Curriculum on the District’s Website

• Go to www.ctreg14.org

• Click on District Departments

• Click on Curriculum and Instruction

• Scroll down to Language Arts

• Open this page

Cindy Kostes - Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Martha Bless - Integrated Literacy Specialist

Alice Jones - WMS Principal

Joann Wright – BES Literacy Specialist

Carol Gonthier – MES Literacy Specialist