Comprehensive Literacy Approach

1. Comprehensive Literacy Approach What does the teaching of literacy skills look like in Wappingers Central School District?

2. An effective literacy program includes a balance of time and attention to all aspects of communicating – reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and thinking – which develop simultaneously as learners grow into literacy. • This balanced approach addresses reading, writing, and word study contexts to support children’s learning at both primary, intermediate and secondary levels. • In terms of instruction, there is a balance between direct instruction, guided instruction, and independent learning embedded within the context of real literacy experiences.

3. Our goals • To create common language across our 10 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools and 3 high schools. • To gain an understanding of how and why we teach literacy the way we do in Wappingers • To create classroom environments where all levels of readers feel successful and engagement in literacy tasks is high and rich

4. Reading • Read-Aloud • Shared Reading • Guided Reading • Reader’s Workshop/Independent Reading • Assessments – Running Records (K-8) Developmental Reading Assessment(DRA) (K-3) Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) (4-8) Stanford Reading Assessment (7-12) Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) (K-2)

5. Writing (Writing Process) • Interactive Writing • Independent Writing • Shared Writing • Writer’s Workshop • Assessments – Writing Benchmark Assessments (K-12) Six Trait Writing

6. Please see website links for definitions of reading and writing modes of instruction