Spotlight on Independent Reading and Writing in a Balanced Literacy Curriculum

1. Spotlight onIndependent Reading and Writingin a Balanced Literacy Curriculum Rochelle DeMuccio, Coordinator ELA and Reading K-5 Half Hollow Hills Central School District November 27, 2006

2. BalancedLiteracy TO • Reading Aloud • Modeling Writing WITH • Shared Reading • Interactive Writing • Guided Reading BY • Independent Reading and Writing

3. Independent Reading and WritingBest Practices • Students need models • Students need choice • Students need a lot of practice • Students need time • Students need authentic purposes • Students need real audiences; feedback • Students need to slow down; go deeper

4. Units of Study • Continuum - Kindergarten through Grade 5 • Reading and Writing Units • Time Frames • Goals - Knowledge, Understandings, Skills • Essential Questions • Overview • N.Y.S. Standards, Indicators, Competencies • Materials and Resources

5. English Language Arts OverviewWRITING SNAPSHOTS Across First Grade

7. English Language ArtsFirst Grade Writing Unit TitleTime Frame Launching Writer’s Workshop September/4 weeks Essential Questions -Why is writing important in our lives? -What is writing workshop?

8. First Grade - Launching Writer’s Workshop Overview Students will develop an understanding of the writing workshop, including the rules and routines necessary for it to function. They will know that workshops consist of a minilesson, guided practice, independent practice, and a sharing time. Students will understand that the goal of writing workshop is to learn strategies for independence. They will understand and apply the writing process (choosing topics, drafting ideas, revising and editing), with support.

9. First Grade - Launching Writer’s Workshop N.Y.S. English Language Arts Standards Students will read, write, listen and speak for #1 - information and understanding #2- literacy response and expression #3- critical analysis and evaluation #4- social interaction

10. First Grade - Launching Writer’s Workshop Standard 4: Read, write, listen and speak for social interaction • Indicator: Maintain a portfolio of writings and drawings for sharing. • Indicator: Share the process of writing with peers or adults; for example, write with a partner or write in a cooperative group.

11. First Grade - Launching Writer’s Workshop N.Y.S. English Language Arts Competencies Across the Four Standards • Write voluntarily to communicate to others. • Use developing knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to spell grade level words. • Represent most phonemes in invented spelling (“k-a-t” for cat). • Use conventional spelling for high frequency words.

12. English Language Arts Overview READING SNAPSHOTS Across 5th Grade

14. English Language ArtsFifth Grade Reading Unit TitleTime Frame Character Study Nov./Dec. 4 weeks Essential Questions -How does an understanding of character help readers develop deeper meaning across a single story or across several stories?

15. Fifth Grade - Character Study Overview In this unit, students will analyze the thoughts and actions of characters. Readers will build upon this analysis to develop theories that can be supported and proved through text evidence. A deeper understanding of a character will lead students to an appreciation and understanding of story theme and author’s message.

16. Fifth Grade - Character Study Standard 2: Read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression • Indicator: Recognize the use of literary devices, such as simile, metaphor, and personification, to create meaning. • Indicator: Identify the ways in which characters change and develop within a story.

17. Fifth Grade - Character Study ELA Competencies Across the Four Standards • Express an opinion about themes in stories. • Use personal experience and prior knowledge to interpret and respond to literary texts. • Analyze an event by using role play as a strategy.

18. Spotlight onELA Curriculum in ProgressPrimaryMrs. Bostock/ Grade 1, VanderbiltIntermediate Mr. Smalley/ Grade 5, Forest Park