Storytown

1. Storytown Harcourt School Publishers

2. Our New Literacy Program • Storytown is our District reading and language arts program for grades K-4. • This program has explicit, systematic instruction in reading, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and writing. • Assessments are included to track student progress and drive instruction.

3. Focuses on traits of good writing Organization Ideas Sentence Fluency Word Choice Voice Conventions Develops writing forms Sentences Descriptions Responses Personal Narratives Shared, Modeled and Independent writing tasks Writing

4. Whole group Instruction Student hard cover book Fluency through repeated readings and reader’s theater Focus skills and strategies build Comprehension Small group Instruction Leveled readers (paperback) On-level Below-level Advanced-level Flexible groups Target skills/difficulties Targets High Frequency words Reading

5. Grade 1 Students First graders will work with Ms. Haskell in Room 28. Students will work on Grade 1 lessons in reading, vocabulary, phonics, grammar, writing and spelling. Homework will be assigned by Ms. Haskell. Grade 2 Students Second graders will work with Miss Smith in Room 30. Students will work on Grade 2 lessons in reading, vocabulary, phonics, grammar, writing and spelling. Homework will be assigned by Miss Smith. Primary MAC Students will be divided by grade level for Whole group reading instruction.

6. Small group Instruction will be ability based and flexible. • Students may work in small groups with Miss Smith or Ms. Haskell. • Groups may change at any time. • Students reading above grade level will be challenged. Students reading below grade level will receive additional instruction and help. • Small paperback books will be sent home for rereading and sharing with the family. Please return them the next school day! • Reading at home to a family member is expected nightly as support for this program.

7. Literacy Centers While the teacher is providing direct instruction to small groups, the children will work in literacy center activities. Listening & Speaking (Listen to a story and retell it with pictures or words) Reading (Read a story and record information in a chart) Writing (Make a K-W-L chart for a research report on Lions) Letters & Sounds (Build word puzzles with Common letter patterns Such as long /u/ silent /e/) Word work (Sort words you know by how many letters they have)

8. Phonics and Spelling Connections • Connecting letters to sounds • Word blending • Word building • Spelling lists with nightly homework in either Phonics or Spelling (practice books/pages) • High frequency sight words • Spelling tests

9. Vocabulary • “Robust” vocabulary builds your child’s listening and speaking vocabulary • Student friendly explanations • Practice and varied experience with new words. • Students are not expected to spell the words. deserve usually peaceful

10. Grammar • Grammar practice book • Daily proofreading tasks • Concepts such as nouns, verbs, adjectives are introduced, practiced and applied in real writing.

11. Storytown • We appreciate your support in the transition to our new Literacy program. • Storytown is research based and prioritizes skills and strategies at each grade level according to this confirmed research. • Additional help for struggling students will be available from your child’s teacher and the basic skills support teachers, as in the past. • Please feel free to provide feedback to us at anytime during the school year regarding the Storytown program.