Literacy

The District takes a balanced-literacy approach to the teaching of reading. Children are assessed and instruction is planned based on their instructional reading level. A literacy block consisting of the following four components is in the process of being fully implemented:

Read Aloud – Whole-class instruction during which the teacher reads aloud a book that a child might not necessarily be able to read him/herself in order to model reading strategies, fluency, and to develop a love of reading

Shared Reading – Whole-class instruction that involves a text that all can see; on a chart, overhead, big book, or individual copies. This teaching strategy is used to introduce a reading strategy or skill that the children can use when navigating text independently.

Guided Reading – Small-group instruction using leveled books at the child’s instructional level. The teacher supports the students in navigating the text, helping them to use their previously taught reading strategies to decode and make meaning of the words.

Independent Reading – Each child reads a “just right” book by him/herself. The teacher uses this time to conference with students to determine whether or not the student has been able to utilize the strategies taught during the read aloud or shared reading lesson when reading independently. Teachers often use the information gleaned during guided reading and independent reading to plan small-group instruction or mini lessons to assist students who are having difficulty.

Materials – Students in grades K-6 use Making Meaning, leveled books, novels, trade books, articles from magazines, etc. In addition to these materials, students in grades 5-6 use the Harcourt Brace Anthology and Kindergarten and grade 1 students use Fundations.