Focus on Literacy: Reading

literacy chartRead Aloud & Shared Reading

Reading aloud builds many important foundational literacy skills. It introduces vocabulary, provides a model of fluency and expression, and helps children understand reading for pleasure.

Shared reading provides struggling readers with support. It builds sight word knowledge and establishes reading fluency, while introducing reading materials that students may not experience on their own.

How We Do It: As our students work through their daily lessons, they read aloud a weekly story that uses high-frequency sight words and introduces new vocabulary. Students listen to the story being read by an engaging reader who reads with expression and models fluency. They also read the story with their teacher or learning coach. To demonstrate their fluency, students record themselves reading the story and submits the recording to their teacher, who scores the recording with a rubric.

Independent Reading

reading chartsReading independently is a most critical step in the development of children's literacy. Several researchers have cited independent reading as the best predictor of reading achievement.

How We Do It: Our students' reading levels are assessed throughout the year and assigned "just right books" through our independent reading program. Students are also able to choose books on their own.

Whether reading independently or reading aloud, students experience a variety of reading materials, such as poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction. Foundational reading materials include sight words and phonics.

Vocabulary

As research supports that students should encounter a new word multiple times in order to comprehend its meaning, we have incorporated several opportunities for students to interact with new vocabulary.

How We Do It: Students are provided digital activities, such as interactive games, crossword puzzles, and worksheets to reinforce the acquisition of the new vocabulary.

Focus on Literacy: Writing, Speaking & Listening

elementary writing activities

Writing

Each academic year in their writing, students demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year's grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

How We Do It: Each week, students complete handwriting exercises that focus on either letter formation, sight words, vocabulary, spelling, or grammar. Several tools are available to students as they work through the various steps involved in the writing process, such as planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Both shared and independent writing opportunities are presented to the students.

Speaking & Listening

Communication is an essential skill in literacy and our students are required to demonstrate their mastery of the English language by speaking and listening. Students must be able to organize and develop presentations that support their findings with evidence so that listeners can follow their line of reasoning. Students are required to use digital media to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

How We Do It: Students complete a story retell, which reinforces their comprehension skills, but also requires them to organize and develop their thoughts. Students listen to various audio recordings from spelling words to phrases and sentences to full stories. Students also meet with their teacher regularly, where they demonstrate their acquired knowledge.

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