 | A balance between the use of the Anthology for
modeling specific skills and strategies and the use of Leveled Readers/books
to support fluency, build vocabulary, and assess how well students can apply
skills taught through the Anthology to a new text. |
| Explicit, systematic instruction in phonics, decoding,
and comprehension |
| The use of flexible groups to help meet individual
needs |
| Teacher read alouds |
| Vocabulary development |
| Spelling instruction that focuses on a spelling
pattern that enables students to make generalization to new and unknown
words and links spelling to vocabulary |
| Grammar instruction that focuses primarily on using
grammar skills to improve writing and includes skill lessons that are linked
to the reading selections so students have examples that are relevant and
that provide a context for understanding |
First through fifth grade all implement a 30 minute skills
block in addition to their classroom reading block. During this time, children
are grouped according to their level for specific instruction on the five
components of reading. The groups are flexible and assigned through assessments
of the skills being taught.
Kindergarten:
Kindergarten starts the year with stories, songs, rhymes, alphabet
activities and routines. Tested skills:
First Grade
First Grade starts off with a Kindergarten review which includes phonemic
awareness, phonics and high frequency words.
Students examine the key characteristics of poetry, plays and folktales.
Second Grade
Second grade compares fiction and nonfiction, reviews comprehension skills
and strategies in an in-depth study of genre in fables, biographies, poetry, and
chapter books.
Third Grade
Students examine the key characteristics of each genre and read one or more
examples of poetry, trickster tales, biographies, autobiographies, realistic
fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, fairy tales and fables
Research units include reading about the country of China and Ancient Egypt..
Fourth Grade
Students examine the key characteristics of each genre and read one or more
examples of mysteries, plays, poetry, and pourpoui tales. Students will also
read various literature books centered around them to develop discussion skills.
Fifth Grade
Genre studies include tall tales, poetry, plays, and autobiographies.
