* WORDS THEIR WAY Developmental Word Study program (Phonics, Vocabulary, Spelling) WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
* HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS program
*LATIN www.promotelatin.org/whystudylatin2003.pdf
* CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, including Thinking Maps and Challenge~Enrich Projects
Literacy Practices and Programs at Candeo
At Candeo, our reading curriculum is built upon the Core Knowledge Sequence and the Arizona State Reading Standards. It is through the aforementioned resources that instruction is planned and delivered. We believe in a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction. This means that teachers assess learners and make purposeful, instructional decisions about how to help children become better readers and writers. There are three principles that researchers have identified when looking at a comprehensive view of literacy. First, it is imperative that teachers teach skills that include knowledge of decoding, strategies for comprehension, and a LOVE for literature. Secondly, different instructional approaches to reading instruction may vary among and within classrooms based on student need; thus, we design instruction to be learner centered rather than program centered. Thirdly, children must read a variety of reading materials at school daily. Children at Candeo read various books for different reasons: books that allow children to work on decoding skills, books that aid in teaching comprehension strategies, books that teach children something new, and books that children want to read for pleasure.
Phonics and Word Study Instruction:
We recognize the importance of phonics and word study instruction to help children learn how to decode unknown words and to encode, or spell, them. At the heart of our phonics and word study program is assessment of each student. Knowing what the learner needs will allow teachers to design appropriate instruction to the whole class, to small groups, and to individual students. At the beginning of kindergarten, teachers use Zoophonics to teach students initial sounds (26 phonograms), as well as how to segment and blend those sounds into words. Students are then transitioned into Words Their Way, a developmental phonics, vocabulary, and spelling program, depending on readiness. By mid-December, all First grade students will have been taught the 70 phonograms to support decoding skills. Additionally, in First and Second Grades, teachers use Words Their Way and the Fountas and Pinnell Phonics programs to design appropriate instruction to continue to teach students how to decode and encode multi-syllabic words. In Third through Sixth Grades, teachers us Words Thier Way to support spelling and vocabulary development.
Shared Reading Instruction:
Shared reading is a whole-group instructional approach used in primary classrooms, in which the teacher explicitly models the strategies and skills of proficient readers. Shared reading occurs when the teacher and the class are sitting together to read and reread enlarged texts for a specific purpose. With this instructional technique, students have an opportunity to gradually assume more responsibility for reading as their skill level and confidence increase. Shared reading also provides a safe learning environment for students to practice the reading behaviors of proficient readers with the support of the teacher and peers. Shared reading may focus on needs indicated in assessment data and skills required by grade level curriculum expectations. The text is always chosen by the teacher and must be visible to the students. In the intermediate grades, whole class novel studies are used in place of enlarged text; however, the approach to instruction is the same. With our focus on classic literature, Candeo utilizes Junior Great Books in Second and Third Grades and Core Classics in Fourth through Sixth Grades.
Guided Reading Instruction:
Guided reading is an instructional approach that we use at Candeo daily. Students in a guided reading group are placed together based on assessment data collected regularly. In a guided reading group, teachers work with a small group of students to help them learn effective strategies for reading and understand text at a student’s instructional level. Guided reading is a powerful way to meet the varying instructional needs of all students in a classroom. According to Fountas and Pinnell, in a guided reading lesson, the teacher selects and introduces the text to students, supports them while reading the text, engages the readers in discussion, and teaches a specific skill or strategy after the reading. Additionally, sometimes after reading a text, the teacher will extend the meaning of the text through writing, text analysis, or another specific learning activity. The lesson often includes work with words based on the specific needs of the small group. Guided reading groups occur in Kindergarten through Third Grades at Candeo and are used as needed in Fourth through Sixth Grades.
Independent Reading:
After having taught a mini-lesson, students participate in independent reading, an approach in which students read books on their own, explore different kinds of texts, and apply new learning. Students should be able to read these books easily and without assistance. Students usually choose their reading materials, but in the primary grades, students will often be given recommendations from the teacher to ensure that the texts can be read and re-read without assistance. Researchers have found that the amount of time students spend independently reading is the best predictor of reading achievement and also the best predictor of the amount of gain in reading achievement made by students between Second and Fifth Grades. Independent reading builds fluency, increases vocabulary, and builds background knowledge. At Candeo, students are engaged in sustained independent reading daily.
Writing:
At Candeo, we take a process rather than a product centered approach to writing. In a process centered approach, students may work on different writing activities at different rates. Teachers provide opportunities for students to write daily across the curriculum to build writing fluency. A collection of many short, interesting pieces may lead to longer, more developed pieces of writing. Writing is shared as it is being created by both students and the teacher. Descriptive feedback is given to writers regularly to encourage continued growth and development. We utilize a Writer’s Workshop approach to create a process-centered environment. In a Writer’s Workshop, a mini-lesson of 10-15 minutes on some aspect of writing is taught. Students are then released to apply the mini-lesson through independent writing for an extended period of time. During this time the teacher is conferencing with individuals or small groups of students. The workshop ends with a sharing session. Grammar is taught both explicitly and within the context of writing. The Lucy Caulkins Writing Units of Study is utilized by teachers to aid in comprehensive writing instruction, with a special focus on writing traits for standards alignment.
Handwriting:
At Candeo, we provide explicit instruction in handwriting using the Handwriting Without Tears program. Handwriting fluency is fundamental to learning because children think and write at the same time. When we teach children to write, we also teach them how to express themselves. If they struggle to form their letters, their ability to express themselves will suffer. Children who don't master handwriting may be slow, sloppy, or illegible writers. Spelling and math are also affected.
