Guide to the Language Arts Block

1. Guide to the Language Arts Block CSD Curriculum and Instruction Christina School District 2011-2012

2. The Language Arts Block Handbook“Your Guide for all things ELA” CSD Curriculum and Instruction

3. Sample Components/Timeframe of Language Arts Block ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS MUST BE POSTED CSD Curriculum and Instruction

4. Christina Language Arts Block K-5 • All students will receive 135 minutes of literacy instruction daily. (Reading and Writing) • Word Work (15 minutes) • Phonemic Awareness • Phonological Awareness • Phonics • Vocabulary • Use your Common Core and Journeys Teachers Edition to guide your word work • Teacher Directed (20-30 minutes) • Use the comprehension skill from the Common Core and Journeys Teachers Edition to guide the Teacher directed lesson • Essential Questions listed on Grade Level matrix may differ from those found in Teachers Edition and Focus Wall. The updated EQ’s align more closely with the Common Core will provide greater depth of knowledge. • May use text or passages from Journeys, Supplemental Read Alouds, Science kit readers, Social Studies textbooks, Time for Kids Readers, etc. Remember the focus is on the skill /strategy. • Teachers may use instructional delivery methods found in Journeys Teachers Edition or Sample Acquisition lessons found in elementary reading shared drive \\clshare\Elem_reading. • Keep whole group practice/assignments out of this block and save for flexible group time. CSD Curriculum and Instruction

5. Flexible Group (20 minutes x 2) or (15 minutes x 3) • Students will be broken into flexible groups based upon skill. • Teacher must meet with the lowest group(s) EVERY day. • Save this time for independent practice work based. • assign something for all other students to do based on teacher directed lesson and then pull your low group first to provide more assistance/alternative assignments for them (remember these assignments must be meaningful and not just busy work). • Centers for students not working with you should directly tie to what you have been teaching from the Teacher Directed Lesson or small flexible groups. There may be one review center for previously learned skills. • Purpose: extra practice on what has been taught during word work and the teacher directed lesson. • Center options can be found in your Journeys Teacher’s Edition and on Literacy Links at: http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/center_resources.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

6. Suggested Centers • Review of Skills and Strategies Previously Taught Center • Fluency Center (fluency practice, re-reading, partner reading) • Word Work Center (activity can support grade level scope and sequence skills and/or needs based skills; can use frayer model to help support vocabulary concepts) • Reading Independently Center (Self Directed Reading and/or using the graphic organizer) • Writing in Response to Reading Center (writing from their graphic organizer, answering text based questions, or making connections to text) • Listening & Speaking Center (listen to anthology story, listen to key pieces of literature, recording your reading or thoughts/retellings and sharing with a partner) • Technology Center (Learning Point Navigator Assignments, Kidspiration, Inspiration, Think Central, www.Thinkfinity.org, MS Word publishing of written responses, www.starfall.com, www.pbskids.org, www.wegivebooks.org, etc.) • For additional resources refer to Literacy Links at http://www.christina.k12.de.us/literacylinks/elemresources/ElemResources.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

7. Writing Block (35-45 minutes) • Use Direct instruction (Mini Lessons) • Use Journeys Teachers Edition and/or Writing Curriculum Binder • Address the Writing Process • Common Core Writing Priority Focus Areas • How to Write a Paragraph • Narrative Writing • Letter writing • Descriptive Writing • Informative/Explanatory Writing – Structures (comparing/contrast essay, Chronological essay, cause/effect, problem/solution) • Persuasive/Construct Support • Research • http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/writing_resources.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

8. CSD Curriculum and Instruction

9. Intervention Block: http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/rti_resources.htm • Tier III students get both the 135 minutes language arts block daily and an additional 150 minutes of Tier III intervention services weekly outside the language arts block. • Tier II students get both the 135 minutes reading block daily and an additional 90 minutes of Tier II intervention services weekly outside the language arts block. • Tier III group • This group must receive 30 minutes additional instruction daily. • These should be students who need supplemental instruction. • Tier III students must be progress monitored weekly. • Intervention done with this group must remain needs based supported by data. • Strategy/skill intervention should not be switched until progress monitoring data supports further/different instruction. • While this group is working, other students should be working on extended thinking tasks (ex: Literature Circles, Book Clubs, Projects, Learning Point Navigator, Accelerated Reader, Scholastic Reading Counts, etc.) CSD Curriculum and Instruction

10. Intervention Block, Continued: • Tier II Group: • This group must receive additional instruction 90 minutes weekly. • These should be students who need supplemental instruction. • Tier II students must be progress monitored weekly. • Intervention done with this group must remain needs based. • Strategy/skill intervention should not be switched until progress monitoring data supports further/different instruction. • While this group is working, other students should be working on extended thinking tasks (ex: Literature Circles, Book Clubs, Projects, Learning Point Navigator, Accelerated Reader, Scholastic Reading Counts, etc.) CSD Curriculum and Instruction

11. Response to Intervention • What’s New to Elementary RtI in CSD? • Math intervention is now added • Strategic—math only 90 minutes per week • Strategic—reading and math 120 per week • Intensive—math only 150 minutes per week • Intensive—reading and math180 minutes per week • 20% rule • If 20% of students in a classroom are not meeting BM on any instructional screening, a school based team shall meet to consider needs for additional classroom support and strategies. 12.10 DOE RtI CSD Curriculum and Instruction

12. Response to Intervention • IEP • IEP team to consider child’s PM data when developing, reviewing, or revising the IEP • Team must check for improvement to the point that special education and related services may no longer be required…school shall initiate a reevaluation. 12.9 DOE RtI • I Tracker Pro • Teachers and administrators will use the I Tracker Pro system to input and track student information and data. CSD Curriculum and Instruction

13. Response to Intervention • How is I-Tracker Pro making life easier? • Teachers enter data into system • Some data is automatically pulled from eSchool, mClass, DCAS, Renaissance Place, etc. • They no longer need paper/pencil data collection forms such as… • group summary for PM • RtI Referral forms • I-Tracker Pro stores this data for us  • The Most updated RtI Handbook can be found on the RtI page of Literacy Links at http://www.christina.k12.de.us/literacylinks/elemresources/rti_resources.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

14. HMH Journeys HMH 2011 Journeys • Integrated Reading, Language Arts, Writing • Uses latest research to help students become successful readers and writers • Uses the best new literature to introduce Concept of Prints, Anthology short stories, Big Books, Read Alouds, and Trade Books • Balanced: • Encompasses all 5 strands (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Fluency) • Skills and Strategies are reinforced throughout • Focus is on both written and oral comprehension CSD Curriculum and Instruction

15. HMH Journeys Instructional Practices Include: • Clear Goals and Expectations • Explicit Instruction • Aligned Standards and Instructional Practices • Rich practices to develop students who can read, write, and speak well • 5 strands woven together • Supports ELL with • rich visual context pictures • child friendly sentences to introduce vocabulary and connects to meaning • HMH resources are Language Support and Vocabulary in Context Cards and the Curious about Words CSD Curriculum and Instruction

16. HMH Journeys--Pacing Guides • Pacing Guides Follow the Scope and Sequence of the HMH Journeys Program • One for each grade level K-5 • Aligns and connects to Common Core State Standards • They can be found on Literacy Links at http://www.christina.k12.de.us/literacylinks/elemresources/pacing_guides1011.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

17. HMH Journeys Differentiated Instruction: • The Grab and Go Kit has an abundance of resources to support the teacher edition (Journeys) from the struggling reader all the way to the advanced reader. There are a variety of other materials available to teachers to target and differentiate instruction: • Reading/Literacy Toolkit • Ready-Made Work Stations (word study, comprehension & fluency, think & write) • Leveled Readers (old and new) • Curious about Words (extend oral vocabulary; contains weekly read alouds) • Write in Readers • Decodable and Vocabulary Readers • Language Support Cards (pre-teach critical skills) • Instructional Card Kit (vocabulary, context, and retelling cards and others to support instruction) • Sound Spelling Cards (provide sound letter associations K-3) • Additional materials found on www.thinkcentral.com CSD Curriculum and Instruction

18. HMH Journeys On-going Assessment: • Prescriptive data-driven instruction • Just think about your purpose when assigning a task—do you want to know what the student hasmastered (summative) or what they still need to learn (formative)? • Summative or Formative • Possible Assessment Options: weekly tests, benchmark/unit tests, stop & think questions, graphic organizers, etc. • Progress Monitoring---remember progress monitoring with your curriculum based measures helps you to gauge student progress in all strands of literacy. Technology: • Comprehensive set of resources with a multitude of activities and ideas for students, parents, and teachers • www.thinkcentral.com • www.hmhelearning.com (online teacher community) • http://hmheducation.com/tx/journeys/resources-modules.php • Online modules explaining each piece of the Journeys program for teachers CSD Curriculum and Instruction

19. What tools should I use to target student needs? Screening and Inventories • Spelling Inventory • Phonics Inventory • Fry Sight Word Inventory • Diagnostic Assessment (1-6) • Emerging Literacy Survey (K-1) • Comprehensive Screening Assessment (2-5) Progress Monitoring • DIBELS Next • Fry Sight Word Inventory • Curriculum Based Assessments CSD Curriculum and Instruction • Flow chart of intervention resources (flex group sections) http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/ElemResources.htm

20. HMH Journeys Common Assessments • Journeys Weekly Tests (formative in nature) • The 3rd weekly test in each unit can be given. This test contains a cold read portion (skills in context) for comprehension and vocabulary. Only the new comprehension story and vocabulary portions must be administered. These scores will be entered into I Tracker Pro by the teacher. (two scores only __/10 and __/10) **See Language Arts Block Handbook for scoring information** CSD Curriculum and Instruction

21. HMH Journeys Common Assessments • Journeys Unit and Benchmark Tests (summative in nature) • Units 1, 3, and 5 will be given. These tests are cumulative in nature. They will be scan forms in nature and will be sent to DSC for scoring. Once scored at DSC, data will be entered directly into the I Tracker Pro system. **See Language Arts Block Handbook for scoring information** These tests also contain a stand alone writing prompt that teachers can manually enter into I-Tracker Pro (one holistic score based on the state of DE rubric). CSD Curriculum and Instruction

22. What Data Should I Use? • DCAS • DIBELS Next • Scholastic Reading Inventory • STAR • Curriculum Based Assessments (discussed earlier) CSD Curriculum and Instruction

23. Changes to DIBELS Next DIBELS Next • ISF is now FSF (timed only for 1 minute & teachers ask students to give first sound of a word) • LNF has new font that is more familiar to young children • PSF no longer given at middle or end of Grade 1 • NWF includesstudents reading whole words; even distribution of vowels • ORF are all new stories, fonts, and are grade level appropriate • DAZE is now available. This is an optional CLOZE comprehension screener that can be given to all students in a whole class setting • Page 11-13 in DIBELS Next assessment Manual http://www.christina.k12.de.us/literacylinks/elemresources/dibels_resources.htm CSD Curriculum and Instruction

24. Learning Focused Solutions • Literacy Links http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/lfs_resources.htm • Journeys/CCSS Skills and Strategy Matrices (focus on comprehension) • Essential Question/Big Idea Posters • Acquisition Lesson Planning Templates • Activating Strategies • Summarizing Strategies • Other LFS Resources • Elementary Resources Shared Drive \\clshare\Elem_reading\LFS • Graphic Organizers • Model Acquisition Lessons • Content Chairs will work on more model lessons during meetings this year!  CSD Curriculum and Instruction

25. Where can I go for more help? • Office of Curriculum and Instruction • Heather Bordas bordash@christina.k12.de.us 552-2626 • Curriculum Specialist, Kathy Kelly kellyk@christina.k12.de.us • Instructional Coaches • Content Chairs • Literacy Links • http://www.christina.k12.de.us/LiteracyLinks/elemresources/ElemResources.htm • This presentation is posted on Literacy Links for your reference in the future! CSD Curriculum and Instruction