Literacy

Loose Parts

Proficiency in reading, speaking, listening, and writing is a lifelong tool in all aspects of daily living. Therefore, supporting your child's literacy skills provides tools to help their overall success beyond K-12 education.

Phonics Program - Albanesi Curriculum Program (ACP)

The Albanesi Curriculum Program is designed for use in the Language Arts and Math curriculum areas. It comes with a work plan booklet and task cards. Task cards "tell precisely which presentations, exercises and materials" are needed for a learned concept. A work plan chart lists tasks to complete. Learners can self-evaluate their progress, and teachers can monitor student pacing and learning.

To make this resource efficient, I created Workplan charts with labelled pictures of all the materials (Montessori & non-Montessori) so students can quickly identify materials and parents can know what the materials we work with look like. In addition, some of the charts state the expected learning outcomes.

Albanesi (modified) Language Arts Workplan Breakdown

Language Arts Work Plan Charts

Class Reading Programs

I am always excited about any grade level proven research-based approach to supporting my students reading proficiency and fluency. Recently, I have been learning about the Science of Reading (SoR) to inform my classroom reading instructional practices. For starters, we will be using decodable readers from Voyager Sopris Learning.

Besides lessons on foundational reading, reading comprehension and spelling skills, listed below are some classroom reading practices to support and improve students' reading skills and build stamina.

1. Online Reading Resource

We select books that cover topics taught across curricular content, keeping general class reading levels in mind. I will advise and send home the specific resource we use, which varies yearly.

2. CHORAL READING

Typically integrated during social studies and science lessons. We read projected texts out loud in unison. If students have worksheets, I give them time to circle or underline words they know, and then we read paragraphs or sentences together in unison.

3. SHARED READING

I read a book daily to the kids. We discuss, make predictions, make inferences, make connections etc. Writing assignments end reading so students can retell stories in their own words or complete a reading response worksheet.

4. PAIR READING

This practice is encouraged as an extension of independent reading. Students can share their homework. The classroom seating arrangement supports cooperative learning and peer tutoring. At the end of this reading session, students are encouraged to share any findings from the class. Some students use this platform to read an entire book.

5. GUIDED/PRECISION READING

This builds on the pair reading experience. Levelled books are handed to a pair of students, starting at A. Both students will spend time reading books,k and when they feel proficient, they each take turns reading to me. Then they can move on to the next level. These levelled books are basic easy-to-read books printed from Raz kids. Adapting the pair reading approach to evolve into guided reading creates an atmosphere for teamwork between pairs of students. Both must be able to read books to move on to the next level. The hope is also to close up reading gaps. Students who are at a higher reading level already have books at their reading level in their book tubs and on Raz kids.