Literacy

At Altitude Elementary we believe that strong literacy skills are the foundation for learning. For that reason, we have selected research-based reading, writing, and spelling programs as the bedrock of our literacy instruction. Our school is K-5 aligned in the Lucy Calkins Reading Workshop model for reading instruction. Our K-5 writing program, Write From the Beginning, uses Thinking Maps to help students organize and process their writing. CR Success is our K-2 phonics and spelling program that incorporates multi-sensory instruction.

Drawing on learning gleaned from decades of research, curriculum development, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with students, teachers, and school leaders, this reading series is rooted in the Project’s best practices and newest thinking. The Units of Study for Teaching Reading, K-5:

provide state-of-the-art tools and methods to help students move up the ladder of text complexity
build foundational reading skills and strategies
support the teaching of interpretation, synthesis, and main idea
offer classroom structures to support inquiry and collaboration
provide all the teaching points, minilessons, conferences, and small-group work needed to teach a comprehensive workshop curriculum
include resources to help teachers build and evolve anchor charts across each unit
help teachers use learning progressions to assess students’ reading work, develop their use of self-monitoring strategies, and set students on trajectories of growth
give teachers opportunities to teach and to learn teaching while receiving strong scaffolding and on-the-job guidance.

Program Purpose:

- To provide both students and teachers the knowledge and skills necessary age-appropriate writing instruction and achievement.

- Each grade level has specific goals for each type of writing.

- K-5 alignment ensures each student is receiving appropriate instruction at the right developmental time.

The power of Write From the Beginning is the scaffold K-5 design where each grade level builds upon the previous grade level’s instruction. The use of Thinking Maps supports organization in writing and all content areas.

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond - Thinking MapsThis is a comprehensive writing program for K-12 and establishes a common focus and shared accountability for school-wide writing performance.

Program Beliefs:

- Our systematic phonics instruction is immediately connected to authentic reading and writing.

- Our instruction is active, multisensory, and mirrors the neurological processing of reading.

- Our research-based programs empower teachers to grow ALL students into confident readers and writers.

- We provide many opportunities for critical thinking, which are essential for students to develop 21st century skills.

- Our decodable books are meaningful, engaging, and written at developmental reading levels.

- Our programs are flexible in order to meet students at their point of need.

The power of CR Success lies in the multi-sensory instruction, which includes engaging magnetic letter folders, chants, stories, full-body actions and movements. Phonemic awareness and phonics are learned systematically and applied directly to writing and spelling.

Grades 3-5 will be using Wordly Wise i3000 for academic vocabulary and word study

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