You can click here for answers to some FAQ's and here for more information about the Bluebonnet Learning Edition 1 for Reading Language Arts (RLA): K–3 Foundational Skills and K–5 RLA. 

Click each unit button for more information about the skills learned in that unit.

Guided reading is a small-group teaching and learning strategy where teachers support readers at their individual reading levels and systematically guide them step-by-step through increasingly more challenging texts. It provides targeted, small-group instruction that helps students grow through scaffolded support. 

During guided reading, specific reading skills are targeted based on data showing individual areas of strength and growth opportunity. Differentiated instruction is when students are grouped by similar reading abilities, so instruction can be tailored to their specific needs. 

This allows teachers to address gaps (e.g., decoding, fluency, comprehension) without overwhelming or boring students. It also allows teachers to closely support and monitor each students' progress. 

Depending on each students' needs, they may participate in a small guided reading group between 2-5 times a week. The greater the need, the more times a week a student will participate. 

More advanced readers may partipicate in Book Clubs where they engage in individual reading and hold student-led discussions about their thoughts and understanding of assigned chapters. The teacher checks in with these students during scheduled checkpoints and may assign extension activites such as book reports, book reviews, or other project-based learning opportunities. 

Comprehension is the ultimate goal for reading. Reading to learn is much more demanding than reading for pleasure. The cognitive lift that comes with academic reading is heavy! This is why we teach comprehension strategies to help students monitor their understanding of a text as they read. 

Before reading every begins, students need understand what their purpose for reading is. Unlike with pleasure reading, academic reading requires skills to break down information into pieces so that comprehension is meaningful. Having a purpose in mind for reading allows students to appropriately chunk longer texts, take notes effectively, and monitor their comprehension as they read. 

There are a handful of genre specific strategies we teach, but the following reading comprehension strategies can be used while reading any genre - literary (fiction) or informatinal (nonfiction) - and are highly effective comprehension monitoring tools. 

Reading Fix-Up Strategies

Reading fix-up strategies, also known as repair strategies, are strategies used by readers to improve comprehension when they encounter difficulties. These strategies help readers overcome comprehension breakdowns, such as not understanding a specific word, concept, or the overall meaning of a text. By applying these strategies, readers can actively monitor their understanding, identify areas where they need clarification, and take steps to improve their comprehension. 

Below are some common fix-up strategies used in the classroom.

In an academic setting, students are often asked to respond to their reading by constructing a written response to a question. There are two types of constructed responses students are asked to produce. Click here to learn more about SCRs and ECRs and to see how these types of questions are asked on assessments. 

Some teachers like to use a daily "code word", or a vocabulary word of the day, as a means of extending student vocabulary. Using a "Word of the Day" in the classroom has several benefits for students’ vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Here are the key advantages:

1. Vocabulary Enrichment

• Expanded Lexicon: Regular exposure to new words helps students build a richer vocabulary.

• Retention Through Repetition: Daily focus increases the likelihood that students will remember and use the words in context.

2. Contextual Understanding

• Students often learn not just the definition, but also how to use the word in different contexts—through example sentences, synonyms/antonyms, and root word analysis.

3. Improved Reading Comprehension

• A broader vocabulary allows students to better understand what they read, particularly complex texts.

• They develop strategies to infer meanings of unfamiliar words using prior word-of-the-day knowledge.

4. Enhanced Writing Skills

• Students are encouraged to use new words in their writing, which can lead to more precise, vivid, and varied expression.

• It supports more advanced sentence construction and voice development.

5. Increased Language Awareness

• Encourages curiosity about word origins, connotations, and nuances of meaning.

• Helps build grammatical awareness through understanding parts of speech and sentence structure.

6. Critical Thinking and Discussion

• Teachers can prompt students to analyze how a word’s meaning might change in different contexts, which promotes deeper thinking.

• Class discussions about each word can foster collaboration and oral communication skills.

7. Confidence Building

• As students grow more comfortable with challenging vocabulary, they often feel more confident participating in class discussions and tackling reading and writing assignments.

8. Cross-Curricular Applications

• Words can be chosen that align with themes in science, history, or social studies, reinforcing learning across subjects.

Three times a year (fall, winter, and spring), CISD RLA teachers complete literacy assessments to screen students' individual reading abilities. These assessments screen for skill ability in decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Combine, these skills make up a skilled reader. When one or more areas are insufficient, students may struggle with overall academic success. 

After screening, your child's RLA teacher should send home information about their current reading abilities and ways you can support them in their reading at home. If needed, your child's teacher may request a conference to discuss your child's assessment results and/or progress monitoring. 

For more information regarding the assessment screeners, please click on each of the buttons below. If you have further questions, please reach out to your child's RLA teacher. 

Once a quarter prior to STAAR, usually toward the end of the 9-week grading period, CISD administers a district-wide grade-level assessment (District Quarterly Assessment, or DQA) across all content areas. These assessments are aimed at collecting data and tracking student growth across the district on targeted priority TEKS. 

For more information, please contact your child's RLA teacher.