English Language Arts Curriculum

TK-5 CVUSD Balanced Comprehensive Literacy Instruction

Statement of Philosophy

In order to prepare students for college, career, and a lifetime of learning, we use research-based instructional strategies to foster independence and flexible thinking. Students collaborate with diverse peers around engaging and authentic curriculum, becoming effective communicators who are reflective, critical, and strategic readers and writers.

To foster the above characteristics in our students we:

• Plan and deliver authentic and meaningful instruction, striking a balance between content instruction and skill building and keeping the needs of students at the center of what we do.

• Plan and deliver instruction that integrates reading, writing, speaking and listening to support the transfer of skills across the disciplines.

• Plan and deliver instruction using a gradual release of responsibility framework, which includes modeled, shared, guided, and independent reading, writing, speaking and listening opportunities strategically planned to support students through the learning process.

By the end of the first trimester, students will be able to self-select appropriate text, fluently read and comprehend grade-level text, and learn to set goals for themselves as readers. Students will retell stories using story elements and key details as well as determine the central message of the story. When writing , students will also be able to orally share an experience using appropriate facts, descriptions, and complete sentences.

By the end of the second trimester, students will be able to ask and answer questions, identify the main idea as well as supporting details, use various text features to locate information and describe the connection between different informational texts. Students will write informational pieces which introduce a topic, develop points, provide a conclusion statement and reflect grade-level appropriate conventions. When speaking, students will request clarification when needed and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding.

By the end of the third trimester, students will be able to read and comprehend a variety of grade level-literature as well as informational texts. Students will use their knowledge of genre, text structures, and text features to deepen their understanding when reading and infer author's viewpoint or purpose. In writing, students will explore writing book reviews and learn to independently write an opinion piece which includes a claim as well as supporting reasons and use grade level appropriate conventions. When have classroom conversations, students will learn to build on others' talk by linking their comments to the remarks of others.

District Adopted English-Language Arts Core Instructional Materials

● Massachusetts Model Reading Units

● Reading Fundamentals (Schoolwide)

● Lucy Calkins Units of Study in Writing (Heinemann)

● Grammar Fundamentals (Schoolwide)

● Mastering the Mechanics by Hoyt & Therriault (Scholastic)

● Fundations (Wilson Learning)

● Flying Start Guided Reading Library (Okapi)

● Capstone Engage Literacy Guided Reading Library (Capstone)

● Bookroom Guided Reading Library (Mondo Press)

Teachers utilize these core instructional materials as the foundational tools for implementing research-based practices within a balanced, comprehensive literacy instructional framework. In addition to using these district adopted materials, teachers supplement in order to meet the needs of individual students.