Literacy in the Classroom

BENCHMARK WORKSHOP
We use the Benchmark Workshop literacy program. This program encompasses reading, writing, phonics, and grammar. In Reader’s Workshop we will do whole-group mini-lessons, read leveled texts for small group, and support independent reading and conferring. The Writer’s Workshop includes mini-lessons on the writing process, the craft of writing, and responses to reading, with support for small-group instruction, independent writing, and conferring. The Phonics & Word Study Workshop teaches sequential, systematic and explicit direct phonics instruction and differentiated practice through authentic reading and writing experiences and multisensory activities.  

THIRD GRADE STANDARDS

Oral Expression and Listening

• • Participate cooperatively in group activities.

  • Communicate using appropriate language in informal and formal situations.

Reading for all Purposes

• • Apply strategies to fluently read and comprehend various literary texts.

  • Apply strategies to fluently read and comprehend various informational texts.

  • Apply knowledge of spelling patterns (orthography), word meanings (morphology), and word  relationships to decode words and increase vocabulary.

Writing and Composition

• • Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

  • Write informative/explanatory texts developed with facts, definitions, and details, ending with a  related concluding statement.

  • Write real or imagined narratives that use descriptive details, have a clear sequence of events, and provide closure.

  • Use a recursive process to plan, draft, revise, and edit writing, applying knowledge of the conventions of grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

Research Inquiry and Design

• • Gather, interpret, and communicate information discovered during short research projects.

Nightly Reading

There is a wealth of research supporting daily reading, especially during the period when a child is learning to read. That's now! Each month, I will send home a reading log . Please read with or to your child for at least 15 minutes per night and initial the sheet. Reading logs should be returned to school at the end of the month and students who have met the minimum minutes for that month will join me for Book Club, where we will have lunch together, discuss what they read over the past month, and enjoy a special treat!