English K - 5

Elementary School Resources

• Elementary Reading Early Literacy Instructional Videos – demonstrations by Virginia teachers of early literacy instructional strategies and activities
• Virginia Reads (PDF) – parent brochure highlighting preschool Foundation Blocks for Early Learning and the K-5 English SOL with suggestions for assisting children in achieving these school-readiness and reading standards
• Online Writing Resources – teaching strategies and lesson plans, video links, SOL progression charts, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of the writing process. Beginning with the 2013 spring administration of grades 5, 8, and end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) writing assessments, Virginia students will complete all direct writing tests online.
• Vocabulary Resources – teaching strategies, lesson plans, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of vocabulary.
• Sample Text-Dependent Questions – provide a fiction sample text from public domain and offer a series of text-dependent questions, companion nonfiction texts, and writing assignments.
• Sample Grade 3 Reading SOL – embedded Lesson Planning Template (Word)
• Sample Grade 4 Reading SOL – embedded Lesson Planning Template (Word)
• Sample Grade 5 Reading SOL – embedded Lesson Planning Template (Word)

K-3 Specific Instructional Resources

• K-3 English Achievement Record Sample – Schools maintain a record of achievement in English for each K-3 student to monitor progress and to promote achievement on third-grade SOL tests. This record accompanies a student who transfers to a new school.
• Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI) – provides intervention services to students who demonstrate reading deficiencies on the Phonological and Literacy Screening (PALS) assessment
• Virginia Animals and their Habitats – a model comprehensive, cross-curricular second-grade unit that addresses 40 grade-two Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) in science, mathematics, English, and history and social science.

Best Practice

• Doing What Works – Interactive Strategies for Teaching Nonfiction Text Structure Video
• Read Aloud: Text Talk Lessons Resource
• 26 Instructional Strategies That Facilitate Learning Across Content Areas (PDF)
• Language & Culture Videos