Writer’s Workshop:
Writer’s Workshop begins with a mini-lesson designed to support our writing curriculum by teaching techniques and skills writers use. Following the mini-lesson, students are provided with independent writing time during which they write about self-selected topics. While the topics are self-selected, students are guided to choose their topics based on the genre focus at that time. In addition, this independent writing time provides ample opportunties for teacher/student conferencing with teacher feedback tailored to each student’s individual writing development. We close each Writer’s Workshop with a sharing session during which students have the opportunity to share their writing with the class or a writing partner.
Writing Units:
Narrative Writing (Small Moment Stories)
Informational Writing (Expert Books)
Opinion Writing (Writing About Reading)
Poetry
Word Study:
Students learn to spell a list of 35 priority spelling words, so chosen as they are most commonly found in writing. In addition, we follow the Words Their Way curriculum, an individualized program that guides students skill development with word recognition, vocabulary, phonics and spelling.
Handwriting:
With the guidance of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, students refine their print knowledge and strengthen their fine motor skills.