Start with engaging texts and the reason for repeated reading is to build and help support fluency. The goal is always to make meaning, and so fluency is one of the ways to support comprehension. 

This is an overview of what your shared reading time will look like!

This shows the same information from the slide before but in a different visual. For this block, you will need 45 minutes, and we have 50! You will need grade level accessible text.

Where it says one copy for every two students is intentional and by design. Remember, having your students together gives them on demand support for fluency and comprehension. Partner reading is a research and evidence based approach. You will partner your students up having one student with higher reading abilities and it’s done in a controlled way, which we will get to later. The journal that are referred to here can be from Bookworms or just a blank journal.

Here are a few of the titles that you will be reading and you can see there is both fiction and non fiction texts. 

During your choral read, you set your first purpose, you choral read and you as the teacher are leading the reading. You’re modeling speed and prosody. You don’t drop out to listen. You read the whole time because you are supporting students who are below level so they have a model of what fluency looks like for readers on grade level and you’re modeling prosody for those above grade level. Make sure you partner read every day. Don’t skip this part. It’s not an optional part of the curriculum, you do need to do that second partner read every day.

This graphic shows how you can rank your students in order from fastest reader to slowest reader. You will need your oral reading fluency data for this. 

There’s attention to spelling and meaning of words. Students are showing evidence of meaning by writing super sentences. The grade level team decides on what words they want to use for super sentences. There is a traditional spelling test every five days and the scope and sequence for Word Study and Vocabulary is in Appendix D of the manual. 

Here is some information that will be consistent through grades 3-5. Word study is the most technical part of the program. Bookworms acknowledges 6 syllable types. 

Third grade word study is quite different from the other grades. The first six weeks focuses on syllables and prefixes and suffixes. Then beginning in week 7, the rest of the year is focused on meaning and spelling of vocabulary. There is only one set of words for the entire class, and the instruction is consistent across the week. Every five days is a traditional spelling test and the scope and sequence can be found in Appendix D. That way you can send those home with students so that parents are aware of what those words are for the week. 

Once you have done word study in regards to decoding, now we want to help students apply what they have learned in their own writing and this is done through a super sentence. Kids will get semantic web when they are planning out their super sentences. You will have the target word in the center, and the spokes are the question words. 

This slide deck can be used as our shared reading strategy harvest for Bookworms. Examples of anchor charts and any slides or supports we use for the books can be shared here!

Bookworms success criteria slides to show with students when introducing routines!

Helpful tips for increasing student engagement during shared reading.

Accountable Bookworms Talk

Click above to access the approximate time that should be spend on teach shared reading component.

It’s important to understand that the ELA block is broken into halves. Half of the lessons are on the interactive read aloud and the other half are for process writing or those longer pieces of writing. The IRA uses texts that are above grade level. The teacher is doing the decoding of the words and scaffolding for understanding. 

When you think about the IRA, you want to divide the time into there different chunks, about 15 minutes each. The first is the reading of the book. Reading and asking questions. Then you’ll have your sentence composing which takes about 15 minutes and then you’ll have a writing prompt. You’ll talk to them about it and students will have time to do it right there and then. 

There is balance of fiction and nonfiction texts to really build a lot of background knowledge about a variety of topics. You’re going to see vivid and rich language and using above grade level text allows for this. You will see a variety of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words and you’ll have the opportunity to build the understanding of text structures and authors craft. You’ll see a range of organization and writing styles. This is a great opportunity to build comprehension strategies because with the interactive read aloud, you will be asking questions throughout the story. We link reading to writing every single day through the sentence composing and the written response and we use excellent mentor sentences from the read aloud.  There are connections to Science and SS standards, but they are not adhering to any one state’s particular standards. 

The nonfiction texts support Science and SS topics, but they are not aligned to any one state standards. They are meant to just give the kids more content knowledge for when they get to those subjects. Remember every pupil response. Those thumbs up, turn and talks are vital to make sure all students are participating with the text. 

You’ll have the same basic pattern each day. The biggest difference here is that on day one, you are introducing the book and on day two, your partners are sharing their written responses, you’re reviewing what you read to that point and then from there on, it’s the same for both days. The Tier 2 words are taught AFTER you do the reading. 

In nonfiction, you are indicating the text structure and previewing key vocabulary before you read the book. The reason is because the key vocabulary could impact the comprehension. Students will need an understanding of these Tier 3 words, which is about the content before they read the text. Other than that, the rest of the lesson plan is the same as fiction. 

In the bookworms sentence composing, the sentences come from the book, from the read aloud. The lesson plans are written out for you in the lesson plan segment and you’ll find that the grammar skills are based on the standards and that this instruction has a spirling effect over the course of the year. You’re constantly continually reviewing and practicing those kinds of skills using new sentences from the new texts that they are studying. 

There are four types of sentence composing activities. In each days lesson you will probably do two of the four and this slide shows you the four different activities. 

There are five components. Learning the characteristics of of genre is meant to teach students how genres are used in the world and how specific genres are organized. During these lessons the students read and discuss several texts and then use these texts to create a list detailing the elements of that specific genre. 

The second component is when students evaluate good and poor examples of genre. They use checklists that they created in the first step to evaluate sample texts. These checklists and evaluation process are designed to help students learn the required parts for each genre and to consider the quality of the included elements. By teaching students how to evaluate other writing, we’re helping them to learn ways to evaluate their own writing so they get to practice with examples that are good and poor and they can transfer that to their own writing. 

The third component is where students learn to plan the genre. We know that good writers spend a considerable amount of time in the planning process. And while there is a variety of ways to plan for writing, Bookworms has provided graphic organizers that students can use for each of the genres. These graphic organizers align with the checklists that student have created and are designed to help students include and organize the necessary elements needed for the genre that they are writing at the moment. 

The fourth component is when the students learn to draft in the genre themselve. They use their graphic organizers that they have completed in the segment before to write text independently. Support is provided by the teacher through extensive modeling, and with thinking aloud. You will also use a gradual release of responsibility throughout each lesson over the course of a unit and across the entire school year. 

Finally, students learn to revise both independently and with their peers. We teach students to use the genre and editing checklists to evaluate their own writing and to evaluate their peers writing. 

Here is an overview of what writing will look like day to day.

Bookworms cycles through the three genres of narrative writing, informative and opinion throughout the entire year. In K-2, informative writing is called Descriptive in Bookworms because students these grades are really writing informative pieces about things they can see or know a lot about.

In 3rd grade students have three choices. I’ve got it, could be better, or missing when they score their writing based on the rubric.

3rd-5th doesn’t include graphic organizers, yet teachers students how to use a piece of paper to plan out their writing, must like they would need to do for state testing. 

To score student writing, you should use two different rubrics. One is the conventions rubric that is provided and the other is the one that you see here.  This rubric focuses on the content and structure of the written product. It’s based off the expectations found in the Common Core State Standards. You will need to discuss how this rubric aligns with your schools expectations. It is not the intent to take the average of the score of what they get and the total points. 

The DI block is at skill level. 

The Differentiated Instruction Block all stems from the Cognitive Model of Reading. 

In 2nd grade and above, teachers will use this simple decision tree to help. Of course, this doesn't work for Kindergarten, because oral reading fluency assessments do not even exist for Kindergarten.  Instead of using fluency as the gateway, you'll actually use letter sound knowledge and follow the grapic to the right.

 In the 7th or 8th week of Kindergarten, you will assess your students knowledge of letter sounds. You’re going to ask yourself are they week or strong in letter sounds. If students have very week letter sound knowledge, we group them into a group called, basic alphabet knowledge.  If students in Kindergarten have strong letter sounds, we actually group students in a group called using letter sounds first and then they move to using letter patterns. 

You begin working with the alphabet as an entire set because this makes learning the individual names and shapes easier. Next you use sets of pictures matched to letter names. And then after the picture sort, you use sets of letters by frequency to reinforce letter names and sounds. You begin with two letters and then add one each day. Then the high frequency words are next, you begin with two words and then add one each day and then to practice concepts of print you use simple sentences pertaining at least one two syllable word. 

Above gives a visual for how your BAK lesson will go.

After you have taught lessons 1-14, you are going to assess students in this group, by administering the provided basic alphabet knowledge assessment for lessons 1-14. It has 3 components. Alphabet knowledge, letter names and letter sounds. So to determine if a student is ready to move on to lessons 15-30, or if they need to repeat lessons 1-14, you’re going to use this decision tree.

For the lessons 15-30, you will assess them with that tool. It has two components, letter names and letter sounds. To determine if a student is ready to move onto letter sounds or repeat lessons 15-30, you look at this decision tree. It’s very important to note that you do not move students out of this group if they don’t know all of their short vowel sounds. This group is different than the other groups in the bottom stair steps as this group in that students can remain in this group for as many cycles as are needed for them to know all of those short vowels sounds and at least 18 consonant sounds. 

Using letter sounds module. Here is where the students know know almost all of their letters and sounds will be put. 

In these lessons you use consonant vowel consonant words to orally blend and segment. You use the same words to segment and blend during the next portion of the lesson. And then during sounding and blending you use consonant vowel consonant words to contrast two short vowels each day. There are five new items for each vowel each day and finally you will select 10 high frequency words to teach the first week based on the Fry inventory and then another 10 words for the second week and then you review all 20 words the third week. 

Above gives a visual for how your ULS group will go.

High frequency words are not used to determine if a student should move on to the next skill. High frequency words are only assessed to determine if a particular word needs reteaching. Once you have finished lessons 1-14, you give the using letter sounds assessment and follow this decision tree.

Using letter patterns group is the last group in the stair step before they would move on to the second one. 

In this group, these are students who need to use short-vowel patterns to decode words. The first part of these lessons are oral segmenting and blending matched to letter patterns. You use sets of high utility words to teach letter patterns. There are three families per day with 5 item in each. Next you will teach 10 high frequency words from the high frequency word inventory that you need to teach the first week and then another 10 the second week and then review all 20 in the third week. 

Above provides a visual for how your ULP group will go.

After you have completed 14 lessons, it’s time to assess. The criteria for if you move on is different in Kindergarten than 1st grade and beyond. Give students the assessment which has three components. Segmenting and blending, sounding and blending and high frequency words. So to determine if your Kindergarten students is ready to move onto dictated sentences, which is the next group for these guys, or stay in this group, you will use the flow chart. (Read the chart). 

Above provides a visual for how your blends and digraphs group will go.

Use the decision tree above to determine if your students are ready to move on or need to repeat these lessons.

Above provides a visual for how your R-Controlled Vowel Lessons will go.

Use the decision tree above to determine if your students are ready to move on or need to repeat these lessons.

Above provides a visual for how your vowel consonant-e  Lessons will go.

Use the decision tree above to determine if your students are ready to move on or need to repeat these lessons.

Above provides a visual for how your vowel teams Lessons will go.

Use the decision tree above to determine if your students are ready to move on or need to repeat these lessons.

Above is an overview of the fluency and comprehension group WITH the multisyllabic component.

Above is an overview of the fluency and comprehension group WITHOUT the multisyllabic component.

It’s important to choose texts that are interesting and written at or just below grade level. Remember that you will provide structured support during this lesson. If the text is too easy, this support won’t be necessary. The format is also important to consider. The text should not be heavily formatted with captions or sidebars, diagrams or illustrations. You want there to be an adequate amount of text for students to read without interruption. The length of the text should also be considered. Aim for a text that can be completed in about a 3 weeks cycle. 

At the end of your 3 week cycle, you will give your students an informal fluency assessment. You’re going to give them a piece of grade level text, you’re going to ask them to read it for one minute, and you’re going to record how many words they were able to read in that grade level text in a minute. You are going to take that score and compare it to your grade level fluency benchmark for that time of year. Then follow the decision tree.

Above is an overview of the vocabulary and comprehension group using a fiction text.

Above is an overview of the vocabulary and comprehension group using a nonfiction text.

It’s important to think carefully about the text you choose for this group. The text should be challenging. You can use lexiles as a guide, they do provide a good estimate of difficulty, but it’s important to exercise your own judgement here. Think about their ages, interests, etc. Think about the books appeal to students and if it ties to curriculum standards. This is a great time to tie in books that might relate to content areas or units of study here. 

At the completion of the cycle, you will want to assess their fluency. You’re going to give them a piece of grade level text, you’re going to ask them to read it for one minute, and you’re going to record how many words they were able to read in that grade level text in a minute. You are going to take that score and compare it to your grade level fluency benchmark for that time of year. Then follow the decision tree.