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Grades K-1

Implementing a Comprehensive Literacy Framework

Module One: Overview

Handouts

Effective Use ofthe Gradual Release

of Responsibility ModelBy

Dr. Douglas FisherProfessor of Language and Literacy Education

San Diego State University

Evidence on effective instruction is accumulating at an amazing rate. We know that all learners need purposeful instruction in reading skills and strategies, motivation to read, access to a wide variety of texts, and authentic opportunities to read and write both inside and outside of school (Farstrup & Samuels, 2002; Fink & Samuels, 2008). We also know that students need to develop their expertise in all aspects of reading and writing, including oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fl uency, and comprehension (Frey & Fisher, 2006). And we also know that the skills of the teacher, and how the teacher uses valuable instructional time, matters.

This evidence on effective literacy teaching, which includes small group instruction, differentiation, and a response to intervention, presents a challenge for many teachers and schools. Clearly, whole-class instruction will not work to improve the literacy achievement of our children. To be effective, teachers have engaged students in purposeful instruction designed to meet the needs of individual and smaller groups of students.

The Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelA common way that teachers can do this is to use a gradual release of responsibility model (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983). The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction requires that the teacher shift from assuming “all the responsibility for performing a task … to a situation in which the students assume all of the responsibility” (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p. 211). This gradual release

may occur over a day, a week, a month, or a year. Stated another way, the gradual release of responsibility “… emphasizes instruction that mentors students into becoming capable thinkers and learners when handling the tasks with which they have not yet developed expertise” (Buehl, 2005).

The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction has been documented as an effective approach for improving literacy achievement (Fisher & Frey, 2007), reading comprehension (Lloyd, 2004), and literacy outcomes for English language learners (Kong & Pearson, 2003).

oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics,

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Arkansas Department of Education GR K-1 Implementing a Comprehensive Literacy Framework: M1/Overview 2

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Typewritten Text

Components of the Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelAs delineated in the visual representation in Figure 1 (Fisher & Frey, 2008), there are four interactive (or interrelated) components of a gradual release of responsibility model:

• Focus Lessons. This component allowsthe teacher to model his or her thinking and understanding of the content for students. Usually brief in nature, focus lessons establish the purpose or intended learning outcome and clue students into the standards they are learning. In addition to the purpose and the teacher model, the focus lesson provides teachers and opportunity to build and/or activate background knowledge.

• Guided Instruction. During guidedinstruction, teachers prompt, question, facilitate, or lead students through tasks that increase their understanding of the content. While this can, and sometimes does, occur with the whole class, the evidence is clear that reading instruction necessitates small group instruction. Guided instruction provides teachers an opportunity to address needs identifi ed on formative assessments and directly instruct students in specifi c literacy components, skills, or strategies.

• Collaborative Learning. To consolidatetheir understanding of the content, students need opportunities to problem solve, discuss, negotiate, and think with their peers. Collaborative learning opportunities, such as workstations ensure that students practice and apply their learning while interacting with their peers. This phase is critical as students must use language if they are to learn it. The key to collaborative learning, or productive group work as it is sometimes called, lies in the nature of the task. Ideally each collaborative learning task will have a group function combined with a way to ensure individual accountability such that the teacher knows what each student did while at the workstation.

• Independent work. As the goal of all ofour instruction, independent learning provides students practice with applying information in new ways. In doing so, students synthesize information, transform ideas, and solidify their understanding.

Importantly, the gradual release of responsibility model is not linear. Students move back and forth between each of the components as they master skills, strategies, and standards.

How is the Gradual Release of Responsibility Used?The gradual release of responsibility model provides teachers with an instructional framework for moving from teacher knowledge to student understanding and application. The gradual release of responsibility model ensures

that students are supported in their acquisition of the skills and strategies necessary for success.

Implementing the gradual release of responsibility model requires time. Instructional planning can consume hours of a teacher’s time. As teachers, we have to plan for a diverse group of learners, students learning English, students who fi nd reading easy and those who struggle, and students who need strategic intervention to be successful. As part of a gradual

release of responsibility model, curriculum must be vertically aligned. Our students do not have time to waste on skills and strategies they have already mastered. Similarly, without strong vertical alignment as part of the gradual release of responsibility model, skills can be missed.

What is vertical alignment?Vertical alignment is both a process and an outcome, the result of which is a comprehensive curriculum that provides learners with a coherent sequence of content. Vertical alignment ensures that content standards and reading skills and strategies are introduced, reinforced, and assessed. Vertical alignment guarantees

“As part of a gradual release of responsibility model, curriculum must be vertically aligned.”

E F F E C T I V E U S E O F T H E G R A D U A L R E L E A S E O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y M O D E LE F F E C T I V E U S E O F T H E G R A D U A L R E L E A S E O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y M O D E L



that instruction is targeted on the intersection between student needs and content standards. In curricula with strong vertical alignment, content redundancy is reduced and the curriculum is rigorous and challenging.

Why is vertical alignment important?First and foremost, strong vertical alignment accommodates a wide variety of developmental levels and is designed to increase the intellectual, personal, physical, social, and career development of all students. Vertical alignment allows teachers increased precision in their teaching because they are not teaching content that is covered elsewhere or that students have mastered previously. Vertical alignment also ensures that specifi c content standards are not entirely missed as a teacher at one grade assumes someone else focused on that content.

ConclusionWith strong vertical alignment and purposeful instruction, students learn. While there are many reasons that children struggle with reading and writing, there are not endless numbers of solutions. Students who fi nd literacy tasks diffi cult deserve increased attention from their teachers, quality reading materials, and authentic opportunities to read and write. If we provide them with these essentials, we can expect great things. If we do not, we cannot expect students to know themselves or their world.

ReferencesBuehl, D, “Scaffolding,” Reading Room, 2005,

<www.weac.org/News/2005-06/sept05/ readingroomoct05.htm> (November 11, 2006).

Duke, N. K. and P. D. Pearson, “Effective Practices for Developing Reading Comprehension,” in A. E. Farstup & S. J. Samuels (eds.), What Research has to Say About Reading Instruction, International Reading Association, Newark, Delaware, 2002, pp. 205-242.

Farstrup, A. E. and S. J. Samuels (eds.), What the Research has to Say About Reading Instruction, 3rd ed., International Reading Association, Newark, Delaware, 2002.

Fink, R. and S. J. Samuels (eds.), Inspiring Reading Success: Interest and Motivation in an Age of High-Stakes Testing, International Reading Association, Newark, Delaware, 2008.

Fisher, D. and N. Frey, “Implementing a Schoolwide Literacy Framework: Improving Achievement in an Urban Elementary School,” The Reading Teacher, 61, 2007, pp. 32-45.

Fisher, D. and N. Frey, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia, 2008.

Frey, N. and D. Fisher, Language Arts Workshop: Purposeful Reading and Writing Instruction, Merrill Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2006.

Kong, A. and P. D. Pearson, “The Road to Participation: The Construction of a Literacy Practice in a Learning Community of Linguistically Diverse Learners,” Research in the Teaching of English, 38, 2003, pp. 85-124.

Lloyd, S. L., “Using Comprehension Strategies as a Springboard for Student Talk,” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48, 2004, pp. 114-124.

Pearson, P. D. and M. C. Gallagher, “The Instruction of Reading Comprehension,” Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8, 1983, pp. 317-344.

E F F E C T I V E U S E O F T H E G R A D U A L R E L E A S E O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y M O D E LE F F E C T I V E U S E O F T H E G R A D U A L R E L E A S E O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y M O D E L



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E F F E C T I V E U S E O F T H E G R A D U A L R E L E A S E O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y M O D E L

Teacher Responsibility

Figure 1

Focus Lesson

GuidedInstruction

Collaborative

Independent “You do italone”

“You do ittogether”

“We do it”

“I do it”


McGraw-Hill Education grants permission for the Arkansas Department of Education to reprint the research paper "Effective Use of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model" by Douglas Fisher.


The Four Part Mental Processing System Sorting Activity

Sort the following sentences into the correct Processor:

1. Decode and pronounce the unfamiliar printed word chimera.2. Repeat the spoken phrase “Riki tiki tembo no serembo.”3. Orally give a synonym for the word anthology.4. Read a passage to determine which meaning of the word affirmative is

intended.5. Determine whether the spoken words does and rose end with the same

speech sound.6. Underline all the words on a page in which the letter c is followed by e, i, or y.7. Write this sentence: My mental lexicon craves enrichment.8. Read and comprehend the next paragraph of this book.

phonological processor orthographical processor

meaning processor context processor

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Emergent Level Learner Behaviors Reading

• Aware of print• Reads orally from left to right• 1:1 word matching• Recognizes own name• Use meaning and language in simple texts• Knows names of some alphabet letters• Uses information from illustrations• Notices and uses spaces between words• Knows some letter-‐sound relationships• Recognizes a few high-‐frequency words

Writing

• Writes name left to right• Writes known letters with correct formation• Hears and represents some consonant sounds at the beginning and ends of

words• Sometimes uses spaces to separate words• Labels drawings• Remembers message• Writes many words phonetically• Writes a few easy words accurately

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Instructional Implications for Emergent Learners

Phonological: • Instruction based on the

Phonological Awareness Progression

• Choral reading in Shared Readingand Phonics instruction

Orthographic: • Letter feature sorts• Accurate and fluent letter

recognition• Letter/sound match in reading and

writing instruction• High frequency word instruction• Environmental print• Use text with large print and good

spacing• Patterned text• Spelling instruction• Decodable texts• Repeated reading

Meaning: • Solid foundation in the alphabetic

principle • Keep students’ eyes on the print• Vocabulary instruction• Repeated reading• Choral reading of texts• Concept building through oral

language instruction and sorts• Instruction that reinforces the

insight that print carries a message.

Context: • Vocabulary instruction in context• Building the knowledge and skills

required for automatic recognitionof words

• Reading in meaningful phrasesduring Shared Reading instruction

• High frequency words• Syntax of oral language• Concept building during Read

Aloud• Oral discussion of comprehension• Comprehension strategy

instruction during Shared Reading

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Early Level Learner Behaviors

Reading

• Know names of most alphabet letters and many letter-‐sound relationships.• Use letter-‐sound information along with meaning and language to solve

words.• Read without pointing.• Read orally and begin to read silently.• Read fluently with phrasing on easy texts; use the punctuation.• Recognize most easy, high frequency words.• Check to be sure reading makes sense, sounds right, looks right.• Use information from pictures as added information while reading print.

Writing

• Write known words fluently.• Write left to right across several lines.• Write 20-‐30 words correctly.• Use letter-‐sound and visual information to spell words.• Approximate spelling of words, usually with consonant framework and easy-‐

to-‐hear vowel sounds.• Form almost all letters accurately.• Compose 2 or 3 sentences about a single idea.• Begin to notice the author’s craft and use techniques in their own writing.• Write about familiar topics and ideas.• Remember messages while spelling words.• Consistently use spacing.• Relate drawings and writing to create a meaningful text. O/P/M/C• Reread their writing.

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Instructional Implications for Early Learners

Phonological: • Oral Language instruction• Phoneme manipulation• Auditory memory• Metacognition• Rehearsal during the writing

process• Teaching syntax

Orthographic: • Firm, flexible, automatic use of

letters and sounds • Blends and digraphs• CVC Syllable pattern instruction• VCe Syllable pattern developing• High frequency word instruction• Fluency practice with words,

phrases, and sentences• Punctuation instruction• Morphology instruction

Meaning: • Concept and vocabulary

development • Reading and writing as meaning

making activities • Fluency with familiar topics and

vocabulary • Move students away from using

illustrations to using the print to find meaning in texts

• How to monitor comprehension• Morphology instruction

Context: • Teach students exact word

meaning • Decoding strategy instruction• Syntactic knowledge• How to monitor comprehension• Phrasing• Fluency in reading and writing

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Transitional Level Learner Behaviors

Reading • Has developed a range of flexible strategies for working on text• Has acquired an extended reading vocabulary• Shows interest in unfamiliar words in read alouds• Reads longer texts with greater accuracy and fluency (a result of refined

decoding skills)• Takes words apart on the run• Uses word meanings to solve unknown words• Pays greater attention to higher-‐level comprehension strategies• Reads silently most of the time• Reads orally demonstrating use of phrasing and appropriate rate of fluency• Uses illustrations and graphics to enhance understanding or to gain

information• Does not rely on illustrations to carry the meaning of the text• Reads a variety of genres including simple informational texts.• Develops reading stamina by increasing their sustainability through reading

easy chapter books and longer texts

Writing

• Has developed a habit of writing• Understands the writing process• Has a writing vocabulary that reflects reading experiences• Experiments with word choices• Tries out different ways of communicating a message• Incorporates techniques from favorite authors into own writing• Spells with more accuracy and speed• Writes increasingly longer texts

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Instructional Implications for Transitional Learners

Phonological: • Oral Language instruction• Auditory memory development• Metacognition• Syntax

Orthographic: • Decoding CVC, Long-‐vowel, variant

vowel, and Vowel r spelling patterns

• Decoding multi-‐syllabic words• Inflectional endings• Contractions• High frequency word instruction• Punctuation• Increasing fluency• Features of informational text• Genre demands

Meaning: • Concept development• Vocabulary instruction• Reading and writing in different

genres• Comprehension strategy

instruction• How to monitor comprehension

Context: • Exact word meaning• Decoding• Syntactic knowledge• Monitoring comprehension• Fluency instruction

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Key Elements of Reading Instruction and Components in a Comprehensive Literacy Framework

This chart illustrates how the key elements of reading instruction are woven into a comprehensive literacy framework. For example, if an educator is engaged in Shared Reading (e.g., reading a big book with a group) the teacher can read down this chart and see which of the six key elements are taught or reinforced in this activity. Assessment should be ongoing and the teacher integrated throughout the many components. In Module 4, the key elements and components highlighted will be introduced.

Key Elements of Reading Instruction

*Components in a Comprehensive Literacy Framework

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Phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and concepts of print

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The alphabetic code: Phonics and decoding

x x x x x x x x x

Fluency x x x x x x x

Vocabulary x x x x x x x x x x

Text comprehension x x x x x x x x x

*Components refer to the broad category of instructional approaches that are part of a comprehensiveliteracy framework. The components include reading aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, writing aloud, shared writing, interactive writing, guided writing, independent writing, and word study. A teacher may use different approaches within a component.

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Overview The key elements and components outlined in the chart above make up the essential framework for a comprehensive literacy program and many will be detailed in upcoming modules. One goal of this module is to provide information about each of the key elements and components.

According to the report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read (2000), effective reading programs need to include five key elements in order to teach each student to become a successful reader. These elements are defined in Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001) as follows.

Phonemic Awareness – “Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds-phonemes in spoken words. Effective phonemic awareness instruction teaches children to notice, think about, and manipulate sounds in spoken language. Teachers use many activities to build phonemic awareness” (p. 4).

Phonics – “Phonics instruction teaches children the relationships between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. It teaches children to use these relationships to read and write words” (p. 12).

Fluency – “Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words automatically. They group words quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read. Fluent readers read aloud effortlessly and with expression. Their reading sounds natural, as if they are speaking. Readers who have not yet developed fluency read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is choppy and plodding” (p. 22).

Vocabulary – “Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively. In general, vocabulary can be described as oral vocabulary or reading vocabulary. Oral vocabulary refers to words that we use in speaking or recognize in listening. Reading vocabulary refers to words we recognize or use in print” (p. 34).

Comprehension – “Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand what they are reading, they are not really reading” (p. 48). In other words, it is the process of constructing meaning from the words read. It involves the reader’s prior knowledge and past experiences as well as what is written in the text.

Components of a Comprehensive Literacy Framework A comprehensive reading/writing program should include:

• Read alouds• Shared reading• Guided reading• Independent reading• Oral Language Development• Word study: Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary• Interactive writing• Shared writing• Independent writing• Guided writing or writers’ workshop• Writing aloud

Within each of these components, certain knowledge, strategies, and skills can be explicitly taught.

Read Alouds Reading aloud plays a significant part for a young child's success in learning to read. The sharing of good literature awakens a young child's imagination, improves language and vocabulary skills, and opens up the world of reading for the purpose of enjoyment. Read alouds provide opportunities for children to practice listening skills. As children observe and listen to teachers reading, they develop strategies important for different types of listening and speaking, including


the ability to listen to stories and predict outcomes, visualize, and link to elements of writing. Additionally, they develop the ability to make personal connections between what is written and personal experiences, make predictions, and adjust for new meaning as stories progress. Further, familiarity of writers' language use becomes a part of read aloud time. (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996; Mooney, 1990; Routman, 2000).

Value of Read Alouds: • Improves the ability to listen to stretches of story.• Supports oral language development.• Increases vocabulary, and develops sense of story structure.• Creates a collection of known texts to use as a basis for writing and other extension

activities.

Shared Reading Shared reading involves a group of children and an expert (usually the teacher) sitting close together while they share in the reading and rereading of an enlarged or common text, song, rhyme, chant, or story. The teacher engages the children in a story while inviting them to attend to print and read along. Materials that have rhyme, rhythm, and repetition ensure that children will be able to predict language features. Shared reading also provides the children the opportunity to learn how books work and models what a reader does with a book as it is read. Shared reading is a contextual way to teach concepts about print. Familiar books, stories, chants, etc. can be read and reread for the teaching of different strategies. The teacher provides a high level of support. (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996; Mooney, 1990; Routman, 2000).

Value of Shared Reading: • Offers opportunity to listen to stories in an enjoyable, focused way.• Allows students to participate and act like a reader, and creates opportunities to respond

to text orally.• Demonstrates early reading behaviors and strategies and builds sense of story, helping

comprehension.• Establishes a corpus of known texts that children can use for independent reading, as a

resource for writing and work with words.

Guided Reading Guided reading is an approach that enables a teacher and a group of children to talk, read, and think their way purposefully through a text. The teacher selects and introduces the text with a small group of children who have similar needs and strengths. Guided reading leads children to understand that reading is a process of actively constructing the author's intended meaning and allows for teachers to support students while they are reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996; Mooney, 1990; Routman, 2000).

Value of Guided Reading: • Provides opportunity to hear a range of strategies being used when problem solving text

from both teacher and peers. • Allows the reader to work through a problem and gain the ability to articulate how one does that.

• Creates a context to respond to text in written form.

Independent Reading Independent reading provides time for children to read a text without the need of teacher support. Texts available should be those that are easy for children to read and as interesting as possible.. Learning First Alliance (2000) cites the National Academy of Sciences as recommending that students read "well-written and engaging texts that include words that children can decipher to give them the chance to apply their emerging skills.” [The report] further recommends “children practice reading independently with texts slightly below their frustration level and receive assistance with slightly more difficult texts” (p. 8). These texts could include those chosen for guided reading. To become lifelong readers, children need to make the choice to read, select their own material, and share what they have read. Independent reading should be a part of the


daily reading program. This time given allows students the needed practice of sustained reading behavior on continuous text (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, ).

Value of Independent Reading: • Apply listening, speaking, reading, and writing in ways that are interrelated.• Allows an opportunity to practice and refine strategies modeled and taught in other areas.

Oral Language Development The language experience approach helps beginning readers realize the relationship of the spoken to printed word by using their own language as the basis for reading and writing. Engaging children in a shared experience such as a field trip or science experiment initiates the process that can be used with individual students, as well as groups of children. The teacher promotes literacy development by having the students first talk about their experience and then guides the recording of their dictated sentences. From this composition, children can focus on recognizing individual words, sound/symbol correspondences, and phonics while emphasizing the construction of meaning. The composition is reread over a period of several days and may be extended to other literacy activities such as creating a class book.

Word Study: Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary It is important to study words to support reading development. In word study activities, teachers provide opportunities to help children notice and use letters and words. These activities are related to teaching children about the mechanics of language, including spelling, punctuation, letters, and letter cluster sounds, as well as how they can use words and word parts to decode new words in reading or spell new words in writing. “The goal of word study is for students to use word study strategies as they read and write continuous text” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996 p.176).

Writing Reading and writing, talking and listening, are interrelated and hard to separate. Teachers need to understand the interrelationship of these processes and teach in support of their integration. In both reading and writing, a processing system is built up and broken down. However, writing is more of a breaking down process. During early writing experiences, children naturally attend to the details of print, which comprise visual learning of letter features, patterns of letters in words, and the ability to recognize the printer’s code. Writing involves expressing one’s language in print and it is complex.

Interactive Writing Interactive writing involves children in the writing process. The teacher and child interact and compose messages and stories together using a "shared pen" technique ( Pinnell & McCarrier, 1994).

Shared Writing Shared writing is a cooperative activity in which the teacher and child work together to write messages and stories. The teacher supports the process as the scribe (Goodman, 1984; Holdaway, 1979;).

Independent Writing Children write on their own, including stories, informational texts, retellings, labeling, speech balloons, lists, etc. ( Harste, Woodward, & Burke, 1984).

Guided Writing or Writers’ Workshop Children engage in writing an assortment of texts. The teacher facilitates the process and provides instruction through mini-lessons and individual conferences. For more information see Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide (2001) by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi.

Writing Aloud Writing aloud occurs when the teacher writes in front of students and verbalizes what she is thinking and writing. As children observe the teacher in the act of writing, the teacher makes explicit what she is doing – thinking, formatting, layout, spacing, handwriting, spelling,


punctuating, and vocabulary. Writing on large chart paper, the overhead projector, or the chalkboard, the teacher verbalizes her thought processes as well as the actual transcriptions while doing them, and students relate the spoken word to the written word (Routman, 2000).


Sample Kindergarten Literacy Schedule

8:00-‐8:15 Familiar Reading: Students practice fluency and strategies on familiar or easy texts. Texts could include letter books, ABC charts, ABC books, known high frequency words, and known poetry. Teachers use this time to listen and observe while students are reading. Progress monitoring assessments may be administered. Accuracy checks to determine instructional level should be taken on students once they are reading in guided reading groups. Time should be spent at the beginning of the year modeling the procedure.

8:15-‐8:30 Circle Time/Modeled Writing: Teacher engages students in whole group activities that include oral language development and modeled writing. Oral language activities might include songs, rhymes and finger plays. Modeled writing might include Morning Message or Student of the Week.

8:30-‐8:50 Shared Reading: Teacher and students engage in motivating whole group shared experiences that focus on developing fluency, basic concepts about print, and comprehension.

8:50-‐9:00 Phonemic Awareness: This time is used for explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness. Lessons from a phonemic awareness curriculum will be taught during this block.

9:00-‐9:20 Letter Identification/Letter Sound Work: Students will be engaged in activities from a letter identification/phonics curriculum that promotes letter identification and letter sound work.

9:20-‐10:20 Small Group Assisted Learning: Students attend small groups at their instructional level. If students are not ready for Guided Reading, they will be engaged in pre-‐reading activities. (Phonemic awareness activities…sorts, letter identification activities, etc.) During this block of time, other students are working in literacy corners.

10:20-‐10:35 Read Aloud: Teachers will provide a fluent model of reading, provide vocabulary and conceptual instruction, and use think aloud and questioning procedures to develop comprehension skills.

10:35-‐11:20 Lunch and Recess

11:20-‐12:00 Writing Block: The teacher may begin writing instruction with a whole group lesson, or students may attend small Assisted Writing groups at their instructional level. As the teacher works with small groups, the other students are engaged in writing activities such as writing on a self-‐selected topic at their seats, drawing and labeling pictures, etc. The teacher will also be conferencing with students about their writing during this time.

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Sample First Grade Literacy Schedule

8:00-‐8:20 Familiar Reading: Have students get book boxes and read at their desks. Students practice fluency and strategies on familiar or easy texts. The teacher uses this time to do accuracy checks to determine if students are reading at their independent level. She also does fluency checks.

8:20-‐8:40 Shared Reading: Teacher engages children in motivating whole-‐group shared experiences that focus on oral language development, print conventions and strategies. Shared reading activities should develop oral language, phonemic awareness, letter identification, phonics skills, high frequency words, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills.

8:40-‐9:10 Phonemic Awareness/ Phonics/Spelling: This time is used for explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, letter identification, letter sound correspondences, phonics, decoding, and spelling.

9:10-‐10:10 Small Group Reading Instruction: Students attend small reading groups at their instructional level. During this block of time, other students are working in literacy corners (word building, writing, listening, language, ABC, name, rhythm and rhyme, and reading).

10:10-‐10:30 Read Aloud: Teachers will provide a fluent model of reading, provide vocabulary and conceptual instruction, and use think aloud and questioning procedures to develop comprehension skills.

10:30-‐11:00 Writing Block: The teacher may begin writing instruction with a whole group lesson, or students may attend small Assisted Writing groups at their instructional level. As the teacher works with small groups, the other students are engaged in writing activities such as writing on a self-‐selected topic at their seats, drawing and labeling pictures, etc. The teacher will also be conferencing with students about their writing during this time.

11:00-‐11:40 Lunch and Recess

11:40-‐12:00 Writing Block (continued)

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Setting Up a Classroom Library

ü List the specific categories of books you may include in the library (i.e., Rhymes, Poetry, ABC books, fiction books, non-fiction books). Start with a few categories; other categories may be added as the year progresses.

ü Use baskets to sort books into different categories. Label baskets with category labels.

ü Develop a schedule for reading books aloud to children. It is important that children be familiar with books in the library so that they can get meaning from their reading.

ü Once read aloud, show the children where the book fits within the classroom library books or place it in a basket positioned near the library so that you or the children can reread the book before actually transitioning into the library.

ü Demonstrate how to use the library.

ü Discuss the care of the books in the library. Make a chart with the class to help the children identify a specific genre to be located, for example, by colored dot.

ü Children will be able to effectively use the library as a result of your modeling and with the assistance of the posted guides and colored dots that help the children to identify your filing system for each type of book.

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grades k1 implementing!a !! …crowleys.crsc.k12.ar.us/userfiles/servers/server_2842...effective use...

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