Reading Workshop
Reading Workshop uses the following format:
• Mini-lessons on some aspect of literature or a reading strategy.
• Independent Reading Time, where students keep a journal and respond to the literature in terms of what they think or how they feel about what they are reading.
• Sharing Time where students share with another person their journal entries and the other person gives feedback.
During Independent Reading Time, the teacher engages in student conferences on an individual or group basis. Teachers can also engage in guided reading with groups of students who need additional support.
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop begins with a series of strategies that the children can use as inspiration for their ideas. Once seeds have been planted, writing becomes an ongoing process in which students follow a given set of procedures for planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing. It allows students to be at various stages of the writing process at one time.
Spelling
We will be using the Lucy Calkins Units of Study program for word study. UoS is a comprehensive approach to spelling which provides students with the skills they need to spell both words that are phonetically regular (follow the rules of the English language) and the ten percent of the words in our language that are phonetically irregular (Trick Words).
In each unit the students learn spelling rules and concepts that teach them the structure of the English language. With this knowledge, they are able to spell many more words than they would if they were exposed to a memorized list of ten or twenty words. Because they learn why the words are spelled the way they are, they are able to better apply this knowledge to daily written work.
• Mini-lessons on some aspect of literature or a reading strategy.
• Independent Reading Time, where students keep a journal and respond to the literature in terms of what they think or how they feel about what they are reading.
• Sharing Time where students share with another person their journal entries and the other person gives feedback.
During Independent Reading Time, the teacher engages in student conferences on an individual or group basis. Teachers can also engage in guided reading with groups of students who need additional support.
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop begins with a series of strategies that the children can use as inspiration for their ideas. Once seeds have been planted, writing becomes an ongoing process in which students follow a given set of procedures for planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing. It allows students to be at various stages of the writing process at one time.
Spelling
We will be using the Lucy Calkins Units of Study program for word study. UoS is a comprehensive approach to spelling which provides students with the skills they need to spell both words that are phonetically regular (follow the rules of the English language) and the ten percent of the words in our language that are phonetically irregular (Trick Words).
In each unit the students learn spelling rules and concepts that teach them the structure of the English language. With this knowledge, they are able to spell many more words than they would if they were exposed to a memorized list of ten or twenty words. Because they learn why the words are spelled the way they are, they are able to better apply this knowledge to daily written work.