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Accelerating Literacy Skills

Accelerating

Literacy Skills

Grade 7 Elective

2011-2012

Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore David Arbogast

Supervisor, English/Language Arts Specialist, English/Language Arts

Sharon Ackerman Peter Hughes

Assistant Superintendent, Instruction Director, Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick

Superintendent

Curriculum Development Committee

Nicole Harrison

Tammie Matos

Jane Peterson

Meredith Schimmel


Table of Contents:


Course Syllabus .................................................................................................. 1

Objectives............................................................................................................ 2

Reading and Writing Workshop

Workshop ............................................................................................................. 3

Managing the Workshop ...................................................................................... 11

Reading Workshop ............................................................................................... 12

Writing Workshop ................................................................................................ 14

Assessment ........................................................................................................... 16

Instructional Activities

Reading ................................................................................................................ 18

Writing ................................................................................................................. 20

Speaking & Listening ........................................................................................... 22

Viewing ................................................................................................................ 23

Beginning of the Year........................................................................................... 24

Units Throughout the Year................................................................................... 25

Instructional Resources ..................................................................................... 27

Appendix A: Additional Reading Instructional Activities ............................. 29

Appendix B: Additional Writing Instructional Activities .............................. 33

Appendix C: Scary Story Unit .......................................................................... 36

Appendix D: Book Festival ............................................................................... 41

Appendix E: Fractured Fairy Tales ................................................................. 45

Appendix F: Poetry Month ............................................................................... 47

Appendix G: Owl Moon .................................................................................... 48


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COURSE TITLE: Accelerating Literacy Skills—Grade 7

PREREQUISITE: N/A

DESCRIPTION: This class is an interactive workshop with a focus on reading and writing

across the content areas. Students will improve their communication and

comprehension skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing

media. Instruction is differentiated for each student‘s needs. Students who

have gaps in knowledge or skills receive guided instruction with increased

rigor and intensity to move them toward grade level performance.

The classroom atmosphere is an informal, comfortable setting where

students feel safe to explore and improve their literacy skills. The

emphasis is on generating excitement to read and write by using high

interest, student choice materials. Grading is based individual student

growth. This class is not intended as a resource class or curriculum

support for language arts but as an interactive workshop designed to

increase reading and writing competence.

.

STRAND EMPHASES

Reading

Use authentic text and independent novels to improve comprehension skills across

the curriculum; identify sequence of events, main idea, draw conclusions, make

inferences, recognize cause and effect, characterization; become versatile in using

reading strategies to aid in understanding across all disciplines; explore vocabulary

through individualized text.

Writing Writing to communicate ideas with an emphasis on writing with a purpose, real

world writing, and creative writing; edit for organization, elaboration, sentence

variety, descriptive word choice; and usage/mechanics.

Speaking Develop oral communication strategies; speaking to learn is emphasized as a

method of improving comprehension and exhibiting content/skill mastery.

Listening Practice active listening skills in a workshop setting; value and respect opinions

and ideas presented in group discussions.

Viewing Use active viewing strategies and group discussion to increase understanding of

film and other forms of media.

SY 2011-2012


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OBJECTIVES

ALS is not a VA SOL test-driven class; however, the VA Standards of Learning for English

Grade 7 provide a focus for study. Students master skills through differentiated and accelerated

instruction, based on an initial inventory that identifies areas for improvement. Oral Language (Speaking, Listening, Viewing): The student will…

7.1 give and seek information in conversations, in group discussions, and in oral presentations.

a) Use oral vocabulary and style appropriate for listeners.

b) Communicate ideas and information in an organized and succinct manner.

c) Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.

d) Make supportive statements when communicating with others.

e) Use language and vocabulary appropriate to context.

7.2 identify the relationship between a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal messages.

a) Use verbal skills, such as word choice, pitch, feeling, tone, and voice.

b) Use nonverbal communication skills.

c) Compare/contrast a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal messages.

7.3 describe persuasive messages in non-print media, including television, radio, and video.

a) Identify persuasive technique used.

b) Distinguish between fact and opinion.

c) Describe how word choice conveys viewpoint.

Reading: The student will…

7.4 read to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases.

a) Use roots and affixes to expand vocabulary.

b) Recognize analogies and figurative language.

c) Identify connotations.

7.5 read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fiction, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.

a) Describe setting, character development, plot structure, theme, conflict.

b) Compare and contrast text forms.

c) Describe the impact of word choice, imagery, and poetic devices.

d) Explain how form conveys the mood and meaning of a poem.

e) Draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information.

f) Make inferences based on explicit and implied information.

g) Summarize text.

7.6 read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of informational texts.

a) Use knowledge of text structures to aid comprehension b) Use knowledge of words and phrases that signal an author’s

organizational pattern to aid comprehension. c) Distinguish fact from opinion in print media. d) Identify the source, viewpoint, and purpose of texts. e) Describe how word choice, language structure convey author’s viewpoint. f) Summarize what is read. g) Organize and synthesize information for use in written/oral presentations.

7.7 apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials.

a) Use print and electronic sources to locate information.

b) Use graphic organizers to organize information.

c) Synthesize information from multiple sources.

d) Credit primary and secondary sources.

Writing: The student will…

7.8 develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing.

a) Apply knowledge of prewriting strategies.

b) Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner.

c) Choose vocabulary and information that will create voice and tone.

d) Use clauses and phrases to vary sentences.

e) Revise writing for clarity and effect.

f) Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings.

7.9 edit writing for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.

a) Use graphic organizers to improve sentence and paragraph structure.

b) Demonstrate understanding of sentence formation.

c) Choose pronouns to agree with antecedents.

d) Use subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and clauses.

e) Edit for verb tense consistency.


Accelerating

Literacy Skills

Reading/Writing

Workshop


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WORKSHOP

This course is designed to help students attain individual literacy goals. Some may hope to move

from below-level to at-level or even above-level status in literacy; others may come with

accelerated literacy skills that they want to improve even further.

The teacher is responsible for working with the student and, in some cases, with the student‘s

family to determine what objectives the student should have for the school year. In many

situations, the teacher may be able to rely on existing data (standardized test scores, classroom

grades, etc.) to help determine areas of weakness to be improved. However, the teacher will

need to conduct some type of initial assessment to set a plan for each student.

Once objectives have been set, the teacher should then contract with each student to plan his or

her activities for the quarter. The rest of the activity in the class should proceed in a workshop

format. Teachers unfamiliar with a workshop approach to instruction should consult In the

Middle (Atwell) and Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days (Serafini with Serafini-

Youngs), two of the professional texts provided to all teachers of this course.

As stated in the course description, ―This class is not intended to be a resource class or

curriculum support for Language Arts.‖ Research by Mary Ellen Vogt, conducted in 1989

and 2000, examined the differences between classes designed for students perceived as high

performers and those perceived as struggling. High performing students experienced more

interactions with other students, more creative lessons, more opportunities for independence, and

more personal relationships with the instructor; struggling students experienced more structured

and less creative lessons, less content, and less congenial relationships with the instructor. The

aim of this course is to provide the best instructional practices so that all students make

desired gains in their target skills; therefore, the teacher should make every effort to

provide interactive, creative lessons and opportunities for independence.

A workshop is a setting that allows students to learn and practice literacy skills with more

independence than is typically seen in a traditional classroom setting. Students practice their

literacy skills for many purposes, making many of their own choices regarding genre, topic,

process, form, style, etc. The teacher provides formal instruction through mini-lessons targeted

to identified needs.

In the workshop, the teacher‘s role is to

use literature to stimulate student work;

circulate and assist students in their learning efforts;

model reading, writing, and oral communication skills;

use observations of common needs to focus mini-lessons on particular skills;

hold conferences with students about their progress; and

provide students with various means of sharing their progress with each other.

In the workshop, the student‘s role is to

learn from mini-lessons and from his or her own practice;

work individually, with peers, and in small groups;

participate in conferences with the teacher about his or her progress;

share feedback with peers, small groups, or the whole class;


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evaluate his or her own progress during the workshop; and

maintain a folder, portfolio, or log of his or her work.

Essential components of a workshop include the following:

a safe place for students to feel comfortable with their literacy strengths and weaknesses

so that they are able to share opinions with each other, can be ―wrong‖ without being

teased, and can celebrate growth;

a literacy-rich environment, which includes materials and spaces for pursuing growth in

literacy skills and student choice in what they read, write, and view.

formative and summative literacy assessments, including teacher observations, student-

maintained portfolios, student self-assessments; and

time for reading aloud, including books for students to read and use as models for their

own writing;

time for invested discussions, which focus on discussing ideas, sharing interpretations,

and negotiating meaning from various texts, including books, film, and student writings;

explicit instruction based on identified needs, embedded in authentic literacy activities,

through mini-lessons or conferences.

These components are described in detail below.

A safe place… The nature of this course requires that the teacher establish and build a close rapport with

students as well as develop trust among the students in the class. The Instructional Activities

section offers suggestions for use at the beginning of the year to help the teacher create an

environment that promotes student growth in literacy. Teachers may have other similar activities

to use at the beginning of the year and throughout the year to maintain a supportive classroom

environment.

One of the ways to make ALS a safe place is for the teacher to model the expected behaviors and

allow time for students to practice them. Even behaviors such as getting seated before the bell

rings or gathering for the daily read-aloud should be modeled so that students know what is

expected of them in this particular classroom. As teachers model behaviors and actually provide

time for students to practice these behaviors, the students will learn what is expected for each

part of the workshop and will be able to play their roles appropriately. Eventually, students

know how to run the class even if the teacher is not present.


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A literacy-rich environment… ALS provides students with high-interest, high-quality, authentic literacy materials, including

(but not limited to):

Fiction Media

o young adult novels o Internet access

o classic novels o visual arts

o comic books/graphic novels o music (CDs, radio)

o contemporary fiction o television/film

Nonfiction and Informational Texts Other literature

o magazines o poetry

o newspapers o drama

o biographies o screenplays

o content books o environmental text

The classroom should be saturated with literacy, providing students with multiple opportunities

to read, write, speak, listen, and view.

Student choice is a critical factor of this component. The teacher should NOT make most or

even many of the reading selection and writing format decisions for the students; the workshop

provides an array of choices which the teacher structures to support the acceleration of students‘

literacy skills. Students may need to be guided to select appropriate reading materials or writing

topics and formats.

Authenticity is also a key. Anthologies, basals, and other traditional classroom materials are not

as effective as the kinds of texts students are likely to encounter outside of school.

Formative and summative literacy assessments… As this course is not standards-driven, the teacher is responsible for assessing each student‘s

growth from his or her initial skill levels. Assessment in this course should be based on the day-

to-day interactions and experiences with the student. Teachers are encouraged to keep logs,

portfolios, or other collections of student work and progress to help define grades for each

quarter.

Assessment should be clear to students; contracts are recommended as a way for both the student

and teacher to identify areas of weakness, set objectives, define tasks to pursue during each

semester, and evaluate the student‘s progress toward the objectives.

Time for reading aloud… Reading aloud is not just for elementary students. Almost all people of all ages like having

books and other texts read to them. Even better, the research clearly indicates there are

significant benefits when the teacher devotes instructional time to reading aloud to the students.


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Reading aloud does the following:

Creates a community of learners

Helps students self-select reading materials

Models the joy of reading and learning from text

Builds fluency

Models complexity of thinking required for reading

When should text be read aloud?

To emphasize the language of a text

To introduce challenging texts and new concepts (particularly for other content area

readings)

To grab students‘ attention at the beginning of a lesson

To hook students into a longer text

To tell an entire story

To focus on a difficult part of a longer text

To provide a common forum for discussing a text

To review material students are learning

To expose students to new material above their independent reading levels

The reader should practice the text prior to reading aloud. It is seldom recommended that

students be asked to read new text aloud without having time to practice it. This practice time

helps the reader build fluency so that listeners can better understand the text.

Time for invested discussions… One of the goals of ALS is to take students beyond ―I liked it‖ in response to a text, film, or

another student‘s writing.

Many students who come to this course dread discussions and have perfected the various, and

well known, nonverbal behaviors that prevent a teacher from calling on them for an answer.

They think, and their experience may confirm, that a discussion consists of a teacher asking

questions that have a specific or ―correct‖ answer and then calling on students until someone

finally comes up with what the teacher wanted to hear.

In reality, however, most ―real‖ readers do not participate in discussions about books that look

anything like that. Instead, the conversation allows the readers to explore their personal

reactions to the text and learn from others‘ understandings.


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A true discussion of a book might run something like this example discussion of Madeleine

L‘Engle‘s young adult classic A Wrinkle in Time:

In this way, the teacher lets the students share their opinions about the book, guides them to

some learning about the book (author‘s purpose), and teaches them how to support their opinions

with examples from the text. This type of discussion does not come naturally; in fact, the teacher

may want to model it two or three times, or throughout the year, with a scripted discussion or

with other teachers who come to model a discussion about a book they‘re reading. Once

students learn that they can have their own opinions about a text – as long as they can support

them – then this type of discussion can become a staple in the classroom.

Explicit instruction… The research is clear that the most effective way for students to improve their reading and

writing skills is to read and write, read and write, and read and write. However, sometimes

struggling students struggle simply because a critical piece of information that would help

transform their reading or writing has not been made explicitly clear to them. Therefore, the

astute teacher looks for signs of these missing pieces and attempts to intervene to help the

students make the connections.

Teacher: So, what did you all think about the first five chapters? Annie: What I liked most was when they left the planet and started on the adventure.

Everything up to that part was kind of boring. Juan: Boring? You think meeting Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit was

boring? That was the cool part. Renee: Well, I really liked the description of Calvin’s family. That seemed very real to

me. The outer space stuff was too far out. Teacher: Well, let’s try to figure out what the author was trying to do with all these parts.

Renee, why do you think Madeleine L’Engle gave us information about Calvin’s family?

Renee: I don’t know. Teacher: Well, let’s go back and look. Read pages 20-21 aloud, if you will. Renee reads. Teacher: How does Calvin’s family compare to Meg’s? Juan: Man, they suck. Teacher: Use something specific from the text to support that opinion, Juan. Juan: Well, like his mama yelling at everyone all the time. That’s just bad. Teacher: And why is that important to this story?


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Here‘s an example:

How many people have actually had someone explicitly teach them how to read street signs?

Most of us just pick that up as we grow, learning from our parents as we watch them negotiate

directions and traffic. But sometimes a student misses a detail like that, and the student might

not ever catch on, unless someone explicitly teaches that information or skill.

That is what explicit instruction is all about. Reading, reading, reading, or writing, writing,

writing is the first key to improvement in these skills. But – embedded in authentic reading and

writing experiences, tailored to the express needs of the individual – explicit instruction can be

the most powerful tool a teacher has to accelerate a struggling student‘s literacy levels. Indeed,

it may be the only way to correct an error, misunderstanding, or gap that is preventing a student

from moving forward in his or her skill levels.

There is no one best way to teach a student how to decode text, develop fluency, improve

comprehension, write with style, or analyze a movie. Often, instructional techniques have to be

matched to the text, the student, and the context. That is the beauty, as well as the frustration, of

teaching literacy skills.

The various professional texts provided to the teachers of this course also offer a variety of skills,

and teachers often bring some tried and true methods of their own.

Rosa, an ESL student, kept getting lost trying to find her way around. It was never a big problem for Rosa until she started to drive, but then the problem became very obvious. She struggled with reading maps and could not explain to others how to get from point A to point B. One day Rosa was on her way to an event at another school and was running late because she was lost again. She called the school and explained that she could not find the building. The secretary asked, “What street are you on now?” “I’m on Maple Avenue,” Rosa answered. “Okay, just keep going on Maple. If you’re headed in the right direction, you should see a Park Avenue. If you’re going the wrong way, you should cross Prosperity.” “Well, now I’m on Oak Street.” “Did you turn?” “No. I’m just going straight,” Rosa said. This continued for quite some time until Rosa actually saw the building. When she walked in, the perceptive secretary who had helped her asked, “When you look at the street signs to find the road you are driving on, where do you look?” Rosa thought about it and answered, “That’s the sign that hangs over the road when I go under a red light.” “No!” the secretary said with a light laugh. “That’s the crossroad. If you want to know the road you’re driving on, you have to look right or left at the crossroad and see the sign as you pass it.”


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Mini-lessons are a powerful tool for explicit instruction. Mini-lessons usually last 15 to 30

minutes and can be extended over a series of days as students apply the practice to the literacy

projects in which they are currently involved. Teachers can present mini-lessons to small groups

or to the entire class, based on needs.

The steps for conducting a mini-lesson are:

1. Introduce the concept, strategy, or skill.

2. Share examples using books students are reading or students‘ own writing.

3. Provide opportunities for practice – in small groups and individually.

4. Have students take notes – in notebooks, on butcher paper, etc.

5. Have students reflect on the lesson.

It should be apparent from the above description that mini-lessons are in some ways very much

like the traditional ways a teacher instructs a class. The difference is that mini-lessons are

focused, brief, grounded in the reading or writing students have already done or in the teacher’s

experience as a reader and writer, and applied to the reading or writing they are currently

working on.

Here is a SAMPLE MINI-LESSON:

The teacher has observed that her students are not varying the kinds of sentences they write, so

she wants to present a brief mini-lesson on sentence combining.

THE TEACHER TELLS HER STUDENTS THAT GOOD WRITERS VARY THE LENGTH AND

STRUCTUTRE OF THEIR SENTENCES, AND THAT SHE HAS NOTICED THEY ARE NOT DOING THAT.

SHE TELLS THEM THAT THEY ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT THE FOUR KINDS OF SENTENCES.

THEN SHE PUTS THIS PASSAGE ON THE INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARD. THE TEACHER ALSO

PROVIDES A COPY FOR THE STUDENTS‘ NOTEBOOKS

Syntax refers to sentence structure, and syntactically there are four kinds of

sentences. Simple sentences state one simple observation or idea. Compound

sentences state two or more coordinate ideas, creating the sense that the ideas are of

equal value. Complex sentences state two or more ideas, but they create the sense that

one idea is more important than the others. Compound-complex sentences are what

the name implies: two or more equal ideas, at least one of which contains subordinate

information.

NEXT, SHE TELLS THEM THAT THEY ARE NOW GOING TO LOOK AT EXAMPLES OF EACH KIND OF

SENTENCE. THE EXAMPLES ARE DRAWN FROM A RESEARCH PAPER THAT SHE WROTE IN

COLLEGE.

Simple sentence

Mississippi was one of the last states to do away with segregated schools. Compound sentence

Mississippi was one of the last states to do away with segregated schools, and it did

so only under the threat of a federal takeover of the state’s school system. Complex sentence

Mississippi, under the threat of a federal takeover of the state’s school system, was

one of the last states to do away with segregated schools. Compound-complex sentence

Mississippi, long known for racial discrimination, was one of the last states to do

away with segregated schools, and it did so only under the threat of a federal takeover of the state’s school system.


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AFTER REVIEWING THE DEFINITIONS AND EXAMPLES, AND MAKING SURE THAT EACH

STUDENT UNDERSTANDS, SHE ASKS STUDENTS TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY THINK IT IS IMPORTANT

THAT THEY USE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SENTENCES IN THEIR WRITING. SHE USES A THINK

PAIR SHARE SO THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS. SHE

EXPLAINS—

―Too many simple sentences create the impression that the writer hasn‘t fully considered the

relationships among her ideas, and they create a choppy rhythm. Consider this paragraph:‖ (SHE USES THE INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD TO SHOW THIS PASSAGE.)

Around nine, my friend came back from work. I asked him how it was. He said he hates it. He

wants to move back to America. I asked, ‘what for?’ He handed me a paycheck. I saw him getting paid $15 an hour, but they take about half of it out for taxes. It was insane! I’ve never seen a job take

so much money out of a paycheck. I asked him why he didn’t just get another job. He said that this was the job the government had set him to do until otherwise.

―It‘s too broken-up,‖ SHE EXPLAINS TO THEM, ―too choppy, too much like getting paid five

dollars in nickels, one at a time. That‘s how it sounds, like the writer couldn‘t string two

thoughts together in one sentence.‖

THEN SHE TELLS HER STUDENTS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PRACTICE AN ACTIVITY CALLED

SENTENCE COMBINING. SHE SAYS:

―After you write a first draft, it is possible to go back over your paper and form more

sophisticated sentences by the process of sentence combining: joining two or more simple

sentences into complex, compound, or compound-complex sentences.‖

SHE CHOOSES SEVERAL PASSAGES OF SIMPLE SENTENCES FROM WRITING HER STUDENTS

HAVE ALREADY DONE, PUTS THEM ON THE INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARD, AND DEMONSTRATES

HOW TO USE COMMAS, SEMICOLONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS TO COMBINE THEM. THEN SHE

SAYS:

―Select a page of your writing and find three places where you could apply sentence

combining to form a compound, a complex, and a compound-complex sentence.‖

SHE HAS HER STUDENTS PRACTICE THE ACTIVITY, THEN INVITES STUDENTS TO COME TO THE

INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARD TO WRITE THEIR ORIGINAL SENTENCES AND THE NEW SENTENCE

CREATED BY COMBINING THEM. THE CLASS CONSIDERS WHICH VERSION IS BETTER AND WHY.

SHE CONCLUDES THE MINI-LESSON BY REVIEWING WITH THE STUDENTS WHAT THEY HAVE

LEARNED AND BY TELLING THEM THAT THE NEXT PIECE OF WRITING THEY BRING TO FINAL

DRAFT MUST CONTAIN SOME COMPOUND, COMPLEX, OR COMPUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES.

THEN SHE DIRECTS THEM TO PRACTICE SENTENCE COMBINING IN THEIR CURRENT PIECE OF

WRITING. AS THEY WORK INDIVIDUALLY, SHE GOES AROUND THE ROOM, GUIDING AND

ANSWERING QUESTIONS.


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Conferences are another powerful tool for providing students with explicit instruction in

problem areas. Teachers can use conferences to keep track of students‘ progress on their

contracted goals as well as to work on areas of weakness. Conferences may be as short as two

minutes or as long as twenty. They can be spontaneous or planned. In any case, the teacher

should keep clear notes of when the conference was held and what was accomplished, as

conference notes can be very useful in supporting a grade at the end of the quarter.

Although the teacher should check in with each student every class period, it is sometimes

helpful to establish a schedule of longer individual or small group conferences. For instance, in a

class of 20, five students may be assigned to conference with a teacher on a particular day of the

week. The first five may conference on Mondays, the next five on Tuesdays and so on. This

ensures that the teacher is able to check in with every student each class period and have a

prolonged conference with every student over a two week period on the block schedule.

MANAGING THE WORKSHOP

One key to making the ALS course function well is to provide routine. The alternating day block

schedule can be problematic for some students. Anything the teacher can do to provide structure

and routine is welcome.

One method for achieving structure is to post an agenda on the board each day. Another way to

provide students with structure is to organize the class into 2-week divisions, having some

standard activities on each Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Tuesday, and Thursday – and then

starting the next series. For instance, every Monday could be ―conference day‖; every Thursday

could be ―portfolio review‖ day. Thus, the teacher could build a five-day plan that looks

something like this:

MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY

Bell-ringer

Status of the class

Read-aloud Mini-lesson Read-aloud Mini-lesson Read-aloud

Conferences/ Reading & Writing Workshop

New vocabulary units

Literacy Stations Literacy Stations Literacy Stations Vocabulary assessment

A student who understands that this is the regular schedule also knows that missing class on a

Wednesday means missing a mini-lesson. With some modeling at the beginning of the year, the

teacher can help students know exactly where to go to pick up the notes on the mini-lesson for

each week. Within the 90-minute block period, the teacher should be sure to schedule ample

variety to keep students engaged, but not so much variety that the students become confused or

disengaged. Here are a few models for scheduling a single 90-minute period.

Sample 1

1. Teacher read-aloud 10 minutes

2. Mini-Lesson 20 minutes

3. Status of the Class 10 minutes

4. Workshop 45 minutes

5. Closure 5 minutes


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Sample 2

1. Bell-ringer 10 minutes

2. Workshop 35 minutes

3. Literacy Stations 30 minutes

4. Teacher read-aloud 10 minutes

5. Closure 5 minutes

Sample 3

1. Dialogue Journals & Reading Minute 5 minutes

2. Read Aloud, Library Time or Literature Circles 20-25 minutes

3. Mini-Lesson & Status of the Class 20-25 minutes

4. Independent Reading and Conferences 30-40 minutes

Sample 4

1. Warm up 5 minutes

2. Writing or reading mini-lesson 10-20 minutes

3. Independent writing and conferences 30 minutes

4. Read Aloud and discussion 20 minutes

5. Independent reading and conferences 20 minutes

READING WORKSHOP The purpose of reading workshop is for students to develop as life long readers. Students should

develop the habit of reading for pleasure and reading for information. Students should be

exposed to fiction and non-fiction and should be encouraged to experiment with multiple genres.

In reading workshop students are developing their abilities to read critically. The teacher fosters

these reading habits by providing mini lessons that model the habits of critical readers,

independent reading time, opportunities for small group discussions, and individual conferences.

A typical day in the reading workshop might begin with a Read Aloud and discussion of a book

that the class might be reading together. These discussions might be framed around

comprehension strategies, literary devices and terms, or habits of a critical reader. Students

might then be engaged in independent reading time. This is a time for students to read a book of

their choice.

During independent reading time, there is the expectation that students are reading, keeping

records of their reading progress, or completing dialogue journals about what they are reading. In

a dialogue journal students write a letter to the teacher or a friend about the book that they have

recently read. They can begin by briefly summarizing the plot of the book; however, the letter

should focus on how the author‘s craft influenced the text and how the student related to the text.

The student should choose specific examples from the book to illustrate his or her meaning.

During independent reading time, teachers can also briefly conference with students to gage the

appropriateness and level of texts chosen by students, and to assess students‘ progress in reading

comprehension.


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To provide opportunity for small group discussions, teachers may also want to use literature

circles interspersed throughout the year. This allows students to take on leadership and

supporting roles in a literacy group.

Possible mini-lessons include:

Genres: historical / realistic / science fiction, fantasy, mystery, non-fiction,

biographies, poetry, fables, folktales, legends, etc.

Booktalks about popular YA authors

Elements of Fiction:

o plot / plot line – exposition, rising action, climax, etc.

o setting

o characters – major and minor

o point of view

o conflict

o themes

o tone

o mood

o flashback and foreshadowing

o irony

o figures of speech

Reading Skills:

o Identifying author‘s purpose

o Drawing conclusions

o Making inferences

o Identifying the main idea / topic sentence

o Context clues

o Roots, suffixes, prefixes

o Reading using graphic organizers

o Fact vs. Opinion

o Compare / Contrast

o Organizing and synthesizing information from text

o Locating information from sources

o Word choice

o Reading comprehension strategies

o Test-taking skills

Assessment in the reading workshop should be based on student progress toward individual

reading goals and their reading comprehension progression in a variety of fiction and nonfiction

texts.


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WRITING WORKSHOP

The purpose of writing workshop is to develop students writing skills and foster creativity.

Students should develop the habit of writing for personal and professional reasons. Students

should be exposed to a variety of genres, emphasizing fiction and nonfiction texts that are

common in professional publications. In writing workshop students are developing their abilities

to communicate in writing effectively taking into consideration audience, purpose, and form.

The teacher fosters these skills by providing mini lessons that model the habits of writers and

explore writer‘s craft, independent writing time, and individual conferences.

A typical day in the writing workshop might begin with a mini lesson. For example, a teacher

might begin with a Think Aloud in which she models her revision process with a poem she is

writing. Teachers serve as role models for their students showing how writing is a part of their

daily lives. Mini lessons are framed around inquiry and genre studies, mechanic and usage

conventions, and common issues that students are struggling with in their writing. During

independent writing time, there is the expectation that students are writing, meeting with peers to

conference, and keeping records of their writing progress. During independent writing time,

teachers can also briefly conference with students to provide feedback to students.

Possible mini-lessons include:

Introduction to Writing Workshop

o Rules and routines

o Status of the Class

o Your writing folder

o Mini-lessons

o Conferencing

o Revising

o Editing

o Publishing

What are habits of writers?

What do authors do when they write short stories (commentary, newspaper articles etc.)?

What are important characteristics of a great character?

Creating characters

Creating setting

Creating plot

Writing non-fiction

How do author‘s use quotation marks in dialogue?

What is important about details?

How can I avoid overused words?

Creating titles

What is a good lead?


Page 15

Getting started with a new piece of writing

Reflecting on our own writing process

How do author‘s use tone to create mood?

What makes an effective essay?

Capitalization –when to use it.

Writing numbers

Avoiding a run-on sentence

Assessment in the writing workshop should be based on student progress toward individual

writing goals, quarterly writing portfolios, and their ability to communicate effectively through a

variety of fiction and nonfiction genres.

Teacher Comments

Karen Skees, Belmont Ridge Middle School, about Reading Workshop

The thing is that the students and I enjoyed the most was just reading and sharing. I

stood in the doorway every day to greet each one and wrote down the book they brought to class

if it was a new one; otherwise, I just wrote down the date and the page number they were on.

There was a page for each student and a new one each quarter. I kept them all. I could watch

and discuss with them books that they liked or ones they abandoned and why…At the beginning

of class we read for 15 minutes. Later in the year we increased to 20 minutes because they

wanted it. We wrote responses daily for the first three quarters and then went to once weekly.

We also shared orally on a volunteer basis. We reviewed making story maps, analyzing

character development, and writing summaries using the books we read. As time progressed,

students who claimed early in the year that they did not like reading began to enjoy this time, and

many of them told me so. They liked ―going to another world‖ with their reading.

Tammie Matos, Harper Park Middle School, about Reading & Writing Workshop

We were fortunate to have a reading specialist assigned to our AC Lit. class, so we

decided to ―divide and conquer!‖ We began each class with a read-aloud, and then we moved

into our Reading and Writing Workshops. Mrs. Shepard, our reading specialist, took half of the

class for the first half of the marking period for Reading Workshop, while I kept the other half of

the class for Writing Workshop. At the interims we had ―Share Day.‖ We kept the class as a

whole and the students presented the projects that they had completed in their workshops. Then

we switched groups for the remaining four weeks of the marking period, and at the end of the

marking period, we met again for another ―Share Day.‖

This class structure worked very well. We were able to work with small groups, keep

some students separate from others, and control the focus for the workshops (four weeks of

reading, then four weeks of writing vs. finding time for both during each block). Our Share Day

helped us to fulfill the viewing , speaking , and listening components too.


Page 16

ASSESSMENT Assessment in reading and writing workshops is ongoing. At the beginning of the quarter, each

student creates a learning contract. Some items on the contract are common for all students and

some are specific to individual students based on strengths and weaknesses. Through the

contract, the teacher is able to measure student progress toward class and individual goals.

Students are also aware from the beginning of the quarter what is expected of them. The contract

can also contain intermediary goals to be met before the end of the quarter. Student progress

toward fulfillment of the contract is monitored by observations, individual conferences, and

rubrics. Students should be taught to self assess using a rubric. Through these methods, the

teacher is able to monitor reading comprehension and written expression. Through quarterly

portfolios students are able to reflect on their learning. Formal assessments that include SOL

and benchmark type questions can be interspersed throughout the quarter as formative

assessments to help students gain familiarity with the format. A summative assessment can be

administered at the end of the quarter. These assessments would focus on inferring, drawing

conclusions, written expression, and mechanics and usage.

Contract—measures progress toward individual reading/writing goals (summative assessment)

Possible measurable objectives

o Increase number of books read by ___

o Increase number of pieces written by ___

o Increase number of genres read by___

o Vary the modes of writing used.

o Reduce the number of a particular usage/mechanic error—monitored by student

and teacher

o Increase level of reading comprehension

choosing and succeeding with more challenging books over time

Observations/Conferences (formative assessment)

Monitoring students‘ reading progress (number of books or pages read)

Monitoring nonfiction and fiction genres chosen (incorporate into future mini-

lessons)

Monitoring use of reading comprehension strategies

Monitoring rate of book abandonment

Monitoring student issues with written expression (incorporate into future mini-

lessons)

Monitoring number of pieces written

Rubrics— (formative and summative assessment)

Provide concrete descriptions and expectations for students


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Portfolio—demonstrates learning over the course of the quarter (summative assessment)

contains some mandatory and some student chosen pieces

each piece has a student reflection about the process---generally written as part of the

original assignment

revised dialogue journal letter(s)

student reflection of learning over the quarter in the introduction—Students often

include references to mini lessons captured in their in reading/writing notebook.

Formal Assessment—based on reading and writing skills in SOL format

used as warm ups throughout the quarter (formative assessment)

summative assessment at the end of each quarter

Below is a SAMPLE CONTRACT:

Accelerating Literacy Skills: CONTRACT

Name Quarter

6th Grade Assessments

Reading SOL Score Gates-McGinitie Test Final Language Arts Average

Strand Measurable Student Goal Methods to Attain Goal

Reading

Writing

Speaking /Listening/ Viewing

Student Signature:______________________________________________________

End of Quarter Assessment

Informal Reading Inventory Other Other

Teacher Observations/Comments:


Accelerating

Literacy Skills

Instructional

Activities


Page 18

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

The instructional activities below are organized under the headings, reading, writing,

speaking/listening and viewing. They are followed by instructional projects that Accelerating

Literacy Skills teachers have used with their students.

Reading

Before, During, and After Reading

Students need to be actively involved in reading text to foster their comprehension of the written

word. Teachers need to help students learn how to

prepare for learning through pre-reading activities,

ensure comprehension through the use of metacognitive strategies during reading, and

extend and refine new knowledge they acquire after reading.

―Strategic teaching involves careful planning for learning before, during and after text reading.

By sharing a variety of strategies with students, explaining their value, and by repeated modeling

and … practice … teachers will help students learn how to become self-directed independent

learners.‖ Teaching Reading In the Content Areas – If Not Me, Then Who? (Tovani, 2002)

Before Reading

Activate or build background knowledge

Arouse curiosity or build interest

Address individual needs

Preview the selection

Set purpose for reading

During Reading

Engage in text with or without teacher support

Monitor reading process and comprehension

Confirm or adjust predictions

Visualize

After Reading

Respond to the reading

Reflect on the reading

Summarize the reading

A number of instructional strategies can be used Before, During, and/or After reading to assist

students with the comprehension of text. The chart on page 20 lists several possible strategies.

A number of resources describe how to use these strategies for reading instruction.

Why?

It prepares student for

reading, which results in

deeper understanding of

text.

Why?

Reading should be an

active process.

Why?

It extends comprehension.

It helps store information

in long term memory.


Page 19

STRATEGY Before During After

Pre Reading Predictions

K-W-L Chart Anticipation Guide

Venn Diagram

Semantic Feature Analysis Reciprocal Teaching

Semantic Mapping

Structured Notetaking Learning Logs

ReQuest

Think Alouds

Search Strategy

Character Map

Retelling

QAR: Question-Answer Relationships Discussion Web

RAFT – Role/Audience/Format/Topic

Discussion Web

(LCPS Elementary Reading Framework, 2005)

Teachers may use the following activities as part of whole class instruction or as part of a

literacy station to help students improve their reading skills.

Reader’s Minute

Five to ten minute teacher read-aloud of high interest material.

Book Hook

Mini book talk; teacher presents high interest texts to students.

Reader Recommendation Binder

Teachers provide a binder in the classroom library for students to recommend books to their

peers.

Book Pass

Teacher selects a wide variety of high interest books (must have at least one per student).

Students and teacher sit in a circle, and the teacher demonstrates how to assess a book for interest

and readability. Students pass books around to assess for personal interest. They should add

their books to a list of ―Must Read Books.‖

Therapy Dogs

Students build fluency and engagement through reading to therapy dogs.


Page 20

Mentor with Elementary Students

Secondary students visit local elementary schools to read aloud to younger children.

Audacity

Students read into a microphone and record voice for inflection, intonation, volume, and

expression. This is a computer based software program located in your building. Ask the TRT

for assistance.

Reader’s Theater

Students create (or use pre-made materials) a script based on a book or short story. They then

practice reading the script aloud for fluency, intonation, inflection, and expression.

Comic Books

Students create comic books based on texts that were read independently in class.

Amazon.com Book Review

Students read a book of their choice and submit a review of it on Amazon.com.

Writing

The following activities may help a student improve at a specific stage of the writing process.

(Activities with * are described below.)

PREWRITING DRAFTING REVISING

free writing* four approaches to the same shoe* chunking*

stepping stones* stepping stones elaboration* peer response

guided imagery* guided imagery* teacher response

art response* art response* read aloud

memory bubble* memory bubble* rhyme time*

four square focused free writing* imitating the masters*

sentence length chart

EDITING PUBLISHING

read aloud (alone, with or class anthology

without whisper phones, or school literary magazine

in pairs or small groups) student publishing web sites (see below)

self assessment with rubric

peer editing

spell check & grammar check

*Free Writing

The teacher sets a timer for 7-10 minutes and instructs the student to write freely the entire time.

He does not have to stay on any particular topic and may write whatever comes to mind. The

only requirement is that he not stop writing the entire time. When he is finished, the student

reads over what he wrote and underlines or highlights the most interesting idea or image. That

becomes the jumping-off point for a new free writing.


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*Focused Free Writing

This is the same as free writing, only the student stays focused on a specific topic.

*Stepping Stones

The student makes a list of the six most significant events in her life.

*Stepping Stones Elaboration

Each item can then be the topic of a personal narrative.

*Memory Bubble

The student looks around the classroom until he sees something that causes the memory of a past

event to come to mind. He then writes about that event, choosing a specific purpose (narration,

description, exposition, persuasion).

*Guided Imagery

The teacher describes an imaginary setting and asks the student to imagine herself there, then

invites the student to daydream about herself in that setting. After 10 minutes the student writes

down what happened in her day dream.

*Rhyme Time

The student logs onto a rhyming dictionary web site (e.g., www.rhymezone.com) to find rhyme

words for a poem he is writing.

*Imitating the Masters

The teacher has the student compose sentences that imitate the syntax of writers with various

styles.

*Four Approaches to the Same Shoe

The student selects an object and writes about it in each of the four modes: narration, persuasion,

description, and exposition

*Art Response

The student gazes at a painting or listens to a piece of music that has no lyrics, then writes in

response to that.

*Chunking

The student takes a piece of free writing and uses different colored highlighters to group similar

ideas, then revises by putting all parts of the same color together.

http://www.rhymezone.com/


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Student Publishing Web Sites

Although these sites have been reviewed by the English/Language Arts office, teachers should

review each site again before referring a student to it, as the content of websites frequently

changes.

Write It http://teacher.scholastic.com/writeit/

Fractured Fairy Tales

and Fables

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy_publish.asp

Kids on the Net www.kidsonthenet.com

Merlyn‘s Pen http://www.merlynspen.org/

Web English Teacher http://www.webenglishteacher.com/publish.html

Teen Ink http://teenink.com/

The Poetry Zone http://www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk/index2.htm

The Write Kids http://writekids.tripod.com/

Speaking & Listening

It is tempting to assume that because students come to school knowing how to talk and hear that

they are competent speakers and listeners. However, oral communication skills should be taught,

modeled, and practiced so that students develop competency.


literacy station to help students improve their oral communication skills.

Book Talks

Students prepare, practice, and deliver a short speech advertising a book they read. The goal is

to persuade others to read the book.

Interviews

Students prepare for interviews by building lists of appropriate questions. They conduct

interviews to learn more about a certain topic. They take notes to create a presentation for others

in the class or to write an article based on what they learned in the interview.

Reader’s Theater Review

Students practice and perform a Reader‘s Theater piece. Audience members can provide

feedback on the performers‘ speaking skills. Performers can assess audience members‘ listening

skills with post-performance questions.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writeit/

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy_publish.asp

http://www.kidsonthenet.com/

http://www.merlynspen.org/

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/publish.html

http://teenink.com/

http://www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk/index2.htm

http://writekids.tripod.com/


Page 23

30-Second Speeches

At the end of class, when there are a few minutes before the bell rings, the teacher asks a

question (good sources of questions are The Book of Questions and Zobmondo). Students have

one minute to think of how they would respond. The teacher calls on one student at random to

answer the question (students can always take a pass). The student stands up and has 30 seconds

to share his or her answer with the class. Over time, the teacher works with students to improve

such speaking skills as rate, volume, intonation, and coherence.

Viewing


literacy station to help students improve their viewing skills.

Internet Search Comprehension

The teacher asks students to search for Internet sites on a specific topic. Students are assessed on

their computer literacy skills by how they determine sites worth pursuing. Students who open

the first sites that come up are not reading the site descriptions and URLs. Teachers instruct

students on what to look for to determine which hits are worth pursuing for further reading.

“Reading” a Film or Documentary

Teachers help students identify the same literary devices in film that they see in text: plot,

characters, setting, exposition, narration, figurative language, mood, etc. Students also practice

reading skills with film: identify author‘s purpose, make inferences, draw conclusions,

summarize, paraphrase, etc.

Analyzing Persuasive Techniques

Teachers help students identify propaganda strategies used in print advertising. Students explain

why the strategies are successful and what the advertiser is trying to achieve.


Page 24

Beginning of the Year:

These activities may be used at the beginning of the year, or throughout the year, to help students

get to know one another. Teachers may have other ice-breakers to use in their own classes.

♦ Two Truths and a Lie

Students write a paragraph about themselves, which contains two truths and one lie. The

students then read these aloud to the class and the audience has to determine the truths

and lies.

♦ The Question Ball

The teacher provides the students with a ball that has several questions written on it.

Students pass the ball around the classroom. They must answer the question that their

right index finger lands on.

♦ Heart Maps

Students create a construction paper heart. They decorate it with things that are

important to them (pictures, drawings, words, etc.). Use this tool for writing prompts

throughout the year.

♦ Where has your hand been?

Students outline their hands and on each finger write a place their hand has been (ex.

Mexico, in a ski glove, on a frying pan, petting a giant pig, etc.). Then students choose

one idea and write a paragraph telling the story. Students and teachers share their stories

with the class.

♦ To Whom Does This Belong?

Students write down several important facts about themselves on strips of paper. They

then place these strips in a hat or bag. Students take turns drawing pieces of paper out of

the container and guessing who wrote it.

♦ Comic Strip Chaos

Each participant takes a turn at picking a comic frame out of the large container. After

the entire group has each chosen one, the participants begin to search for others with the

same comic strip sequence. After the participants have found everyone in their group,

they must arrange themselves so that the sequence of frames are in chronological order to

form the comic strip correctly. Upon completion of sequence, the newly formed group

sits down together. Great game to break large group into smaller groups.

♦ Personal-I-tie

Students get a tie/bowtie from home and place 8-10 items on the tie that represent their

personality, likes, dislikes, family, etc. The students will present their ties to the class

describing each object and how it relates to them.


Page 25

Units throughout the Year: Scary Story Unit—Submitted by Eric Friz from Smart‘s Mill (Appendix C)

Read Aloud ideas: Scary Stories series by Richard Scary; Something Upstairs by Avi; Scary

Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Possible activities: students use graphic

organizers to plan and draft their own scary stories. Students go through writing process and at

the end of unit students share stories with class (in tents with sleeping bags and making smores).

Look for local newspapers that often publish children‘s scary stories around Halloween.

Book Festival—Submitted by Colleen Milligan from Smart‘s Mill (Appendix D)

Students read a novel of their choice before completing these activities. Possible activities:

bookmark contest, author poster (research and display info about author), educational game

relating to book.

Writing Fractured Fairy Tales—Submitted by Meredith Schimmel from Smart‘s Mill

(Appendix E) Students take an already existing fairy tale and fracture it (ex. Change bad guys

to good guys, change ending, etc.). Students go through writing process for creating their

fractured fairy tale and at the end of unit students share stories with class. Read Aloud ideas:

Various fractured picture book fairy tales for example, The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka.

Possible activities: Use the film Hoodwink as an example of a fractured fairy tale. Helpful

websites for story mapping:

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/0178/myweb5/fairy_tales_aplenty.htm;

http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html;

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-writing-storymaker.htm;

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/storymap/index.html

Poetry Month--Submitted by Meredith Schimmel from Smart‘s Mill (Appendix F) Students

pick a poet from a list given and research that poet. Possible Activities: After researching their

poet, write a five sentence paragraph about their poet. Students also choose their favorite poem

by that author and analyze it. They can also create a poster with both their favorite poem and

their author.

Fairy Tale Unit—Submitted by Nicole Harrison from Stone Hill

Students read three forms of a fairy tale and then create their own fourth version. Students go

through writing process for creating their fairy tale and at the end of unit students share stories

with class. Read aloud ideas: Various forms of fairy tales (The Three Little Pigs by Patricia

Seibert, The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, The True Story of the

Three Little by Jon Scieszka). The students‘ books can be bound into picture books.

Wordless Picture Books—Submitted by Nicole Harrison from Stone Hill

Students ―read‖ wordless picture books and discuss sequencing and elements of literature. Then

they write the words they think should have been written for the book. Students go through the

writing process for their wordless picture book and at the end of unit students share stories with

class. Read aloud ideas: Tuesday by David Weisner; Sector 7 by David Weisner; Goodnight

Gorilla by Peggy Rathman; Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola. The students‘ books can

bound into picture books for students.

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/0178/myweb5/fairy_tales_aplenty.htm

http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-writing-storymaker.htm

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/storymap/index.html


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Friday Letter Home—Submitted by Nicole Harrison from Stone Hill

Student brainstorm and then use a graphic organizer to plan two paragraphs about topics going

on at school. They use these two paragraphs to write a letter home to their parents describing

what is going on in school. Students use the writing process to work towards a final product:

planning, writing a rough draft, editing, and writing a final copy. Teachers can go over the parts

of a letter and can require that letters get signed and returned by a parent.

Owl Moon—Submitted by Erin Gingrich from Seneca Ridge (Appendix G)

This unit is used in January right after the break because it‘s very interactive and engaging. This

helps students to use and identify figurative language.


Accelerating

Literacy Skills

Resources


Page 27

RESOURCES For the classroom

Exploring Nonfiction. Teacher Created Materials. (one per teacher)

Exploring Writing. Teacher Created Materials. (one per teacher)

Reader’s Theater Classics (various titles). Benchmark Education. (one per teacher)

Robb, Laura, Ron Klenn, and Wendell Schwartz. Reader’s Handbook. Great Source.

(class set)

Helpful Specifically for ALS

After THE END, Teaching and Learning Creative Revision. Lane

Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days, Serafini

Daily Word Ladders, Scholastic

Discovering the Writer Within, Lane and Ballenger

In the Middle, Atwell

Lessons that Change Writers, Atwell

Lightning in a Bottle, Visual Prompts for Insights (CD), Bernabei

Mosaic of Thought, Keene and Zimmermann

Motivating Writing in Middle School, NCTE

The Portfolio Source Book, Lane and Green

Reading Reasons, Gallagher

Reading Reminders, Burke

Reading Workshop Survival Kit, Gary Robert Muschla

The Reviser’s Toolbox. Lane

Real Life Literacy. Patterson

Use it! Don’t Lose it!, Incentive Publications

Instructional Assistance for SOL Preparation

Study Island (internet resource)

Ladders to Success on the Virginia SOL Assessment (Seventh Grade=Level G)

Standard Test Lessons in Reading, McCALL-CRABBS

Perfection Learning, Virginia Reading Standards of Learning (Grade 7)

Shared with English Department

Engaging Grammar, Benjamin and Oliva

Literature Circles, Daniels

Literature Circles: The Way to Go and How to Get There, Klistoff

Naming the World, Atwell

Successful Strategies for Reading in the Content Areas, Shell

(e-book on computers at school)

Word Playgrounds, O‘Connor

Go Public! Encouraging Student Writers to Publish, Rubenstein


Page 28

Supplementary Materials

Teachers may choose to order some of these resources as support for instruction. Work with the

building English SALT to place orders for instructional materials.

Subscriptions to Time for Kids, Scope, Sports Illustrated for Kids

Comprehension as the Concrete, RED Level GAME, FN-997-017


Accelerating

Literacy Skills

Appendices

Additional Reading Instruction Activities Appendix A

Additional Writing Instruction Activities Appendix B

Scary Story Unit Appendix C

Book Festival Appendix D

Fractured Fairy Tales Appendix E

Poetry Month Appendix F

Owl Moon Appendix G


Page 29

Appendix A: Additional Reading Instructional Activities

The following activities have been submitted by Accelerating Literacy Skills teachers to help

enhance students enjoyment and comprehension of their reading.

BOOK PASS

YOUR NAME: ______________________ DATE: ________________

BOOK TITLE: ____________________________________________

1. After looking at the cover and reading the first paragraph, what do you think this book will

be about? What clues did you use to help you decide?

2. Where else did you look to help you make a decision about how to rate this book? How did

this help you decide?

RATING: * * * * * *

BOOK TITLE: ____________________________________________

1. After looking at the cover and reading the back cover, what do you think this book will be

about? What clues did you use to help you decide?

2. Where did you look to help you make a decision about how to rate this book? How did this

help you decide?

RATING: * * * * * *

BOOK TITLE: ____________________________________________

1. After looking at the cover and reading the first paragraph, what do you think this book will

be about? What clues helped you make a decision?

2. Where did you look to help you make a decision about how to rate this book? How did this

help you decide?

RATING: * * * * * *

The book I most want to read is ___________________________________________________,

because:


Page 30

Drawing Conclusions Name: ________________________

Something in the book:

Something in your head:

+

= ?

Conclusion:


Page 31

Inference Name: ______________________

Underline

Word clues from the book:

Guess?

Predict answers using past experiences and

knowledge in your head:

Support

Go back to the text and give the reason for

your answer:

??? ???

??? ???


Page 32

BOX WEB FOR YOUR SUMMARY

DIRECTIONS: Write the main idea in the center box and give four supporting details or

sentences in the remaining boxes. Then write the summary below.

SUMMARY DIRECTIONS: Use the information above to write a summary that

clearly does the following:

Includes the important facts in your own words

Combines facts where possible

Excludes extra information not necessary to the main meaning of the article

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Supporting Detail:

In the beginning … Next Supporting Detail or As the action builds …

Next Supporting Detail or

As the story progresses …

Last Supporting Detail or

At the end …

Main Idea The story or article is mainly about:


Page 33

Appendix B: Additional Writing Instructional Activities

The following activities have been submitted by Accelerating Literacy Skills teachers to help

scaffold students as they write.

3 – 2 – 8 Formula for Paragraphs

The ―3‖ refers to your 3 main reasons (also called arguments or points).

The ―2‖ means you will devote two sentences to each of your main reasons.

The ―8‖ equals the total number of sentences your paragraph will have after adding in your topic

and conclusion sentences.

Choose one of the topic sentences below to get started.

―Halloween is the best Holiday.‖ ―Our school should have recess.‖

―Dogs make the very best pets.‖

Topic sentence: ________________________________________________________________

Reason #1 (write two sentences about reason number one)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Reason #2 (write two sentences about reason number two)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Reason #3 (write two sentences about reason number three)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Now write a conclusion sentence that is NOT a copy of the introductory sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

You now have a total of eight sentences and perfectly supported paragraph!


Page 34

Example

Loudoun County Public Schools would benefit by changing to a year-round school schedule.

Year round school would have a lot of small vacations throughout the year as opposed to the

long summer vacation we have now. Small, frequent vacations would keep students and parents

refreshed, but knowledge would not be lost the way it is during the long summer vacation. Year-

round school would also allow for more flexible vacation opportunities. Right now, we can only

go on family vacations during the summer, but with the new schedule, families could plan

vacations at other times. The last reason we should switch to year-round school is that you

would see your school friends all year long. Sometimes we don‘t see our school friends during

the summer, but this way we‘d see them throughout the year. For these reasons, LCPS should

switch to year-round school.

Instructions

Underline the topic sentence.

Highlight the two sentences dealing with point number one in pink.

Highlight the two sentences dealing with point number two in yellow.

Highlight the two sentences dealing with point number three in green.

Underline the conclusion sentence.

You are ready to write your own 3-2-8 paragraph!


Page 35

RAFTS – before you begin writing, hop in your raft! This will help you as you

travel down your stream of thought!

R – Role of the writer

Who is telling the story? Who are you pretending to be?

Are you a historian, a cartoonist, a radio announcer,

an animal, a movie star, a politician, or a poet?

Remember to write with the appropriate tone and word choice!

A – Audience

Who will read your story?

Are you writing for a teacher, a parent, your principal,

the school board, a newspaper, or your classmates?

Again, remember to write with the appropriate tone

and word choice!

F – Format

What is the best format for your work?

Should it be a letter, a diary, an essay, a picture book,

a news article, a play, a list, or a short story?

Remember to write in the appropriate format!

T – Topic

What is the subject of your writing? Are you writing

about your pet, your favorite sport, or a new movie?

Remember to keep the focus of your writing on your topic!

S – Strong Verbs

Why are you writing? What is your purpose?

Are you trying to persuade, entertain, inform, invite,

or describe? Remember to write with the appropriate verbs

and tone!


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Appendix C: Scary Story Unit

Mapping Out Your Scary Story

For the past few weeks we have been reading scary stories … now it is time to write your own!

We have taken some time to brainstorm characteristics of scary stories in class. Using the sheet

below, think about some of the characteristics we have talked about and create a map of your

own scary story. Below you will find a list of categories, take a few minutes and write down as

many things you can think of for each category that you may find in a scary story.

Characters: Items: Places: Events: After you brainstorm characteristics, look back at the list you have. Circle at least three of the

ideas from each category that you would like to include in your story and write them on the

following page.


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Characters

Below write down at least three, but no more than four characters that you chose from your list

on the previous page. Then describe each character using character traits (what a character feels,

thinks, says, looks like, and what others say about that character).

Character One: ____________________________________ Character Two: ____________________________________ Character Three: ____________________________________ Character Four: ____________________________________


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Places/Setting

The setting and places mentioned in your scary story can be the most important for the plot. Pick

either one or two places that you listed on your brainstorm sheet and list them below. After you

list them, take some time to brainstorm details about them as well as a time that you intend your

story to take place. Be descriptive because this will make or break your story!

Time: ___________________________________________ Place One: _______________________________________ Place Two: _______________________________________ Character Four: ____________________________________


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Items

Now that you have created the characters for your scary story, look back at what items you have

selected. Carefully describe at least three, but no more than four of those items.

Item One: _______________________________________ Item Two: _______________________________________ Item Three: ____________________________________ Item Four: _______________________________________


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Events

Looking one last time at your brainstorming list, look at the events you mentioned. Pick two or

three events that could possible happen in your scary story. These events need to be well thought

out and very descriptive because they create the heart of your story. Use descriptive details!

Event One: _______________________________________ Event Two: _______________________________________ Event Three: ____________________________________ Congratulations! You have now mapped out your whole scary story! Now it is time to get

writing! Look over your map and ideas that you have brainstormed in the past few pages and put

it all together! Have fun and make it scary!


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Appendix D: Book Festival

ACCELERATING LITERACY

BOOK FESTIVAL REQUIREMENTS

Below, you will find a checklist of items that will need to be completed by

_______. It is up to you to decide the order in which you wish to complete them.

Remember that each class you will have the opportunity to read independently and

to work on your checklist.

_____ Persuasive letter to principals 25 pts.

_____ Bookmark for contest 20 pts.

_____ Author poster 50 pts.

Include: research, contact information, other books by that author –

See attached page.

_____ Educational game 50 pts.

All game cards and game pieces should correspond directly to your book –

See attached page.

_____ Independent reading booklet 50 pts.

Include all entries and a decorative cover.

Be sure to take your time, work neatly, and consult this packet for all directions

information. Have fun!


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BOOKMARK CONTEST

INSTRUCTION SHEET/RUBRIC

Please follow the directions below when designing your bookmark for our contest.

1. Create a rough draft on the paper provided.

2. Include the following items on your draft.

a. Book title/author 5 pts.

b. A decorative border 5 pts.

c. Objects/shapes/words that represent item/people

in your book 5 pts.

d. Bright/bold colors 5 pts.

3. After teacher approval, transfer your bookmark to the final draft paper

provided.

4. Be sure to sign your bookmark in the bottom left-hand corner.

5. Be creative! Be neat! Have fun!


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AUTHOR POSTER

INSTRUCTIONS/RUBRIC

Please be sure to read each of the following directions carefully before you begin

your poster.

1. Research your author for the following things:

a. Birth/death dates and places _________________________________

________________________________________________________

b. Awards won _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________

c. Other books by your author _________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

d. Website at which to contact your author ________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

e. Any correspondence you‘ve had with your author ________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2. Place a picture of your author or book cover in the center of the poster and

surround it with the above information.

3. Each item a-e will be worth 8 points. Your layout/neatness is worth 10

points.


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EDUCATIONAL GAME

INSTRUCTIONS/RUBRIC

Please be sure to read each of the following directions carefully before you begin

your game.

1. First, plan your game layout on a piece of computer paper.

2. Next, use your spiral to write your game cards. (Later we‘ll transfer them to

index cards.)

3. Then, make your game pieces.

4. Following teacher approval, design your game board on poster paper. Be

sure to include spaces that correspond to your cards, and some game twists.

5. Place the title of your game in the center of the posterboard – neatly!

6. Practice playing to be sure everything works!

Game pieces and game title are worth 5 points each.

Game design and game cards are worth 15 points each.

Neatness and creativity are worth 10 points.


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Appendix E: Fractured Fairy Tales

Name _________________________ Block ____________

ELEMENTS OF FRACTURED FAIRY TALES

Title of fairy tale: ___________________________________________________

Describe how the story is different from the original:

List the specific things that make it ―fractured‖:

_______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________

Name _________________________ Block ____________

ELEMENTS OF FRACTURED FAIRY TALES

Title of fairy tale: ___________________________________________________

Describe how the story is different from the original:

List the specific things that make it ―fractured‖:

_______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________


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Name _________________________ Block ____________

FRACTURED FAIRY TALE PLANNING SHEET

Fractured Fairy Tale Title: _________________________________________

Main Characters: ____________________ ____________________

____________________ ____________________

Settings (use common places): _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________

Magic Items: __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________

Plot (events which will occur in your fairy tale):

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________

The Twist (how your fairy tale will be ―fractured‖):

Teacher Approval: ______________________________________________


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Appendix F: Poetry Month

Name: ____________________

Accelerating Literacy Poetry Month Assignment

April is Poetry Month! For this assignment you will pick a poet from the list of poets below.

You will then do multiple assignments about that poet, which are listed below. After we have all

completed these assignments, we will have a small poetry slam in class (with refreshments),

where you will present your poster that you create.

Poets Circle one poet

Langston Hughes Rudyard Kipling Edna St. Vicent Millay

Walt Whitman Emily Dickinson Lewis Carroll

Robert Frost Carl Sandburg Robert Louis Stevenson

Edward Lear Robert Browning William Shakespeare

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Assignments Each assignment will be worth 10 points. We will discuss each assignment individually in class.

_____ Write a five-sentence paragraph about how/why this person became a poet.

_____ Analyze your favorite poem by this poet.

_____ Create a poster displaying your favorite poem, your paragraph and pictures of the poet.


Page 48

Appendix G: Owl Moon

Teaching Figurative Language with Owl Moon

Materials:

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (picture book)

Yellow moon and brown owl die cuts (one per student)

Flashlight

Lesson:

1. Either teach a mini-lesson on the four common types of figurative language found in

literature--simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole—or review if you have

already taught this. Be sure to show examples of each and have the class come up with an

example of each.

2. Write the word owl on the board. Invite students to make associations with owl while you

write them down.

3. Introduce the picture book Owl Moon by looking at the book jacket and the pictures on

the title page and dedication pages. Ask students to particularly pay attention to the

figurative language in the book.

4. Turn off the lights in the room and read the story in a whisper until you get to the line,

―Time to go home,‖ to capture the true experience and atmosphere of owling. Choose a

student to work the flashlight during the story, pointing it up when the book directs or

around, etc. When the characters finally spot an owl, have the student shine the flashlight

directly on the book‘s picture of the big owl to simulate what it may have looked like on

the owl hunt.

5. Distribute the Owl Moon chart. Have students work in small groups to label the examples

of figurative language from the book with their type. Go over the handout. Ask a few

students to share what their favorite example is and why. How did that example help

them visualize/experience the owl hunt?

6. Give each student a moon die cut and an owl die cut. Each student should write one or

two sentences on the moon that describe the moon and one or two sentences on the owl

that describe the owl. The sentences should use figurative language. This is a good time

to point out that ―wise as an owl‖ is tired and cliché. Challenge them to come up with

new and fresh ways to describe the moon or an owl. When students are finished, have

several of them share and then hang the die cuts on a previously prepared ―winter‖

themed bulletin board.


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Owl Moon by Jane Yolen:

Figurative Language & Literary Devices

Example from book Type of figurative language Page number

The trees stood still as giant

statues.

Pg. 2

Somewhere behind us a train

whistle blew, long and low,

like a sad, sad song.

Pg. 2

They sang out, trains and

dogs, for a real long time. And

when their voices faded

away…

Pg. 3

And when their voices faded

away it was as quiet as a

dream.

Pg. 3

...little gray footprints

followed us.

Pg. 4

…my short, round shadow

bumped after me.

Pg. 4

The moon made his face into a

silver mask.

Pg. 6

I could feel the cold, as if

someone‘s icy hand was palm-

down on my back.

Pg. 10

The shadows were the

blackest things I had ever

seen. They stained the white

snow.

Pg. 12

...the heat of all those words

we had not spoken.

Pg. 20

Then the owl pumped its great

wings and lifted off the branch

like a shadow without sound.

Pg. 27

But I was a shadow as we

walked home.

Pg. 27

The kind of hope that flies on

silent wings under a shining

Owl Moon.

Pg. 28


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Owl Moon by Jane Yolen:

Figurative Language & Literary Devices

Example from book Type of figurative

language

Page number

The trees stood still as giant statues. Simile Pg. 2

Somewhere behind us a train

whistle blew, long and low, like a

sad, sad song.

Simile Pg. 2

They sang out, trains and dogs, for

a real long time. And when their

voices faded away…

Personification Pg. 3

And when their voices faded away

it was as quiet as a dream.

Simile Pg. 3

Our feet crunched over the crisp

snow…

Onomatopoeia Pg. 4

...little gray footprints followed us. Personification Pg. 4

…my short, round shadow bumped

after me.

Personification Pg. 4

The moon made his face into a

silver mask.

Metaphor Pg. 6

―Whoo-whoo-who-who-who-

whoooooo‖

Onomatopoeia Pg. 6, 17, 18

I could feel the cold, as if

someone‘s icy hand was palm-

down on my back.

Simile Pg. 10

The shadows were the blackest

things I had ever seen. They stained

the white snow.

Metaphor Pg. 12

…the snow below it was whiter

than the milk in a cereal bowl.

Hyperbole Pg. 14

I listened and looked so hard my

ears hurt and my eyes got cloudy

with the cold.

Hyperbole Pg. 17

...the heat of all those words we had

not spoken.

Metaphor Pg. 20

Then the owl pumped its great

wings and lifted off the branch like

a shadow without sound.

Simile Pg. 27

But I was a shadow as we walked

home.

Metaphor Pg. 27

The kind of hope that flies on silent

wings under a shining Owl Moon.

Metaphor Pg. 28


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Writing Extension/Independent Practice:

Students will be practicing the use of figurative language by writing a descriptive paragraph

about some aspect of winter—nature, a winter activity, a winter holiday, etc. Show the students a

teacher-written sample and have them highlight and label the figurative language in small

groups. Discuss and then give them time to write and revise. Have a brief author share for

students to share their paragraphs and then hang them on the winter bulletin board with the owls

and moons.

A Brief Winter Walk

By E.L. Gingrich

Pulling my trusty wooden sled behind me as delicately as a sheet of glass, I trudged to

Dead Man‘s Hill, which is what us neighborhood kids called the local sledding hot spot that

cascaded like a Slip ‗N Slide down toward a slimy pond in the middle of a nearby park. As I

walked along in anticipation of the ride I was about to experience, my eyes ate up the gorgeous

scenery that surrounded me. My neighborhood was a line right out of that popular holiday song

Winter Wonderland. The snow covered the trees as if it were a white blanket tucking the

branches in for a long winter‘s rest. Icicles hung from the eaves of the houses like crystal

stalagmites. The crisp snow crunched under my fire engine-red boots louder than a hundred

people eating potato chips all at once. Winter…what a breathtaking season of the year.


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DIRECTIONS: In your pods, highlight all of the figurative language that is present in this

paragraph. After you highlight the examples, label them with what type of figurative language

they represent. There are 4 similes, 2 examples of personification, 1 metaphor, and even 1

hyperbole.

Name_______________________

Winter Paragraph Rubric

Criteria Points

Paragraph includes 1 simile _____/20

Paragraph includes 1 metaphor _____/20

Paragraph includes 1 example of

personification

_____/10

Paragraph includes 1 example of hyperbole _____/10

Paragraph does not contain any run-on

sentences

_____/5

Paragraph contains very few spelling,

punctuation, and capitalization errors

_____/10

Paragraph stays on topic and flows from

sentence to sentence

_____/10

Paragraph contains strong word choice and

interesting details/description

_____/10

Paragraph has a creative title _____/5

TOTAL _____/100

Documents

Accelerating Literacy Skills - Loudoun County Public Schools · Accelerating Literacy Skills ... Owl Moon ... time for reading aloud, including books for students to read and use