Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

Reading Frameworks and Instructional Strategies

Balanced Literacy

Balanced literacy is an approach to teaching reading and writing that has gained widespread acceptance in recent years. Aligned with Reading First; a balanced literacy program includes explicit instruction in decoding, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing. A balanced literacy classroom includes teacher modeling, guided practice, collaborative group work, independent practice, and the use of authentic literature (anthologies and novels). The district supports a particular model of balanced literacy based on Pat Cunninghams Four Blocks. The four blocks, or components of the model are: guided reading, writing, self-selected reading and word study. Project CRISS Developed by Dr. Carol Santa, Project CRISS (Creating Independence through Student-owned Strategies) focuses on teaching students how to learn through reading, writing, speaking and listening. The program includes:

Authors craft Discussion Background knowledge Metacognition Writing Organization

Teachers may use Project CRISS strategies as part of a balanced literacy program during guided reading as well as across the curriculum. Core Literature List In addition to the Houghton-Mifflin and Harcourt Brace Reading Series, teachers may use trade books or novels for reading instruction in a balance literature program. Developed by a committee of teachers, a Core Literature List is available for teacher use in each school. The purpose of the Core Literature List is to insure that all students will be taught a variety of literary text including current publications and multicultural titles. Teachers are expected to honor the Core Literature List. This means that the novels on the list are not to be taught and/or assigned to students in any other grade other than the grade listed. This does not prevent students from self-selecting these books at any grade level for independent reading or from teaching excerpts from these novels from anthology materials. Teachers are not required to teach all the novels on the list, and are encouraged to add additional titles. Teachers may add or delete books by contacting the District Language Arts Supervisor.

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Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

Core Literature List for Grade 4

Novel Author Babe the Gallant Pig Dick King-Smith The Borrowers Mary Norton Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl The Chocolate Touch Patrick S. Catling The Enormous Egg Oliver Butterworth Freckle Juice Judy Blume *Friendship and the Gold Cadillac

Mildred Taylor

How to Eat Fried Worms Thomas Rockwell *Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Banks *Justin and the Best Biscuits In the World Mildred Pitts Misty of Chincoteaque Marguerite Henry The Plant that Ate Dirty Socks Nancy McArthur *Sato and the Elephants Juanita Havill *Save by Rainforest Monica Zak The Skates of Uncle Richard Carol Fenner Stone Fox John R. Gardiner Stuart Little E.B.White *Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Judy Blume Tales From Gold Mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World

Paul Lee

A Taste of Blackberries Delores Buchanan Smith *Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear Linsey Namioko

* Multicultural Books

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Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

Core Literature List for Grade 5

Novel Author *Boat Girl Bernard Ashley Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson The Cay Theodore Taylor Dear Mr. Henshaw Beverly Cleary Fantastic Mr. Fox Roald Dahl From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwriler

E.L. Konigsburg

Hatchet Gary Paulsen *The Hundred Penny Box Sharon Bell Mathis *In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Bette Boa Lord James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl Kid in the Red Jacket Barbara Park The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe C.S. Lewis The Mouse and the Motorcycle Beverly Cleary Phillip Hall Likes Me I Reckon Bette Greene *Sadako and the thousand Paper Cranes Eleanor Coerr Sarah, Plain and Tall Patricia MacLachlan *Sign of the Beaver Elizabeth George

Speare Skylark Patricia MacLachlan *Sounder William Howard

Armstrong *The Story of Women who Shaped the West Mary Virginia Fox The Trumpet of the Swan E.B. White Whipping Boy Sid Fleishman The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George

Speare * Multicultural Books

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Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

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Core Literature List for Grade 6

Novel Author The Black Pearl Scott Odell Bunnicula Deborah and James Howe *Colin Powell: Straight To The Top

Rose Blue and Corinne Naden

*Famous Asian Americans Janet Morey and Wendy Dunn The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson *Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs

Jamie Gilson

Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott ODell *A Jar of Dreams Yoshiko Uchida *Maniac McGee Jerry Spinelli Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. OBrien *Number the Stars Lois Lowry The Phantom Tollbooth Norman Juster The Pinballs Betsy Byars *Rosa Parks: My Story Rosa Parks *Rooftop Astronomer: A Story About Marie Mitchell

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor *Space Challenger: the Story of Guion Bluford

Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson

Strider Beverly Cleary Summer of the Swans Betsy Byars Tales Mummies Tell Patricia Lauber Tuck Everlasting Natalie Babbitt The Westing Game Ellen Raskin Where the Red Fern Grows W.Rawls Wrinkle in Time Madeline LEngle * Multicultural Books

Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

Direct Instruction Siegfried Engelmann pioneered the Direct Instruction method of instruction in the 1960s. This method is based on a careful analysis of different content areas to determine the sequence of skills and concepts needed to master a wide variety of academic subjects. The SRA reading programs, Reading Mastery and Corrective Reading, have been adopted by the Christina School Districts Special Services office for special needs students in grades K-12. Special needs students are expected to receive services in Direct Instruction intervention in addition to daily exposure to the Districts core reading program.

These programs provide consistent methods of instruction using certain principles. First, all concepts are broken into sub-skills. Second, each skill is taught so that students fully understand it. Then each skill is practiced until it is completely mastered. Specific skills addressed in the programs are decoding, fluency and comprehension (literal and inferential).

Common to the various Direct Instruction programs developed under Engelmanns direction are:

1. Field-tested programs 2. Tightly scripted lesson plans that leave no guess work 3. Interactive lessons requiring frequent verbal responses 4. Lessons presented to small groups of students 5. Immediate monitoring and correcting of errors by teachers 6. Students are grouped by performance level 7. Frequent assessment of student progress 8. Presentation books provide for maximum effectiveness and efficiency

during instruction 9. Totally integrated skill books, textbooks, and authentic literature.

The Special Education teacher is responsible for providing this method of reading

instruction for their students. Training and coaching in these methodologies are expected, and provided by the cadre or outside consultants.

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Reading Handbook Grades 4-6

Direct Instruction Frequently Asked Questions

1.When do I use Direct Instruction as opposed to the regular reading program?

In the case of special education instruction, the IEP is always the guide, keeping in mind that special education students should receive Direct Instruction on a daily basis as well as exposure to the core reading program. If students are working in the intermediate grades more than 2 years below grade level, the teacher needs to choose the Decoding series. If students are working only a year below, the regular Reading Mastery program at the student's reading level is an appropriate choice. 2. How can I best balance using the Direct Instruction programs and expose students to the regular curriculum? To answer this question, it would depend on the students instructional level and the IEP goals/objectives. For example if a student is academically within a year of his/her chronological grade level, limited Direct Instruction exposure coupled with participation in the core reading program should be expected. A student functioning 2 or more years below his/her chronological grade level is expected to receive rigorous instruction in the Decoding series in addition to participation in the core reading program. The teacher needs to look at each students needs and provide an appropriate level of instruction to help the student meet the standards. 3.How do I know where to place students within Direct Instruction programs?

Each Direct Instruction program has a placement test that should be administered prior to placement in any program. The tests are straight forward and usually quickly administered. 4. Do Direct Instruction programs help students work towards meeting the standards in Language Arts?

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The research (which is substantial over many years) has shown that students make gains in this type of instruction. These programs can be a very effective part of Language Arts Instruction.

Reading Frameworks and Instructional StrategiesBalanced LiteracyCore Literature List

CoreBookList_16-18.pdfCore Literature List for Grade 4Core Literature List for Grade 5Core Literature List for Grade 6

ReadingFramework_DirectInst_19.pdfDirect Instruction