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Language Arts
GIPS K-12 Language Arts Program
Philosophy
Grand Island Public Schools will provide students with a comprehensive,
integrated, standards-based language arts program that actively
involves learners in authentic and meaningful reading, writing,
speaking, and listening experiences. Students will be provided with
effective learning strategies to help them reach their maximum level of
proficiency as communicators, problem solvers, and critical thinkers.
GIPS K-12 Language Arts Program
Beliefs
- Students are unique and reflect a wide range of diversity.
Therefore, a variety of instructional strategies and resources will be used to reflect and respect a wide range of diversity.
- All students will become empowered by developing their literacy abilities to their fullest potential.
Therefore, the skills of literacy will be taught in meaningful ways,
using instructional strategies which accommodate various learning
styles.
- Students learn best through a variety of language
experiences that actively engage them in the acquisition of both basic
and higher level thinking skills.
Therefore, curriculum needs to be presented in an integrated format which utilizes a balanced literacy approach.
- Learning is best enhanced when assessment informs and drives instruction.
Therefore, assessment will be systematic and closely linked to
instruction in order to facilitate sound instructional decisions for
each student.
- Becoming literate is dependent upon strong links among home, school, and the community.
Therefore, the various roles of home, school, and community will be
highlighted through effective communication and reinforcement of
partnerships.
GIPS K-12 Language Arts Program
Balanced Literacy Model
The district’s balanced literacy model is based on the belief that all
students will learn to communicate effectively through a variety of
integrated strategies and activities. All district students are
expected to perform at high levels of communicating and thinking.
Balanced literacy instruction is considered a necessity at all grade
levels. Instructional components of a balanced literacy program
include reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities as listed
on the GIPS K-12 Language Arts Curriculum Design Framework.
This balanced literacy model reflects the concept that reading is the
construction of meaning. Thus, the primary goal of reading instruction
is to provide each student with the knowledge, strategies, and
opportunities necessary to constructively engage with printed text,
regardless of the media format. The ultimate goal of effective reading
instruction is the development of readers who understand unfamiliar
text.
The acquisition of reading is a complex process that involves the
learning of cognitive knowledge such as phonics, as well as
contextually-based strategies that permit the reader to engage in a
variety of different reading tasks. Successful reading programs use a
variety of teaching strategies, programs, and resources in order to
develop students who are independent readers.
Students need a variety of opportunities to read text in order to
practice and develop comprehension skills. Comprehension development
also requires extensive modeling, direct instruction, and opportunities
to respond to text in meaningful ways. All teachers are expected to
provide modeling, instruction, and response opportunities as a part of
the balanced literacy model.
Writing, speaking, and listening instruction are integral components of
the K-12 language arts program. The teaching of the processes of
writing is expected to be integrated with reading instruction at the
K-12 grade levels. Writing, speaking, and listening activities need to
be integrated throughout all K-12 curricula.
Successful balanced literacy programs allocate substantial amounts of
time for instruction and practice. Instructional time allotment
guidelines must provide sufficient time for effective integrated
reading and writing instruction at grades K-12. A minimum of two to
two and a half hours a day will be devoted to reading instruction and
independent reading in the primary grades. A minimum of one and a half
to two hours a day will be devoted to reading instruction and reading
in the intermediate grades. At the middle school a minimum of ninety
minutes of uninterrupted instructional time will be devoted to
integrated language arts instruction.
GIPS K-12 Language Arts Program
Balanced Literacy Instructional Components
A balanced literacy program includes reading, writing, listening, and
speaking. Instructional components include shared reading, guided
reading, skill instruction, read alouds, word study, independent
reading, comprehension strategy instruction, the writing process, the
six traits of effective writing, and speaking and listening instruction.
READING
Students will use multiple reading
strategies and skills to comprehend a variety of print and nonprint.
Students will use print and nonprint for a variety of purposes.
Shared Reading
The shared reading experience is intended to be used as an
instructional approach that facilitates student interaction with text
that cannot be read independently during the student’s initial exposure
to the text. The teacher will use this instructional strategy to model
the reading of the text, model strategies, guide student application
of strategies, facilitate discussion, guide rereading of the text, and
promote skills instruction. This procedure is used when necessary.
Guided Reading
The guided reading lesson is used to facilitate student reading at each
student’s instructional level. The primary purpose is to facilitate
student independent reading of text with the application of reading
strategies in order to derive meaning. The students are to be coached
in the application of problem solving strategies when encountering
unknown words or when trying to figure out meaning. In grades K-5 the
guided reading procedure will be used as an integral component of the
reading program on a daily basis. The elementary classroom schedule
will have an hour of uninterrupted time in order to effectively
implement guided reading. It is not essential for every group to meet
daily. However, it is important for the most struggling readers to
receive instruction on a daily basis. In grades 6-8 the guided reading
procedure will be used as an integral component of the balanced
literacy program.
Skill Instruction
In grades K-5 the basal anthology and support materials (Scholastic
Literacy Place 2000) are intended to provide teachers with a core
teaching tool and all students with a common instructional base for
developing skills and strategies.
In grades 6-8 The Reader’s Handbook and support materials provide
teachers with a common instructional tool for developing comprehension
skills and strategies. These skills and strategies will be
incorporated into literacy and learning activities across the
curriculum whenever a student is expected to learn content concepts
through the reading of text.
Read Aloud
Each teacher will allocate time for reading aloud to students on a daily basis. The specific time frame will vary.
Word Study
Word study includes time spent for phonological and phonemic awareness
development, phonics instruction, structural analysis instruction,
vocabulary development, and spelling.
Independent Reading
Independent reading opportunities will be provided at every grade
level. Independent reading includes rereading (oral or silent) for
fluency and comprehension, personal reading, sustained silent reading,
assigned independent reading from narrative or expository text,
individual reading for collaborative activities such as literature
circles, and reading to locate information.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Comprehension must be emphasized within all reading instruction.
Comprehension strategies and skills will be modeled and then applied by
students to informational and literary text. Instruction will include
questions and activities that focus on student identification of
explicit information as well as activities that promote student
reasoning and responses that elicit critical thinking. Because there
is a strong correlation between reading comprehension and fluency,
students will be given frequent opportunities for fluency practice.
Fluency
Fluency is the bridge from word recognition to comprehension. More
fluent readers focus their attention on making connections among the
ideas in a text and between these ideas and their background
knowledge. Therefore, they are able to focus on comprehension. Direct
instruction in fluency will lead to significant growth in reading
comprehension.
WRITING
Students will be given
opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Writing activities that support reading comprehension will be provided
on a regular -- if not daily -- basis in all grades. Effective writing
instruction will incorporate teaching and using the six traits of
effective writing and the writing process. Modes of writing will
include narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive, creative,
workplace, and research.
Writing Process
Students will be given frequent and regular opportunities to learn and
use the writing process in language arts instruction throughout grades
K-12. The writing process will also be integrated into content area
writing in grades K-12.
Six Traits of Effective Writing
Students will be given frequent and regular opportunities to learn and
use the six traits of effective writing in order to communicate
effectively. Instruction and opportunities for the use of the six
traits of effective writing will be integrated into content area
writing in grades K-12.
SPEAKING
Students will use multiple speaking
strategies and skills to communicate orally. Students will speak for a
variety of purposes and audiences.
LISTENING
Students will use multiple listening
strategies and skills to comprehend a variety of oral messages.
Students will listen for a variety of purposes.