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= = =**Watertown 3-6 Literacy Class** =

 **Instructors: Sherisse Chilson & Heather Eide,**  **Watertown Middle School**  **Contact Numbers: Heather - 520-0380, Sherisse - 520-2661**  **e-mail: heather.eide@k12.sd.us, sherisse.chilson@k12.sd.us, Andrea.VanDyke@k12.sd.us**   **This course will cover comprehensive literacy. Students will learn how to implement Readers' and Writers' Workshop into their elementary classrooms. They will also learn how to teach phonics and use assessment to inform their teaching.**

 Inspirational Videos

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 Author Info & Book Talks

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 **Comprehensive Literacy Instruction**  Acquiring literacy is a highly complex process. By examining the ways in which children acquire language and learn to read and write, it becomes apparent that there are many different factors that affect literacy learning. These include instructional practices, students' prior knowledge and experience, students' primary language, and the language of instruction, teacher expertise, parent involvement, instructional materials, and expectations. In addition, assessment, evaluation, and analysis of learning with respect to standards can and should have an impact on instruction. It is, therefore, imperative that thoughtful consideration be given to the most effective means of providing literacy instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students to help ensure their learning success.

Comprehensive literacy instruction encompasses all of the following components:

Shared Reading
===Using an enlarged text that all children can see, the teacher involves children in reading together. The teacher and children sit close together to read and reread the book. It provides children with a positive, enjoyable reading experience, but it allows teachers to systematically and explicitly show children how to be readers themselves. The children are actively involved in the reading. The teacher draws the children's attention to the print and helps them to identify words and book/print conventions. The process includes: ===

4. rereading the products of interactive or shared writing
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Reading Aloud** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> The teacher reads aloud to the whole class. A carefully selected body of children's literature is used; the collection contains a variety of genres and represents our diverse society. A great way to instill the love of reading and good literature in students.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Guided Reading** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> The teacher works with a small group who have similar reading processes. The groups are flexible, allowing for children to change groups as their reading experience and abilities develop. The teacher selects and introduces new books and supports children reading the whole text to themselves, making teaching points during and after the reading. Guided Reading allows for the teacher to work at the child's instructional level of reading.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Independent Reading** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Children read on their own or with partners from a wide range of self selected materials at their independent reading level.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Shared Writing** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> The teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories; teacher supports process as scribe and guides the children through the writing process.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Interactive Writing** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> As in shared writing, teacher and children compose messages and stories that are written using a "shared pen" technique that involves children in the writing. It is necessary to know the students and their abilities.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Guided Writing or Writing Workshop** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Guided Writing can be a whole class, small group, or individual activity. Children engage in writing a variety of texts. Teacher guides the process and provides instruction through mini-lessons and conferences. Group sharing is also an important component.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Independent Writing** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Children write their own pieces, including (in addition to stories and informational pieces) retellings, labeling, speech balloons, lists, etc.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Working with Words** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Woven through the activities and the framework, teachers have opportunities to help children notice and use letters and words; knowledge is further fostered through the use of alphabet centers and word walls.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Assessment** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Assessment is ongoing and interwoven throughout the components.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Readers' Workshop The Reader's Workshop method combines whole group instruction in mini-lessons, small needs-based groups, individual conferring and a group share to guide students through the application of reading strategies, skills and the seven basic comprehension strategies.Reader's Workshop consists of a daily routine:
 * 10-15 minutes - Mini-lesson
 * 40-45 minutes - Worktime / Guided Reading Groups
 * 5-10 minutes - Share

I have listed some wonderful sites below that explain Readers' Workshop and provide ideas for management, lessons, etc. [] [] [] [|http://hackensack.nj.k12us.com/l.hayek/Reader's%20Workshop] [] [] The following site has several videos in a second grade classroom that employs Reader's Workshop. [|http://quest.carnegiefoundation.org/~dpointer/jennifermyers/workshopapproach.htm]