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A personal tour of the revised map for 2008 - 2009

Capistrano Unified School District

Second Grade

Balanced Literacy/Open Court Map

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Before you begin the tour…Make sure you have:

a copy of the revised map in front of you.highlighters, post its, and a pen or pencil

nearby.your Open Court TEs if needed.

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Why the changes? Open Court Units were out of sequence.

OC is sequenced to maximize learning of reading skills and strategies.

Unit 5 was held out for summer school. It will still be used in summer school, but all children will

benefit from its carefully designed and sequenced instruction.

The writing column did not include newly developed tools for teaching writing.Now we have standards -based analytic rubrics,

accompanying anchor papers, and glossary to help guide student writing.

We can do more with our resources.

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What’s the same?Each map is organized by components of

Balanced Literacy and by OC Unit.Time is sectioned by trimester.OC Reading selection titles are included.Maps are available online on the educator

support website http://www.capousd.org/edusupport

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What’s different?Let’s look at the Getting Started page (Days 1-

15)Some teachers skip this fifteen day sequence, but

look what students miss…40 essential high frequency sight words10 engaging read alouds (First Reader selections)14 decodable books that review first grade skills and

help teachers assess reading abilityTraining in routines and procedures for Open Court

All students can benefit from Getting Started lessons.

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What’s different?Now look at the Guided Reading section on

page 2 (Getting Started)Notice the decodable titles are there along with

the skills emphasized in each. You can target skills practice for different

groups based on your assessments. This format is consistent throughout the map.

Matching appropriate materials to learners helps us maximize learning time.

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What’s different?Check out the Writing column (Getting Started)

Additions include a focus for the unit and assessment prompts.

Online references are given.This format is consistent throughout the map

Notice the empty Content Area Connections box•Space is provided in each unit for your team’s

content area tie-ins.

BL/OC maps help us make reading and writing connections that enhance learning.

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What’s different? Jump to Unit 1 – Sharing Stories

•The WORKING WITH SOUNDS AND WORDS column includes phonics skills from the OC green section per story.

•The SHARED READING column names one comprehension strategy to focus on throughout the unit. The OC comprehension skills from the red section are listed per story.

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Unit 1 – Sharing Stories continued

• VOCABULARY STRATEGIES for the unit are squeezed in below Independent Reading. These are from the OC blue section.

• These changes apply to Units 1-6

Open Court is our best source for explicit and systematic instruction.

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What’s different?Turn to Unit 2 - Kindness

•Unit 6 stories are featured as read alouds when integrated with social studies, but corresponding lessons are taught in the spring when students will enjoy reading the selections themselves.

•The Unit 2, Lesson 6 selection has been moved to READ ALOUD. Teachers can use green and blue section content with students as needed.

BL/OC Maps present logical ways to manage language arts materials.

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Unit 2 – Kindness continued

Notice in the WRITING column one of the six traits of effective writing is introduced. This one is ORGANIZATION. For Unit 1 it was IDEAS.

Each unit has an emphasis that goes with the

writing genre. You will find the traits on the analytic rubrics as

well.

OC Blue Section and Write Away have lesson ideas.

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Unit 2 – Kindness continued•More on the WRITING column:

What about spelling? The standards for spelling in grade 2 are repeated

on every map page. Why? No matter which approach or which “program” you use, the standards remain the same. The map keeps us focused on what every child should be taught.

Open Court integrates grade level reading and spelling skills. Word

Study offers a range of levels for all students to progress

developmentally.

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What’s different?Browse Unit 3 – Look Again

Unit 3 is taught in sequence, following Unit 2. The content area connections are for you to fill

in.

Pacing instruction helps avoid gaps and “cramming for the test”.

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What’s different?Flip to Unit 4 – FossilsThe Unit 4 Lesson 2 selection has been moved to

READ ALOUD.The WRITING focus is expository for three

reasons:Reading selections model it.Students need to write expository as well as

narrative text.With only two required applications in grade 2,

there is time to explore this genre.

Writing is essential to academic success.

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What’s different?Welcome the “new” Unit 5 – Courage

This third trimester unit was formerly set aside for summer school, but now all second graders will benefit from its rich lessons and engaging reading selections.

Unit 5 will continue to be used as a review for struggling readers in summer school.

The O.C. vocabulary strategies for this unit (synonyms, antonyms, base words, affixes) are research-proven as effective for student learning.

Open Court decodables end here for grade 2.

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What’s different?Finally, turn to Unit 6 – Our Country and Its

PeopleThe stories were read aloud in Unit 2, but

should be revisited within the lessons in Unit 6.Use Lesson 1, The First Americans as a choice

for independent reading.The WORDS column gives more emphasis to

word analysis and less to phonics as students approach grade three.

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End of tourLet’s look back at our ten key ideas from the

revised BL/OC map:We can do more with our resources.

All students can benefit from Getting Started lessons.

Matching appropriate materials to learners helps us maximize learning time.

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Key Ideas continued…

BL/OC maps help us make reading and writing connections that enhance learning.

Open Court is our best source for explicit and systematic instruction.

BL/OC Maps present logical ways to manage language arts materials.

OC Blue Section and Write Away have lesson ideas.

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Key Ideas continued…

Open Court integrates grade level reading and spelling skills. Word Study offers a range of levels for all students to progress developmentally.

Pacing instruction helps avoid gaps and “cramming for the test”.

Writing is essential to academic success.

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The revised BL/OC map provides more tools to help teachers plan and

deliver the language arts curriculum.

Special thanks to second grade teachers Caroline Platt, Nancy Hemenway and Marie Sykes for their work on this project.