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Welcome to ELA 2014Helen S. CombaSchool District of the Chathams

+What parents need to know!

http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/shifts-for-students-and-parents.pdf

+SDOC: Balancing Fiction and Nonfiction

Treasures* has a balance of fiction and nonfiction.

Classroom libraries have a variety of genre, both fiction and nonfiction.

Teachers are encouraged to have students read more broadly.

Time for Kids Grades 5-6 edition is now being used by Grade 4 teachers.

Junior Scholastic is now being used by Grade 5 to enhance nonfiction reading.

* National Geographic’s materials are being ordered for next year in order to improve the quality of informational text being read in school.

+SDOC: Informational Text

Common Core refers to nonfiction as informational text.

Informational text does not include biography and other books that are more of a blend between fiction and nonfiction.

That said, informational text is a very broad genre.

Important to understand the purpose and audience of informational text.

+Nonfiction/Informational Text

+SDOC: Interactive Read Aloud

Teachers engage in read alouds.

Teachers mark think spots on the text.

Teachers model their own thinking.

Students think critically at think spots.

Students synthesize their thinking about a text.

Students pause and ponder about a text.

Teachers and students use Accountable Talk.

+Marking Think Spots/Coding Evidence

+Use Accountable Talk

+SDOC: Close Reading

The Close Reading Model is a set of strategies designed to help students to read text more thoughtfully.

It is useful for reading complex text and citing evidence.

Consultant (Shelly Klein) has provided training to teachers.

Teachers are learning how to teach strategies such as text annotation.

Close Reading is recommended by the authors of the Common Core.

+SDOC: Challenging Texts

How do we support readers when they are reading a challenging text?

Multiple readings of the text

Chunk the text

Read aloud

Use close reading strategies

+SDOC: Academic Vocabulary

Not all vocabulary requires the same emphasis.

Some words are the mortar between the bricks. These are the high frequency words.

General Academic Words: Some words are not content specific, but may require instruction and repeat exposure to be learned.

Specific Academic Words: Some words are content specific.

+SDOC: Balancing Text-Types

Narrative Writing: small moments, realistic fiction, personal narratives

Nonfiction Writing: narratives, essays, reports

Persuasive Writing: letters, essays

Poetry: Can be narrative, nonfiction or persuasive

Reading about Writing: RAFT, literary essays

+Narrative Writing: Realistic Fiction

+RAFT is for Writing about Reading

+Update: PARCC

PARCC assessments will be technology based.

Sample computer-based questions are now available.

Students will be typing on computers.

Students will be dragging and dropping responses into boxes.

SDOC students will be participating in pilot testing this spring.

+Final Remarks: Surface Details

Spelling: Teachers focus on word study (grades four and five include vocabulary study.)

Handwriting: Cursive writing begins in second grade and at the same time PARCC assessment requires computer use.

Grammar: Teachers are Integrating the study of grammar within writing workshop (see examples in the slides that follow).

Writing Workshop Units of Study include grammar mini-lessons.

Teachers will be receiving a grammar resource book in 2014-2015.

+Grammar Instruction within the Writing Process

+Direct Instruction: Adjectives (Color Words)

+Edit/Revise

+Dialogue

+Word Choice

+Powerful Verbs

+Craft Lessons

+Resources for Parents

http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/shifts-for-students-and-parents.pdf

http://www.corestandards.org/

http://www.engageny.org/parent-guides-to-the-common-core-standards

http://pta.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2583