Framework

Goal: Middletown has designed various instructional programs in the area of English Language Arts (ELA) to support students in developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This instruction is intended to support all students in achieving the New York State English Language Arts standards and provide equitable opportunity to become life-long learners. This instruction will allow learners to apply literacy to real-life situations and make meaning of the world as effective members of the global society.

Middletown’s Literacy Framework: Students learn to read, write, and speak successfully when a variety of instructional approaches are made available. Middletown believes that the following approaches provide a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the district’s literacy programs in Pre-K through grade 12.

Reading Aloud: The purpose of a Read-Aloud is to help students discover meaning through listening and discussion. Reading to children stimulates their desire to become a reader. Through conversation, dialogue and discussion, the teacher assists the reader in getting meaning from, and bringing meaning to, the text. The learner listens to complex language patterns and acquires knowledge of text structure, vocabulary, and concepts. As the teacher reads aloud, students have many opportunities to hear the teacher’s thinking about text and engage in discussions about their thinking of the text to create meaning.

Shared Reading: Shared reading is about the systematic and explicit teaching of reading done with a group of learners using an enlarged text. Students are provided with an opportunity to participate successfully in the reading process. Teachers demonstrate the reading process and strategies that successful readers use. Students and teacher share the task of reading texts that may otherwise be too difficult. In this way, learners can apply these strategies in their own reading. Texts may include big books, overhead transparencies, and posters. During these lessons, teachers also discuss the conventions, language, and structures of the written text.

Guided Reading: Guiding reading provides an opportunity for students to learn, practice, and take responsibility for their reading. Students will practice the skills and strategies modeled in the Read-Aloud or shared reading lessons. The text and focus of the group must be based on the needs of the students. The role of the teacher is to introduce the text and observe students reading silently as they process the information. It is important that teachers identify the challenges within the chosen text to help guide the students throughout. The groups are focused on reading, thinking, and discussing the text within the group.

Independent Reading: The purpose of independent reading is to provide many opportunities for students to practice the strategies acquired in guided reading with a text that is at a level lower than their instructional level. Independent reading will also increase reading stamina and encourage students to become life-long readers. During independent reading time, the teacher confers with students about appropriate book choice, strategies the students use, and monitors student progress. Classrooms contain libraries that range in genres, levels, and interests. Students become experts in choosing appropriate books that match their needs and interest as a reader.

Word/Language Study: Word/language study provides students with opportunities to become aware of sounds and how they relate to symbols in the written language. Beginning readers are taught the alphabet, relationship between sounds and letters, high frequency words, as well as spelling patterns. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are language processes that require students to know about words and their meanings, but students need to also understand the way words are combined into sentences, paragraphs, and complete texts.

Literature Study: Literature study involves reading and thinking about works of fiction and nonfiction. Students gather together to collaborate and discuss responses to text that may include characters, genres, author’s writing style, literary techniques, themes, and concepts. Students are consistently asked to reflect on, analyze, and critique texts that they have read.

Interactive Writing: Interactive writing provides an opportunity for students and teachers to “share the pen” in composing, rereading, and constructing various types of texts. The teacher models and guides students in their understanding of the writing process, the mechanics of writing, and sets a purpose for writing. This practice enables students to understand various strategies to use when writing independently. Teachers write the words that students know how to write, as well as words or parts of words that are too difficult. Interactive writing is usually used with beginning writers and is the bridge between shared and independent writing.

Modeled Writing: Modeled writing provides an opportunity for students to understand the process of writing and the thinking that is involved as a writer. The teacher composes and writes the text on chart paper or a transparency for the students to observe, respond, and question. The teacher models through a “think aloud” the writing process which includes revisions, asking questions, clarifying, and editing the text.

Shared Writing: Shared writing provides students with the experience of the writing process in a collaborative group. Children work together to compose a text while the teacher “shares the pen.” Usually the teacher contributes to the text and helps guide the way the text is constructed, but the writing comes primarily from the children’s thoughts and ideas. As the students compose the text, the teacher discusses conventions, structures, and features of the written text. This approach allows the teacher to scaffold the writing process for the student as they learn about the craft of writing.

Guided Writing: Guided writing allows the teacher to work with a small group, or an individual student, to provide explicit teaching based on identified needs of the student(s) through teacher observation and student work. Writing skills and strategies are modeled within an authentic context. This provides students with an opportunity to develop independence in their writing and self-monitor their learning of strategic writing.

Independent Writing: Independent writing needs to be a daily component of the writing program in order to build up stamina and develop “writing habit.” Students are provided opportunities to choose to write for a variety of purposes and a range of audiences. During independent writing, students are given the chance to practice using strategies learned through modeled, shared, and guided writing instruction. Teachers confer with students and discuss publication of their work.

Assessment: Recorded systematic assessments build a profile of literacy learning that serves as a crucial tool for planning and instruction throughout all approaches. Specifically, literacy assessments provide information about students’ strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, speaking, and listening as evidence of progress. Middletown’s literacy assessments are directly linked to instruction. The data from these assessments provides information about what the student can do and what they need in their learning.