ORGANIZING+A+LITERACY+PROGRAM

=ORGANIZING A LITERACY PROGRAM = = =

The goal of a successful literacy program is to help students become readers and writers in the fullest sense. We want them not only to learn to read and write, but also learn the purposes of reading and writing. We want literacy to become an integral part of their lives. = = There are seven different learning continua (adapted from Fountas and Pinnell) in a comprehensive literacy program. They include:

1. **Interactive Read-Aloud and Literature Discussion** - students are engaged in deep discussion with one another about a text that the teacher has read aloud or they have read independently.

2. **Shared and Performance Reading** - students read together or take roles in reading a shared text. Activities might include students doing a play, students reading a story together to improve their fluency.

3. **Writing about Reading** - Students extend their understanding of a text through a variety of writing genres. Activities might include students writing plot summaries, graphic organizers or letters to the author.

4.  **Independent Reading** - Students take ownership and gain choice as they choose their reading selection. Teachers structure the activity and engage students in meaningful and enriching discussion about the text.

5. **Writing** - Students compose and write their own examples of a variety of genres. Activities might include students writing essays, poetry or biographies.

6. **Phonics, Spelling and Word Study** - Students learn about the relationships of letters to sounds as well as the structure of words (ex: plurals, prefixes, suffixes, syllables) = = = = 7. **Guided Reading** - Students read a teacher-selected text (at their instructional level) in a small group and the teacher provides explicit teaching and support. Some comprehension teaching strategies might include summarizing, predicting, making connections, solving words, analyzing, or maintaining fluency. Word work is optional after the lesson.

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