Language Arts
Writing
o We use Kid Writing and Lucy Caulkins as our guiding principal for teaching writing.
o Children are encouraged to write the sounds they hear as they stretch words (phonics).
o Children are encouraged to write about what they know.
o Children will write all about stories and how-to booklets.
Reading (Decoding and Comprehension)
o Small groups are used during guided reading to promote fluency and use of reading strategies.
o Read alouds are used to promote comprehension within and beyond the text.
o Shared reading/ echo reading promote reading behaviors such as left/ right progression, return sweep, and 1:1 correspondence when reading words.
o Independent reading is built in throughout the day by using poems, pocket chart stories, and small books.
Sight Words
o The more sight words children know the better readers they become.
o These are words that are among those used most frequently by children in their writing.
o Sight words help to build fluency.
Phonological Awareness
Nursery Rhymes
Alive
Plant Life
Weather
Me (Social Science)
Math
