Josie Di Giovanni Superintendent of Education

Curriculum and Accountability Team

Teresa Paoli Program Coordinator

Literacy and Library Services www.cateam.ca

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES

2009 - 2010

Wards

1. Joseph Martino 416-512-3401 2. Ann Andrachuk, Vice Chair 416-512-3402 3. Sal Piccininni 416-512-3403 4. Mary Cicogna 416-512-3404 5. Maria Rizzo 416-512-3405 6. Rob Davis 416-512-3406 7. John Del Grande 416-512-3407 8. Mary Ann Robillard 416-512-3408 9. Catherine LeBlanc-Miller 416-512-3409 10. Barbara Poplawski 416-512-3410 11. Angela Kennedy, Chair 416-512-3411 12. Paul John Crawford 416-512-3412 Connor Rollit, Student Trustee 416-512-3413

Ann Perron Director of Education

Angela Kennedy Chair of the Board

© Toronto Catholic District School Board, 2009 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto ON M2N 6E8

www.tcdsb.org

Revised October 2009

KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE THREE

A Parent’s Guide to

Comprehensive Literacy

for every child… in every classroom…

The Toronto Catholic District School Board

is committed to integrating Catholic

beliefs into the learning experiences

of every student. Using the gospel

values as the anchor for literacy learning, we are committed to guiding students to become confident and reflective lifelong readers and writers.

Comprehensive Literacy

The Home-School Connection

Some Helpful Suggestions

Children learn by example. Let them see you reading and writing.

Talk with your child about things you are doing and thinking.

Encourage your child to tell you what he or she thinks or feels.

To encourage a love of reading, read the world around you (e.g., recipes, billboards, flyers, signs, cereal boxes).

Read to your child frequently and make it an enjoyable experience. Discover what he/she enjoys. Choose books in English and in your first language.

Provide hands-on materials to encourage alphabet and word play (e.g., magnetic letters, cookie sheets, play dough).

Encourage your child to join in and read along with you. Reread favourite texts.

Engage in discussion before, during and after reading to promote active thinking (e.g., I like/dislike . . . I learned . . . I wonder what will happen next. . .).

To encourage a love of writing, praise and appreciate all attempts at writing (e.g., pictures, symbols, letters, word approximations). Celebrate and display your child’s writing.

Write birthday cards, e-mail messages, grocery lists and letters together. Provide a variety of writing materials.

Play games together (e.g., Scrabble, I Spy, Concentration, Guess Who?).

Visit a Toronto Public Library and discover its resources.

Explore the following websites:

www.tcdsb.org www.edu.gov.on.ca www.tpl.toronto.on.ca

Comprehensive Literacy

Comprehensive Literacy is rooted in policy mandated in the Ministry of Education curriculum documents: The Kindergarten Program, (2006) and the Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language, (2006). Comprehensive Literacy addresses all four strands of the Language Arts curriculum: reading, writing, oral language and media literacy.

Comprehensive Literacy includes a balance of instructional approaches and authentic, ongoing assessment. Instruction is planned and delivered to meet the needs of all students. Time is set aside each day for whole group, small group and individual instruction. Assessment

Teachers assess knowledge, skills, and strategies on an ongoing basis to determine each student’s learning strengths and needs. To assist teachers in assessing literacy development, TCDSB has developed a variety of assessment tools and strategies based on current educational research and the curriculum expectations.

Comprehensive Literacy is delivered through the model of the literacy block. The literacy block includes 120 minutes of literacy instruction in grades 1-3. Instruction addresses all of the Language Arts curriculum expectations and provides opportunities for students to develop literacy skills across curriculum/ content areas. In a Kindergarten half-day program, 45-60 minutes are provided for literacy-related activities on a daily basis.

The literacy block includes:

the reading workshop, and the writing workshop.

Students learn through modelled, shared, guided and independent practice. This instructional model provides various levels of support and meets the needs of all students. The goal of literacy instruction is to develop independent, lifelong learners.

Reading Workshop

Explicit instruction in reading skills and strategies is provided during the reading workshop. Reading instruction includes the following approaches: read-aloud, interactive reading, shared reading, guided reading and independent reading. Students have daily opportunities to develop and practice comprehension strategies and decoding skills. Successful interactions with a wide variety of texts increase student engagement and motivation to read.

Writing Workshop

Writing instruction includes the following instructional approaches: modelled writing, shared writing, interactive writing, guided writing and independent writing. Daily opportunities are provided for students to learn and apply the writing process. Instruction focuses on both the elements and the forms of writing. Students develop writing skills and strategies in order to communicate clearly for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Oral language and word study are embedded in both the reading and writing workshops.

Oral Communication

Oral communication is fundamental to the reading and writing workshops. Students develop vocabulary, critical listening and speaking skills as they engage in purposeful talk before, during and after reading and writing activities. Through oral language experiences, students learn the meaning of words, and the structure of language. They construct meaning by interacting with others. Word Study

Students learn spelling/word solving strategies in context through targeted instruction within the reading and writing workshops. Students develop knowledge and skills in phonemic awareness, print awareness and vocabulary in order to read and write.

Developmentally appropriate spelling activities and explicit and systematic phonics instruction enable students to develop and apply what they have learned.