Best PracticesBest Practicesinin

Literacy InstructionLiteracy Instruction

Best PracticesBest Practicesinin

Literacy InstructionLiteracy Instruction

Presenter: Jennifer FentonPresenter: Jennifer FentonAga Khan AcademyAga Khan Academy

May 2006May 2006

Please write your name on your handout, you will need it for a later activity.

Agenda• Scope and Sequence Review 1:15 - 1:20• Current Practice 1:25 – 1:45• The PYP and best literacy practices 1:45 – 2:15• Balanced Literacy 2:15 - 2:45• Break 2:45 – 3:00• Jigsaw Activity 3:00 – 3:25• Moving to Scope and Sequence 3:30 – 3:45• Reflection and beginning “Step Two” 3:45 –

4:30

Developing Our Language Arts Scope & Sequence

Document• Step One: What do we want

students to learn?Curricular Objectives/Outcomes

• Step Two: How will students best learn?

• Step Three: How will we know what has been learned?

How Will Students Best Learn?

Best Practices in Literacy Instruction

What are we currently doing at AKA,M?

Strategy: Two Stars & a WishLiteracy Focus: Attentive Listening Grade Level: Grades 1-6

Procedure:As the students listen to a presentation (usually a peer) they must find 2 things done well in the presentation and one thing the presenter could improve upon in future presentations. These ‘stars & wishes’ are usually based on a criteria that the students & teacher have established to assess the presentation.

Why this is an effective strategy:It gives the students a purpose for their listening and also makes them accountable for their audience behaviour. It also helps them to focus on the pre-established criteria for class presentations and recognize what these items ‘look like’ & ‘sound-like’ and be able to apply them to their own presentations. It is also good for the student receiving the stars & wishes as they are praised by their peers in an authentic manner and are given one item to focus on developing before their next presentation. This assists them in becoming more reflective about their own learning as they can see the ‘good’ and develop learning targets to become more responsible for their own learning.

Sharing Time!• Share your strategy with your

table group.• Have you ever used one of your

colleagues strategies?• Could you modify or adapt a

strategy to suit your students’ needs?

Good Language Practice

Language is the medium of inquiry. In an inquiry-based PYP classroom, teacher and students enjoy using language, appreciating it both aesthetically and functionally (p.75).

Making the PYP Happen, ©IBO 2000

Good Language Practice

Language is a complex web of connections, transcending the artificial separations of schedules and disciplines. The language strands are interdependent, with listening, speaking, reading and writing being taught and learned simultaneously. Language is seen as involving learning language itself, learning about language and learning through language, and is the major connecting element across the curriculum… (p. 76).

Making the PYP Happen, ©IBO 2000

Learning Language Through Inquiry

• Learning LanguageFluencyInteractive reading Process writing Word recognition Writing to learn

Learning Language Through Inquiry

• Learning Language• Learning About Language

Comprehension

Genre study Language conventions Vocabulary Word study

Learning Language Through Inquiry

• Learning Language• Learning About Language• Learning Through Language

Content reading Critical literacy Inquiry/research Integrated curriculum Literature study

Developing a Balanced Literacy Programme

What is balanced literacy?

Taken from: Harcourt Canada Inc. <http://www.harcourtcanada.com/rigby/bal-lit.htm> 

Balanced Literacy: Jigsaw

• Read your article carefully, highlighting the key points.

• Discuss the important features about your article and prepare a brief summary on your topic. Each member of your group needs a copy of the summary.

• Be prepared to share your information with a new group. When you are finished,

you may leave for the break. We will start again at 3:00.

Balanced Literacy: Jigsaw

• Form your new discussion group based on the colour at the top of your article. (All blues together, etc…)

• Each member of the new group will share their summary of the article they have read.

• Discuss what you have learned. Could you use any of these ideas in your class? Could they be adapted to meet the needs of your students?

Putting It All Together:A Literacy Framework

Language/Word StudyOptions:

Interactive EditInteractive VocabularyHandwriting Minilesson

Test Taking SkillsCurrent Events

Modeled or Shared Reading/Writing

Readers’ Theatre/Process Drama

Choral ReadingPoetry Share/Response

Word StudyInteractive Read Aloud

Reading Workshop(Book Talk/Minilesson)

Independent Guided Literature Reading Reading Study

Group ShareAnd Evaluation

Writing Workshop(Writer Talk/Minilesson)

Independent Guided Investigations Writing Writing

Group ShareAnd Evaluation

Oral, Visual, andTechnological

Communication

ConversationPresentation

Performance/DramaVisual Representation

Step Two: How Will Students Best Learn?

• List the strategies/structures you have in place to help students achieve the outcomes listed in our curriculum.

• Are there new strategies/structures you could add?

• Remember… Literacy development does not occur only during Language Arts!

Step Two: How Will Students Best Learn?

What do we want to learn? How will we best learn?

Oral Communication

Listening &

Speaking

Consolidated Language for Learning

Language of Social Interaction Communicates effectively by

sharing ideas, offering advice, opinion and information and reacting to contributions of others

Participate in discussions, conversations, group and class meetings, group and individual presentations

• Two Stars and a Wish• Round Table Discussion• Fishbowl• Interrupted Conversations

Follow Up• Please complete the “How Will We Best

Learn” section on the Scope & Sequence document for your grade group.

• Specialists, please refer to the overall document and add your links where appropriate.

• This section needs to be completed by Friday 26th May. We will use next Thursday if need to be.

Thank you!!Please complete the feedback slip and return it to the basket before you leave.And remember…

The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.Dr. Seuss