Literacy Leaders
More than a Mini-lesson!
Keller ISD Elementary ELAR - November 2018
MORE than a Mini-lesson...
Our goal as teachers of readers is to demonstrate the invisible. Jen says, "Understanding as you're reading helps you to engage with the text, read accurately, read with fluency, understand what the author is saying, and think beyond the text. In essence, comprehension is everything." However, if we merely teach the skills of reading without nurturing a deep LOVE of reading, we've accomplished nothing.
In Balanced Literacy, we teach, reinforce, and extend reading skills responsively through multiple avenues: Mini-lessons, Conferring, Small-Groups, Shared Reading, and Read Alouds! MOST importantly, students need devoted time for independent reading to practice the strategies we teach, reinforce, and extend!
Coming soon...Each elementary campus will be receiving a copy of Jennifer Serravallo's NEW Book for your professional library. Check with your Literacy Coach for more information about this great resource!
So, where do I start?
- Goal: A large category that a reader can work toward for several weeks.
- Skill: A proficiency that the reader is able to do. Skills never stand alone.
- Strategy: A step-by-step "how-to" to help a reader work toward a skill and/or goal.
Example Goal: Comprehension (Fiction): Character
Example Skill: Inferring character traits
Example Strategy: Readers pay attention to what a character says, does, and thinks.
Example Goal: Comprehension (Nonfiction): Text Features
Example Skill: Inferring details
Example Strategy: Readers look closely at pictures and ask, "What new facts is the author teaching me?"
What about the TEKS?
Quick Tip! Print out the 1st page of each Anchor Chart in your Unit from the online resources and compare the Teaching Points to your grade level TEKS...you will soon see the connections!
*Remember, Balanced Literacy is MORE than the Mini-lesson! Emphasize the TEKS in your conferring and small group instruction. Take advantage of your Read Aloud text selections to go deeper with the standards in the Unit.
Print Anchor Chart Cover Pages
Choose a Read Aloud Book
Check Out Your Resources
Plan Your THINK Aloud Jots
Include Turn and Talk
Invite Readers to Think Deeper!
NEW Elementary ELAR Website!
- Sign-in to ClassLink
- Click on "Educational Support" tile
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page
- Click on "Elementary Literacy" tile
- Browse the Literacy Resources!
Tweet & Learn!
Follow us now on our new Twitter home page: @kisdlit where we will continue posting twitter chat invitations, highlighting literacy articles and research, spotlighting district literacy events, and celebrating teacher and student work on campuses.
Join us for a KISD Literacy Twitter Chat @kisdlit:
Teachers can earn 1 hr. EQ/SBEC credit by following these guidelines:
1. Stay in the Twitter Chat for the entire hour.
2. Tweet at least 3 times using the host hashtag and @kisdlit or #kellerliteracy
3. Complete and submit the Literacy Twitter Chat Google Form post chat for EQ/PD credit.
#KellerLiteracy Twitter Chat Form
Contact Kasey Smith with questions: kasey.smith@kellerisd.net
Literacy Learning Support
Dawn M. Bailey, Elementary Literacy Coordinator
Tiffany Neal, District Writing Coordinator
#KellerLiteracy
Email: dawn.bailey@kellerisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/kellerisd.com/kisdelementaryela/home
Location: 350 Keller Parkway, Keller, TX, United States
Phone: 817-744-1210
Twitter: @KISDLIt