SCS Literacy Curriculum Spotlight
C & I K-12 English Language Arts: Quarter 2 Edition
Academic Year 2020-2021
K-12 NEWS
K-12 ELA Quarter 1 Curriculum Review Surveys
So….how is it going with the K-12 Curriculum Maps and Curriculum Resources? We value and request teacher and instructional leader feedback! Please take the survey (about 5 minutes) to provide us insight on your thoughts and experiences thus far.
K-5 NEWS: It's Elementary, My Dear!
K-2 Small Groups and Workstations
Why are teacher-led small groups important?
Small-group instruction is an assisted-literacy experience in which the teacher supports and guides the students’ literacy development, as they become independent readers. The teacher-led small group can consist of text reading lessons or skills focused lessons. Small-group reading is important because it enables teachers to observe students' reading behavior and provide support while students practice and apply reading strategies.
Why are literacy workstations necessary?
The literacy workstation provides meaningful tasks for students to engage in while the teacher works with a small group of students. Workstations provide an opportunity for students to practice previously taught literacy objectives. Workstation tasks are often differentiated and can include independent and or collaborative opportunities.
How to Launch Small Groups in the Remote Environment?
As teachers begin to launch small groups in the remote learning environment, some may find them challenging to manage. Therefore, teachers may find it helpful to initiate their small groups by pulling one teacher-led small group per day while having the remaining of the students engage in a meaningful independent literacy activity. These activities can include Wonders Practice Pages, Wonders Skills Games, Wonders Workstation Cards, web-based programs (i.e., Seesaw, Nearpod, Boom Card, etc.) and other literacy related tasks.
What are some resources available to support implementing small groups?
- Wonders provides curriculum resources for teachers to use during their teacher-led small groups. This includes curriculum details for skills focused lessons and texts like decodable readers, leveled readers, shared reads, and anchor texts to be used during guided reading lessons. The Wonders curriculum includes differentiated workstation activity cards and skills focused games for students to engage in while the teacher is conducting the teacher led small group.
- The SCS K-2 ELA Curriculum Maps provide information regarding small groups and workstations. This includes specific details about which workstation cards align to specific groups of lessons. This information can be found under the section entitled Small Groups on the curriculum maps.
- The SCS Early Literacy Team provides weekly newsletters that help support small group instruction.
- To learn more about implementing small groups and workstations, Wonders provides professional development in the form of videos designed to support teachers in conducting and managing effective small groups. To access the videos follow the following steps:
Log in to Wonders ConnectED platform>select Professional Development > select Overview > select Manage Small Group Time
3-5 Instructional Framework: Suggestions for Pacing Whole Group and Small Group Lessons
Resource Spotlight!
Resource Spotlight: Wonders and the 4 Instructional Practices
For Quarter 2, be sure to learn how Wonders integrates the Gradual Release of Responsibility within and across the lessons for IP #3!
Click HERE to access the alignment guide.
New Log-in Credentials for SCS Wonders Demo Account
The login information for the Wonders District demo account is changing starting January 2021. Please use the username and password information below:
Username: TNELA2019
Password: TNReview2019
*Note: If you are a teacher with your own single sign-on access through Clever and Canvas, please continue to use your login information. The new credentials above are for those who do not have single sign-on access (i.e. ESL, SPED, Coaches, etc.).
Upcoming SCS/Wonders Professional Learning Opportunities
Every month, K-5 ELA teachers in SCS have the opportunity to learn more about the K-5 Wonders curriculum. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend the next session!
- Gradual Release of Responsibility and Wonders: Exploring the Instructional Routines -- January 19th
- PLZ credit will be provided.
- Click the button below to register today!
Future Wonders Sessions:
- Writing in Wonders -- February 16th
- Understanding the Data Dashboard -- March 9th
- Differentiated Resources for ESL and SPED -- April 6th
- End of Year Wrap Up -- May 18th
6-12 NEWS: Life in the Secondary Lane
Building Bridges in 6-12 ELA: Curriculum Components and the Instructional Practices Alignment Guide
The Curriculum Components and Instructional Practices Alignment guide was created as a guide. This curriculum resource explicitly shows how the 6-12 ELA curriculum myPerspectives contains multiple opportunities for secondary students to engage in the 4 Instructional Practices. Access Alignment Guide Here
To support teachers' understanding of the alignment, Screencasts have been created to model/demonstrate opportunities for activating and aligning the myPerspectives Curriculum and the 4 Instructional Practices. These screencasts aim to build bridges between Curriculum Components and the Instructional Practices. Check out the Screencasts highlighted below:
- Curriculum Components and Instructional Practice #1
Demonstration Screencast myPerspectives and IP #1-Demonstration
- Curriculum Components and Instructional Practice #2
Demonstration Screencast myPerspectives and IP #2-Demonstration
Extend and Enrich: 6-12 At Home Learning Packets
Print Resources for 6-12
Printed Teacher Editions have been delivered to schools! Please ensure you have access to your Teacher Editions (print and PDF) as you plan! FYI: Curriculum Maps are built directly from the Teacher Editions! PDF’s for Teachers and Students are found in the Realize Platform, as well as in 6-12 ELA Announcements and Resources. Click HERE to access teacher editions.
Printed Student Editions: We recommend that students utilize their printed consumable textbooks during virtual and/or independent lessons, in addition to the use of Unit PDF’s and Interactive Student Editions! Think in terms of both! Please ensure students have access to and experience with this valuable print resource! Click HERE to access student editions.
6-12 Instructional Strategy Highlight: Project, Project, Project!
Project, Project, Project! Text should be at the center of every lesson! Cultivate a habit of projecting the text during virtual lessons. Build student capacity to project their texts (Student PDF’s) in breakout spaces! To enable conditions for equity, access, and efficiency, ensure the font size is large and readable!
Your K-12 English/Language Arts Team
Hajar Nelson, K-5 Advisor, nelsonh@scsk12.org
Norie Cotton, 6-8 Advisor, cottonn@scsk12.org
Erin Abraham, 9-12 Advisor, abrahame1@scsk12.org
Raquel Darling-Greer, ELA Manager, darlingr@scsk12.org
Nataria Smith, ELA Records Clerk, smithn3@scsk12.org
Email: ci_ela_team@scsk12.org
Website: scsk12.org/ci
Location: 2930 Airways Blvd, Memphis, TN
Phone: 901-416-5250