Time to Teach
10-15 minutes
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Time to Share
10-15 minutes
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Time to Practise
30 minutes
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Teacher re-visits the co-created criteria for effective small group discussion. Teacher then models how students should provide effective feedback to a writer, first sharing a piece of their own writing for feedback, then inviting one or more students to share.
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In small Writing Groups, students share their current short story drafts, and talk about their writing with a focus on leads.
Teacher assesses informal speaking and listening strategies by observing group interactions.
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Students return to their independent writing to continue writing their pieces during Independent Writing Time.
Teacher confers with students.
Teacher meets with a small group of students for follow-up instruction about how to provide effective feedback to writers based on assessed need identified during Writing Group observations.
Teacher gathers a sampling of students’ drafts at the end of class to assess use of effective leads.
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Differentiated Instruction
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Assessment
|
How did it go?
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Post anchor charts showing examples of good leads around the classroom
Provide or post a list of sample questions or comments as prompts for providing effective feedback to writers
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Speaking and Listening observational checklist to assess GCO 1
Teacher’s conference notes or checklist record evidence for SCOs 9.3 and 10.1
Samples of students’ drafts to assess SCOs 8.3, 9.2, and 10.3 (if applicable)
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I noticed that most students are now experimenting with a variety of leads.
Next steps: explore another element of narrative fiction in focused lessons, Think-alouds, and during students’ Writing Groups. Meet with those students who still struggle with this concept in a Guided Writing group setting next week.
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Time to Share
20 minutes
|
Time to Teach
10 minutes
|
Time to Practise
30 minutes
|
Students volunteer to read from their own drafts aloud.
Teacher focuses some of the student feedback responses on the leads and how they develop the piece.
Teacher observes audience feedback responses, and assesses drafts of those reading aloud by listening and making notes.
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Teacher displays a sample draft of their own writing. Demonstrate one or two techniques for revising content or organization in response to feedback through a Think-aloud.
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Students return to their writing with a focus on revising some aspect of their short stories during Independent Writing Time.
Teacher confers with students and collects selected samples of student drafts.
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Differentiated Instruction
|
Assessment
|
How did it go?
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Post anchor charts showing examples of good leads around the classroom
Provide or post a list of sample questions or comments as prompts for providing effective feedback to writers
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Speaking and Listening observational checklist during Time to Share to assess SCOs 2.1, 2.3, and 3.1
Teacher’s conference notes record evidence of SCOs 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.3, and 10.4
Samples of students’ drafts to assess SCOs 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.3, and 10.4
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I noticed more students are providing focused, descriptive feedback to their peers.
Next steps: Introduce additional questions or comments that encourage deeper thinking about their text. Include these questions as part of the Reading Log responses during Independent Reading time.
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Knowing Our Targets
TCRSB End of Year Instructional Reading Targets for Grades Four to Six
Grade Four
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Grade Five
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Grade Six
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Learning to select appropriate text based on interest and reading level
Beginning to choose a variety of texts (e.g., genre, author, preference, need)
Becoming aware that texts are created for different purposes and audiences
Automatically integrates all cueing systems
Reads grade level text fluently with appropriate phrasing and attention to punctuation
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Selects appropriate text based on interest and reading level
Chooses a variety of texts (e.g., genre, author, preference, need)
Able to set a purpose for reading
Automatically integrates all cueing systems with increasingly difficult text
Reads grade level text fluently with appropriate phrasing and attention to punctuation
Has a wide range of sight vocabulary to meet the reading level for grade five (e.g. Nelson Word Study CD)
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Reliably selects appropriate text based on interest and reading level
Independently chooses a variety of texts (e.g., genre, author, preference, need)
Able to adjust reading strategies based on the purpose and/or material (e.g. skimming vs. reading for detail)
Automatically and accurately integrates all cueing systems with increasingly difficult text
Reads grade level text fluently with appropriate phrasing and attention to punctuation
Has a wide range of sight vocabulary to meet the reading level for grade six (e.g. Nelson Word Study CD)
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TCRSB End of Year Instructional Reading Targets for Grades Four to Six (continued)
Grade Four
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Grade Five
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Grade Six
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Monitors and evaluates own comprehension and is learning to employ fix-up strategies
Recognizes and understands a variety of text structures and organizations
Recognizes and understands a variety of text features
Able to integrate a variety of comprehension strategies (e.g., predicting, questioning, connecting, visualizing, summarizing)
Responds personally, critically and aesthetically to text
Increase sustained reading time as developmentally appropriate for each student.
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Monitors and evaluates own comprehension and is learning to employ fix-up strategies independently, most of the time
Uses awareness of text structure and organization to support understanding
Uses awareness of a variety of text features to support understanding
Consistently integrates a variety of comprehension strategies (e.g., predicting, questioning, connecting, visualizing, inferring, summarizing)
Responds personally, critically and aesthetically to text and provides some supporting detail
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Consistently monitors and evaluates own comprehension employing fix-up strategies as needed
Is consciously aware of how to use text structure and organization to navigate text
Is consciously aware of how to use a variety of text features to navigate text
Integrates an expanding variety of comprehension strategies and describes these processes and strategies
Responds personally, critically and aesthetically to text and supports understanding with evidence from the text
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TCRSB End of Year Instructional Writing Targets for Grades Four to Six
Word Study
|
Grade Four
|
Grade Five
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Grade Six
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Review long and short vowels, digraphs, and blends
Inflected endings (i.e., ed, ing, s, es, ”y to i”+es)
Syllable juncture (i.e., v/cv (long), vc/v (short), vc/cv (short), vv/cv (long), v/v (long long)
Unaccented final syllables (i.e., schwa vowels a,e,o paired with l,r,n)
Synonyms, antonyms, homophones
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All word study elements for grade four, plus…
Prefixes and suffixes that affect word and/or function (e.g., trans, un, con, ize, tion, ate)
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All word study elements for grades four and five, plus…
Derivational words for which pronunciation has changed from the base or root word but spelling pattern is constant (e.g., please/pleasure, oppose/opposition)
Commonly confused words (see WIA Handbook, pp. 91-93)
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TCRSB End of Year Instructional Writing Targets for Grades Four to Six (continued)
Punctuation
|
Grade Four
|
Grade Five
|
Grade Six
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Period, exclamation mark, question mark
Punctuation in abbreviations
Correct use of capital letters
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All punctuation elements for grade four, plus...
Expanded use of commas in complex sentences
Introduction of quotation marks in direct speech
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All punctuation elements for grades four and five, plus...
Comma in direct quotation
Correct use of quotations, commas and end punctuation in all patterns of dialogue
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Usage, Sentences, and Paragraphs
|
Grade Four
|
Grade Five
|
Grade Six
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Writes in complete sentences
Combines simple sentences with conjunction
Constructs paragraphs containing a topic sentence
Correct use of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns
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Creates more complex sentences
Recognizes run-on sentences
Introduces prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections
Organizes ideas into paragraphs
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Uses a variety of sentence structures
Corrects run-on sentences and fragments
Organizes longer pieces of writing into paragraphs
Effectively uses of all parts of speech
Develops cohesive paragraphs with supporting detail and topic and concluding sentences
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TCRSB End of Year Instructional Writing Targets for Grades Four to Six (continued)
Research Skills
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Grade Four
|
Grade Five
|
Grade Six
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Can efficiently search via alphabetic order
Uses computer software to gather information
Retrieves electronic information (e.g. search engine, website)
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All grade four elements, plus...
Navigates table of contents and index
Uses electronic/computer spell checker
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All research skills elements for grades four and five, plus...
Expands on electronic information retrieval to include multiple web sites
Begins to assess relevance and reliability of sources and information
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TCRSB End of Year Instructional Writing Targets– Genres for Grades Four to Six
Both student choice and writing to a prompt, with increasing sophistication, in...
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Grade Four
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Grade Five
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Grade Six
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Narrative fiction (e.g. adventure)
Poetry (e.g., shape/concrete, rhyming couplets, free verse)
|
Narrative fiction (e.g. mystery)
Poetry (e.g., free verse, cinquain, limerick)
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Narrative fiction (e.g. fantasy)
Poetry (e.g., free verse, narrative, lyric)
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Other writing possibilities, not grade specific
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Autobiography
Biography
Memoir
Friendly and persuasive letter
Invitation/thank you note
Learning log
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Response log
Book/movie review
Myth/legend/folk tale
Magazine article
Editorial
Script
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Visual media text
Advertisement
Comic strip
Story board
PowerPoint
Poster
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Increase sustained writing time as developmentally appropriate for each student.
What’s Happening in Our Classrooms?
Essentials of Reading Instruction and Assessment
The goal of reading instruction and assessment in grades Four to Six in TCRSB is to support students as they grow through the transitional stage of reading development in to the fluent stage of reading development.
Teaching In Action Grades 4-6 characterizes transitional readers as ones who can do the following.
set purposes for their reading
read widely and experience a variety of children’s literature
select appropriate material
adjust strategies for different texts and different purposes
use pictorial, typographical, and organizational features of written text to determine content, locate topics, and obtain information
integrate cues as they use reading strategies of sampling, predicting, and confirming/self-correcting
self-correct quickly, confidently, and independently
prefer to read silently
can retell and discuss their own interpretations of texts read or viewed
recognize characters can be stereotyped
make meaningful substitutions
have an increasing bank of sight words
use a range of word identification strategies for constructing meaning
Teaching In Action Grades 4-6 characterizes fluent readers as ones who can do the following.
select, with growing independence, texts appropriate to their interests and learning needs
read widely and experience a variety of children’s literature, with emphasis on genres and authors
use pictures and illustrations, word structures, and text features to locate topics and obtain or verify understandings of information
describe their own processes and strategies for reading and viewing
give reasons for their opinions
use background knowledge to question information presented in print and visual text
seek information from a variety of sources
Students who are moving from the transitional to the fluent stage of reading development need different methods of instruction and assessment than students in the emergent and early stages. Central to this is a shift in focus from the closely leveled texts found in early elementary classrooms to a greater variety of texts that these students will find motivating and engaging. In Beyond Leveled Books, Karen Szymusiak, Franki Sibberson, and Lisa Koch say, “Because the needs of students (in the transitional and fluent stages) are so different, we need to look beyond levels when choosing books for instruction and when helping students choose books for independent reading.” (p. 52)
The focus of how we use texts for instruction needs to change also. These students are now reading to learn, but still need to be engaged in learning to read. Students in the transitional and fluent stages of reading development are motivated by finding themselves reflected in what they read and view. As they grow older, regardless of their abilities, they are exposed to an ever-widening variety of experiences. They have a greater variety of interests. Consequently, there is an ever-widening gap in their needs. Asking only simple, literal comprehension questions, telling students to “sound it out” or “look it up” when they encounter an unfamiliar word, are not effective practices.
We easily, and all too quickly, made the switch from learning to read to reading to learn and failed to offer our students a support system for continued growth as readers. We slipped into a faster, faster, and higher, higher mode of reading instruction regardless of our students’ comprehension, fluency, response, and interest. We didn’t expect them to use reading behaviours beyond decoding and minimal comprehension... We now realize that the strategies that work well with emergent readers aren’t necessarily the strategies that can help transitional readers become independent. (They are) students who do not understand understanding. (pp. 53-54)
Reading can’t be distilled to a reading level, a basket of books, or a test performance. We can’t shrink reading down to answering comprehension questions about the text. We can’t define reading by the books that the teacher has chosen for the students to read. We can’t teach reading with meaningless activities to be done after a text is read. (p. 61)
(Szymusiak, Sibberson, and Loch, 2008)
Because of this shift in focus, it is less important to conduct formal records of oral reading with all students in grades four to six than in grades primary to three. Regular classroom assessments (e.g. reading response journals, reading conferences, small-group and whole class discussions) that indicate a student can successfully read and fully comprehend the transitional and early fluent texts they are presented with will be sufficient in many cases. More structured assessments such as running records should continue to be administered with students whom teachers consider to be only approaching, or below, grade level.
Essentials of Writing Instruction and Assessment
The goal of writing instruction and assessment in grades Four to Six in TCRSB is to support students as they grow through the transitional stage of writing development in to the fluent stage of writing development.
Teaching In Action Grades 4-6 characterizes transitional writers as ones who can do the following.
show an increasing awareness of audience
enjoy giving and receiving feedback about writing
begin to revise for clarity
use words that elaborate text
use a variety of sentence structures
begin to produce stories with two or more characters
support topics by relevant detail
write more-complex reports, letters, poems
demonstrate increasing knowledge of spelling patterns, writing terminology
produce increasingly conventional writing
Teaching In Action Grades 4-6 characterizes fluent writers as ones who can do the following.
enjoy playing with words and ideas to create particular effects
write for a wide range of purposes
convey more-complex and abstract ideas through writing
write in a variety of genres including expository texts
develop characters through dialogue and description
demonstrate increasing knowledge of spelling patterns, range of genres
use representational forms across the curriculum
produce increasingly conventional writing with a high degree of spelling accuracy
use most punctuation marks independently
Students who are moving from the transitional to the fluent stage of writing development need different methods of instruction and assessment than students in the emergent and early stages. We expect them to write increasingly complex pieces for a greater variety of purposes across the curriculum. To become effective writers, students must learn to sustain their engagement throughout the writing process. All parts of the writing process are interdependent and overlap. It is understood that for some purposes, not all steps will be followed (e.g., personal responses, note-making). It is important for teachers to model each of the following steps in the writing process. Teachers of grades Four to Six in TCRSB are encouraged to use mentor texts accompanied by Think-aloud to demonstrate elements of form, genre, and writer’s craft. They are also encouraged to share their own writing.
Planning
students prewrite, engaging in lots of purposeful talk in both whole class and small group settings, to consider topic, form, purpose, audience, and genre
students create outlines, often with the aid of a graphic organizer
the teacher and students view and discuss, and possibly co-create, assessment criteria (e.g. rubric)
Drafting
students write, applying their knowledge of conventions, form, etc., to the best of their ability, but should not focus on conventions to the extent that the flow of their thinking and writing is disrupted
while a focus on conventions should not disrupt the writing, teachers and students should avoid terms like “rough copy” or “sloppy copy”, as students should be writing as well as they can, even in the first draft
students should write or keyboard on every second line and only one side of the page, to allow space for feedback and to make changes when revising
the teacher confers with individuals or small groups
Revising
students re-read their work and make changes to ideas, organization, and clarity and effectiveness of language at the paragraph, sentence, and word level as necessary; this may also be done with a peer
students should be encouraged to read their work aloud at this stage
the teacher confers with individuals or small groups generally focusing on one specific element at a time
Editing
students re-read their drafts and make changes at the word level and to conventions
the teacher confers with individuals (note: peer editing is generally ineffective and is discouraged)
Publishing
students prepare a final draft to be shared and assessed
teachers are encouraged to develop publishing rituals and have students write for a wider audience than just the teacher
The Roles of Genre and Form and the Reading-Writing Connection
Teachers of Grades Four to Six in TCRSB are encouraged to make explicit for students the reading-writing connection. Since the 1980s, researchers have studied how skilled readers make meaning from text and how skilled writers make meaning with text. What they have discovered is that these two processes that were once seen as opposites, as two sides of a coin, are in fact complementary and reciprocal. Before we can teach our students how to write in a particular genre or form, we need to immerse them in reading that genre or form.
At the centre of the reading-writing connection sits the mentor text. Teachers are encouraged to use well written texts, including their own writing, to model elements of genre, form, and writer’s craft. These should be viewed through both the reading and writing lenses. How as a reader do I use a particular strategy to make meaning from this text? How as a writer might I apply a particular technique used in the mentor text to make meaning with my own writing? By deconstructing these texts through Think-aloud, teachers make explicit for students the skills and strategies they need to grow as readers and writers.
Students learn the craft of writing as they read, listen to, and discuss good literature. They fall in love with certain texts and genres and perhaps the work and style of certain authors…. It is through mini-lessons (focus lessons), reading and rereading, talk, and writing that students learn what effective authors do when they compose. Teachers may stimulate, encourage, and scaffold the talk as they prompt with questions.”
(Trehearne, 2006)
It follows that the language we use in instructing and assessing students about genre and form should be consistent across the reading-writing connection. Many resources offer a detailed breakdown of specific types of both fiction and non-fiction text for organizing reading materials. School and community libraries are organized in this way. These serve a meaningful purpose. To aid in making the reading-writing connection explicit, however, teachers may find it useful to use a common set of terms to identify genres and forms of text for both reading and writing. The table on the following page offers a suggested organization of these terms.
Genres at A Glance
Type of Text
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Descriptors
|
Examples
|
Narrative text tells a story.
|
has a beginning, middle, and end (plot)
the plot focuses on a problem that needs to be solved
has one or more characters
has a setting
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novels
short stories
traditional tales (i.e., fables, fairy tales, myths, legends)
biographies, autobiographies
memoirs
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Expository text gives information or shows how.
|
has an introduction, body, and conclusion
focuses on a main idea
supporting details develop the main idea
has an organizational structure that suits the specific purpose
|
instructions
procedures
reports
articles
summaries
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Persuasive text presents a point of view or justifies a position.
|
has an introduction, body, and conclusion
focuses on a main idea
supporting details develop the main idea
appeals to reason/logic and emotions
has an organizational structure that suits the specific purpose
|
letters or essays
reviews
editorials
advertisements
campaign literature/speeches
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Descriptive text uses words and images to create a clear picture of something or someone in the mind of the reader or viewer.
|
has clear, specific vocabulary
has an emphasis on sensory details
has an organizational structure that suits the specific purpose
|
profiles of people, places, or things
most often embedded in other texts (e.g., description of a character or setting in a narrative)
|
Expressive text explores the personal thoughts and feelings of the writer.
|
has no one prescribed structure
relies on tone and emotion
focuses on the thoughts and feelings of the writer
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journals
diaries
blogs
memoirs
letters
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Poetry is unique. Each of the genres and forms above is most often written in prose, or represented through visual media. Poetry as a form can fall into any of the genres listed above. Narrative poetry and expressive poetry (aka lyric poetry) are most common. But descriptive poetry is certainly viable, and song lyrics that would be classified in the “urban” genre and the emerging genre of “slam poetry” are often persuasive. In the content areas, students could be encouraged to write expository poems, as the pattern and rhyme of poetry would be an aid to remembering important information about a topic.
Teachers of Grades Four to Six in TCRSB are encouraged to have their students experience a wide variety of poetry as both readers and writers. Teachers across these grades in a school are encouraged to confer about the poetry experiences they plan for their students to ensure they have a variety, and to avoid what has been a common practice of focusing largely on specific forms of poetry, such as haiku and limerick, where the details of the form may outweigh appreciation and creativity.
Specifically, poetry is an excellent vehicle to focus on word choice and the use of figurative language.
Visual Media are any of the many forms of text that rely primarily, or at least heavily, on images to convey meaning. Like poetry, visual media texts fall into all of the genres above. A graphic novel or storyboard tells a story. A poster or video can inform or persuade. An audio recording can describe an object. A webpage can reveal how its creator thinks about an emotionally charged issue.
The students in our schools today are spending increasing amounts of time with visual media, and often less time with print text. But many of them are relatively passive in their use of these media. While they may be skilled with the technology, many give little thought to how messages are constructed through various media, or the techniques used to manipulate and persuade.
Teachers of Grades Four to Six in TCRSB are encouraged to have their students both read and write visual media text. Many of the information texts used in content areas are richly supplemented by visual media. Students must be taught how to navigate and apply the text features and graphical elements of these resources. Students access the World Wide Web and other internet-based applications such as social media and video sharing sites on a daily basis. They must be taught how to do so safely and with a critical eye.
Teachers are encouraged to use the tools available to create media texts. While some teachers may lack experience and confidence with these tools, this should not be a barrier. Conferring with a colleague who has some skills and experience is encouraged. And it’s likely that the students themselves will have the necessary skills to use the technology.
References:
Department of Education Resources:
Teaching in Action Grades 4-6, 2006 Copies of this document are available in every school or
can be obtained by contacting Central Office or
downloading from the Department of Education website
The Writing Workshop Series DVD, 4-9 (DoE) One copy of this is available in each school
Reading Workshop Series DVD (DoE) One copy of this is available in each school
Spelling Primary to 9 Available in each school, by downloading, or by
contacting Central Office
Active Young Readers Grades 4-6 Reading Multiple copies in each school
Assessment Passages binder
Coming Soon:
Revised/Updated 4-6 Curriculum Guide
Tri-County Regional School Board Resources:
Classroom Practices For Supporting Multiple copies in each school
Early Literacy Instruction in TCRSB
P-6 Writing Exemplars Multiple Copies in each school and on TCRSB sharepoint
Literacy Resource Site on TCRSB sharepoint
(the site includes multiple links to
additional websites)
Available in Your School or by Contacting Central Office:
Anderson, Jeff Everyday Editing
Anderson, Jeff Mechanically Inclined
Cooper, Damian Talk About Assessment
Cunningham, Patricia Making Big Words
and Hall, Dorothy
Fletcher, Ralph and Lessons for the Writer’s Notebook
Portalupi, JoAnn
Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading
Gallagher, Kelly Teaching Adolescent Writers
Harvey, Stephanie and Strategies That Work
Goudvis, Anne
Johnson, Pat and Catching Readers Before they Fall, Supporting Readers Who Struggle (K-4)
Keier, Katie
Rog, Lori Jamison and The Write Genre
Kropp, Paul
Scott, Ruth McQuirter Nelson Word Study (grades 4, 5, and 6)
Stead, Tony Good Choice
Strickland, Dorothy S. Supporting Struggling Readers And Writers (3-6)
Ganske, Kathy and
Monroe, Joanne K.
Szymusiak, Karen Beyond Leveled Books, Supporting Early and Transitional Readers in Grades K-5
Sibberson, Franki and
Koch, Lisa
Szymusiak, Karen and Still Learning to Read (3-6)
Sibberson, Franki
Taberski, Sharon Comprehension From The Ground Up
Trehearne, Miriam Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Grades 3-6 Teachers
Recommended Resources Available From the School Book Bureau
Note: Many of these are in schools now. Schools are encouraged to locate and share resources for the benefit of all colleagues.
Atwell, Nancy Lessons That Change Writers
Bear, Donald R., Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction
Invernizzi, Marcia and
Templeton, Shane
Beers, Kylene When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do
Beers, Sue and Reading Strategies for the Content Areas: An ASCD Action Tool
Howell, Lou
Boushey, Gail and The Café Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literacy Assessment and Instruction
Moser, Joan
Kittle, Penny Write Beside Them
Tovani, Cris I Read It, But I Don’t Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers
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