Mr. LewisMrs. PaulukMrs. LevantiMrs. Bedner

Welcome to Curriculum Night

2015

Goal = Lifelong Readers StoryTown Anthology Guided Reading – major component Independent Reading – “Just Right Books” Comprehension is key Focus on Skills/Strategies – predicting,

questioning, monitoring, visualizing, connecting…

AimsWeb Screenings/Progress Monitoring Daily 5

A way of structuring the Literacy Block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks

Research based tasks that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement and foster children who love to read and write

Explicit whole group instruction then independent practice time to read and write

Meanwhile we provide focused, intense instruction to small groups of students

Read to Self: Research continually shows that the best way to become a better reader is to practice, practice, practice

Work on Writing: Just like it takes practice to become a better reader, it takes practice to become a better writer

Word Work: Working with spelling and vocabulary words helps children become better spellers and writers

Read to Someone: Helps develop reading fluency and comprehension

Curriculum Connections: Continuation of small group work

Writer’s Workshop model Writer’s Notebook Gathering, Drafting, Editing, Revising,

Conferring, Publishing 6 Traits – Ideas, Organization, Fluency,

Word Choice, Voice, Conventions (paragraph editing)

Opinion, Expository, Narrative

Pattern/phonics based core list and 4th grade high frequency words

West Hartford Core Words – integrated throughout year – 4th grade list for home

Challenge words given as necessary Students bring home words each week Words typically run on 5 day cycles

Common Core aligned units Place value, multiplication, division,

fractions, geometry Math centers

◦ Teaching done mostly small group Flexible grouping AIMSWeb Screenings Basic Facts Practice – Very Important – HELP!

◦ XtraMath – Great site for fact practice Sumdog, Front Row, Tenmarks

50 States/Geography Map Skills Connecticut History and impact of

individuals, groups and events on CT history (Mark Twain, Samuel Colt, Nathan Hale, etc.)

Current Events – Scholastic News/Service Learning

Using primary and secondary sources

Inquiry Based – kids actively engaged, questioning, experimenting, exploring

Lab Report Writing/Note Taking Ecosystems (3 Field Studies with Westmoor

Park) Sound and Light Earth Materials Water Cycle Health

Second Step Program – self esteem, empathy, responsibility, respect, problem solving

Healthy Relationships Nutrition Internet Safety and Cyberbullying Substance Abuse Prevention Disease and Injury Prevention Bicycle Safety

Monday – Thursday Practice, apply, and extend strategies and skills Provide opportunity to develop independence and

responsibility Expected that students are reading for

approximately 20-25 minutes per night Study math facts each night Home Reading Sheet Weekly Reflection Students should be able to do independently Looking for their best effort, but need to know

when they don’t understand

Promethean Board TurningPoint Clickers 4 student laptops 5 iPads Typing (Can be done at home) Research Skills Laptop Cart Investment in Technology

Book Buddies Room parents

◦ Bedner – Melissa Harhay & Alex Slap◦ Levanti – Kelly Kelly & Kim Carbone◦ Lewis – Renee McCue & Amy Sarzen◦ Pauluk – Kate Yepes & Maritza Liu

Field Trip money Conference Sign-Up – November 17 – 20

(on back tables)

Tissues Band Aids Ziploc bags (quart and gallon size)