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Reading Program

 

Reading Programs

 

* Our programs that we use at Hamilton are Journeys and components of Fundations.

Priority skills in the reading series are the following:

—*Balanced Literacy Approach: gradual release of responsibility to include whole group(modeling), small group(guided practice), and independent reading and writing

—*Technology for 21st century instruction

 

1.Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

  • Explicit instruction
  • Phonemic awareness taught through the use of oral language, songs, rhymes
  • Based on principles of language and concepts of print
  • Differentiated to meet students’ needs
  • Integrated with spelling and writing
  • Strategic and intensive intervention as needed

 

  1. Reading and Writing
  • —Program organization and components are same beginning in K and continues through 6th
  • —Spiraling curriculum throughout all grades
  • —Cohesive instruction in strategy and skills for whole group and small group instruction
  • —Integrates technology and digital resources
  • —Includes formal and informal assessment
  • —Aligned to Common Core Standards
  • —Every writing lesson focuses on both form and traits of writing
  1. Fluency
  • —Accuracy in word recognition
  • Expression and intonation
  • —Natural phrasing
  • —Pausing and attending to punctuation
  • —Reading rate and stress
  • Retelling
  1. Vocabulary, Word Study and Spelling
  • Integrated throughout whole group and small group reading instruction
  • Vocabulary incorporated with word study, phonics, and spelling
  • Word Study developed by Shane Templeton, author of “Words Their Way”
  1. Comprehension
  • Strategic Instruction: includes stop and think strategy, questioning, summarizing, inferring, identifying story elements, connections, predictions, collaborative grouping, Turn and Talk - according to Irene Fountas, “Talking is Thinking – and we need to get students to think!”