Comprehensive Literacy Approach What does the teaching of literacy skills look like in Wappingers Central School District?

An effective literacy program includes a balance of time and attention to all aspects of communicating – reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and thinking – which develop simultaneously as learners grow into literacy. This balanced approach addresses reading, writing, and word study contexts to support children’s learning at both primary, intermediate and secondary levels. In terms of instruction, there is a balance between direct instruction, guided instruction, and independent learning embedded within the context of real literacy experiences.

Our goals To create common language across our 10 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools and 3 high schools. To gain an understanding of how and why we teach literacy the way we do in Wappingers To create classroom environments where all levels of readers feel successful and engagement in literacy tasks is high and rich

Reading ◦Read-Aloud ◦Shared Reading ◦Guided Reading ◦Reader’s Workshop/Independent Reading ◦Assessments – Running Records (K-8) Developmental Reading Assessment(DRA) (K-3) Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) (4-8) Stanford Reading Assessment (7-12) Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) (K-2)

Writing (Writing Process) ◦Interactive Writing ◦Independent Writing ◦Shared Writing ◦Writer’s Workshop ◦Assessments – Writing Benchmark Assessments (K-12) Six Trait Writing

Please see website links for definitions of reading and writing modes of instruction