What does Language Arts Instruction Look Like? Schmoker, Mike Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, ASCD: 2011.

Language Arts Essential Mission To ensure that all students can read, write, and speak effectively in and out of school.

All disciplines connect and contribute to success in other disciplines. But as we’ve seen language competency is the foundation of learning in other disciplines.

Life-Changing Power of Broad, Abundant Reading Wide, abundant reading is the surest route out of poverty and the limitations that impose themselves on the less literate. Basal reading skills vs. abundant reading

Reading Literature Literature makes significant life possible...[We} construct ourselves from novels, poems, and plays as well as from works or history and philosophy. Mark Edmundson

Nonfiction and Literary Nonfiction Content knowledge and critical thinking are inseparable and reciprocal. Nonfiction books are among the richest sources of knowledge English class is the primary place where we should ensure that students read and acquire an appetite for content-rich nonfiction books.

Newspapers and Magazines in the Classrooms Students enjoy current issues and events especially when they are framed in controversy. Efforts should be made to include current issues into the classroom that allow students to read, write and discuss about things happening in their world.

The Trouble with Standards Read-i-cide: n.: the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools. Kelly Gallagher

Mike Rose’s simple, ageless formulation: that to become educated, we must primarily read, talk, and write our way towards understanding. (Rose, 1989, pp )

The mistaken idea that reading is a skill- --learn to crack the code, practice, comprehension strategies---may be the single greatest factor holding back reading achievement in this country. Daniel Willingham

Skills Kill the Elementary Years There is a place for phonemic awareness, phonics and certain skills but not at the expense of spending time actually reading.

What Makes Early Reading Instruction Effective Large amounts of their instruction is whole group with minimal amount spent in ability groups. Students in effective classrooms never, ever engage in cut, color or paste activities that now occupy the majority of early-grade reading programs---more than 100 instructional hours per year. Teachers obsessively implement the elements of a good lesson with checks for understanding throughout their lessons.

Classroom That Work- Where Time is Sacred The highest performing teachers never waste a minute of class time; there are no arts and craft activities during reading block. All students are always on task In these classrooms, students are immersed in daily extended instruction in very simple, ordinary elements of reading New words are always being learned and recited- written down several times a day (word walls, etc.) Extended, daily opportunities to read--much for pleasure

50,000 Words- ASAP When we unnecessarily elongate the process of “learning to read” we postpose “reading to learn”--learning itself--by years. Students are not truly mature readers until they can read and recognize 50,000 words.

Finland Shows the Way On International Reading Exams Finland achieves the highest scores in the world. There success, according to observers, is a result of how much time students actually spend reading during the school day.

What Should it Look Like: About books and plays, depending on the length Multiple poems and short stories (perhaps 5-10 each) newspaper/magazine/online articles Divided sensibly among the following categories: Fiction (40-50%) Nonfiction 50-60% (25% which is self-selected)

What does effective literacy instruction look like?

Environment -There is a designated location for both large- and small- group instruction.  -Student work is displayed.  -Student independence, ownership, and responsibility are evident.

Materials -There are a variety of reading materials (different genres and levels) used for small group instruction. -There is a variety of reading materials (different genres and levels) available for students’ independent reading. -There are writing notebooks, journals, or folders for student use.

Grouping -There is time daily for whole group instruction. -There is time daily formed based an assessment and are flexible, changing to continue to meet needs of individual students. -Students receive differentiated instruction based on need.

Management -Texts of multiple genres and levels are easily accessible to students for self- selection. -Students are engaged in meaningful reading while the teacher is working with small groups. -Materials are well organized. -The daily schedule allows for a large uninterrupted block of time for literacy.  Routines and procedures are clearly established, resulting in high time on task.

Balanced Instruction - The literacy block includes a read aloud, where the teacher shares his/her thinking. -The literacy block includes shared reading, where students see text and follow along, joining in when appropriate. -The literacy block includes guided reading with flexible homogeneous groups, focusing on reading strategies. -The literacy block includes opportunities for discussion of literature in small groups. -The literacy block includes time for independent reading of “just right” self-selected texts. The literacy block includes modeled writing, where the teacher is the author. The literacy block includes writing conferences, providing individual and/or small group feedback. The literacy block includes time for independent writing that is not graded

Continued- Balanced Literacy Instruction -The literacy block includes modeled writing, where the teacher is the author. -The literacy block includes writing conferences, providing individual and/or small group feedback. -The literacy block includes time for independent writing that is not graded.

Instruction -The literacy block provides direct instruction in all areas of the Iowa Core Essential Concepts (word work, vocabulary, comprehension, strategies, connections, composing with focus on both content and conventions). -Student discussion is encouraged. There is a balance between teacher talk and student talk. -There is clear integration of reading, writing, technology, and oral language. - Open-ended questions or assignments are a part of daily instruction in all content areas. - Reading and writing are clearly aligned and support each other.