1. UNDERSTANDING THE READING / ELA VOLUNTARY STATE CURRICULUM Kathy Volk kvolk@msde.state.md.us

2. Outcome Understand both the importance of and the process used to align instruction to the Reading/English Language Arts Voluntary State Curriculum.

3. Alignment Model Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Intended Curriculum Maryland School Assessment Instructional Program Achieved CurriculumDelivered Curriculum

4. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has aligned the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) to the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) in Reading. It is the job of the local school systems to align the daily instructional program to the VSC with the help of MSDE. In order to do this, there must be a clear understanding of the VSC.

5. The complete VSC for Reading/ELA can be found on the web at http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/ curriculum/reading/index.html

6. In reading/ELA we have seven standards for grades PreK-8 1.0 General Reading Processes 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text 4.0 Writing 5.0 Controlling Language 6.0 Listening 7.0 Speaking

7. How is the VSC labeled? 1.0 Standard A. Topic 1. Indicator a. Objective > Assessment Limit

8. To read the VSC you need to know: 1.0 General Reading ProcessesSTANDARD A. Phonemic AwarenessTOPIC a. Tell whether sounds are same or differentOBJECTIVE

9. Label the following: 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text E. General Reading Comprehension 4. Determine important ideas and messages in informational text a. Identify and explain the author ’ s/text ’ s purpose and intended audience  In the text or a portion of the text

10. General Reading Processes (1.0) has five topics: A.Phonemic Awareness (Not assessed on MSA) B.Phonics (Assessed on MSA Gr. 3 & 4) C.Fluency (Not assessed on MSA) D.Vocabulary (Assessed on MSA Gr. 3-8) E.Comprehension (Assessed on MSA Gr. 3-8)

11. LEARNING TO READ Phonemic Awareness Phonics  CRACKING THE CODE + Fluencyaccuracy, rate, expression predicts comprehension Vocabularysounds to words Comprehensionbefore, during, after VSC PreK – 3 includes:

12. READING TO LEARN Comprehensionusing the code to learn (vocabulary) before, during, after VSC 3 - 8 includes:

13. Only standards 1.0 General Reading Processes -- includes all of the reading skills and processes necessary for reading any text 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text -- includes all of the reading skills and processes necessary for reading any content text 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text -- includes all of the reading skills and processes for reading any type of literature are assessed on MSA.

14. Reading for a Purpose Standards 2 and 3 in the VSC give the reading process a purpose. These standards have only one topic which is comprehension and are assessed on MSA.

15. Reading for a Purpose Standard 2.0: Comprehension of Informational Text: Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate informational texts. This standard is for all teachers. Programs in any content area could align to this standard.

16. Reading for a Purpose Students are reading content material such as textbooks, trade books, reference materials, research, historical documents, periodicals, journals, biographies, newspapers, letters, and articles. Students are reading functional documents such as sets of directions, science experiments, applications, forms and menus.

17. Reading for a Purpose Standard 3.0: Comprehension of Literary Text: Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate literary texts. This standard is for reading and English teachers.

18. Reading for a Purpose Students are reading literary text such as stories, folk tales, fairy tales, fantasy and fables.

19. Where to begin??? Central to the document is the Reading Process

20. In the VSC it is found in: Standard 1.0: General Reading Processes  Kinds of text – all text  Before  During Strategic Reading Behaviors  After

21. Strategic Reading Behaviors (VSC-General Reading Processes:Standard 1.0)-No assessment limits BEFOREDURING  Preview (title, illustrations, graphs, charts, photographs)  Reread, restate, revisit difficult parts  Set a purpose for reading  Paraphrase important ideas  Predict and ask questions  Visualize  Record important ideas (graphically organize information, note-taking strategies)  Connect to the text using prior knowledge/experiences  Skim for connections between ideas  Explain personal connections

22. 1.0 General Reading Processes (After) Main idea Directly stated Inferences Draw conclusions Prediction Paraphrase Summarize Connect to personnel experience 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text (content text, functional documents, expository text) 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text (narratives, drama, poems)

23. Strategic Reading Behaviors (After Reading) 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text 4c State and support main ideas and messages [p. 27 (Int.)] 6a Identify, explain, analyze main ideas and universal themes [p. 46 (Int.)] 4d Summarize or paraphrase the text or a portion of the text [p. 27 (Int.)] 6d Summarize the text [p. 47 (Int.)] 4g Draw conclusions, make generalizations, synthesize ideas to form new understanding [p. 28 (Int.)] 6f Explain implications of the text for the reader and/or society [p. 47 (Int.)] 4j Connect the text to prior knowledge and experience [p. 29 (Int.)] 6e Identify, reflect on, explain personal connections to the text [p. 47 (Int.)]

24. Only objectives with assessment limits can be assessed on MSA. Where won’t you find assessment limits in the VSC?

25. Use the VSC to teach an after reading specific skill: 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text 2. Analyze text features to facilitate understanding of literary text b. Identify and explain how print features contribute to meaning  Illustrations  Punctuation  Print features

26. To achieve success with this indicator students must know the following: Analyze Identify Explain Illustrations Punctuation Print features Contributions to meaning

27. Teachers will use the “objective” in their daily instruction keeping the assessment limit in mind.

28. Levels of Cognitive Demand BloomBarrett LiteralKnowledge Comprehension Recognition Recall InterpretiveApplication Analysis Synthesis Inference CriticalEvaluation Appreciation

29. Teachers must use thoughtful planning to move students through levels of cognitive demand Literal-identify the illustrations Interpretive-explain how the author uses print features Critical-analyze the author’s use of punctuation in helping you understand the text

30. Finally, daily instruction must include formative assessments that: 1)Tell the teacher if the student understands 2)Aligns to the VSC

31. A Model for Aligning Instruction 1.Identify the standard, indicator, objective, and assessment limit 2.Develop the lesson objective 3.Develop the formative assessment and sample exemplary response 4.Explicit Instruction 5.Identify before, during, and after reading strategies

32. Outcome Understand both the importance of and the process used to align instruction to the Reading/English Language Arts Voluntary State Curriculum.