Our English Language Arts program will be based on Fountas and Pinnell's approach to teaching literacy.
We will have Literacy Stations for children to move through while I meet with small groups for Guided Reading. Some of the stations will include a spelling station, a listening station, a computer station, a 'word work' station and a reading station. During Guided Reading time, I will be giving direct instruction to a needs-based group of students. I will be informally assessing children daily for decoding, comprehension and fluency. Decoding is pronouncing or saying a written word, comprehension is an understanding of what they are reading, and fluency includes their rate of reading as well as their phrasing during reading.
We will also include a Writers' Workshop to our Literacy time. There will be a mini-lesson to reinforce or introduce a concept and the children will write in their journals. Some days this will be a free write, other times it will be directed. There will be time for students to meet with each other and with me to share their writing. Our Writers' Workshop will end with a "Sharing Chair" where students will have the opportunity to share their work if they want to.