English Language Arts
SPARK's reading program directly supports student achievement by implementing a reading program that is built to meet all students’ needs. We use the Georgia Standards of Excellence as the guide for our curriculum, and we implement resources and activities from a wide variety of sources, including Teacher's College.
Balanced Literacy
Balanced Literacy Approach utilizing whole group instruction, small group instruction, guided reading and conferring
Instructional contexts include
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Interactive Read Aloud – All grades
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Reading Workshop - Reading mini-lessons, Independent and Partner Reading using differentiated authentic texts to employee the strategies introduced through mini-lessons – All grades
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Writing mini-lessons, independent and partner writing practice using mentor texts and writing strategies that allow students to generate ideas and produce high-quality writing on self-selected topics that have real audiences – All grades
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Phonics Workshop - Phonics mini-lessons with a specific focus on targeted transferrable practice to reading and writing – Grades K-2
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Shared Reading – Opportunities for students to practice fluent reading using successive readings of on-grade level text supported by the teacher – Grades K-2
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Word Work – Morphology studies – Grades 3-5
Focuses on:
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Differentiation to meet the needs of all students through administration and analysis of Reading Records (Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System)
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High-Volume, High Interest Reading of Authentic Text - Upwards of 30+ minutes per day
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Building Knowledge base through authentic nonfiction text
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Teaching Comprehension skills and strategies to support reading achievement and foster a life-long love of reading
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Value of modeling through Interactive read aloud
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Incorporating instruction on foundational skills/phonics within Balanced Literacy supported by Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Continuum
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Supporting students to see themselves as writers by teaching strategies for generating ideas, using mentor texts and writing for real audiences
Reading
Reading Units of Study – Evidence-based curriculum created through action-research conducted by Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Columbia University
Phonics
Wilson Fundations Phonics (Fundations) is an explicit and systematic phonics and spelling program used in grades K-2. Fundations lessons focus on carefully sequenced skills that include print knowledge, alphabet awareness, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and spelling.
Writing
Writing Units of Study – Evidence-based curriculum created through action-research conducted by Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Columbia University.