Our English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum Team, composed of teachers, reading specialists, and administrators have worked diligently to review a wide variety of curricular materials to determine what will work best for our students. Through our science-based research regarding best practices in reading and writing for early literacy through middle grades, we have identified two curricular resource options that meet criteria to pilot in our district.
The ELA team has chosen to pilot Benchmark Advance in K-5 classrooms and Units of Study with the Patterns of Power in 6-8 classrooms. We are formally inviting you to attend one or more of the following dates to share information about these resources. Please use this link to pre-register to attend one of these sessions.
Monday, September 25 5:30 - 6:30 Fox River Library Benchmark Overview
Wednesday, September 27 5:30 - 6:30 Fox River Library Units of Study Overview
Thursday, October 12 5:30 - 6:30 Fox River Library Benchmark & Unit of Study Overview`
Benchmark Advance (K-5)
Benchmark Advance is a literacy program that is used in schools across the United States.
Here are some of the benefits of Benchmark Advance:
It is aligned with the Science of Reading, which is the most current research on how children learn to read.
It is comprehensive, covering all aspects of literacy, from phonics to comprehension.
It is engaging, with a variety of activities and resources to keep students motivated.
It is flexible, so it can be adapted to the needs of individual students.
It is research-based, with proven results in helping students improve their reading skills.
Units of Study and Patterns of Power (6-8)
Units of Study is a way of teaching reading and writing that helps students develop a deep understanding of the texts they read and write. Patterns of Power supports teaching of grammar and patterns of language in writing.
Here are some of the benefits of Units of Study and Patterns of Power:
It is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers provide different levels of support and challenge to students based on their individual needs. This means that all students are able to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
It is based on the research that students learn best when they are engaged in authentic reading and writing experiences.
It focuses on teaching various reading and writing strategies, such as how to make inferences and how to write a persuasive essay.
It provides time for students to read and write, while receiving teacher feedback on their work through conferencing and small group instruction.
It is also integrated with other subjects. This means that students learn about reading and writing in the context of other subjects, such as social studies, science, and math. This helps students see the relevance of reading and writing in their everyday lives.
It helps students to see the relevance of grammar to their own writing. Students are encouraged to explore the patterns of language that they use in their own writing, and to think about how they can use these patterns to make their writing more effective.
Thank you,
WGSD District Teaching & Learning Team