Early literacy activities and experiences are embedded in the daily work of the 4s. Children listen to books read aloud, sometimes studying particular genres like fairytales, and share books with each other. Children tell each other stories that grow from communal play in the block area, or from a child’s painting. They use blank books to compose stories or record everything they know about someone or something close to their hearts. In the spring, we begin our Handwriting Without Tears program, which teaches proper pencil grip and letter formation, alongside a multi-week “Mystery Letter” study that introduces initial sounds through engaging activities and games. As their awareness of letters and sounds grows over the year, 4s begin sorting objects or pictures based on the first sound they hear, and some use those initial sounds to try writing words on their own. Much of this work takes place during Open Work and Choice Work times of the day, allowing students to come to literacy-based tasks on their own and to be supported by teachers to build their skills.

Explicit reading and writing instruction begins in the 5s. At the beginning of the year, children of this age already have a strong relationship with literature — they can retell familiar stories and use pictures and words to help them narrate favorite books. They use drawings to compose their own true and imagined tales. Classroom literacy routines include shared reading of both long and short texts to teach concepts of print and literature and comprehension skills, partner and independent “Book Looks,” phonological awareness and word study practice, and explicit whole-class and small group instruction. Small groups are focused on students’ reading development and emphasize teaching and practice of specific skills. Writing Workshop lessons help 5s become a community of writers using pictures and words to tell stories, label pictures, and write non-fiction. As the year progresses, 5s build knowledge of how written language works, and become increasingly skillful and independent as readers and writers.

Many 6s anticipate learning to read and write over the course of the year and have high expectations for themselves. Our literacy instruction builds a solid foundation so that 6s identify themselves as readers by emphasizing reading as something to love. This continues throughout the year through consistent and structured literacy routines that include reading workshop, writing workshop, small group work, word study, shared reading, and read-alouds. Small group reading work focuses on specific skills that align with students’ particular reading developmental stages. Phonological awareness practice continues in the 6s to solidify students’ knowledge of letters and sounds as they develop into independent readers. Students also engage in other word work practice and begin to learn spelling patterns and rules as well as continuing to build their sight word vocabulary. 6s write for a variety of purposes and are introduced to the writing process through guided practice in developing ideas, drafting, revising, and editing their work. 6s typically revisit familiar genres, gaining experience writing narrative fiction as well as informational pieces, and writing more expressively and playfully.

7s are increasingly fluent readers and writers, and will spend the year becoming more independent and skillful. Reading and writing are approached joyfully and pursued independently, but the class also develops strong community around literacy, forming discussion groups around shared books or series, or giving each other carefully considered feedback about written work. Students continue to refine their writing skills through more independence with the writing process, with a greater emphasis on revision for content and style. Writing is seen as purposeful, as a way to express ideas, and community-minded with frequent writing shares. Structures and routines for literacy in the 7s include shared reading and read alouds, word work practice to develop facility with common spelling patterns and rules as well as recognition of high-frequency words, focused small-group reading instruction with either a teacher or the Learning Specialist, and one-on-one conferences to provide guidance for students’ ongoing independent practice.

Make connections to stories and poems.

Observe predictable story elements in a genre like fairy tales.

Identify letters and recognize letter-sound correspondence.

Notice and generate rhyming words.

Recount and compose stories orally.

Use writing and drawing tools competently.

Stretch words to hear all sounds while writing.

Use inventive spelling to represent phonetic sounds.

Use conventions such as left-to-right orientation, spaces between words while building independent writing skills.

Integrate decoding and comprehension skills to read with purpose and meaning.

Recognize narrative arc of stories and incorporate in own compositions.

Use writing to capture a moment, or share ideas.

Recognize and use the conventions of a variety of genres.

Write sentences with beginning capitals and ending punctuation.

Use the writing process to generate ideas, draft, revise and edit, and share their writing.

Stories and their elements

Reading through pictures and words

Relationships between sounds, letters, and words

Text features and characteristics

Purposes for writing

Purposes of writing conventions

Similarities and differences between types of texts

Genres and formats for writing

Strategies for reading independently

Stamina

Author’s voice

Point of view

Mentor texts as models for writing