Saint Paul Public Schools The Center for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development

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Differentiated Skills Block with Words Their
Way
Instructional Leadership in Literacy Series
Saint Paul Public SchoolsThe Center for
Curriculum, Instruction and Professional
Development
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Vision for 2011-2012

• ??District-wide focus on deepening the
  implementation of the Skills Block supported with
  Bookshop Phonics (K 1), Bookshop Phonics
  Intervention (gr.2-5), Words Their Way for Word
  Study, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (gr.
  2-5).
• ???Deepen implementation of small group
  instructional strategies aligned to students
  stages of reading development Oral Language
  Reading, Small Group Shared Reading, Guided
  Instructional Reading, Reciprocal Reading.
• ???Use DataZone as an assessment management,
  instructional planning, and progress monitoring
  tool. Focus on instructional implications of
  student data on a daily basis.
• ???Job-embedded professional development provided
  by building literacy coaches and district Reading
  Instruction Specialists Support literacy-focused
  PLCs with the Data-Teams Process.
• ???Development of the Instructional Leadership in
  Literacy Series to support principals with data
  analysis and literacy instruction look-fors.

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Skills Block

• Links to Readers Workshop and Writers Workshop
• Kindergarten and Grade 1 Mondo Bookshop Phonics
• Grades 2-6 Words Their Way and Bookshop Phonics
  Intervention for identified students.

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Session Goals

• Analyze the data points that are used to
  differentiate instruction in Words Their Way.
• Identify the key elements of Words Their Way and
  view a demonstration lesson.
• Discuss structures that support the
  implementation of Words Their Way.

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DataZone
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Linking Words Their Way to the Common Core
Standards
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Words Their Way

• Developmentally driven approach to word study
• Links word study to the texts students are
  reading
• Provides a systematic scope and sequence of
  word-level skills Alphabet ---Pattern---Meaning
  
• Provides multiple hands-on opportunities to
  manipulate word features that allow students to
  generalize beyond isolated, individual examples
  to entire groups of words that are spelled the
  same way
• Effective and engaging vocabulary instruction

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The Difference

• Bookshop Intervention Phonics
• Short-term intensive instruction (80 Lessons or
  less)
• Instruction determined, based on student need
  (students grouped at lessons 1, 21 or 41)
• Includes phonemic awareness, letter recognition,
  phonics and word recognition
• Immediately applied to connected text

• Words Their Way
• Students move through 3 stages of spelling--each
  stage can take 2 years
• Teacher directed lesson, partner practice and
  independent practice
• Instruction determined, based upon developmental
  stage of spelling
• Phonics, vocabulary and spelling instruction

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Key Elements of Words Their Way

• Sorts
• Constructivist learning and teacher-directed
  instruction
• Talk to make discoveries and form generalizations
• Practice a sort 6-8 times independently and with
  a buddy
• Reflect
• Word Study Notebook
• Progress Monitoring
• Transfer to Meaningful Reading and Writing

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Assessment Harolds
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Harolds Assessment Composite
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How to make groups
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Standard Weekly Routines
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Teacher Directed Lesson Plan

• Demonstrate
• Sort and Check
• Reflect
• Extend

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Lesson Plan
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Video Look- Fors
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Video
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• Video Debrief
• What did you notice?
• What do you wonder about?

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A Tour of a Word Study Notebook
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Weekly Schedule Sample
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Progress Monitoring

• Spelling Inventory (3x a year)
• Weekly Spelling Feature Test
• End of Unit Test
• Spell Checks
• Writing Samples across curricular areas

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Lessons Learned

• It takes timeGo slow to go fast!
• Minimum of three days with a sort, with a minimum
  of 6-8 opportunities to practice each sort
• Material organization
• Use of progress monitoring
• Scheduling

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Tools for Implementation

• Core Words Their Way text
• Word Sorts Books
• Video clips
• Walkthrough Criteria
• SPPS Words Their Way Launch
• Family Letter
• Directions for Student Sorts
• Weekly Schedule Sample

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For Teachers
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For Principals
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Elementary Literacy Website

• http//thecenter.spps.org/elemlit.html
• Password elpg
• debbie.bell_at_spps.org
• susan.braithwaite_at_spps.org