Phonics
Blending Routine
3rd Grade - 6th Grade Blending Routine
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: ACCESS: Phonics and Word Recognition
The purpose of the blending routine is to teach the cognitive processes (thinking) of a proficient reader when decoding an unknown word. The McGraw-Hill and decodable materials provide practice in reading those words in connected text.
Teacher Observation
Fluency
Fluency Strategies
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: ACCESS: Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read with appropriate rate, accuracy, and expression to understand text.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Routine
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: ACCESS: Vocabulary
Build vocabulary knowledge by teaching unfamiliar words deeply
Comprehension
- Text Dependent Questioning
- Informational Text Structure
- Question-Answer Relationships
- Science Texts
- Analyzing the Contributions of Images
- Four Square Perspectives
- Comparing Literature
Text Dependent Questioning
Text Dependent Questions
SMART Standards Alignment: READING - WRITING - SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Students revisit the text several times to answer a series of questions which are designed to build levels of understanding. The questions begin by establishing general understandings and then lead to deeper understanding of the text. Evidence from the text is used to support answers at all levels of questioning.
Teacher Observation
Informational Text Structure
Informational Text Structure
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Understand, Analyze
Students learn the six types of informational text structure, and then learn to recognize which structure the author is using to organize information in any given text. This strategy helps students understand the author’s purpose and the main ideas and details in the text.
Observation
Question-Answer Relationships
Question - Answer Relationships (QAR)
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Understand
Show understanding of main ideas/details, text structure,or themes by questioning, recounting,and reciting textual evidence
Teacher Observation
Science Texts
Analyzing the Contributions of Images
Analyzing the Contributions of Images in Text
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Analyze
This routine guides students in analyzing and explaining how images help clarify a text and contribute to understanding.
Teacher Observation
N/A
Four Square Perspectives
Four Square Perspective Strategy
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Analyze
The Four Square Perspective is a strategy, with an accompanying graphic organizer, that teaches students to distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator and/or characters in a text. This strategy and graphic organizer can also be used to teach students to distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of an informational text.
Teacher Observation
N/A
Comparing Literature
Comparing Literature
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Transfer WRITING: Knowledge
Compare and contrast characters, adventures, and experiences of characters in stories. This strategy guides students to identifying similarities and differences of various elements in literature.
Observation of independent practice, writing, speaking and listening for understanding
Writing
- Mentor Text
- Just Ask It - Revision Strategy
- Modeled Writing
- Challenge Word Spelling Routine
- Informative Writing
- Opinion Writing
- Narrative Writing
- Stop, Think and Write Techniques
- Spelling Memorization Routine
- Editing Circle
Mentor Text
Mentor Text Routine
SMART Standards Alignment: READING: Analyze - WRITING
Students and teacher read a quality text and analyze the text by making a map of the text, which outlines how the author composed his/her writing. The teacher and students then use the map to guide their own writing, emulating the author’s style, pattern, technique, etc. as outlined on the map.
N/A
Just Ask It - Revision Strategy
Just Ask It
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: Communication - SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Understand
Just Ask It! is a revision strategy that demonstrates the kind of thinking good writers go through as they draft and make on-going changes to the content of their writing. A student reads his piece of writing to the whole class, a small group, or a partner. As the students have questions about the piece, they “just ask it.” The writer chooses whether or not to revise his piece in response to the questions.
Observations of techniques presented in student's own writing
Provide an area where student's can sit comfortably and observe teacher writing and text is visible (writing board or document camera in the front of the class being projected).
Modeled Writing
Modeled Writing
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING
Modeled writing is an ongoing practice that occurs during your sustained writing period. Teachers take a few minutes to model the thinking that goes into their own personal writing. They might model the thinking that goes into composing or revising a section of text (or any other step in the writing process), or the thinking that occurs when applying a particular strategy or technique. Teachers then have a discussion with their students that focuses on the question, “What did you see me do as a writer?”
Modeled writing is an ongoing practice that occurs during your sustained writing period. Teachers take a few minutes to model the thinking that goes into their own personal writing. They might model the thinking that goes into composing or revising a section of text (or any other step in the writing process), or the thinking that occurs when applying a particular strategy or technique. Teachers then have a discussion with their students that focuses on the question, “What did you see me do as a writer?”
Modeled writing is an ongoing practice that occurs during your sustained writing period. Teachers take a few minutes to model the thinking that goes into their own personal writing. They might model the thinking that goes into composing or revising a section of text (or any other step in the writing process), or the thinking that occurs when applying a particular strategy or technique. Teachers then have a discussion with their students that focuses on the question, “What did you see me do as a writer?”
Observations of techniques presented in student's own writing
Provide an area where student's can sit comfortably and observe teacher writing and text is visible (writing board or document camera in the front of the class being projected).
Challenge Word Spelling Routine
Challenge Word Spelling Strategy
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: LANGUAGE: Spelling
Students are taught a strategy for sounding out challenging words and for making logical attempts at spelling those words. This strategy encourages students to use more difficult and exciting words in their writing, rather than stick with less exciting words that are easier to spell. It also helps students apply what they have learned about spelling patterns, and makes it easier for students and others to read their own writing.
Observe student attempts
Informative Writing
Informative Writing
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: Product: Informative
Students learn to convey information accurately through informative/explanatory writing. They learn a variety of structures, such as description, sequence, cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution, and question/answer.
See specific grade level for resources
See specific grade level for resources
Opinion Writing
Opinion Writing
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: PRODUCT: Opinion
Students learn to logically present a position, belief, or conclusion in opinion writing. They learn to provide reasons, examples, and explanations to support their opinion.
See specific grade level for resources
See specific grade level for resources
Narrative Writing
Narrative Writing
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: PRODUCT: Narrative
Students learn to convey experiences, either real or imaginary, through narrative writing. They learn to provide visual details, to depict specific actions, to use dialogue, and to manipulate pace for effect.
See Additional Resources
See specific grade level for resources
Stop, Think and Write Techniques
Stop, Think, and Write Techniques
SMART Standards Alignment: WRITING: Knowledge
Students respond to a question or topic posed by the teacher through writing. This is followed by a few minutes of sharing and classroom discussion.
Technique |
Description |
|---|---|
Quick Write |
Students respond to a question or topic posed by the teacher through sustained writing. (7-10 minutes) |
Quick Jot |
Very brief, informal opportunities to think and record a few thoughts, notes, ideas, opinions, or brainstorm. (1-3 minutes) |
Thinking Boxes |
Students engage in several brief episodes of two-three minutes of thinking, jotting and sketching while working through material they are reading, watching/listening to, or otherwise learning. Simply have students fold a piece of paper into boxes and number them. After sharing, the teacher may clarify if needed based on student responses. (1-3 minutes per box) |
Quick Tries |
Quick opportunities for students to use informal writing to “try out” something that has been explicitly taught. (1-3 minutes) |
Exit Slip |
Students respond to a question posed at the end of a lesson. This "slip" is turned into the teacher for an informal measure of how the students have understood a topic or lesson. (1-3 minutes) |
Spelling Memorization Routine
Editing Circle
Editing Circles
SMART Standards Alignment: LANGUAGE: Capitalization/Punctuation
The purpose of editing circles is to give students practice with editing for conventions in authentic writing. Students become a specialist in one area of editing: capitalization, punctuation, or spelling.
Analyze student editing
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