CMDS does not subscribe to one specific curriculum plan for our entire Literacy & Language Arts approach. We’ve taken pieces of multiple curriculums and best practices to form a customized literacy program that meets the needs of our school community. Read on to learn more about the Literacy & Language Arts approach, specifically as it relates to Lower School.
Has our approach changed?
Yes! However, our expectations and benchmarks have not. When examining our curriculum, we made the decision that CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) wasn’t providing a deep enough (and thorough enough) understanding of phonics and spelling patterns.
SK-3rd grade teachers, the three CMDS Reading Specialists and members of administration worked together to create a program that would strengthen our phonics and spelling components. We kept the rich literature and reading comprehension strategies that we saw working as our students progressed through grade levels and found new tools to improve the components that needed it.
This team of teachers and administrators spent more than a year researching national best practices and programs to build a multitiered approach that would meet all of our students’ needs.
S.P.I.R.E. … So, what is it and why did we choose it?
When you search and read about S.P.I.R.E., you quickly see that it’s a curriculum designed for struggling readers. However, CMDS is not using S.P.I.R.E. the way it is intended or as the sole reading curriculum.
S.P.I.R.E. is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is a multisensory way to teach literacy. We are specifically using S.P.I.R.E to form the “meat” of our phonics and spelling instruction. You will see these patterns in the weekly spelling lists that 1st-3rd grade study each week. Our scope and sequence was designed to help students master the phonics and spelling patterns, so they can build fluency and apply these skills in writing. Because of the tool’s fluidity, we are constantly able to re-evaluate the needs of each grade level and each classroom.
We have not eliminated any of the previously taught spelling and phonics patterns. Students are not losing ground, nor is the curriculum being watered down. In fact, the opposite is occurring. While the pace and sequence is different, students are taught these patterns at a deeper and more meaningful level using a multi-sensory approach.
How’s it going so far?
While we are less than one school year (2020-21) into a more direct Structured Literacy approach, we are already seeing great results in the classroom. Our teachers are universally pleased with the outcomes they’re seeing in their students. Our DIBELS literacy screenings, which we perform three times per year for all SK-3rd grade students, are showing markedly higher gains for all of our readers. We are extremely happy with the progress thus far.
What is Structured Literacy?
Structured Literacy is explicit, systematic teaching that focuses on phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics and decoding, spelling, and syntax at the sentence and paragraph levels. Structured Literacy is proven to lead to skilled reading – which builds and strengthens multiple strands of knowledge – for all students.
All of these components make up a skilled reader: Phonemic & Phonological Awareness; Decoding & Word Recognition (Phonics & Spelling); Reading Fluency & Accuracy; Vocabulary & Grammar; and Comprehension. In order for our students to become proficient and fluent readers, writers and spellers, all of these literacy blocks must line up to form a strong foundation, thus setting up our students for success.
We couldn’t say it better than the experts at the Iowa Reading Research Center: “Explicitly teaching content empowers an educator to teach diagnostically as error patterns become obvious and can be addressed in real time. This both minimizes incorrect practices and assists in forging vital neural pathways that are essential for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.” (Read more about Structured Literacy as it compares to Balanced Literacy.)
What if my child is already a strong reader?
The Structured Literacy approach is beneficial for all readers because it’s individualized and encompasses all of the components necessary for students to achieve their full potential. With S.P.I.R.E. as one of our tools, we are able to deliver differentiated instruction to all students in the classroom. The same skill is taught three different ways based on students’ levels of understanding. One student may have a S.P.I.R.E. reader while another classmate is reading a more advanced selection. We meet our students where they are, and with what they need, to challenge them when appropriate and to fill in gaps when needed.
What else makes up the Literature and Language Arts approach at CMDS?
We use a curriculum called Shurley English for grammar instruction beginning in 1st grade. Parts of speech, syntax and sentence structure are taught in a multi-sensory approach to make abstract concepts clear, logical and concrete.
We are still using parts of CKLA as well. We use the CKLA leveled readers throughout the multiple grade levels. It also is the primary component of Lower School Domain studies.
For the literature piece, students are exposed to a variety of texts and genres. Small reading groups are formed on the basis of both interest and range. By 3rd grade, novel studies form the basis of the literature program.
Is there anything else you would like for us to know?
We’re so glad you asked! CMDS is constantly analyzing, evolving and changing our curriculum and approach. We often alter, supplement and shift the way we’re teaching and the tools we’re using. Historically, we haven’t formally announced when these kinds of changes are made, but are always available and willing to answer specific questions. We have typically hosted Lunch & Learn events every January to highlight the upcoming grade level, and often that is when these kinds of topics are covered. We unfortunately weren’t able to have those this year. We did publish the grade-level highlights this year, and those are available in the RenWeb Family Portal under Resource Documents.
CMDS treasures many of our academic traditions while seeking out the most progressive and proven education practices so we can best prepare our students for what comes next. Please trust that we would never make any changes that don’t honor our mission statement’s first pillar of academic excellence.
