Program Description |Resources | Technology |Classroom Environment |Assessment

Program Description:

The Plano ISD Elementary Language Arts Program provides balanced instruction in reading and writing. Teachers are responsible for implementing the language arts curriculum which is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills student expectations in the areas of listening and speaking, reading, writing, and viewing and representing. The best theory and learning strategies matched to the learning styles of individual children acknowledge that meaning-making is involved in the reading and writing processes.
With the goal of all students reading and writing at their potential, the Language Arts program ties phonics, spelling, and language skills to connected texts in reading and writing. Teachers support young readers through read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, modeled writing, shared writing, guided writing (writing process), and independent writing. This integrated language arts curriculum connects all aspects of phonics/word study, vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar, spelling, and writing in a meaningful context. The scope and sequence provides for instruction that meets the various needs of students and is designed to promote acceleration in the language arts processes with The Organizing Ideas and resources of the Plano ISD Integrated Curriculum (science and social studies) are a critical extension that provides authentic opportunities for students to use reading and language arts skills in a purposeful context.

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Resources:

The elementary teachers and students have a variety of resources. The student text for grades K-3 is McGraw-Hill Reading which includes leveled books for guided reading; decodable stories (K-1 only); take-home books; theme-related big books; and grammar, spelling, and writing connections. Phonics Listening Tapes (1-2) and Adventures with Buggles (K-3) are the associated phonics support. Supplemental programs provide trade books for each grade level. Additional trade books are included in the WiggleWorks classroom libraries (grades K-2) which include copies for guided reading and networked software for reading practice. The Pair-It software is a reading program that includes multiple text copies for guided reading. Stage 1 and 2 are used in first grade, Stage 3 is used in second grade, and Stage 4 is used in third grade.

In grades 4 and 5 McGraw-Hill Reading is the student text for reading which includes the student text, leveled books for guided reading, and theme-related novels. McGraw-Hill Language is the student text for language arts in grades 2-5. Reading and Language Arts instruction are correlated for a cohesive connected program. Vocabulary Puzzlemaker, Grammar Tunes, and Mind Jogger Videos provide practice and review to support mastery. Various software programs and specific internet sites enhance skill and strategy development and provide an avenue for authentic application of reading and writing. The district encourages Plano elementary schools to provide a literacy library that supports guided reading instruction beyond the core program.

The library media specialist provides guidance in the use of materials for reading and research in the library media center. In the classroom, students have access to a variety of technological resources that support the district-adopted curriculum in language arts. These include the district approved web sites, computer software specific to integrated curriculum content, and word processing software.

Teacher resources include professional books and journals in the library and in the classroom, along with curriculum guides that are keyed to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. The library media specialist is also a resource for teachers as they plan instructional units of study.

The Organizing Ideas and resources of the Plano I.S.D. Integrated Curriculum provide authentic opportunities for students to use reading / language arts skills in a purposeful context.

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Technology:

In the classroom students have access to a variety of technological resources that support the district-adopted curriculum in language arts. These include the specific software for phonics/spelling, reading and writing; district-approved web sites; computer software specific to Integrated Curriculum content; keyboarding and word processing software. Students learn to operate computers and associated peripherals while using software applications both as instructional aides and production. Computers provide opportunities for the practical application of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students use technology to research and synthesize information as they create multimedia presentations.

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Classroom Environment:

The classroom is a community where teacher and students read and write for various purposes all day. The settings for these reading and writing activities include conferencing, targeted instruction, student-led groups, computer projects, and independent tasks designed for specific students. This literacy-rich environment includes browsing boxes, leveled books, trade books, big books, charts of songs and poems, novels, student writing, and graphic organizers. Texts are read aloud daily as a model of fluent reading expressions, for developing structural awareness of fiction and non-fiction while facilitating growth in vocabulary and higher-order thinking skills. The elementary classroom furniture is arranged to facilitate flexible grouping allowing the teacher to work with large groups, small groups and/or individual students throughout the day. Because students are actively engaged in teacher-led groups, student groups, and/or independent learning, multi-tasking provides the environment for meeting the needs of students in this heterogeneous classroom. A multi-tasking classroom allows the teacher to share the responsibility for learning with the student, thus transferring mastery to independent application. Language arts skills and strategies are practiced and applied throughout the day, in all areas of the curriculum.

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Assessment:

The classroom teachers implement reflective teaching practices by continually assessing student progress through performance observation, evaluating student progress toward mastery, and planning instruction using this information. All grade levels administer district diagnostic assessments that are correlated to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills to assess mastery of grade level objectives. This information is recorded in the district database providing a student profile that is useful for parents and subsequent teachers.