Older Readers
A Balanced Reading Program
Mustard Seed School is committed to having a balanced reading program, every classroom, K-8.
More information on the components of a balanced reading program.
Literature Circles
During literature circles, students meet in small groups to discuss, respond, and reflect on their reading. The teacher or students facilitate the discussion, and as students progress through the primary grades, they will become able to take on parts of this facilitator role. A goal of primary-grade literature circles is to guide students to become more independent with each component of the discussion so that they are ready to hold discussion groups with very little teacher coaching by the end of third grade or the beginning of fourth. Literature circles, which begin to occur in Third and Fourth Grade, along with Guided Reading groups, silent reading, and reading workshop are all part of a balanced literacy program for young readers.
More information about Literature Circles.
Reading Workshop
Reading workshop is a general way of organizing the sustained silent reading time that students experience each day in each grade. It may also serve at times to organize direct reading instruction and may include opportunities for participation in Guided Reading instruction, literature circles, and journaling. The purpose of reading workshop is to promote fluency and to provide an occasion to promote the love of reading and to learn about texts in various ways. Reading workshop builds a community of readers as students receive support from their peers and interact with others to develop good literacy habits. Reading workshop is not intended to replace guided reading groups where specific needs are addressed in a flexible, small group setting. All students should have opportunities to meet in guided reading groups for explicit instruction. Teachers can meet with Guided Reading groups and/or conference with individual students during independent reading. These are complimentary components that need to be a part of the Balanced Literacy Program.
More information about Reading Workshop
Independent Reading and Response Journals
The goal of all classroom reading instruction is to develop readers who can select and read a variety of books independently with confidence. Independent Reading is defined as a time when students self-select and independently read appropriate books. It is on the continuum of reading instruction that flows from teacher Read Aloud, to Shared Reading, to Guided Reading, to Independent Reading where the child takes on full responsibility.
More on Independent Reading and Response Journals .
Varied Genres and Comprehension Strategies
So that students will develop intellectual hospitality, confidence, and familiarity with literature, students are introduced to a wide range of genres and related comprehension strategies. In every grade, students become acquainted with multiple genres and, in the older grades, classic works of literature and, at the same time, become practiced at how a good reader approaches a new and challenging text.
More on varied genres and comprehensive strategies including a sample of literature by grade for grades 4-8
High Volume Reading
In order to be successful readers, students need to read widely and frequently. In September, we quickly engage students with reading for sustained periods of time, with energy and purpose – reading, as some say, as if their minds are on fire! As students begin, we also work intentionally to deepen their repertoire of reading strategies and establish patterns of independent reading, reading logs, individual conferences, read-aloud time, and other structures. From the start, we work to enhance students’ emotional and intellectual responses to books. At the same time, we work steadily to enhance their volume and independence.
With this in mind, Mustard Seed School expects students in grades six, seven, and eight to independently read a book every week, in addition to the book that is read in class. Each week, students write a written response (in their reader’s notebooks) that reflects their comprehension. In addition, each Friday, students meet with advisors in order to discuss the book that has just been read.
Academic Vocabulary – A Matter of Experience, Strategy, and Instruction
A student’s working vocabulary has a profound effect on his or her comprehension of literature, science, history, music and all areas of learning. Students who understand mathematics and science have an understanding of terms such as area, volume, and circumference. Likewise, students who understand terms such as region, continent, and nation better understand the relationship between history and geography. In any area of learning, to deeply understand words is to deeply understand integral ideas and concepts.
In order to acquire important academic vocabulary, students must first have rich experiences that extend beyond the classroom walls. Still further, they need to have significant conversations about those experiences. The richer the experiences and the more significant the conversations, the stronger vocabularies become. Similarly, as students read important books and as they revise and elaborate their own written work, vocabularies grow continuously. There is no substitute for this. Students need to go places, have conversations, read deeply, and write extensively to increase their vocabularies.
At the same time, students also need to become able investigators when they encounter unfamiliar words. A dictionary, a thesaurus, and other resources need to become familiar tools. An understanding of word origins and the structure of language must also develop through a deeper study of words. Systematic instruction that includes work with analogies, analysis of morphemes, and strategies for utilizing context are also important. Finally, an intentional study of academic terms must be included in science, history, literature, and every other area of study.
In Fourth and Fifth Grade, students begin to study words more deeply (utilizing the Building Academic Vocabulary program, published by ASCD), but it is always in the context of rich experiences, conversations, important books, a variety of disciplines, and writing. In the process, lists of important words are sent home periodically and tools such as vocabulary forms and a vocabulary notebook will be developed during the course of the year. In Sixth and Seventh Grade, this academic habit continues, but students also begin to use formal vocabulary workbooks (Wordly Wise 3000) to expand and strengthen their knowledge