Onboarding Activity 1

Topic: Guide to Reading Workshop K-2: Chapter 1-2 :First Things First & What does this series contain?

Activity and Discussion Questions:

●       What does this series include? How does this curriculum serve as professional development to teachers?

Anchor charts, pocket charts, mini-lessons, conferring, songs, games, planning mats, bookmarks, cue cards, scaffolds, Each Unit 18-20 sessions, 1 session = 1 day in reading workshop, Reading Bends - Start basic and build to a deeper understanding and then to real world, teaching builds on from the day before.

The curriculum gives you step by step instructions on what a mini-lesson should have, what to do for conferring, how to do small group instruction, and balanced literacy. Also, it suggests resources and provides exemplars with rubrics.

●       What are your thoughts about the research, and the design and rationale for this curriculum?

The teachers liked that it immerses students into reading for enjoyment, and not for just answering a set of questions. It makes students become life long and critical readers and gives them opportunities to read and write throughout the session. In addition, the research is based off of reading research by actual teachers in multiple districts.

●       How do you think these units fit or (don’t fit) with the needs of the district/assessments?

There are some concerns that the skills in the Units of Study do not match up with the skills blueprint given by the district. Units of Study is designed to run along any district curriculum with help from the If..Then companion book.

Outcome: Knowledge about what the series contains, the research behind the curriculum, understanding of the design and rationale for the curriculum.