BY L A N N I M A S Z E R O W S K I

LITERACY IN BRIGHTON

THE TOWN OF BRIGHTON

➤ First ring suburb of Rochester, NY

➤ 3rd smallest town in Monroe County

➤ Population of 36,000➤ 25% of the

households have school-aged children

➤ The median income for a family is $70,000

86%

8%

4% 1% 1% Racial Makeup

WhiteAsianAfrican Am.From 2+ RacesOther

BRIGHTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY➤ Children’s Center

➤ Play areas with puppets, costumes, and other storytelling props➤ Daily Story Time➤ Child-Friendly Computers➤ Library Club (kids age 8–10)➤ Summer Reading Program

➤ Adult Programs➤ Literature Circles➤ Poetry Readings➤ Creative Writing Seminars➤ Book Swaps

➤ Every Child Ready to Read➤ Literacy Program implemented by the Brighton children’s librarians➤ Targeted to parents with children ages 0–5➤ Provides parents with Early Childhood Literacy Kits

BRIGHTON RECREATION DEPARTMENT

➤ Baby American Sign Language classes➤ Teach basic signs to parents and their children (6 months – 2 years)➤ Use songs, books, and games➤ Claims to help children develop larger vocabularies

➤ Parent/Toddler Classes➤ Incorporate active play and the development of motor skills➤ Most have an emphasis on increasing exposure to books, songs, and creative

activities

➤ Literature Circles

➤ Seasonal Activities➤ The Art of Telling Ghost Stories➤ Letters to Santa➤ Valentine’s Poetry

➤ Typing/Internet Safety Classes

BRIGHTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

➤ 3,507 enrolled for the 2011-2012 school year

➤ 4 schools➤ Council Rock Primary School (K-2)➤ French Road Elementary School (3-5)➤ Twelve Corners Middle School (6-8)➤ Brighton High School (9-12)

➤ Average student to teacher ratio is 12:1

➤ Participates in the Rochester Urban-Suburban Program

FRENCH ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

➤ Grades 3-5

➤ 781 students

➤ Average class size is 21

➤ ~3% of students are English language learners

➤ ~6% of students have documented disabilities

➤ 2011 National Blue Ribbon School

#1 Fund-Raising School in the American Heart Association’s

Jump Rope For Heart – 12 years in a row!

NYS ELA EXAM

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 42%

15%

49%

33%

10%

30%

43%

17%

4th Grade ELA Exam Per-formance

Brighton NYS Average

Serious Academic Deficiencies

Needs Extra Help Meets Standards Exceeds Standards

LITERACY @ FRES

➤ Use Houghton Miffin Reading anthology at each grade level

➤ Use the Balanced Literacy Approach➤ Reading Workshop➤ Writing Workshop➤ Word Study➤ Listening and Speaking Studies

➤ 3rd grade teachers utilize the Daily 5

READING WORKSHOP

➤ Independent Reading

➤ Read Aloud

➤ Guided Reading➤ Teacher chooses material based on

student needs➤ Teacher works with a small group on a specific skill➤ Claim that struggling readers may benefit from daily guided

reading instruction

➤ Literature Circles➤ Implemented 0-4 times a year, depending on the teacher

WRITING WORKSHOP

➤ Independent Writing➤ Students write using a prompt, topic, or genre➤ Process-Oriented

➤ Rough Draft➤ Peer Conference➤ Revised Rough Draft➤ Teacher Conference➤ Final Copy

➤ 6+1 Writing Traits➤ Idea Development, Organization, Word Choice, Voice,

Sentence Fluency, Conventions, Presentation

➤ Guided Writing

WORD STUDY

➤ New Word Study program➤ Revamped over the summer➤ Eliminated grade level spelling lists➤ New emphasis on patterns and sounds instead of just spelling

➤ Students are informally assessed periodically by the classroom teacher to determine a phonics skill to focus on

➤ During the week students participate in Fountas and Pinnell word study activities at school and at home

➤ Students are assessed on their ability to spell the words and to sort the words and explain their thinking

LISTENING AND SPEAKING STUDIES

➤ Components of effective listening➤ Eyes on speaker➤ Sitting attentively➤ Note important information (retell, summarize)

➤ Components of effective speaking➤ Enunciating➤ Pacing➤ Audibility➤ Good posture➤ Eye contact➤ Confidence

LITERACY ASSESSMENTS

➤ AIMSweb Reading Fluency Assessment [September, January, June]

➤ Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment [September, February, June]

➤ MAP (Measuring Academic Progress) Assessment [date varies by grade]

➤ Practice NYS ELA exam [January]

➤ NYS ELA exam [May]

FRES LIBRARY

➤ Each class visits the library for a lesson with the librarian every six days (once a cycle)

➤ The Library Club meets once a week before school and is open to all students

➤ The Rochester Regional Library Council named the FRES library the 2011 School Library of the Year

LITERACY SPECIALISTS

➤ 1 Literacy Coach➤ Observes each teacher during ELA several times a year➤ Leads seminars presenting current research and curriculum

updates➤ Releases a monthly literacy newsletter for teachers➤ Pushes in to model strategies for teachers➤ Helps teachers set goals and meet goals

➤ Reading Specialists➤ Push in to classes with students in ELA AIS➤ Pull out students in ELA AIS for extra help

BEFORE SCHOOL INTERVENTION

➤ Early Morning Reading➤ 3rd grade students are recommended due to deficits with

decoding➤ Meets three times a week before school➤ Teachers implement the Wilson Reading Program➤ Reinforce skills on the computer using Lexio SOS, a reading

program

➤ Publisher’s Club➤ 4th grade students are recommended due to deficits with

reading and writing to a prompt➤ Meets twice a week before school➤ Goal is to improve skills before the NYS ELA exam

HOME-SCHOOL LITERACY CONNECTION

➤ Principal sends out a monthly “Literacy Connection” newsletter for parents

➤ Parents are encouraged to be volunteers➤ Library helpers➤ Guest Speakers➤ Read Alouds

➤ Scholastic Book Orders go home monthly

➤ Intergenerational Committee ➤ Made up of members of the community➤ Meets monthly to plan activities for people of all ages

➤ PTSA

A CLOSER LOOK: A 5TH GRADE CLASS

➤ 20 students (4 ELLs, 3 students in ELA AIS)

➤ Daily ELA Schedule➤ Daily Oral Language (10-15 minutes daily)

➤ Reading Workshop (45-60 minutes daily)➤ SQUIRT (15 minutes)➤ Word Work (15 minutes)➤ Guided Reading (15 minutes)➤ Reading Response Journals (15 minutes)

➤ Writing Workshop (45-60 minutes daily)➤ Independent Writing (15 minutes)➤ Writing Conferences (15 minutes)➤ Guided Writing (15 minutes)

TEXTS USED OVER 3 DAYS

➤ Guided Reading Groups – “Survival” Unit➤ Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (middle level)➤ Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (middle level)➤ Far North by Will Hobbs (high level)

➤ Read Aloud➤ Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

➤ Reader’s Response Journals➤ Frindle by Andrew Clements (read during the previous week)

➤ Independent Reading (SQUIRT)➤ Student selected

TEACHER’S VIEWS

➤ Methods➤ Guided Reading is the main part of her ELA instruction

➤ Students are put in groups based on F & P reading level➤ Constantly assessing her students informally➤ Emphasizes the importance of daily independent reading

➤ Goals (set yearly with mentor)➤ Implement the new Word Study program effectively➤ Increase the reading levels of her ELL students➤ Read more literature — both YA books and current educational

research

➤ Advice➤ Use literature that is relevant and authentic➤ Get parents involved — the difference is enormous

MY VIEWS

➤ My experience in the Brighton Central School District➤ Attended BCSD schools for K-12, graduated in 2007➤ Run a summer camp at French Road➤ Currently a substitute teacher in the district

➤ Brighton’s strengths with literacy➤ Research-based programs, constantly evolving➤ Assessment leads to instruction➤ Whole group, small group, partner, and individual activities

➤ Areas for improvement➤ Group students by a skill they need to improve, not just reading

level➤ Spend more time doing independent reading➤ More integration of ELA with social studies and science

RESOURCES

➤ Brighton Central School District homepage➤ http://bcsd.org

➤ Town of Brighton homepage➤ http://townofbrighton.org