Welcome to the Middle School Reading Department and the wonderful world of balanced literacy!
Cumberland Valley's middle school reading department has moved to a balanced approach to literacy instruction. The elements of balanced literacy instruction are:
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Shared Reading experiences which provide explicit instruction in: reading comprehension strategies, literary analysis, genre study, non-fiction text structures and features, and critical thinking skills.
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Small-group Guided Reading lessons which differentiate instruction and provide students with the opportunity to apply the principles taught during Shared Reading lessons at their instructional level.
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Literature Discussion Groups during which students engage in authentic discussion around a book of their choice. The teacher mentors students in how to talk to one another about books with the ultimate goal of moving students to deeper levels of comprehension.
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Word Study Instruction which engages students in critical thinking based upon the patterns and principles of letters and words.
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Independent Reading which allows students to read materials of their choice which are at their independent level in order to build fluency and comprehension.
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Interactive Teacher Read Alouds during which the teacher instills a love of books and reading as she models fluent, expressive reading and shares the strategies she uses to interact with text.
Our curriculum is based on best practices in the field of adolescent reading instruction and is grounded in the Pennsylvania standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.
We are very excited about the implementation of balanced literacy instruction and its potential to grow and nurture the literacy development of your child.