How To Build Capacity in a Saskatchewan Reads School

Hello,

The feature section of Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators this week is Building Capacity.  When capacity is built teachers and administrators who are new to a school can maintain and strengthen the literacy momentum that has been established.

The Building Capacity section begins with a description of  the Literacy Leader:

Successful school administrators are accountable and take responsibility for student learning.
They also create a lasting culture that sustains a focus on reading.
Sharratt and Fullan (2012) describe these qualities as know-ability, mobilize-ability and sustainability.

Greg Enion, Director of Education, Regina Public Schools, describes the literacy priority in his division as well as the supports in place for in-school administrators in a video-clip at the bottom of the Literacy Leader page.

The Building Literacy Teams page describes how administrators build a team environment that honours diverse perspectives, support the learning of all staff and seek critical feedback. Staff are free to raise concerns and offer alternative ideas. The focus is on building trust among all members. The Building Literacy Teams module included on the page provides ideas on how to establish a team approach with staff.

The Professional Learning of Teachers page includes what Collaborative Professional Growth in action involves as well as a description of  how Job embedded professional learning in a Saskatchewan Reads school builds instructional capacity.  Check out the three staff development modules : The Big Ideas of Reading, Shared Reading, and Instructional Walks.

The Building Capacity section of Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators ends with a self-assessment.

Wish you a good week,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

Cultivating a Literacy Culture

Hello,

It has been a few weeks since the last post so we will pick up from where we left off. We realize that you are not physically in your schools but moving forward the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators site may provide some inspiration on how you might maintain and build on the literacy initiatives within your school communities in a virtual fashion.

This week we will provide an overview of the Cultivating a Culture section of the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators. We would also like to share the link to the newly released French version of the Ministry document Instructional Supports for Diverse Writers.

“Culture … mean[s] creating a whole-school community that works together
to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and enjoyment [of reading] for teachers, leaders, students, and their families.”
(Routman, 2014, p. 27)

The reflection question to be asked is What do I see, hear, and feel in our school that demonstrates a reading focus?

The first page in the Cultivating a Culture section is Creating a Saskatchewan Reads School Environment. This page outlines how this might be done by walking the reader through strategies to create rituals as well as ideas for including visuals within the school to make it obvious that reading is an important focus. The page also includes the staff development module entitled Environmental Walk. This module is the perfect way to engage a staff in determining the degree to which their school reflects that reading is an important focus.

The next page in the section links to readings on how to:

• Establish and Communicate the Reading Focus and Action Plan within the school and the community
• Build relationships within the school and the community
• Share Responsibility for creating the reading culture within the school and community

Each of the readings includes a multitude of staff development modules than an administrator could use as is or modify to facilitate discussions on how to establish/communicate the reading focus and action plan, build relationships, and share responsibility within the school and the community.

The Cultivating a Culture section ends with a self assessment.

Take care,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

The Administrator Is the Lead Learner

Hello,

This week’s featured section of the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators website is Lead Learner.

“If principals see themselves as learners first – that is, they value learning, want to learn and know how to learn – then even if they do not yet know what effective literacy practices look and sound like, they can and do learn those practices.” (Routman, 2014,Read, write, lead: Breakthrough strategies for schoolwide literacy success.)

The Lead Learner section supports administrators in determining what they know about effective literacy practices and provides suggestions of how to build their knowledge about reading.

Once you have examined your compelling why and established beliefs with your staff, it is important to reflect on your level of knowledge in effective instructional practices in reading. The Reflective Learner page in this section will outline how this knowledge is critical in allowing the leader to make decisions that will promote improved student achievement and enable the effectively support teacher growth and development. The bottom of the Reflective Learner page features a video of school administrator Aaron Kohlman who talks about how he built his background knowledge regarding effective literacy practices in reading.

Anyone wishing to engage in self-reflection regarding what they know about they reading, how to mobilize reading within their school or community, as well as how to sustain the momentum of literacy initiatives will appreciate the Lead Learner Inventory page.

The following page in this section is entitled Lead Learner in Action. It includes the Module: Being a Lead Learner. This module could be used by Central Office Staff with their administrators or as an independent reflection module by the administrator.

The last page in this section is Lead Learner Self-Assessment.

Enjoy the warmer weather!,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

Developing Reading Beliefs with Your Staff

Hello,

A couple of weeks ago we began highlighting sections in the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators website. We began with the first section – the Compelling Why. This week we invite you to read the Developing Beliefs section.

… once we are clear on our beliefs and have had schoolwide discussions to establish them, we can align our beliefs with best practices; and begin to move forward with sustainable, worthwhile change.” (Routman, R. (2014). Read, write, lead: Breakthrough strategies for schoolwide literacy success.)

The first page in this section, Shared Beliefs Are Important, includes a staff development module entitled Developing Shared Beliefs which will support system leaders in surfacing shared beliefs and understandings about reading which is essential for building the foundation for this work in schools. The following page in this section, Literacy Leader in Action, outlines additional strategies a system leader might undertake to engage his or her staff to come together in their thinking and determine what they believe about reading.

This page includes a video of Mickey Jutras, school principal, who led his staff in providing responsive instruction based on individual student needs. This, along with a collective responsibility for all students, has resulted in great improvements in reading.

An article by Angie Caron, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Content, Perspectives, Ways of Knowing, outlines the importance of infusing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit content and perspectives in all curricular areas and how attention to this helps our Indigenous students to see themselves reflected in their learning. She also explains how It also helps the non-Indigenous population to experience the worldviews and contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples past, present, and future.

The Shared Beliefs Self-Assessment page concludes this section.

Wish you a great week!,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

Highlights of the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators Website

Hello,

This week we will begin highlighting sections in the Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators website.

Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators speaks to the critical role system leaders play in supporting the work teachers undertake to improve our students’ ability to read.

Leadership matters … the courage, conviction and relentless pursuit of goal attainment makes a meaningful difference – both intuition and research verify the importance of leadership in implementing and maintaining improvements.

The first section we invite you to read is Compelling Why. As system leaders work through this section they will be challenged to answer the following questions:

What am I doing to nurture the gift of reading for all the students I serve?
How do I use my compelling why and related actions to motivate and engage others?
What actions will I take as a leader to ensure that all students are reading to their potential?
Do I have a consistent focus on the shared WHY of reading?

The pages in in the Compelling Why section will assist system leaders in Nurturing the Compelling Why and consider strategies in System Alignment. The Compelling Why Self Assessment page provides the continuum of development and the target that all leaders strive for in fostering an environment where staff can articulate and show in their day-to-day actions their personal compelling why.

Wish you a great week!,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

You MUST Check Out the Saskatchewan Reads Appendix!

Hello,

Over the past few weeks we have highlighted each of the sections that make up Saskatchewan Reads. This week we invite you to look at the wide variety of supporting resources featured in the Appendix.

These supporting resources include excerpts from the English Language Arts Curriculum for Grades 1 -3 as well as documents and videos developed by school divisions and First Nation education authorities. For some appendices there are links to external websites.

A. Saskatchewan Curriculum – Expectations for Reading
B. Sample Rubrics for Reading (CR) – Grades 1, 2, 3
C. Eligible Students for Reading Outcome – Grades 1, 2, 3
D. Implementation/Deployment (of Saskatchewan Reads)
E. Developing Oral Language
F. PWIM (Picture Word Inductive Model)
G. Selecting “Just Right” Text
H. Lesson Plan Examples
I. Timetable Examples
J. Assessment Samples
K. Running Records
L. Emergent Literacy
M. Phonics/Word Study

We know the Saskatchewan Reads momentum is continuing in the province so we invite you to submit resources you have developed by completing the Online Submission Form.

Next week we will begin the re-introduction of the sections that make up Saskatchewan Reads for Administrators.

Have a great week!,
Provincial Reading Team

______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.

 

Responsive Reading Intervention Resources

Hello,

This week the featured section on the Saskatchewan Reads website is Intervention.

The purpose of the responsive reading instruction and intervention section is to support students in achieving the curricular outcomes and in becoming engaged readers who comprehend and read fluently. The intervention should help build identity and a student’s belief in themselves as a reader. Intervention is not a program; it is a process that is focused on supporting an individual student’s learning needs. . . The goal of targeted small group intervention is for students to be engaged readers who read fluently and comprehend grade level texts and no longer require support.

We invite you to begin your reading of the Intervention section with the Responsive Reading and Instruction page. It outlines the overarching principles and the elements of an effective intervention which should be taken into consideration when responding to a student who requires additional supports to become an engaged reader.

The next page Classroom-Based Intervention within Instruction – Tier 1 summarizes in an easy-to-read table intervention and differentiation strategies within the four reading instructional approaches.

Following this is Targeted/Group Intervention-Tier 2 which has two video resources located at the bottom of the page. The first video from Regina Public school division is a demonstration of a Fountas and Pinnell lesson on how to identify words with long vowel sounds. The second video from Prince Albert Catholic school division is a demonstration of an oral language intervention called Talking Partners. The goal of the featured lesson in the video is for students to develop key vocabulary orally that they will be encountering in a reading lesson the following day.

The final page in the Intervention section is Process for Responsive Reading Instruction. An archived webinar at the bottom of the page from Northwest school division addresses Tier 1, 2 and 3 interventions and outlines how teachers can use interventions to further student literacy development so that all students reach their reading potential.

Wish you a great week!,
Provincial Reading Team

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Hi,
My name is Tessa. I started my teaching career this year in Grade 1. I have a lot of questions about the English Language Arts program and especially about teaching reading. What is important to understand about reading? How do I teach reading? Where do I begin? What does it look like?

Follow Tessa as she discovers the answers to these questions and many more. Welcome to the online resource developed for elementary educators by the Provincial Reading Team. It includes instructional strategies, videos, sample lessons … and more.

Saskatchewan Reads by Saskatchewan Provincial Reading Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com.