Reading at Golden Pond School
 Over the past several decades, early reading research has brought sweeping changes in literacy education. New information on how children learn and become literate has propelled new teaching techniques. Reading specialists now realize that children need a rich literature foundation coupled with a phonetic understanding of letters and sounds to grasp the complexities of print. An early introduction to both literature and phonics is essential to early reading acquisition. This means that informed teachers now design classroom activities that guide their children through the relationship between the spoken and written word. This is helping children to “connect the dots”.
The reading program at Golden Pond School reflects this newest reading research.
At Golden Pond our reading program should more accurately be called an early literacy program. It is a flexible, multifaceted, multi-pronged approach to early reading and early writing. It is, more precisely, a literacy framework that introduces our children to reading and writing simultaneously.
We do this through these early literacy lessons
- Reading Aloud:
This is done with our children several times a day in both large and small groups. We use carefully selected classic children’s literature that connects to our themes.
- Shared Reading:
For reading and rereading we use enlarged texts that all the children can see. These include Big Books and class charts that both teacher and child follow together using a pointer to keep place.
- Guided Reading:
Here the teacher works with a small group of children who are at a similar reading level.
- Independent Reading:
Children read, on their own or with a partner, stories, songs and poems that have been introduced to them previously.
- Shared writing:
Teachers and children work together to compose messages and stories. The teacher supports the children by being the scribe and talking through the process.
- Interactive Writing:
As in shared writing, teachers and children compose messages and stories. These, however, are written using a “shared pen” with the children. “Shared pen” is a technique where the children are asked to fill in a missing letter or word.
- Guided Writing:
Children engage in writing a variety of texts. The teacher guides the process and provides instruction through mini-lessons.
- Independent Writing:
Children write their own pieces, including story retellings, class books, labeling and lists.
All classes from our Scramblers to our 1st Graders are introduced to this process, either partially or totally.
The Scramblers classes will be introduced to Reading Aloud, some Shared Reading and Shared Writing.
Our Threes classes will, of course, be Reading Aloud, and participating in Shared Reading and Shared Writing. They will also be introduced to Interactive Writing.
The Fours will be introduced to Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing and Guided Writing
The Explorers program will include Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, and Guided Writing
Junior Kindergarten instruction will include Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Independent Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing and Guided Writing.
The Kindergarten and 1st Grade instruction will consist of all eight aspects of our early literacy program: Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Independent Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, Guided Writing, and Independent Writing.
In conjunction with these lessons our classes are built around literacy-rich centers such as:
- Storytelling Centers (retelling of familiar stories with puppets and/or flannel boards and story characters)
- Reading Centers
- ABC Centers (using a variety of letter and sound games to reinforce letter knowledge)
- Listening Centers
- Dramatic Play Centers
- Writing Centers (in the 4s, JK, K and 1st Grade classrooms)
- Publishing Centers (in the 3s, 4s, JK, K and 1st Grade classes)
|
