Structured Literacy Approaches to Teaching Written Expression
This article highlights practical activities to support structured instruction of writing, including word-, sentence-, and paragraph-level techniques.
Mystery Bag: Promoting Oral Language
Mystery Bag is an engaging classroom activity designed to enhance students’ oral language skills. Students generate clues about a mystery object, and their classmates use question sticks to prompt and structure discussion.
See-Think-Wonder
This visible thinking routine developed by Harvard Project Zero uses observations, inferences, and questions to develop vocabulary and background knowledge, and foster conversations among students.
“No More Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book
In this article, the authors present some considerations for abandoning decontextualized strategy instruction and instead provide some ideas for how to shape comprehension instruction around the texts we use in the classroom. They offer some guiding theories, some key considerations, and they present examples for classroom teachers.
Reconsidering Reading Levels
The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read inquiry concluded that running records and reading level assessments have not been effective in identifying students who need additional support or in providing teachers with accurate information to guide instruction. We now know that there are more effective ways to understand student reading skills and ensure that…
Home Reading Materials
Fostering partnerships between school and home is key to supporting strong student outcomes. Jenni vanRees and other educators at Blue Heron Public School (WRDSB) have created this collection of materials to support a home reading program aligned with structured literacy and the science of reading. The materials include: a letter home to parents and caregivers…
Juicy Sentence Guidance
Far too often, students who struggle with reading and language are given simplified, uninteresting texts. These texts are judged to be “at-the-students’ language or reading level” but deny students access to rich, interesting, age-appropriate text. This guidance document outlines some ideas for fostering conversations around “juicy sentences,” where students learn to deconstruct and reconstruct sentences,…
Syntax Knowledge to Practice
In the webinar, Margie Gillis and Nancy Eberhardt explored the effective use of syntax in teaching reading and writing. The webinar highlighted the role syntax plays in enhancing language and literacy. Gillis and Eberhardt highlight a “function-first” approach to teaching syntax, a key element of the Ontario Language curriculum. Specific instructional activities to teach syntax…
Sortegories from Sound to Syntax
In this webinar, Nancy Hennessy, Nancy Eberhardt and Sheryl Ferlito unpack syntax instruction. This webinar provides a high-level overview of best practices for syntax instruction. Hennessy and Eberhardt highlight a “function-first” approach that is aligned with the Ontario curriculum – instead of naming and identifying parts of speech, effective syntax instruction involves explicitly teaching students…
Sample Grade 1/2 Language Block
This document shows a sample schedule for a language block in grade 1 or 2.
Making Sense of Screening Decision Tree
It can be challenging to navigate the many subtests that can be used in universal screening! Skilled reading involves the integration of many subskills. This chart can be used to identify the most pressing need for instruction. For older students – start at the top and work your way down to find the lowest barrier…
Parent/Caregiver Literacy Term Glossary
With a new curriculum, there are lots of new terms for both educators and families to navigate. This glossary contains high-level explanations for many terms used in the Language curriculum, with the goal of supporting partnerships with school and home.
