Warrior Ridge Elementary Reading Curriculum & Instruction
WRE classroom teachers utilize a Reader’s Workshop approach to teaching reading. Every class has a 60-minute block dedicated to reading instruction. Reader’s workshop is a teaching model which allows students to engage in authentic reading experiences. It is an effective way for our teachers to differentiate reading instruction. Reader’s workshop emphasizes interaction between readers and text.
What do the components of Balanced Reading consist of?
Reading Workshop is one component of a balanced reading program. The reading workshop is comprised of a mini lesson, student reading time, a mid-workshop teaching point, and a teaching share time. Balanced Literacy also includes phonics, interactive read-aloud and a writing workshop.
Mini lesson: Reading workshop begins with students gathering in the classroom meeting area for a short mini lesson.
Student Reading Time with Conferring and Small Group Work: After the mini lesson, students read self-selected just-right books. They read privately and quietly while the teacher moves around the classroom, conferring with individuals, or meeting with partnerships or clubs. The teacher will also be apt to lead a guided reading group and/or one or more strategy lessons during this time.
Teaching Share/Partner/Book Clubs: At the end of the workshop (after reading time), the teacher brings closure to the day's work. This time is used to share ways in which students have incorporated that day's mini lesson into their work and to share their new insights or discoveries.
Read Aloud: During the read aloud, a teacher reads aloud to students in order to model and demonstrate the orchestration of strategies that characterize proficient reading. The read aloud is also a time when students receive instruction that helps them talk well about books.
Word Study: Word study is a daily component of balanced literacy for each grade and every level of reader and writer. This is the time of day for teaching phonics, spelling and vocabulary.
Shared Reading: Shared reading is an opportunity for the teacher to read a text with students (all eyes on a shared text). This is particularly effective for helping students who need extra support with a particular skill. Teachers especially use Shared Reading to teach concepts of print, word solving strategies, ways to orchestrate the sources of information, and fluency.
Reading course descriptions:
Kindergarten Reading Workshop.pdf
First Grade Reading Workshop (1).pdf
Second Grade Reading Workshop.pdf
Third Grade Reading Workshop.pdf
4th Grade Reading Workshop.pdf
Fifth Grade Reading Workshop.pdf
Reading Level Benchmarks
The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is a standardized reading test used to determine a student's instructional level in reading. The DRA is administered individually to students by teachers and/or Instructional Support Teachers (IST). The DRA is scored in numbers. Below is a chart that indicates the DRA level your child should master by the end of the school year along with quarter benchmarks.
Please contact your child’s teacher for details regarding your student’s reading level and strategies you can use at home to help you child’s reading level increase.
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Beginning of the Year
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1st Progress
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1st Report
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2nd Progress
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2nd Report
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|
3rd Progress
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3rd Report
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4th Progress
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4th Report
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|
Aug.
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Sept.
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Oct.
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Nov.
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Dec.
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Jan.
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Feb.
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March
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April
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May
|
|
K
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DRA
|
A
|
A
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1
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1
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2
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
|
GL
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K
|
K.1
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K.2
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K.3
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K.4
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K.5
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K.6
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K.7
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K.8
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K.9
|
|
1st
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DRA
|
4
|
4
|
6
|
8
|
10
|
10
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12
|
14
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16
|
16
|
|
GL
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1
|
1.1
|
1.2
|
1.3
|
1.4
|
1.5
|
1.6
|
1.7
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1.8
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1.9
|
|
2nd
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DRA
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16
|
16
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18
|
18
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20
|
20
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24
|
24
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28
|
28
|
|
GL
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2
|
2.1
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2.2
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2.3
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2.4
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2.5
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2.6
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2.7
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2.8
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2.9
|
|
3rd
|
DRA
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28
|
28
|
28
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30
|
30
|
30
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34
|
34
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38
|
38
|
|
GL
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3
|
3.1
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3.2
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3.3
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3.4
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3.5
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3.6
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3.7
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3.8
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3.9
|
|
4th
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DRA
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38
|
38
|
38
|
38
|
38
|
38
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40
|
40
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40
|
40
|
|
GL
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4
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4.1
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4.2
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4.3
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4.4
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4.5
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4.6
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4.7
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4.8
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4.9
|
|
5th
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DRA
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40
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40
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40
|
40
|
40
|
40
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50
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50
|
50
|
50
|
|
GL
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5
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5.1
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5.2
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5.3
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5.4
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5.5
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5.6
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5.7
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5.8
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5.9
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DRA = Developmental Reading Assessment
GL = Grade Level Equivalent (often the AR level found on a library book)
Parent Resources:
Warren County R-III complete sight word list
Fry Sight Word Phrases
Coaching Bookmark.pdf
DRA Leveled Book Titles