Language Arts/ Literacy Curriculum


Shamong Township Schools Language Arts/ Literacy curriculum is based on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and incorporates the use of the following evidence based programs/ approaches:


The Fundations® Program by Wilson Language is used in grades K-2. Fundations is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting program. It is designed as a whole-class, general education program. Based on research, it covers foundational skills, and supports the reading, writing, and language standards, found in and the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS).

 

The following concepts and skills are covered in a cumulative manner from Unit to Unit and year to year:

  • Letter formation

  • Phonological and phonemic awareness

  • Sound mastery

  • Phonics, word study, and advanced word study

  • Irregular (trick) word instruction

  • Vocabulary

  • Fluency

  • Comprehension strategies

  • Written composition (spelling and handwriting)

Website: http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/fundations/

Language Arts instruction in grades 1-5 is delivered through the use of Journeys by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Journeys is a balanced literacy program that incorporates elements of guided reading into the classroom.

  • Journeys Reading Program is aligned to the Common Core Standards and combines both whole group and small group instruction.

  • Spelling, grammar, and vocabulary are embedded into each unit and students are given the opportunity to practice reading through a variety of strategies and a broad range of genres.

  • The program includes an extensive online component and over 100 leveled readers for differentiated instruction in each grade. 

Login: https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do

Writing instruction in grades K-5 incorporates Journeys unit concepts and blends them with evidence based strategies from the Write Steps Program including: 6 Traits of Quality Writing, Writer’s Workshop, Madeline, Multiple Intelligences, Marzano’s 9 Strategies, and Bloom’s Taxonomy.

NJSLS based lessons and skills are scaffolded and broken into manageable parts. Students are given experiences with a variety of genres including real and imagined narratives, informative/explanatory pieces, opinion writing, fables and folktales, and research.

Website: http://writestepswriting.com/

 


Language Arts/ Literacy
Grades 6-8 incorporate the New Jersey Student Learning Standards into novel based units of study. A variety of literature and informational text materials are utilized and writing and language lessons are embedded into the units. Writing topics/ lessons are scaffolded and focus on response to reading, informative/ explanatory texts, argument writing, and real or imagined narratives. Students use Chromebooks to produce and publish writing and utilize online resources.

List of materials by grade:

Grade 6
Fever 1793
Number the Stars
Holes
The Giver
Call it Courage

Grade 7
Gathering Blue- Lois Lowry
The Outsiders- SE Hinton
Devil's Arithmetic- Jane Yolen
Behind the Bedroom Wall- Laura Williams

Grade 8
Of Mice and Men
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Deathwatch- Robb White
Glencoe Literature 2002- Anthology