Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment » English Language Arts

English Language Arts

Balanced Literacy incorporates all reading approaches which allows students to use multiple strategies on their road to becoming proficient readers.  Balance Literacy combines phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.  It allows students to sharpen their skills in the areas of reading, writing, thinking speaking, and listening.  Reading Workshop  is part of our Balanced Literacy program here at Southampton Township Public Schools in grades K-5.  Balanced Literacy includes modeled reading (reading aloud), shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading. 
 
Reading Workshop is a structure of teaching that enables students to learn skills and strategies while reading books that are just right for them.  With this model, students take part in a 10-15 minute mini-lesson each day, which allows the teacher to remind the children of previously learned skills and to introduce a new skill.  The teacher also models the skill through a read-aloud.  Children are then released to try strategies independently or with a partner with a book at his/her reading level.  The teacher uses this independent reading time to have one-on-one reading conferences and/or reinforce skills and strategies with small groups.  At the end of the workshop period, the class comes back together to share what they learned giving the teacher a chance to reinforce leaning objectives.   The purpose of Reading Workshop is not only to build strong readers but to also help students develop a love for reading.  
 
Writing Workshop is another component of our English Language Arts program in grades K-5. During Writer's Workshop, students write every day for real purposes about things that interest them.  Students learn the craft of writing through practice, conferring, and studying mentor texts with the ultimate goal of developing lifelong writers.  The structure of Writing Workshop starts with a mini-lesson where the teacher explicitly teaches one skill, strategy, or quality of writing and allows the students the opportunity to use it in their daily writing.  As students move from whole class to independent writing, the teacher confers with students to attend to their individual needs, help them set goals, or reinforce previous lessons.  The workshop concludes with the whole class reconvening for a brief share.  
 
Our middle school ELA program is also designed to help our students meet the needs and demands of NJSLS-ELA.  The instructional practices within each module emphasize student inquiry, critical thinking, and craftsmanship.  Students engage in a variety of texts and in original research and deep interdisciplinary investigations of rich academic topics, using what they have learned to create original, high-quality academic pieces to share with their audience.  Each module also calls on students to work collaboratively and openly share their ideas.
Southampton Township School District
Overview of K-5 Reading and Writing Curriculum
 
Kindergarten
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: We Are Readers Unit 1: Writing for Readers
Unit 2: Super Powers Unit 2: Launching Writing Workshop
Unit 3: Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles Unit 3: Writing to Teach Others
Unit 4: Becoming Avid Readers Unit 4: Persuasive Writing
Unit 5: Show and Tell  
 
First Grade
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: Building Good Reading Habits Unit 1: Narrative - Small Moments
Unit 2: Non-Fiction Unit 2: Non-fiction Chapter Books
Unit 3: Readers Have Big Jobs Unit 3: Opinion Writing
Unit 4: Understanding Fiction Unit 4: Narrative - From Scenes to Series
 
Second Grade
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: Reading Growth Spurt Unit 1: Lesson from the Master
Unit 2: Reading Non-Fiction Unit 2: Lab Reports
Unit 3: Amping up Reading Power Unit 3: Writing About Reading
Unit 4: Series Book Clubs Unit 4: Poetry
 
Third Grade
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: Building a Reading Life Unit 1: Crafting True Stories
Unit 2: Reading to Learn Unit 2: Changing the World
Unit 3: Character Studies Unit 3: The Art of Information Writing
Unit 4: Research Clubs Unit 4: Once Upon a Time
 
Fourth Grade
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: Interpreting Characters Unit 1: The Arc of the Story
Unit 2:Reading the Weather/World Unit 2: Boxes and Bullets
Unit 3: Historical Fiction Book Clubs Unit 3: The Literary Essay
Unit 4: Reading History Unit 4: Bringing History to Life
 
Fifth Grade
Reading  Writing
Unit 1: Interpretation Book Clubs Unit 1: Narrative Craft
Unit 2: Tackling Complexity Unit 2: Informational
Unit 3: Argument and Advocacy Unit 3: Argument
Unit 4: Fantasy Book Clubs Unit 4: Memoir
 
Southampton Township School District
Overview of 6-8 Reading and Writing Curriculum
 
 
Sixth Grade
Module 1
Unit 1: Building Background Knowledge
Unit 2: Elements and Theme of Mythology
Unit 3: My Hero's Journey Narrative
Module 2
Unit 1: Bud, Not Buddy
Unit 2: Analyzing Structure & Communication
Unit 3: My Rule to Live By
Module 3 Woodsong
Enrichment Debate
Independent Studies Book Club
 
Seventh Grade
Unit 1 Perspectives in Southern Sudan
Unit 2 A Long Walk to Water
Unit 3 Two-Voice Poetry
Unit 4 Holocaust
Unit 5 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Unit 6 Chasing Lincoln's Killer
Enrichment Public Speaking
Independent Studies Book Club
 
Eighth Grade
Module 1 Inside Out & Back Again
Module 2 Holocaust
Module 3 Diary of Anne Frank
Module 4 Unbroken
Enrichment Poetry
Independent Studies Book Club