How to Schedule Literacy in Your Timetable
A Scheduling Guide with timetable examples can be downloaded at the end of this post.
Literacy experts, such as Timothy Shanahan, recommend that students in the early grades engage in at least 120 minutes of high-quality literacy instruction everyday.
Grade 1 to 3 students’ attention spans are such that literacy blocks need to be split into different activities so students remain focused in their learning. Using music to signal transitions is a highly effective routine to establish in the first week of school.
In the fall, more time will be devoted to explicit teaching of:
phonological awareness skills,
phonics skills, and
printing/cursive handwriting.
Once students have received this instruction, these skills are reinforced throughout the day. Intervention lessons are provided to students whose data indicates further instruction is needed to master these skills.
Oral language (speaking & listening) are integrated into all literacy components. Teachers need to be purposeful in ensuring rich oral language is what students hear and are taught to use.
For a “real” expert’s guidance, here’s a link to Timothy Shanahan’s post. His explanations are very helpful in terms of deciding how to schedule the various literacy components in your timetable.
Download your copy of the guide, How to Schedule Literacy in Your Timetable.
