Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Unit 1
RL 4.2 Read grade-level texts
orally with accuracy, appropriate
rate, and expression on
successive readings.
RL 4.3 Use context to confirm or
self correct word recognition to
understand rereading as
necessary
RL 5.2 Make predictions using
prior knowledge, pictures,
illustrations, title, and information
about author and illustrator.
RL 6.1 Describe the relationship
between the illustrations and the
characters, setting or events.
RL 7.1 Retell text, including
beginning, middle, and end. Use
key details to determine the theme
in a text heard or read.
RL 13 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 3 Writer narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well chosen details, and well
structured event sequences.
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: August/September
Building Good Reading Habits
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 1)
Bend I: Habits for Reading Long and Strong
 Importance of previewing
 Rereading
 Reading lots
 Phrasing
 Fluency
1.1, 1.8, 1.18, 2.3, 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 4.4, 4.5, 4.1
(see Serravallo The Reading Strategies
Book for more information)
Bend II: Habits for Tackling Even the Hardest
Words
 Previewing to anticipate
 Using effective/multiple strategies
 Moving beyond looking at first letter
 Integration of MSV
 Vowels have two sounds
1.1, 1.11, 1.12, 1.14, 1.16, 2.7, 3.1, 3.4, 3.6,
3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15,
3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19
Bend III: Partners Have Good Habits, Too!
 Partner book introductions
 Partners coach for strategies
 Partners set new goals
3.5, 4.9
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: August/September
Small Moment Writing with Focus, Detail and
Dialogue
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 1)
Bend I: Writing Small Moment Stories with
Independence
 Planning: think, touch, tell, sketch, write
 Hearing and recording all sounds in words
 Small moments
Bend II: Bringing Small Moment Stories to Life
 Making characters think and feel
 Bringing stories to life
 Using analogies (ex: If I know look, then I
can write cook)
Bend III: Studying Other Writers’ Craft
 Learning from mentor texts
 Writing with exact actions
 Writing with pop-out words
Bend IV: Fixing and Fancying Up Our Best Work
 Revising
 Editing with a checklist
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following wordy study skills that are
addressed at Levels 6-8 (D/E):
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness:
 Rhyming (can rhymes with fan)
 Blending letters and parts of words
(e.g., b-a-t to get bat or f-an to get fan)
 Segmenting letters and part of words
(e.g., break bat into b-a-t or fan into fan)
Phonics:
In spelling, your writers will practice…
 Short vowel, same vowel spelling
patterns (e.g., -at as in mat and cat, -ot
as in hot and pot)
In reading, the 6-8 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Digraphs (e.g., sh, th, ch, wh)
 Blends (e.g., sl, sm, st, cr, cl)
 Inflectional endings (-ing, -ed, -s, -es)
Reading
 Ollie the Stomper by Olivier Dunrea
 “Make New Friends”
 Gossie and Gertie by Olivier Dunrea
 Kazam’s Birds by Amy Erhlich
 Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Writing
 Night of the Veggie Monster by George
McClements
Common Assessment Tools:
 Running Records
 High Frequency Word Assessment
 Spelling Inventory
Interactive Read Aloud Sessions (pgs.
94-101) in Building Good Reading Habits
unit by Lucy Calkins and Elizabeth
Dunford Franco
Shared Reading Sessions (pgs. 102113) in Building Good Reading Habits
unit by Lucy Calkins and Elizabeth
Dunford Franco
Strategies and Skills Charts (pgs. 273282) in The Next Step in Guided Reading
by Jan Richardson
Appendix C (pg. 288) in The Next Step
in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson
High Frequency Word Charts for
Levels C-F (pgs. 112-113) in The Next
Step in Guided Reading by Jan
Richardson
Explanations of Procedures for
Picture Sorts, Making Words, and
Sound Boxes (pgs. 92-93)
Sound Box Template (pg. 83)
W 5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time.
C 1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s own views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
1
2
Standards
Unit 2
RL 2 Demonstrate understanding
of spoken words, syllables, and
sounds.
RL 3 Know and apply grade-level
phonics and word analysis skills
when decoding words.
RL 4 Read with sufficient accuracy
and fluency to support
comprehension.
RL 13 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 2 Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization,
and analysis of content.
W 6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; Build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one's own views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
3
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: October
Word Detectives Use All They Know to
Solve Words
(IF…THEN… book p.69-90 and District
Curricular Calendar)
Bend 1: Detective Work Hard to Solve Tricky
Words
 Integration of MSV
 Reading words part by part
 Self-monitoring
3.10, 3.19
Bend II: Detectives Have Many Different Ways
Ways to Solve Words: Using Knowledge
About Letters, Sounds, Patterns, and Snap
Words to Read
 Automaticity with snap words
 Using spelling/phonics to solve unfamiliar
words
 Using more than one strategy for tackling
hard words
3.3, 3.6, 3.11, 3.12, 4.2
Bend III: Rereading to Make Reading Sound
Like Talking
 Rereading for comprehension and
fluency
 Strategies for reading fluently
4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.9, 4.14
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: October
Writing How-To Books
(IF…THEN…book pgs. 30-40)
Bend I: Getting Started: Thinking of Topics,
Rehearsing, and Writing Tons of Books
 Choosing topics
 Naming and writing exact steps
Bend II: Writing so Readers Can Read the Text
and Follow the Directions
 Using mentor texts
 Making sure every step is there
 Thinking about your audience
 Using a partner to act out steps
 Revising
Bend III: With Feedback, Writers Can Revise
Their How-to Texts, Make New Texts Worlds
Better, and Share Them with an Audience
 Revising to make steps clearer
 Complex punctuation
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 8-12 (E/F/G):
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness:
 Rhyming (can rhymes with fan)
 Blending letters and parts of words
(e.g., b-a-t to get bat or f-an to get fan)
 Segmenting letters and part of words
(e.g., break bat into b-a-t or fan into fan)
 Manipulating (e.g., If I know can, I can
spell man)
Phonics:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 Short vowel, same vowel spelling
patterns (e.g., -at as in mat and cat, -ot
as in hot and pot)
 Digraphs (e.g., sh, th, ch, wh)
 Blends (e.g., sl, sm, st, cr, cl)
In reading, the 8-12 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Inflectional endings (-ing, -ed, -s, -es)
 Long vs. short vowels (begin with
hearing the difference between short
and long sounds)
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., make, time,
tube, home)
 Phonograms with double vowels (jeep,
soon)
 Contractions (don’t, can’t)
Reading
 Walking in the Spring by Beverly Randall
Writing
 The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
 My First Soccer Game by Alyssa Satin
Capucilli
 How to Be a Baby by Sally Lloyd-Jones
 How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan
Pearson
 How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan
 How to Be a Ballerina by Harriet Castor
 How to Make Bubbles, How to Make Slime
by Lori Shores (and other books in the
Science Experiment Series published by
Pebbles Plus)
 Change it! Solids, Liquids, Gases, and You
by Adrienne Mason
 How a House is Built by Gail Gibbons
 How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy
Carlson
 Let’s Cook! (Backpack Books)
 My First Ballet Class by Alyssa Satin
Capucilli
This reading unit connects directly with
what students have been doing as
spellers. You will want to gather up any
resources that have been introduced and
display them in an easily accessible,
organized area in your classroom.
Examples include:
 Spelling Charts and Tools
 Alphabet/ Blends chart
 Word Wall
 Word Family lists
 Word rings
4
Standards
Unit 3
Calkins Reading Workshop
(Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: November/December
Reading
Literary Text (RL)
RI 1 Demonstrate understanding of the
organization and basic features of print.
RI 3 Know and apply grade level phonics and word
analysis skills when decoding words.
RI 4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to
support comprehension.
RI 5 Determine meaning and develop logical
interpretations by making predictions, inferring,
drawing conclusions, analyzing, synthesizing,
providing evidence, and investigating multiple
interpretations.
RI 6 Summarize key details and ideas to support
analysis of central ideas.
RI 8 Interpret and analyze the author’s use of
words, phrases, text features, conventions, and
structures, and how their relationships shape
meaning and tone in print and multimedia texts.
RI 9 Apply a range of strategies to determine and
deepen the meaning of known, unknown, and
multiple-meaning words, phrases, and jargon;
acquire and use general and academic and
domain-specific vocabulary.
RI 12 Read independently and comprehend a
variety of texts for the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new learning, and building
stamina; reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine
and convey complex ideas and information clearly
and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
W 5 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly, and routinely for
a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore ideas and
concepts, communicate meaning, and develop
logical interpretations through collaborative
conversations; build upon the ideas of others to
clearly express one's own views while respecting
diverse perspectives.
5
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Learning About the World:
Reading Nonfiction
(Heinemann Published Units of
Study 2)
Bend I: Getting Smart on Nonfiction
Topics
 Using pictures to inform
 Inferential thinking
 Reread to put parts together
 Expressive reading, fluency,
pace, intonation
1.1, 1.3, 4.3, 4.6, 4.10, 4.11, 4.13,
4.14, 12.4
Bend II: Tackling Super Hard Words
in Order to Keep Learning
 Blending parts to whole
 “Checking” words
 Key words
 Sounding right
3.8, 3.9, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20, 10.7, 11.2
Bend III: Reading Aloud Like
Experts
 Planning and presenting a
great read aloud
 Fluency
 Studying craft moves
4.3, 4.4, 6.5, 9.2, 10.7
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: November/December
Nonfiction Chapter Books
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 2)
Bend I: Writing Teaching Books with
Independence
 Planning: think, touch, tell, sketch write
 Answering readers questions when
writing
 Spelling fancy words
 Setting goals
Bend II: Nonfiction Writers Can Write Chapter
Books!
 Table of contents
 Writing chapters
 Adding details
 Different kinds of writing in teaching
books
 Introductions and conclusions
Bend III: Writing Chapter Books with Greater
Independence
 Research
 Editing
 Using craft moves
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 10-12 (F/G):
Phonics:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 Mixed short vowel spelling patterns
(e.g., mat, pot, bet, run, pin, fan)
 Blends and digraphs with mixed short
vowel spelling patterns (e.g., shop,
chip, slip, clap)
In reading, the 10-12 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Inflectional endings (-ing, -ed, -s, -es)
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., make, time,
tube, home)
 Phonograms with double vowels (jeep,
soon)
 Words with double consonant letters
(running, ladder)
 R-controlled vowels (chart, dirt, turn)
Reading:
 Hang on, Monkey! By Susan B. Neuman
 I Want to Be a Doctor by Dan Liebman
 Owls by Mary R. Dunn
 “Eagle Flight” & “Migration” by Georgia
Heard
 Super Storms by Seymour Simon
Writing:
 Sharks! By Anne Schreiber
 Trucks (National Geographic)
 Trains (National Geographic)
 Goldfish, Mice, or Cats (Rigby PM Pet
Series)
 Night of the Veggie Monster by George
McClements
 Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Jennifer Dussling
 My Football Book by Gail Gibbons
 Star Wars: R2-D2 and Friends by Simon
Beecroft
 The Story of Chocolate by Caryn Jenner
 Invaders from Outer Space by Phillip Brooks
 Animal Families by DK Publishing
 Star Wars: Spaceships by Scholastic
 Pumpkins by Gail Gibbons
 Apples by Gail Gibbons
 Dogs by Gail Gibbons
 Time for Kids: Ants! By TIME for Kids
 Insects by Robin Bernard
 Slinky, Scaly, Snakes by Jennifer Dussling
 A Butterfly is Born (National Geographic
Young Explorer)
Interactive Read Aloud Sessions (pgs.
114-122) in Learning About the World:
Reading Nonfiction unit by Lucy Calkins
and Amanda Hartman
Shared Reading Sessions (pgs. 123134) in Learning About the World:
Reading Nonfiction unit by Lucy Calkins
and Amanda Hartman
Video Clips from
Wild Kratts from PBS or Unleashed, a
Discovery Channel Show, narrated by
Jeff Corwin to show informational texts in
other forms.
6
Standards
Unit 4
RL 4 Read with sufficient accuracy
and fluency to support
comprehension.
RL 7 Analyze the relationship
among ideas, themes, or topics in
multiple media and formats, and in
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
modalities.
RL 8 Analyze characters, settings,
events, and ideas as they develop
and interact within a particular
context.
RL 13 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 1 Write arguments to support
claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence.
W 4 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing
and speaking.
W 5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s own views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
C 4 Critique how a speaker
addresses content and uses
stylistic and structural craft
techniques to inform, engage, and
impact audiences.
C 5 Incorporate craft techniques to
engage and impact audience and
convey messages.
7
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: January
Readers Get to Know Characters by
Performing Their Books
(IF…THEN…book pgs. 47-68 or District
Curricular Calendar)
Bend I: Readers Have Ways to Get to Know a
Character
 Previewing
 Retelling
 Character traits and feelings
 Story elements
5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
Bend II: Readers – Partners Pretend They Are
Characters and Perform Books in Clubs to
Become Character Experts
 Role-playing to support comprehension
 Rereading
 Fluency
4.5, 4.11, 4,16, 6.5
Bend III: Giving the Gift of Reading
 Self-monitoring and fix-up strategies
 Setting reading and performance goals
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: January
Writing Reviews
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 3)
Bend I: Best in Show: Judging Our Collections
 Writing opinions about collections
 Convincing readers
 Bolstering arguments
 Editing
Bend II: Writing Persuasive Reviews
 Talking to readers
 Making comparisons
 Introductions and conclusions
Bend III: Writing Persuasive Book Reviews
 Writing summaries
 Conjunctions
 Editing
 Book review presentations
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 12-14 (G/H):
Phonics:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 Blends and digraphs with mixed short
vowel spelling patterns (e.g., shop,
chip, slip, clap)
 Final blends and digraphs (ie. –st, -sh)
(e.g., wish, fast, path)
 Preconsonantal nasals (e.g., jump,
bent)
 Long vs. short vowels (e.g., sat, rake,
pot, home)
In reading, the 12-14 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Inflectional endings (-ing, -ed, -s, -es)
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., make, time,
tube, home)
 Vowel teams CVVC (e.g., rain, heat,
fruit)
 Phonograms with double vowels (jeep,
soon)
 Words with double consonant letters
(running, ladder)
 R-controlled vowels (chart, dirt, turn)
 Possessives (bird’s nest)
 Compound words (blueberry,
backpack)
Reading:
 Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo
Willems
 Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
 The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill
 Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
 When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang
 Series books like: Elephant and Piggie,
Henry and Mudge, Biscuit, Mr. Putter and
Tabby, Mrs. Wishy-Washy, Iris and Walter,
Fly Guy, George and Martha, Houndsley and
Catina, Brand New Readers, PM Reading by
Rigby
Writing:
 Earrings by Judith Viorst
 Pigeon series by Mo Willems
 A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid
 I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann Orloff
 Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose
 The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini
 Dear Mrs. Larue by Mark Teague
 Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by
Doreen Cronin
Book Club Organization Ideas
Character-Specific Book Clubs:
 Puppy Mudge series by Cynthia
Rylant
 Maisy books by Lucy Cousins
 Mrs. Wishy-Washy series by Jow
Cowley
 Brand New Readers Series
published by Candlewick Press
 Piggie and Elephant series by Mo
Willems
Types of Characters Book Clubs (if texts
are limited):
 Animal Characters
 Friends
 Families
 Characters Who Travel
 Pets
 Farm Characters
 Characters at School
 Characters Play Together
Posters or pictures from well-known
movies
Menus from local restaurants
Board game (rules, game pieces)
Mentor reviews of game, movie, or
restaurant
Reading Rainbow book review video
clips (at end of show)
82
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Unit 5
Readers Have Big Jobs to Do: Fluency,
Phonics, and Comprehension
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 3)
RL 10 Apply a range of strategies
to determine and deepen the
meaning of known, unknown, and
multiple-meaning words, phrases,
and jargon; acquire and use
general academic and domainspecific vocabulary.
Bend I: Readers Have Important Jobs to Do
 Self-monitoring
 Partners coach for strategies
3.5, 3.6, 3.10
RL 12.1 Classify literary texts
according to characteristics of a
genre.
RL 13 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
W 5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s own views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
9
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: February/March
RL 4 Read with sufficient accuracy
and fluency to support
comprehension.
RL 11.2 Distinguish who is telling
the story at various points in a
text, the narrator or characters.
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Bend II: Readers Add New Tools to Read
Hard Words
 Reading for meaning
 Anticipating what comes next
 Using analogies
 Breaking words apart to solve
 Sight words
3.1, 3.3, 3.17, 3.19, 3.20, 4.2
Bend III: Readers Use Tools to Understand
Their Books
 Rereading
 Dialogue
 Making a movie in your mind
 Using clues to comprehend
2.17, 6.10
Bend IV: Readers Use Everything They Know
to Get the Job Done
 Using strategies quickly and efficiently
 Fluency
4.9
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: February/March
From Scenes to Series: Writing Fiction
(Heinemann Published Units of Study 4)
Bend I: Fiction Writers Set Out to Write Realistic
Fiction!
 Independence
 Problem/solution
 Using checklists to set goals
Bend II: Fiction Writers Set Out to Write Series
 Dialogue
 Writing books in a series
 Revision
Bend III: Becoming More Powerful at Realistic
Fiction: Studying the Genre and Studying
Ourselves as Writers
 Characteristics of realistic fiction
 Adding details
 Beginning, middle, end
 Elaboration
 Independence
Bend IV: Getting Ready to Publish Our Second
Series
 Punctuation
 Illustrations
 Meet the author page
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 14-18 (H/I/J):
Phonics and/or Vocabulary:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 R-controlled vowels (e.g., her, car)
 Long vs. short vowels (begin hearing
the difference between short and long
sounds)
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., make, time,
tube, home)
 Inflectional endings (played, playing,
wished, waited)
In reading, the 14-18 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Vowel teams CVVC (e.g., rain, heat,
fruit)
 Words with double consonant letters
(running, ladder)
 Contractions (I’m, can’t, we’re)
 Possessives (bird’s nest)
 Compound words (blueberry,
backpack)
 VVC phonogram patterns (e.g., keep,
good)
 Plurals (y to I, add –es – pennies)
 Taking apart longer words in various
ways (syllables, onset rimes, etc.)
 Comparatives (-er, -est)
 Homophones (bare, bear)
 Prefixes and suffixes (redo, reread;
brighter, brightest)
Reading:
 The Dinosaur Chase by Hugh Price
 Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways by Laura
McGee Kvasnosky
 Tumbleweed Stew by Susan Stevens
Crummel
 “Be a Reading Boss!”
 Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold
Lobel
 Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
 Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Writing:
 Henry and Mudge series: Henry and Mudge
and the Happy Cat
 Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant
 Nate the Great by Marjorie Weiman Sharmat
 You may want to look for some good boxed
sets for this unit like Captain Underpants,
Frog and Toad, and Max and Ruby
Interactive Read Aloud Sessions (pgs.
116-125) in Readers Have Big Jobs to
Do: Fluency, Phonics, and
Comprehension unit by Lucy Calkins,
Elizabeth Dunford Franco, Havilah
Jespersen, Lindsay Barton
Shared Reading Sessions (pgs. 126138) in Readers Have Big Jobs to Do:
Fluency, Phonics, and Comprehension
unit by Lucy Calkins, Elizabeth Dunford
Franco, Havilah Jespersen, Lindsay
Barton
10
Standards
Unit 6
Calkins Reading Workshop
(Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: March/April
RL 5.1 Ask and answer who, what, when, where,
why, and how questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text; use key details to make
inferences and draw conclusions in text heard or
read.
RL 6 Summarize key details and ideas to support
analysis of thematic development.
RL 7.1 Retell text, including beginning, middle,
and end; use key details to determine the theme
in a text heard or read.
RL 8 Analyze characters, settings, events, and
ideas as they develop and interact within a
particular context.
RL 9 Interpret and analyze the author’s use of
words, phrases, and conventions, and how their
relationships shape meaning and tone in print and
multimedia texts.
RL 11.1 Identify the author’s purpose - to explain,
entertain, inform, or convince.
RL 12.2 Recognize how the author uses crafted
text structures of recurring phrases and dialogue.
RL 13 Read independently and comprehend a
variety of texts for the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new learning, and building
stamina; reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 5 Demonstrate the command of the
conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly, and routinely for
a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore ideas and
concepts, communicate meaning, and develop
logical interpretations through collaborative
conversations; build upon the ideas of others to
clearly express one’s own views while respecting
diverse perspectives.
C 5 Incorporate craft techniques to engage and
impact audience and convey messages.
11
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Meeting Characters and
Learning Lessons: A Study of
Story Elements
(Heinemann Published Units
of Study 4)
Bend I: Going on Reading
Adventures
 Previewing
 Predicting
 Retelling
 Noticing more
5.4
Bend II: Studying Characters in
Books
 Characters and
relationships
 Using readers’ voices
 Fluency
4.4, 4.11, 6.1, 6.4, 6.9, 7.1
Bend III: Learning Important
Lessons
 Making comparisons
 Lesson learned from books
7.1, 7.4, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9
Bend IV: Growing Opinions
About Books
 Sharing opinions
 Book recommendations
Read Aloud
Resources
1st Grade: March/April
Poetry and Songs
(IF…THEN…book pgs.16-29 and District
Curricular Calendar)
Bend I: Immersion in Songwriting and Poetry:
Setting the Stage
 Studying songs and poetry
Bend II: Studying the Rhythm and Voice of
Songs to Help Us Write Our Own
 Turning words into songs
 Crafting songs with familiar tunes
 Finding inspiration
 Repetition to express what’s important
Bend III: Songwriters and Poets Write from the
Heart: Writing Meaningful Songs and Poems
 Using strong feelings
 Strategies for showing feelings
 Sharing and revising with a partner
Bend IV: Songwriters and Poets Revise and
Write New Songs and Poems
 Being good poetry and song partners
(listening, reading, complimenting,
questioning)
 Revision
 Elaboration
 Punctuation
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 14-18 (H/I/J/K):
Phonics and/or Vocabulary:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., /a/ as in
late, /a/ as in tape)
 Inflectional endings (played, playing,
wished, waited)
In reading, the 14-18 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Vowel teams CVVC (e.g., rain, heat,
fruit)
 Contractions (I’m, can’t, we’re)
 Possessives (bird’s nest)
 Compound words (blueberry,
backpack)
 VVC phonogram patterns (e.g., keep,
good)
 Plurals (y to I, add –es – pennies)
 Taking apart longer words in various
ways (syllables, onset rimes, etc.)
 Comparatives (-er, -est)
 Homophones (bare, bear)
 Prefixes and suffixes (redo, reread;
brighter, brightest)
Reading:
 George and Martha: One More Time by
James Marshall
 Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole by Wong
Herbert Yee
 Iris and Walter and the Field Trip by Elissa
Haden Guest
 Mr. Putter and Tabby Drop the Ball by
Cynthia Rylant
 The Ghost-Eye Tree by Bill Martin Jr.
 Off We Go! by Jane Yolen
 Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
 Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
 Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey
 The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith
Viorst
 No David! by David Shannon
 Little Red Riding Hood
 Ruthie and the Not-So Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura
Rankin
 The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
 “Chums” by Arthur Guiterman
 Mr. Putter and Tabby series by Cynthia Rylant
 Houndsley and Catina series by
 Iris and Walter series by Elissa Haden Guest
 George and Martha series by James Marshall
 Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold
 Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Interactive Read Aloud Sessions (pgs.
106-113) in Meeting Characters and
Learning Lessons: A Study of Story
Elements unit by Lucy Calkins and
Elizabeth Dunford Franco
Shared Reading Sessions (pgs. 114125) in Meeting Characters and Learning
Lessons: A Study of Story Elements unit
by Lucy Calkins and Elizabeth Dunford
Franco
Writing:
Some possible mentor poetry anthologies:
 Blast Off! Poems About Space by Lee Bennett
Hopkins
 Little Dog Poems by Kristine O’Connell George
Possible mentor songs:
 Songs to show a strong feeling: ]“Oh, What a
Beautiful Morning”
 Songs to teach a dance: “Hokey Pokey” “
 Songs that teach you something: “Wheels on
the Bus”
Possible mentor song books and compilations:
 The Eensy Weensy Spider/Skip to My Lou by
Mary Ann Hoberman
 Take Me Out of the Bathtub/Are You Quite
Polite?/Smelly Locker by Alan Katz
12
Standards
Unit 7
RI 7 Research events, topics,
ideas, or concepts through
multiple media, formats, and in
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
modalities.
RI 10 Analyze and provide
evidence of how the author’s
choice of purpose and perspective
shapes content, meaning, and
style.
RI 11 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to craft
informational and argument
writing.
RI 12 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time.
W 2 Write informative /explanatory
texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization,
and analysis of content.
W 5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
W 6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames.
C 1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s own views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
C 3 Communicate information
through strategic use of multiple
modalities and multimedia to
enrich understanding when
presenting ideas and information.
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
1st Grade: May/June
Writing Like Scientists
(IF…THEN…book pgs. 41-53 and District
Curricular Calendar)
Bend I: Individuals Bring Their Strengths as
Nonfiction Readers to Clubs
 Previewing books for text structures
 Key details
 Main idea
 Synthesizing information
Bend I: Scientists Write to Learn about the
World, Experiment to Answer Lingering
Questions, and Use What They Know about
Information Writing to Teach Others
 Recording observations
 Strategies for recording observations
 Shared inquiry
 Planning steps
 Designing experiments
Bend III: Nonfiction Clubs Compare and
Contrast Information About Topics
 Comparing and contrasting books
14
Resources
1st Grade: May/June
Reading Nonfiction Cover to Cover:
Nonfiction Book Clubs
(IF…THEN…book pgs. 91-117)
Bend II: Nonfiction Clubs Add Their Own
Ideas to What They Learn
 Growing new ideas
 Revising thinking
Read Aloud
Bend II: Scientist Collaborate with Partners and
Record Their Experiments, Raising the Level of
Their Non-Narrative Writing
 Elaboration
 Sort, classify, record data
 Mentor texts
 Conveying information clearly
Bend III: Scientist Put All Their Learning
Together and Publish Information Books
 Sorting information
 Setting goals using checklists
 Revising
 Elaboration
Shared Reading
The focus during your shared reading
sessions will be modeling and practicing
effective reading processes and strategies,
as well as word study skills.
At this point in the year, the focus includes
the following skills that are addressed at
Levels 16-18 (I/J/K):
Phonics and/or Vocabulary:
In spelling, your writers will continue to
practice…
 Long vowels: CVCe (e.g., /a/ as in
late, /a/ as in tape)
 Inflectional endings (played, playing,
wished, waited)
 Vowel teams CVVC (e.g., rain, heat,
fruit)
In reading, the 16-18 level texts will also
require readers to have knowledge of…
 Contractions (I’m, can’t, we’re)
 Possessives (bird’s nest)
 Compound words (blueberry,
backpack)
 VVC phonogram patterns (e.g., keep,
good)
 Plurals (y to I, add –es – pennies)
 Comparatives (-er, -est)
 Taking apart longer words in various
ways (syllables, onset rimes, etc.)
 Homophones (bare, bear)
 Prefixes and suffixes (redo, reread;
brighter, brightest)
 Multiple meaning words (change, rake)
Reading:
Gail Gibbons books that exemplify a new text
structure in each section
Sharks! by Anne Schreiber
Sharks by Ina Felix
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Jennifer Dussling
Sky Tree by Thomas Locker and Candace
Christiansen
A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard
Anchor charts from Learning About the
World: Reading Nonfiction reading unit
and Nonfiction Chapter Books unit
Writing:
First, you will choose a whole class topic that
aligns to your science standards. The students will
be living like scientist around and inside this topic
for the whole unit, so make sure there are plenty
of opportunities for experiments and authentic
experiences. This choice will determine where you
need to begin frontloading your books, as you will
likely read and explore those books during your
science unit but refer back to the portions or parts
of those books during writing.
 It is suggested that you locate one
nonfiction book to use as your mentor
text.
 Remember to include: narrative
nonfiction, expository nonfiction,
nonfiction procedural texts, and
question and answer books.
15
Interactive Writing (Teacher and kids share the pen):
Purpose:
 to support writers with writing development (drawing, labeling, hearing more sounds, writing sentences); to support editing
 to support with conventions (using the first grade writing checklist)
Process (to be done over several days):
 Have a sentence in your mind that will allow your class to practice work they are reading for (ex: hearing more sounds, HF words, spaces)
 Rehearse together as a class 3-4 times
 Teacher holds the pen for anything that is beyond what kids in the class can do
 Kids are working on dry erase boards on parts they can try, one kid writes on the class piece
 Teacher coaches kids in strategies - but allows kids to do the work of saying words and listening to sounds
Shared Writing (Teacher always holds the pen)
Purpose:
 to support writers with the writing process (generating ideas, rehearsing/planning, drafting, and revising -- NOT EDITING).
 to support writers with structure and development
Process (to be done over several days):
 As a class generate, or suggest, an idea for a piece that everyone knows and can participate with
 Make a plan for how that piece will go, us planning strategies such as touch and tell, sketch -- orally rehearse 2-3 times before drafting
 Start drafting the piece together as a class allowing kids to chime in more and more, asking them to remember what we want to write (drafting can be pictures, labels, sentences.)
 Go back to the piece and revise for craft and structure