Waxahachie Independent School District
Literacy Framework
Waxahachie ISD develops life long readers and writers by providing a continuum of
literacy learning based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. [TEC §110.11 – 110.16]
We believe that a successful language arts student must be actively engaged in authentic
listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking tasks for a variety of purposes. A textrich environment will facilitate both independence and collaborative efforts within and
beyond the language arts classroom. WISD provides a balanced literacy curriculum.
English language arts and reading TEKS to be implemented beginning with school year 2009-2010
The English Language Arts Scope and Sequence K– 5th and 7-12th grade can be found listed
by six week intervals online by going to www.wisd.org and linking to Eduphoria.
The following essential reading components are taught daily within the context of the
TEKS:
* Phonemic awareness
* Phonics
* Vocabulary
* Fluency
* Comprehension
Balanced Literacy Components include:
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Teacher read aloud: the K-2 teacher reads aloud a variety of texts both narrative and
nonfiction while the students listen. The students develop oral language, listening, and
comprehension skills. Teachers in K-5 read aloud daily from a variety of text genre such as:
narrative, nonfiction and poetry. Science and Social Studies materials are included. In
grades 3-5 the teacher reads from the variety of texts listed above as well as reading,
poetry, novels and biographies. In grades 3-5 the emphasis is more on content reading.
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Shared Reading: the teacher acts as a support to the children as he/she invites
students to participate actively in reading within a socially supportive environment.
Students observe how print works. As the children feel their efforts are accepted by
the teacher and their peers, they increase their involvement and take a more active
role in the reading activity. The teacher may point or frame words for the students
to read aloud. For example the K-2 teacher may start reading a paragraph and call on
students to finish the page. An example of shared reading in grades 3-5 might be echo
reading, partner reading, plays and dramatizations.
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Guided Reading is a context in which a teacher actively supports each reader’s
development of effective strategies for processing new text at increasingly challenging
levels of difficulty. The teacher sets the stage for reading by linking the real world
experiences of the children to the plot and setting or topic of the text. The teacher
models or thinks aloud as he/she points out the features of the print lay-out such as
headings, sub-headings, titles and graphics. The teacher may introduce a chapter in
Social Studies or Science. The students need the teacher to think aloud as he or she
looks at headings, sub-heading, maps, graphs, or tables in a content book in the 3rd – 5th
grade. Skills can be introduced by the teacher modeling and demonstrating in a whole
group setting which is followed by small guided reading and writing group instruction.
Students are grouped according to similar strengths, and skills, based upon on-going
assessments and daily teacher observations. This information guides and informs the
teacher’s interactions with the individuals in the group and helps the teacher select
appropriately leveled texts. These small flexible groups are taught by the regular
classroom teacher. The classroom teacher is to differentiate the instruction based on
the individual needs of the students. It is also the teacher’s responsibility to give
challenging instruction to advanced students.
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INDEPENDENT READING – Gradually the teacher support, a scaffold, is pulled away
and the student accepts the full responsibility of reading for meaning. The student is
able to read new books independently. He or she is able to decode and link new
information to the known as they read for meaning at an appropriate pace and with
expression. The student is now able to independently select a book at an appropriate
level and read it for enjoyment. This method of teaching is known as the Gradual
Release of Responsibility Model.
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The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model is used throughout the components of a
balanced literacy/TEKS centered classroom.
Pearson and Gallagher
High Teacher Responsibility
High Student Responsibility
Demonstration & Modeling
Participation
Performance
Changes Over Time
WISD has chosen the 2006 Houghton Mifflin Reading Program as the district’s reading
program for kindergarten, first and second grade until the Textbook Proclamation 2010
Advisory Committee studies the reading series offered for adoption by the state during the
2009-2010 school year. The present Scope and Sequence which is based on the new English
Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.
ASSESSMENT –
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Ongoing formative and summative assessment is mandated by the TEC. Teacher,
Literacy Coach and team analysis of on-going assessment data both informs and guides
instructional plans. The required accelerated (intensive) instruction begins with
students in Grades K-2 who are at risk of reading difficulties and goes on to provide
support to students who must meet the new grade advancement requirements of SSI.
(TEC §28.0211 and TAC §101, Subchapter BB).
NEW 2008-2009 Accelerated Reading Instruction and Accelerated Mathematics Instruction Program Guide
Identification of Struggling Students
It is recommended that districts use results from instruments included on the 20082009 Commissioner’s List of Early Reading Instruments to identify students needing
early reading intervention in Grades K-2. Students in Grades 3-8 may be identified
using TAKS scores, results from locally created progress monitoring tools,
performance on classroom assessments, teacher observations, progress reports, and
report cards. Parents must be given the results of the reading assessments. Parents
also must be notified if their child qualifies for focused intervention instruction.
The students listed as Still Developing on the TPRI or the Tejas LEE must be given a
minimum of 30 additional minutes of intensive reading instruction by their classroom
teacher within the classroom.
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Universal Assessments [Screeners] Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) and Tejas LEE (Spanish Reading Inventory)
are both on the TEA Commissioner of Education’s approved list of reading assessments
which is administered individually 3 times each year: Beginning, Middle and End of Year
to all Kindergarten, First, Second and Third grade students. This is required by the
Student Success Initiative.
2008-2009 Commissioner's List of Reading Instruments (Click + Control to follow link)
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DRA2 and EDL2 are used throughout the year, in K-2, as a progress monitoring tool
which gives the teacher a student’s current instructional reading level with a percent
of accuracy and a comprehension score expressed as a percent. The student’s
strategic behaviors are noted as he or she reads a new text. The student must read a
text with at least 90% accuracy and a minimum of 75% comprehension to be considered
reading at a certain text level.
*Any text reading score below 90% accuracy is considered to be Too Hard.
*90 to 94% is considered to be Instructional
*95 to 100% is considered to be Easy
Most of the child’s reading should be within the instructional range. Vygotsky calls this
the cutting edge of learning. (A student has work to do and is actively engaged as
he/she reads the text and problem solves on the run. A student that scores within the
instructional range must also score at least 75% on the explicit and implicit
comprehension questions.) The DRA2 and the EDL2 (Spanish) scores are used to group
children and plan additional differentiated small group instruction.
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Accelerated Reading Initiative students receive at least 30 additional minutes of
differentiated, specific instruction in a small group taught by the classroom
teacher in the regular classroom. Instructional focus is on the skill areas that need
more explicit ARI (Response to Intervention) direct instruction. The Intervention
Activities Guide is to be used to plan this instruction. This additional instruction is
required by the Texas Education Agency. These groups are to be flexible groups
not static.
Forming and Re-forming Flexible Groups for Guided Reading
Daily Observation and Analysis of Individual Data
On – Going Grouping and Regrouping Based on Data
Text Selection
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Literacy Coaches
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Reading Recovery® tutorial lessons are provided in the first grade, as an
intervention for students that score low on the Texas Primary Reading Inventory/
Tejas LEE and An Observation Survey by Marie Clay. Reading Recovery teachers
have attended two three hour graduate level reading courses at a certified
university. Reading Recovery has been rated by the What Works Clearing House as
a highly effective short-term intervention for low achieving first graders. Reading
Recovery provides a safety net of early reading instruction for students who are
not catching on to the complex set of concepts that make reading and writing
possible. Reading Recovery is used as a supplement to good core Tier I classroom
teaching. Reading Recovery is an acceleration reading program in contrast to
remediation. Each Reading Recovery teacher teaches 4 to 5 RR students each day.
They have programs of 10 to 20 weeks during the school year. Helpful information
can be found on these websites:
http://www.readingrecovery.org
What Works Clearinghouse www.w-w-c.org/
U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov/
Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) http://www.fcrr.org
Reading Recovery teachers also teach four literacy groups per day. Each literacy
group serves from 4 to 5 students daily. These are flexible groups and children are
rotated back to the classroom as quickly as possible. The team decision is made by
the classroom teacher, the literacy group teacher, the building principal, etc. The
goal is acceleration and student independence.
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Bilingual flexible small group instruction for grades 1 and 2 is taught at
Wedgeworth by a certified Bilingual teacher. This teacher uses leveled Spanish
texts as she teaches her students in small flexible reading and writing groups. This
instruction is in addition to the core classroom reading instruction and the extra 30
minutes of explicit teaching also conducted by the classroom teacher. These
students scored Still Developing on the Tejas LEE and were given the
Instructromento de Observación de los Logros de la Lecto-Escritura Inicial:
Spanish Reconstruction of An Observation Survey A Bilingual Text (Paperback) by
A, Andrade, A. Basurto, O. Ruiz, Marie Clay, and Kathy Escamilla. This reading
instrument is used to note strengths and weaknesses in the Early Emergent Reading
and Writing skills.
”The least complicated entry into literacy learning is to begin to read and
write the language that children already know and speak. What they already
know about language can then be used to power their literacy learning”. —
Marie M. Clay

The bilingual students stay in this setting until the classroom teacher and the small
group teacher agree that the student has accelerated and is operating on the same
level as the average student in the classroom. The bilingual students read books
printed in Spanish, use manipulatives, participate in word study, use phonemic
awareness, graphophonemic awareness, phonics and write daily in their journals.
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Additionally, Title I certified teachers work with grades 3 -5 in small pull - out
groups. Wedgeworth, WISD’s bilingual campus has a bilingual teacher that works
with the 3 -5th grade students. The Gradual Release of Responsibility Reading
and Writing Model is used with all students.

Dyslexia teachers serve students in 2nd – 12th grade using the MTA Dyslexia
Program. MTA is a multi sensory decoding program. MTA teachers must have two
weeks of training. They also attend workshops through Region 10 during the school
year and other appropriate training for testing.
What to Look for in the WISD Reading Classroom
Teacher
 Teaching reading as a process (before-during-after reading)
 Focusing on reading strategies within the context of meaningful text
 Modeling and discussing his/her own reading processes (think aloud)
 Emphasizing comprehension and strategic thinking skills
 Working with students in whole group, small groups, and individually to
differentiate instruction
 Teaching word identification and vocabulary development through explicit
instruction using a variety of activities.
Students
 Using thinking strategies independently (inferring, questioning, making
connections, determining importance, visualizing, summarizing and
synthesizing)
 Reading text on their instructional level with support from the teacher
(small group setting)
 Applying before-during-after reading strategies to read text silently and
orally
 Monitoring and adjusting their comprehension as they read
 Applying word identification skills and vocabulary strategies in independent
reading
 Rereading texts frequently for specific purposes
 Responding to reading critically and creatively
 Writing before and after reading
 Choosing materials (appropriate level and interest) for independent reading
Classroom – What Do You See?
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Wide variety of reading materials available on different levels
Print rich walls displaying authentic student writing
Collaborative activities with discussion and interaction
Evaluation that shows teacher – student collaboration
Comprehensive Literacy Framework for the Intermediate Grades 3-5
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Interactive Read-Aloud
Modeled/Shared Reading
Poetry Sharing/Sharing/Response
Reader’s Theater/Process
Independent Reading
Guided Reading
Guided Writing
Independent Writing
Literature Study
Investigations
Content Reading in grades 3-5 focuses on reading to learn. In K, 1, & 2
students read mostly narrative text structure, which is featured in basal readers and
leveled text. Narrative text focuses on characters, settings, themes, conflicts, plots
and conflict resolutions. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th grade students are expected to read
and understand increasingly more difficult materials in an array of content areas
such as math, science, and social studies. Students may have little experience reading
expository writing, the kind of text structure found typically in core area textbooks
and other content materials.
We must be aware that many students in the 3rd-6th grade have inadequately
developed basic reading skills, such as word identification and decoding skills, and may
not be able to read with fluency. Further, they may become frustrated and confused by
the content-specific vocabulary and concepts that characterize these materials.
Students may be lacking —or unable to use efficiently—the comprehension strategies
necessary for getting meaning from content area materials successfully. Specifically,
teachers teaching 3rd,4th,5th & 6th grade students must provide students with
instruction that:
Familiarizes students with the structure of expository text;
Promotes content area core academic vocabulary development;
Promotes word identification skills (including Greek and Latin roots) as well as prefixes,
Suffixes, inflectional endings, etc.
Builds reading fluency; and
Emphasizes and directly teaches how, why, when, and where to use a repertoire
of comprehension strategies.
The Structure of Expository text taught in 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grade varies greatly.
Some common Expository text structures are:
Problem-solution - text presents a problem, then offers possible solutions
Description - which provides specific details about a topic, person, event, or idea.
Cause and effect relationships-- (text links events with their causes) key words
and phrases signal a cause and effect relationship structure. Examples of such
phrases are: because, for, since, therefore, so, consequently, due to, and as a
result.
Categorizing or Enumeration- organizes text by lists or by collecting like items
together
Sequencing of Information - in terms of a time or order progression. This kind
of structure most often includes time or order signal words such as first,
second, last, earlier, later, now, then, next, after, during, and finally.
Comparison - the text points out differences and similarities between two or
more topics, including ideas, people, locations, or events. This text structure can
be signaled by key words and phrases such as like, as, still, although, yet, but,
however, and on the other hand.
Organizational Features-- of expository text may include text headings, and
subheadings. Some materials may include—chapter and section previews and summaries,
and most contain tables of content, indices, and glossaries. Extensive graphics, such as
tables, charts, diagrams, figures, photographs, and illustrations, and each of these may
be accompanied by explanatory captions.
Resources and materials are to be used to establish success in the area of
content reading include:
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The new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills which are to be taught daily in every
classroom.
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills scope and sequence are listed by grade
level and grouped by six weeks in Eduphoria.
Maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, including Venn diagrams, brochures, menus, science
tables, & math tables
Comprehension strategies must be taught using the gradual release of responsibility
model.
TMSFA (Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment) will be given to all 7th
grade students, during the first six weeks, that didn’t score at least 2100 on the
TAKS Reading test in 6th grade. All 8th grade students that failed to score at least
2100 on the 7th grade TAKS Reading test will be given the TMSFA during the first
six weeks of school.
 Resources:
Developing Readers Modeling →Independence by Geraldine Haggard, D. Ed.
Developing Readers provides the teachers with a research based approach for
teaching 25 essential comprehension strategies, and guides the student in
using these strategies in standardized testing situations. Developing Readers
and Teaching and Assessing are to be used daily in grades 3 -5. The Gradual
Release of Responsibility Model is to be used in Grades K - 12.
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Gradual Release Model
Pearson and Gallagher
High Teacher Responsibility
High Student Responsibility
Demonstration & Modeling
Participation
Performance
Changes Over Time
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Developing Readers teacher training provides teachers with models for teaching
comprehension strategies through a gradual release of responsibility. The training
also provides the teacher with models for teaching test taking strategies. The
activities provide the teacher with formative instructional information.
Student Objectives of grades 3,4, & 5 Developing Reader :
To develop the student’s ability to:
Think and to construct meaning while reading
Use and apply flexible thinking while problem solving
Develop the student’s ability to construct meaning from a variety of genres
Provide the student with visual models using graphic organizers to help
organize information
Provide the student with models for using comprehension skills and providing
opportunities to apply them in testing situations
Teaching and Assessing Comprehension Strategies→ Modeling Independence
teacher training provides teachers with:
A model for teaching and assessing comprehension and test taking strategies
through a gradual release of responsibility
Formative instruments to monitor and evaluate students’ progress
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Teaching and Assessing Comprehension Strategies→ Modeling Independence
Teaching Materials for Standardized Reading Tests by Geraldine Haggard, Ed. D.
(Grades 3, 4, and 5 all have their own individual grade level appropriate books).
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TEKS CHECKS (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade) will be taken from Teaching And
Assessing Comprehension
Student Objectives of: Teaching and Assessing Comprehension
Strategies → Modeling Independence
To develop the student’s ability to:
Think and to construct meaning while reading
Use and apply flexible thinking while problem solving
Develop the student’s ability to construct meaning from a variety of genres
Provide the student with visual models using graphic organizers to help
organize information
Provide the student with models for using comprehension skills and providing
opportunities to apply them in testing situations
Writing
Modeled Writing in k-2 is a component where teachers write on the white board, chalkboard, easel, document camera or chart paper. Teachers think- out- loud as they write.
The purpose of the teacher modeling the writing process is to show the students how
writing work’s. The students need to understand that ideas can be recorded on paper.
Shared Writing:
Shared Writing is where the teacher and the students co-write a text together. Shared
writing provides opportunities for younger children to develop concepts about print such
as: directional movement, return sweep, one to one matching and to participate and behave
like a writer. In the upper grades, 6 – 12, it allows for the teacher and students to
discuss and compose common text related to an experience or an area of study. The final,
edited copy will be will reflect changes, deletions or corrections the student or teacher
has made.
Interactive Writing in K-2 is a teaching process where the teacher and the student
compose pages and stories that are written together interactively. The teacher /students
negotiate together what they plan to write and then co-construct as they write the story.
The teacher serves as the facilitator of the discussion—summarizing, confirming and
synthesizing the children’s ideas. The final product should be error free. This activity
can be introduced as whole group or small group.
Guided Writing teaches a specific skill or strategy to the whole group, small group or,
individuals and also gives students practice in writing. The children do the actual writing
but they are supported as needed by a teacher who provides instructions through minilessons and writing conferences. The purpose of guided reading is to expand writing
knowledge based on the student’s needs.
Independent Writing provides children the opportunity to construct their own writing
pieces as they learn to practice using writing skills and strategies to record their own
thoughts and communicate with others. Reading and writing are reciprocal and therefore
writing supports the reading process. The teacher needs to provide time for children to
write every day, across all areas of the curriculum.
Independent writing should take place in grades 1-12.
All Secondary English Language Arts and Reading Teachers have received training about:
Secondary Developing Readers Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies, Published by
Educational Bridge. The grade 6 -12 teachers that attended the training each received
a copy of the book and a CD disk to use for student progress monitoring.
With the addition of the new Secondary Developing Readers to our resources we now have
a seamless approach to teaching Reading Comprehension from grade 3 -12. This means the
students have a common core ELA academic vocabulary from the primary grades to exit
level in high school.