In partnership with the Bellevue PTSA Council, BSD Teaching and Learning would like to invite you to join us for a conversation about K-5 Literacy. We recognize that you are receiving various communications from your schools, and you might have feedback or questions about how we are supporting language and literacy proficiency. Most importantly, we value family partnership, and we know that our students make the most progress when schools and families collaborate.
Hosted By
BSD Teaching and Learning in partnership with Bellevue PTSA Council
- Tina Bogucharova (Director of Teaching and Learning, Elementary)
- Amber Anderson (Curriculum Developer, K-5 Literacy)
- Eric Nelson (Curriculum Developer, K-5 Literacy)
FAQ
Below are questions shared by families in attendance of the October 27 Parent Literacy Information Night. We appreciate the opportunity to use these questions to strengthen our instructional and school-wide approach to supporting Language and Literacy development at our Elementary Schools.
- What are the grade level indicators at each grade level?
- Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) indicators help us set benchmarks for reading proficiency. Please see Expected Reading Behaviors by Grade Level and Text Level
- Common Core Reading Standards (p. 10) and Writing Standards (p. 18) guide our instruction. For additional detailed information about TRC Proficiency levels by Benchmark period, please see: mCLASS Reading 3D Text Reading and Comprehension Cut Points
- Learn more about the Common Core State Standards, please read ELA Common Core State Standards.
- Which Handwriting programs are available for K-2 students?
- Our BSD instruction for handwriting can be previewed in the Parent OneNote Pages:
- Grade K: Handwriting (OneNote)
- Grade 1: Handwriting (OneNote)
- Grade 2: Handwriting (OneNote)
- Additionally, to support students in developing gross motor planning for writing, kindergarten and 1st grade students have the Handwriting Wizard accessible in Clever.
- What could the MTSS and IIP teacher-parent partnership look like?
- Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a team approach to create a strength-based process for supporting all students, using student data to drive instruction. This begins with strong universal instruction with evidencebased curriculum and instruction for all students. It also includes additional and/or intensified instruction with evidence-based curriculum and instruction for some or few students. This might include an intervention plan for K-2 students through the early literacy and dyslexia screening process or an Intensive Improvement Plan (IIP) for our third and fourth grade students. An important component of the additional or intensified instruction is twoway communication and collaboration with caregivers and families. We value family partnership and communication and look forward to strengthening our relationships in service of students.
- Why do we only assess our K-2 students with DIBELS vs. Star Reading is only given in grades 3-5?
- In grades 3-5 students become increasingly proficient readers, and Star Reading is used as a universal screener and an indicator of grade level performance. If students are not yet at grade level proficiency by third grade, additional 1:1 diagnostic assessment such as DIBELS will provide more in-depth information for instruction.
- How are students supported in writing instruction?
- We are guided by the CCSS Writing pathways (CCSS) and the content-area activities that require expressive communication in the form of written tasks. Additionally, writing is often taught as an integrated component of content-area subjects. K-5 students are taught to write in the three broad modes of Opinion/Persuasive, Narrative, and Informative/Explanatory writing. As part of the current P-5 Literacy Adoption we will be looking for instructional materials to support the writing process as part of the adoption.
- How to support students above grade level?
- Educators design flexible instructional groups to meet the needs of their students. This includes students below, at and above grade level. There are a variety of instructional resources to support and extend student learning both in school and at home, including but not limited to RazKids, NewsELA, Sora and Lexia Core 5.
- Can my child retake DIBELS or STAR?
- Students are assessed three times a year (Fall, Winter & Spring). In between these larger times, educators are collecting a variety of assessments to inform instruction. This includes progress monitoring (one small test on a focused skill), reading 1:1 with a student, conducting guided instructional groups and collecting observational data. Please contact your student’s educator with any questions about your DIBELS or STAR reading assessment performance.
Please feel free to reach out if you have additional questions or need information not provided here.