November 2023
As we near Thanksgiving, I want to start this newsletter by thanking all of you for what you do for Oklahoma students and their families each day. We could not do this without all of the hard-working teachers, administrators, support staff, and everyone else working together to make schools a wonderful place for children. Here are a few book ideas for November to help you and your class remember those who have served and give thanks.
Thank you,
Sharon Morgan, Program Director for Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy
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Over the past few weeks, I have presented in 6 different locations around Oklahoma about writing in the elementary classroom. You can find my presentation slides here. During these presentations, participants discussed foundational writing skills, the writing process, and writing assessment.
Here are a few takeaways:
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Make time for writing every day. This is not easy, but the results can be amazing. It is important to have a specific time of day to teach writing and also integrate writing throughout the day into content areas, literacy stations, and more. Find suggestions on how to make time for writing here and here.
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Use mentor texts as a model for good writing. Highlight specific examples of writing techniques in texts or have students discuss how the author used words, organization, text features, and other elements to communicate their ideas. Students can use the checklists in the ELA framework writing resources as a guide for what to look for.
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Explicitly teach the various parts of the writing process. Students benefit when teachers model and explain how they move from one stage of the writing process to the next. They need to know that writing may be revised and edited several times before it is final. Here are some recommendations for teaching the writing process.
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Create a community of writers in your classroom. My class spent time each day writing and also sharing their writing with peers. Not only did my students become better writers, but this created a strong bond by being willing to share their thoughts and ideas with others. Teachers should also participate by writing and sharing their writing. You can find resources to teach students to give peer feedback including a lesson plan, slide deck, and handout in the writing resources for each grade level. This resource has additional ideas about creating an engaged community of writers.
Here are a few other resources for writing.
If you have questions or would like to share helpful resources related to writing, contact Sharon Morgan, Program Director for Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy, at sharon.morgan@sde.ok.gov.
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In the spring of 2024, the Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) will be fully aligned with the 2021 Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts (OAS-ELA). The ELA framework has resources on understanding and implementing the standards with fidelity.
The Office of Assessments has updated the Test and Items Specifications for schools. You can find them here and linked below by grade level.
If you have questions about the OSTP, contact Alyssa Tyra, Project Manager for ELA Assessments, at alyssa.tyra@sde.ok.gov.
In the fall of 2022, 16 Oklahoma educators came together to update the ELA framework. The framework writers updated the proficiency levels and created new writing resources and Universal Design for Learning pages.
Christie Barris, an instructional coach from Oklahoma City Public Schools, was a writer for the early childhood team, which created resources for Pre-K to 2nd grade. Below are some of her thoughts on the work she did on the ELA framework.
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What parts of the ELA Framework did you help develop? Early Childhood ELA proficiency scales and writing resources.
How do you use the ELA Framework to enhance your teaching? I use it in every aspect of my coaching with teachers. We use the frameworks to plan for instruction and assess student proficiency. It has been a valuable tool in helping teachers understand the rigor and scope of their standards.
What advice would you give to teachers about using the ELA Framework? I would advise teachers just to dig in and start exploring all the resources available. Start with looking at one particular standard or subject area and then look for all the different resources available for that area. It is particularly helpful to use it in planning so teachers can teach to the rigor of the standard.
What favorite literacy strategy would you like to share with Oklahoma teachers? Self-selected reading is a highly motivating activity for students. While it is necessary for students to read grade-level text in classroom instruction, providing a time and opportunity for students to choose their reading material is important. A practice I used when I was a classroom teacher was "Book Buckets". Each student had a magazine holder, and they got to select 5 books from our classroom library. They kept their book bucket at their seats at all times. They were anxious to read their books because they had chosen them themselves. We all like to have some choice in what we do, read, and learn. Self-selected books motivate students to explore their areas of interest in reading material.
Each year the Oklahoma State Department of Education completes a report on the Reading Sufficiency Act for the Oklahoma Legislature. Data from this report can be used to determine what additional legislation might be needed.
For one section of this report, we need the help of Oklahoma teachers and administrators. If you work with students in any grades between kindergarten and 3rd grade, please take a few minutes and complete the survey at this link. It is completely anonymous and will take approximately 15 minutes.
The survey will be open until the close of business on December 1.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails books to children every month, from birth through their fifth birthday, at no cost to families. The Imagination Library program was developed based on numerous studies demonstrating that children with access to books in their homes develop early literacy skills, contributing to school readiness and success throughout life.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is now available in 350 communities across Oklahoma! This program provides free books monthly to children from birth to their fifth birthday to help families prepare their children for school.
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To celebrate Imagination Library and Dolly Parton's birthday, Oklahoma will have Dolly Day on January 19, 2024. See here for additional information.
Ways to Participate:
1. Local Businesses - Share this flier with local businesses and organizations in your community and see how they can contribute to their local Imagination Library partner.
2. Individual Donors - Find individual donors who are able to donate to the local Imagination Library.
3. Schools and Teachers - Imagination Library is about promoting the love of reading in young children. Do something special at your school to promote reading with young children. For example:
- Have older students read to younger students.
- Partner with your local library to learn about the programs they offer.
- Invite family members or community leaders to read to students.
Share this information about Dolly Day in your community.
To determine if your school is in a sponsored area, consult the Existing Affiliates table on the following page: https://sde.ok.gov/imagination-library-affiliates.
Here is the registration link to share with families to get enrolled: https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/
To find ways to support Imagination Library and Dolly Day, please contact program director Laura Sikes at laura.sikes@sde.ok.gov.
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The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read program provides support for community-wide reading programs across the U.S. Applications are currently open for grants that can support projects scheduled between September 2024 and June 2025. Award amounts range between $5,000 and $20,000. Nonprofit organizations, public libraries, school districts, local and tribal governments, and other entities can submit an intent to apply for funding by January 10, 2024.
In addition to funding, the program provides training opportunities, digital resources, and outreach materials. Applicants choose from a library of 50 available Big Read books and organize activities such as author readings, book discussions, art exhibitions, lectures, and panel discussions.
Offered through the NEA's partnership with Arts Midwest, the goal of the program is to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new connections in communities nationwide.
Learn how to apply for Big Read funding and organize a reading program for your community.
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