Reading Curriculum Overview

Reading promotes inquiry, critical thinking, and empathy in our students, which is why a central goal of the balanced literacy approach is to develop life-long reading habits and a love of reading for all of our learners. In classrooms, instruction is implemented through Reading Workshop in a combination of ways, including read-aloud, shared reading, guided reading, literature study, and independent reading.

This instruction includes:

• time for students to practice skills and strategies daily
• explicit instruction combined with guided and independent practice
• ongoing formative and summative assessments to monitor student progress

Instruction in Winnetka 36 Classrooms

Literacy teachers, grades K-8, developed Reading Overviews that include essential questions, understandings, knowledge, and skills* for each grade level. This ensures that all students will be exposed to the same language and skills at each grade level. Click here to have access to these documents. Differences exist in the implementation of reading and writing instruction from grade to grade and classroom to classroom; however, the approach to instruction remains the same. All teachers in District 36 are viewed as informed decision-makers, and instruction should be flexible according to students' readiness, interest, and learning profiles.