Reading Overviews (KUDS)
The Overviews for Reading provide unique, grade-level expectations for the following strands of reading: Literature, Informational Texts, and Building an Independent Reading Life. Two strands, Literature and Informational Texts, align to the Common Core Reading Standards for Literature and Informational Texts. The Language Arts Committee, comprised of Winnetka 36 teachers, consulted the Common Core Reading Anchor Standards to develop overarching essential questions (open-ended questions that encourage active meaning-making by the learner) and enduring understandings (essential truths that give meaning to the topic; the goal of understandings is to make meaning of big ideas)(Enduring Understandings and Overarching Essential Questions for Reading).
After the anchor standard work was complete, the committee utilized grade-specific CCSS reading standards in the design of the overviews and reading units for literature and informational texts. Then the overviews and units were designed around Building an Independent Reading Life. The third strand builds upon the district's emphasis on the importance of independent reading habits and practices. Furthermore, this strand is guided by Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 10 on text complexity.
All three overviews contain grade-specific and detailed Essential Questions, Understandings, Key Knowledge, and Essential Skills (KUDs). After developing the three overviews, the Literacy Facilitators and committee members presented the curriculum to teachers and provided an opportunity for feedback and revisions. Then the Language Arts Committee completed a final framework analysis and finalized the documents in 2016. The Reading Overview structure and framework analysis were based on Dr. Jessica Hockett’s curriculum design work. Dr. Hockett, an educational consultant on differentiated instruction, Common Core ELA Standards, and Understanding by Design collaborated and consulted with the Language Arts Committee and the Literacy Facilitators over the past year. The K-8 Reading Overviews may be viewed through the subpage links below.
Overview for Reading- Building an Independent Reading Life