Literacy in Grades 3-5
Cornerstone Prep distinguishes the lower school (grades K-2)
from the upper school (grades 3-5) as the third grade is a pivotal year in
students’ academic careers. In grade 3, literacy shifts from students learning
to read to students reading to learn.
As noted by the National Research
Council, “academic success, as defined by high school graduation, can be
predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the
end of 3rd grade. A person who is not at least a modestly skilled
reader by that time is unlikely to graduate from high school.”[1]
Cornerstone Prep continues to grow student literacy even in the
upper grades of the school. The literacy skills acquired in the lower school
serves as a foundation for a more in-depth focus on comprehension and analysis
of both fiction and non-fiction texts in the upper grades.
Cornerstone Prep
teachers understand reading proficiency is imperative for students to reach
success in many other academic areas. Therefore, Cornerstone Prep students will
be reading at or above grade level by grade 3.
Further, literacy instruction in grade 3 makes the transition
from focusing on phonemic awareness and phonics to focusing on more in-depth
skills.
Students in grades 3 – 5 focus on grammar, parts of a word (i.e. root,
prefixes, and suffixes), context clues, literary analysis, exposure to wider
genres of literature, spelling, continued development of oral and listening
language skills, conducting research and writing reports, use of informational
texts, recognizing and understanding basic literary terms (i.e. onomatopoeia,
alliteration, metaphor, simile) and developing and refining logic skills.
Students in grade 5 develop their literacy skills through the
reading of plays, poetry, and other literary genres. Students also participate
in a debates and mock trials. Students participate in debates and mock trial
events in order to learn how to formulate a sound argument, presenting it, and
supporting it properly. Students have to understand sequence, the Socratic Method,
and the parts of an argument to be successful. All of these concepts are useful
in developing literacy skills.
Literacy Outside of Literacy Blocks
Cornerstone Prep focuses on literacy in all subjects for all
grades. Classes in science and social studies are used to serve as further
opportunities for students to develop literacy skills and also to increase
knowledge in the subject content area. Fluency is also developed across subject
areas.
Cornerstone Prep’s focus on
literacy does not end when students leave school. Students are required to read
at home in order to increase vocabulary, fluency, and other reading skills. In
order to close the aforementioned word gap, students need to read a new book
every 10 days, which requires students to have at least 20 minutes of daily
silent reading[2].
Cornerstone Prep students keep a reading log of the number of pages read each
evening in order to monitor daily progress.
[1] National Research Council, 1998 (http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/ReadDiff/index.html retrieved on October 6, 2009).
[2] Site visit to Excel Academy Charter School (Boston) and Boston
Preparatory Charter School have a similar practice in which students have 30
minutes of daily silent reading in the DEAR program and require students to
complete another 20 minutes of silent reading at home. (Site visit by Founding
Principal 9/14/09).