MSCS Literacy Curriculum Spotlight
K-12 English/Language Arts eNewsletter
Have you already joined the LITERACY HUB?
Join the K-12 Literacy Hub, the Teams Channel for all things literacy. Connect with other ELA teachers across the District and stay aware of what’s trending in ELA!
Log in today to
- Share Your New Teacher Tips
- Showcase Your Classroom Library in the "Classroom Library Contest"
- Access Professional Learning Opportunities, and Much More!
Classroom Library Challenge
How do you maximize your classroom library space to foster independent student learning?
Promoting a culture of literacy is at the forefront for MSCS educators across all grade bands. Maintaining a relevant, consistent classroom library is one initiative that teachers can take in order encourage student literacy. Join our Literacy Hub on Teams to learn more about the Library Classroom Challenge!
Photo: Eboni Moore’s (2020) library is filled with joy, comfort and different genres for students to enjoy at Cornerstone Prep-Lester! Making a comforting and inviting space for students to explore literature is imperative to helping them develop strong, positive reader identities.
License Renewal
In accordance with the Tennessee Literacy Success Act, Effective August 1, 2023, candidates seeking to obtain, renew, or advance a teaching license with at least one qualifying endorsement should provide evidence documenting the completion of an approved foundational literacy skills course. The approved courses hyperlinked here are Early Reading Training or Secondary Literacy Training. Click here for more information on the TLSA.
Science of Reading Virtual Trainings
Are you looking to extend and deepen your knowledge of the science of reading? Well, check out these FREE virtual workshops.
- The International Literacy Association: Between now and January 31, use code GivingTuesday22 for complimentary access* to The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. This webinar, presented by Nell Duke, recipient of the 2018 William S. Gray Citation of Merit, focuses on specific research-tested instructional practices for developing students’ understanding of text.
- Really Great Reading presents the Science of Reading complimentary workshops. These workshops are written to support emerging and developing readers. Click the link below to register for an upcoming session.
https://www.reallygreatreading.com/the-science-of-reading-virtual-workshop
Free At-home Reading Resources
In partnership with Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), the department is opening up an opportunity for parents to order free at-home reading resources this winter for any of their children in grades K-2.
Through this partnership, the department and GELF want to encourage at-home reading practice to help young learners become stronger readers outside of the classroom. Based on if a child is in kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade, they will receive seven At-Home Decodable Book Series, which contain 20+ exciting stories full of sounds and words to practice, and age-appropriate, high-quality books from Scholastic.
All Tennessee families can order one booklet pack for each of their kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students using this site.
Spring 2023 Wonders Professional Learning Series: January-February
- January 19th: Writing in the Wonders Classroom
- February 7th: Teaching Foundational Literacy Using Wonders Curriculum: 3rd-5th Grade
Improve Students' Reading Achievement with Word Study
Did you know research-based word study is not just about spelling?
Did you know word study is not just for K-2?
Are you using the daily phonics and word study practice in Wonders to transform your students' reading level growth and reading comprehension?
Yes, phonics and advanced word study can do that! In fact, it takes less than 10 minutes of word study engagement per day to do see improvement in students' reading. You can achieve this using your Foundational Literacy and Writing Guide on the Reading Prescriptions.
Click on the button below to read the article "What is Advanced Word Study?" It will stimulate your commitment to daily foundational literacy instruction for 3rd-5th grades as you learn more about the importance of teaching advanced word study and phonics for this age group.
A Glance at the Spring 2023 Savvas myPerspectives Professional Learning Series
The Writing Opportunities in the myPerspectives Curriclum PD
This session is designed to engage teachers in a rich overview around how writing is embedded with the context of the myPerspectives curriculum. This session will highlight opportunities for writing within the units of study as well as the specific digital components such as the Essay Scorer, SimCheck by TurnItIn, the Writing and Research center, and a host of other tools and resources within the digital platform that will gear your students up for a successful semester of writing.
Taking A Closer Look at myPerspectives Assessment Opportunities: Preparing for State Exams and the ACT
How do I monitor student learning and provide authentic feedback when utilizing the myPerspective resources? What components of the resources will support students when preparing for the assessments? What components enhance and validate the work of the ELA classroom in a learning environment? We'll be taking a look at the instructional model, components of myPerspectives, the suite of assessments, and data as we address these questions and more!
The Digging Deeper into the myPerspectives Resources
This session is designed to support educators in implementing the myPerspectives program effectively. Participants will learn the what, why, and how of myPerspectives as they dig into the core components, instructional design, and routines of the program. The session will allow teachers to reflect upon their current pedagogy while envisioning what instruction looks like using myPerspectives as their core curriculum. Using a Choice Board, participants will have an opportunity to explore the tools embedded within the platform that highlight successful strategies for effective literacy implementation.
Now you are ready to get started. Click on the button below to register for a session today!
TDOE Releases ELA Standards Guides
The ELA standards guides are a supplemental resource to the Tennessee ELA standards that are designed to provide instructional leaders and teachers with a deeper understanding of each standard. This understanding will enhance teachers’ ability to facilitate the use of high-quality instructional materials in the classroom. The guides include four sections for each standard:
- An unpacking of key elements of the standard
- A glossary of key terms in the standard
- Examples of how the standard can be represented in classroom tasks
- A snapshot of the vertical progression of the standard
These guides are based on an integrated model of literacy and reflect the purpose of the ELA standards: to access the meaning of and to build knowledge from texts. With these standards, students can read challenging, meaningful texts, think deeply about the meaning of texts, explore the meaning of texts in conversation with other students, make real-world applications, and effectively communicate their learning.
Click on the link to access the standards guides and additional guidance resources.
Reignite the Passion For Engaging in a Good Read with Your Middle Schoolers
When is the last time your middle schoolers boasted about enjoying a high-interest novel that was too good to put down? Perhaps you’ve observed one of your students bragging to their peers about a science-fiction text that left them on the edge of their seat? Consider the impact of encouraging your students to take advantage of your classroom and/or school-based library. What would happen if we transformed our students’ approach to reading both within and outside of our classrooms?
Interested in helping your students to foster a love for reading? Well, the Savvas myPerspectives Plus tab (in the digital platform) features a digital library that provides students with access to a comprehensive list from A-Z to over one hundred texts. In addition, the Listenwise app, (also within the myPerspectives platform) funnels students into wide world of current event articles that include audio capability.
Check out the article below to learn more about the importance of reigniting the passion for reading and highlighting the joys associated with reading academically and for leisure amongst your scholars.
TDOE Releases ELA Standards Guides for Grades 6-12
The ELA standards guides are a supplemental resource to the Tennessee ELA standards that are designed to provide instructional leaders and teachers with a deeper understanding of each standard. This understanding will enhance teachers’ ability to facilitate the use of high-quality instructional materials in the classroom. The guides include four sections for each standard:
- An unpacking of key elements of the standard
- A glossary of key terms in the standard
- Examples of how the standard can be represented in classroom tasks
- A snapshot of the vertical progression of the standard
These guides are based on an integrated model of literacy and reflect the purpose of the ELA standards: to access the meaning of and to build knowledge from texts. With these standards, students can read challenging, meaningful texts, think deeply about the meaning of texts, explore the meaning of texts in conversation with other students, make real-world applications, and effectively communicate their learning.
Click on the link to access the 6-12 ELA standards guides and additional guidance resources.
The Memphis Soul Prize Poetry Competition Returns for Its 4th Year!
Have you heard of the Memphis Soul Prize? It's a city-wide poetry competition for high school students aimed at UNITING our hearts, CELEBRATING our artists, and ELEVATING our CITY! The Memphis Soul Prize includes school prizes, teacher prizes, and of course, student prizes! Last year, more than $25,000 in scholarships were awarded, and we want you to gear up and build the excitement amongst your students to make this another riveting competition for high school scholars across the city! Are you in?
Stay tuned for the start of this exciting opportunity for MSCS High School students!
What Does Writing Instruction Look Like In Your Classroom?
Want to know the position of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) on writing instruction? Well, click the button below to read the NCTE's position paper that details how writing is conceptualized and has consequences, especially in educational settings. Despite decades of research and scholarship on writing, writing instruction, and writing assessment, misperceptions about writing and its purpose in schools persist.
After reading the NCTE's position paper on writing instruction in the classroom, be sure to register to attend one of the January PDs (see the next section) that focus on writing to learn strategies and guidance for effective writing instruction and student practice.
Spring 2023 Savvas myPerspectives Professional Learning Series: January Sessions
Register today to attend one of the January 2023 vendor-led PD offerings that focus on implementing Writing in the myPerspectives classroom -- available to all secondary ELA teachers. Participants will refine what Secondary Writing, Assessment Prep, and the Savvas myPerspectives Digital Resources look like in their classrooms. Participants are sure to glean beneficial and actionable takeaways from the sessions. Click the button to register for a session today!
