Literacy Corner 2024-2025
Growing Readers and Writers
December
High-frequency words are words that appear most often in printed text. FHES teachers refer to these words as: “snap words” (we want to know them in a snap), “trick words” (they can be tricky, and often don’t follow rules that can be sounded out), “sight words” (we want to know them by sight), “word wall words”, etc. Readers work hard to recognize these words with automaticity, not needing to “sound them out”. Reading research tells us that when these words are instantly recognized, our brains can apply effort to the other words of the text and the short term memory can focus on comprehension of what is going on in the story. There are varying lists for these high-frequency words (e.g. the Dolch List, the Fry List).
Click here to see a list of 109 Power Words! These words have a lot of “power” for beginning readers as they comprise 50% of the words found in children’s texts. The first 13 words represent power little words that make up 25% of the words in children’s texts. Ensuring that your reader knows all of these words can be very beneficial for their reading success!
November
This month, we are highlighting some of the amazing work our librarian, Ms. Charlene, is doing in the FHES library to support our growing readers! Using proceeds from last spring’s book fair and her own classroom budget, Ms. Charlene added 87 books to our collection this year. This includes books related to our Character Strong traits, more early Spanish readers, teacher and student requests, graphic novels, and more early reader nonfiction animals and science. Thanks to a generous donation from our PTO, we also added all 2024-2025 Sasquatch Book Award nominees and Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award nominees. The Sasquatch Book Award nominations include twelve novels for grades 4-6. Our 4th and 5th-grade students are encouraged to read at least two of the books and vote for their favorite in the spring. Last year, more than 7,000 4th and 5th graders of Washington state voted for the Sasquatch Award. The Washington’s Children’s Choice Picture Book (WCCPB) Award nominations include twenty picture books for grades K-3. Ms. Charlene is reading all nominated books to our Kindergarten - 3rd grade students and they will vote on their favorite in the spring. Last year, nearly 117,000 K-3 students in our state voted for the WCCPB Award. We look forward to joining students across the state in voting for our favorites again this year!
Thanks to so many great titles and more than 12,000 different books in our library, our K-5 students average checking out 962 books a week during our weekly library visits! In addition to checking out books, Ms. Charlene also has a give-a-book/take-a-book shelf. Students can bring books from home to trade for other used books. Thanks to Ms. Charlene for all that she does to support our FHES readers!
October
For our earliest readers in pre-K and Kindergarten, we encourage engagement through books/topics of interest to your reader and being read to/reading each day.
Some first and second graders will prefer to be read to, while others are ready and interested in reading on their own. There are benefits for either and we suggest that students read/are read to for at least 20 minutes each night.
As third graders continue to build their reading lives, readers can choose a “just right” book they love, find a good spot to read, and read the book as if it were GOLD. It is expected that students read for 20 minutes each weeknight and fill out a reading log; weekend reading is encouraged.
Fourth grade readers and their families are encouraged beyond time parameters to make an investment in the emotional and cognitive growth that happens when caregivers read to and with children. During these moments of reading together, a complexity of language develops as well as a love of literature and storytelling. Children also learn to treasure books and the adventures that await them as they become stronger and more independent in their reading journey.
Fifth grade readers continue to grow their reading independence by reading for a minimum of 20 minutes and completing a reading log to track their work.
The image of Scarborough’s Reading Rope (2001) provides a visual of all the language comprehension and word recognition skills that are woven into reading instruction. Let’s work together to ensure that all FHES students are maximizing opportunities to develop into skilled readers.
Friday Harbor Elementary School
We love to hear from you!
Email: roslynbutcher@sjisd.org
Website: sjisd.wednet.edu
Location: 95 Grover Street, Friday Harbor, WA, USA
Phone: 360.378.5209
San Juan Island School District Commitment to Non-discrimination
San Juan Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The San Juan Island School District offers classes in many career and technical education program areas such as Culinary Arts, Career Prep, STEM, and Computer Science under its open admissions policy. For more information about CTE course offerings and admissions criteria, contact CTE Directors, Liz Varvaro, elizabethvarvaro@sjisd.org, PO Box 458, FH, WA, (360) 378-4133. Lack of English language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in career and technical education programs.
The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Faith Knight, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Title IX Officer
PO Box 458, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360) 378-4133
Becky Bell, Special Services Director, 504 Officer, ADA Coordinator, Gender-Inclusive Schools Coordinator
PO Box 458, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360) 378-4133
Fred Woods, Superintendent, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Coordinator
PO Box 458, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360) 378-7905