Elementary Essentials

The following Literacy Brief explains how these terms are connected.

Literacy Brief 3 – Structured Literacy: The elements

FINALLY! The time has arrived to review new resources for teaching language (listening and reading) comprehension. Recent adoptions of Writing Units of Study and 95 Percent Group Core Phonics updated our writing and word recognition instructional resources. Last spring, it was determined that the district would allocate funding for new materials to teach comprehension. Here is an outline of the materials adoption phases:

• Phase 1 Planning - Spring 2023:
• Listening tour - completed
• Textbook/materials adoption leadership committee categorized notes from the listening tour - completed
• A rubric has been created to evaluate materials – completed
• Finalize the resource review committee – we have recommendations of staff members from last year and will review them to form a final group. If you have any additional recommendations (you are welcome to nominate yourself), you are welcome to submit your name. To nominate someone, click here.

The next three phases will come throughout the 2023-24 school year.

• Phase 2 – Study & Selection Process
• Phase 3 – Final Selection & Negotiations
• Phase 4 – Purchase and Training

The details of phase 2 are being finalized and will be sent to the committee soon.

We continue to refine and add to the Elementary ELA Website. Check it out! If you have difficulty locating or downloading items from district websites, ensure you are signed into Microsoft 365 to access the items. If a hyperlink is not working, let us know, or you can find it in another place on the website.

Dates:

• September 26- Session 1
• November 7- Session 2
• February 20- Session 3

In-Person Times: 4:15pm-5:15pm

In-Person Location:

• September - Instructional Resource Center and Millbrooke Elementary
• November and February - Summit Trail

You do not need to attend all the sessions. Make sure to register for the dates you would like to attend. Open to all kindergarten through 8th grade teachers.

Come and engage in fun activities to take your SBI skills to the next level with multi-step word problems! We will discuss strategies to help students tackle multi-step word problems, and you will leave with the skills and notes to teach multi-step problems the next day in your classroom. Here are the directions to sign up on Frontline. We would love to see you on Tuesday, September 26, from 4:15-5:15pm, at the IRC!

Lots of information in the Science newsletter from KSDE! You’ll discover a SunWise toolkit, classroom grant applications, Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, etc. KSDE Science Newsletter

The Kansas Department of Education Science team is excited to be hosting a fall book study with the text, "Ambitious Science Teaching" by Windschitl, Thompson and Braaten, Thursdays at 4:30 pm this fall! Limited complimentary copies are available and will be mailed out on a first-come basis. This book walks readers through some of the important shifts in our science standards and provides applicable, ready to use strategies for leveraging student driven instruction at any grade level. Topics include how to leverage student talk and sense making, making thinking visible through models and supporting students in making and modifying claims.

Professional Development points are available and College credit is available at an additional cost. Email mrichard@ksde.org to learn more or register now at https://forms.gle/1fRNW7R5VtuXC7Tm6

Please check out the social studies newsletter for important social studies related items.

I hope each of you has had an amazing start this year. Please reach out if I can assist or support you. Thanks for all you do! ~Julie