Literacy & Language Arts

In Baldwin Union Free School District, students, K-5, receive literacy instruction though a "Balanced Literacy" approach. "Balanced Literacy" is a style of instruction that intertwines authentic reading, writing, and word study strategies so students learn how to apply these strategies when reading and writing independently. 

During the 105-minute literacy block, students learn using a combination of read a-louds, shared readings, guided readings, independent readings, and word works. Students, grades K-2, study “foundations,” while students, grades 3-5, focus on “word study” or vocabulary development and comprehension.  

The curriculum also dives into independent writing, guided writing, shared writing, and conferring. Throughout the year, the elementary school students are busy writing “How To” books, informational and fiction books, personal narratives, and original poetry, among other compositions.

In addition, teachers collect data on their students individually and in guided reading groups. The collected data is analyzed to design specific teaching points that connect to the Next Generation Learning Standards, as well as to individual student literacy strengths and needs. Students also learn specific content in science and social studies as they explore text through reading and writing.