Norfolk Public Schools
Instruction
Norfolk Public Schools' K-2 foundational skills literacy program is an evidence-based method of teaching students to read that includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension and enables students to develop the reading skills required to meet Virginia's academic standards of learning.
NPS K-2 Instructional Non-negotiables
NPS Literacy Instructional Non-negotiables
Teachers will provide learning experiences where student will read, write, communicate, and think critically in every classroom, in every school, everyday - no exceptions.
Student Time in Text
Decodable text follows a predictable and systematic pattern of sound-symbol correspondence, allowing students to apply their phonics knowledge and decode words independently. By spending time reading decodable text, students can reinforce their understanding of letter-sound relationships, build fluency, and gain confidence in their reading abilities. This foundational practice sets a strong basis for more complex reading comprehension and fosters a love for reading as students experience success in deciphering words and understanding texts.
Making Thinking Visible:
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Daily Writing
Students write everyday for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Writing is an essential component of a evidenced-based literacy curriculum. Instruction is designed to enable students to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes and audiences including writing in response to reading to make the reading-writing connection. In primary classrooms, evidence based practices include the following (Graham et al., 2012):
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Provide daily time for students to write.
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Teach students to use the writing process for a variety of purposes.
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Teach students to become fluent with handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, typing and word processing.
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Create an engaged community of writers.
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Provide opportunities for students to share writing.
Teachers will provide data-driven, differentiated instruction
Small Group Instruction
Teachers provide small group, skill based reading instruction everyday.
Small group reading is an instructional non-negotiable in Norfolk Public Schools. This instructional format allows teachers to provide explicit, systematic, sequential and targeted instruction to students based on their identified needs. It is an opportunity for students to receive the additional teaching and practice that is often needed for them to master foundational skills. Using diagnostic assessment data, teachers will form small, flexible, needs-based groups to provide differentiated instruction. Progress monitoring and observational data provide critical information to adjust groups when needed.
Conferencing and Feedback
Conferences are an opportunity for the teacher to have one-on-one or small group interaction with students. Teachers should conduct writing conferences with students frequently and at multiple points of the writing process. Teachers should keep records of student conferences and track student feedback and goals. (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001)
Teachers provide students with immediate and corrective feedback during literacy instruction to facilitate effective learning. Prompt feedback allows students to correct their mistakes and build upon their successes in real-time, leading to faster progress and increased motivation. By addressing misconceptions and offering specific guidance, teachers support students in developing a deeper understanding of literacy concepts, stay actively engaged in their learning and fostering their confidence and growth as competent readers and writers.
Corrective Feedback Prompts for Word Reading
Six Tips for Making the Most of One-on-One Reading Conferences
NPS Components of the K-2 Literacy Block
NPSComponentsoftheK-2LiteracyBlock.pdf
