Curriculum & Literacy
At the heart of Robbinsdale Area Schools is the philosophy of See All, Serve All, Support All! Our elementary schools offer foundational learning for students based on the Minnesota state academic standards. This foundation is purposefully designed to provide learning in academic and social-emotional areas which will prepare students to be career, articulated skilled trades and college ready.
We embrace culturally relevant teaching and learning and strive to create authentic learning experiences for our students where they can see themselves in the learning and feel empowered to learn as much as they can to make the world a better place.
Our elementary students receive instruction in:
- Literacy and Language Arts
- Social Studies
- Music and Art
- Physical Education
- Media and Technology
- Social-Emotional Learning
Balanced Literacy Framework
Robbinsdale Area Schools uses the Balanced Literacy framework for implementing literacy instruction. Balanced Literacy is demonstrated by the following principles:
- A Gradual Release of Responsibility approach allows teachers to slowly and consciously release more responsibility for learning to the students.
- Explicit, systematic instruction of foundational literacy skills is critical. Teaching for understanding must be the primary goal. Teachers will implement explicit instruction to model their thought processes out loud.
- Students learn best through collaboration and conversation with others.
- Skills must be taught in context, as part of relevant literacy events through culturally relevant texts.
- Differentiated instruction and student-centered learning maximize teachers’ ability to serve all students and address individual needs
- Assessment that identifies strengths as well as needs, and involves students in making decisions about their own learning.
- The purpose of assessment is to inform and shape instruction.
- Students need access to interesting, appropriate texts and choice.
- Quality literacy instruction builds skill and the desire to read increasingly complex materials.
- Students need a variety of books and other reading materials in their classrooms and in school and community libraries.
- Teachers must understand text complexity expectations.
- Writing and reading have reciprocal positive effects.
- Link reading and writing to take advantage of the natural reciprocity between the various reading and language processes.
- Some students need more intensive and more expert instruction if they are to maintain a pace of development that is comparable to their peers.
Program Goals and Objectives
Reading Well by 3rd Grade is one component of our comprehensive efforts toward of our goal of having all students reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Progress toward this goal is monitored using data from state accountability tests. FastBridge Learning offers adaptive Reading and Early Reading assessments to measure reading fluency and early reading skills.
Our elementary teachers utilize a district-wide curriculum map as a guide to support planning instruction over the school year. Grade level, topics, big ideas and standards have been mapped as a suggested teaching sequence for the school year. In addition to being mapped across the year, it is mapped vertically to support integrated subject teaching.
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS)
Robbinsdale Area Schools utilizes Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS), an instructional framework for literacy instruction. LETRS provides the essential research of reading instruction. Flexible grouping and literacy instruction in all content areas support student growth from preschool through grade twelve. The literacy frameworks we use in conjunction with Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Effective Teaching help instructional staff use a common language and understanding to drive data-driven, best instructional practice.
Benchmark Workshop curricular resource supports a model that is responsive to student strengths and needs. Teachers draw from literacy modules in five areas to support their instruction: reader’s workshop, writer’s workshop, phonics and word study workshop, technology and professional development.
This resource recommendation was the result of a comprehensive process, including engaging with (and seeking input from) stakeholders across our district. The collaborative recommendation process also included feedback and input from teachers, families, students and staff from the Robbinsdale Area Schools community. The recommendation was consistent across stakeholder groups.
Highlights of Benchmark Workshop include:
- Phonics instruction based on Wiley Blevins’s research (A Fresh Look at Phonics)
- Responsive Toolkit for intervention needs
- Authentic texts including texts about or written by Native Americans from Minnesota
- Direct correlation with the Robbinsdale Area Schools’ Balanced Literacy framework with clear outlines and resource support
- Beginning-of-year “Launching” units to establish routines and rituals, aligning with the Safe and Civil Schools Pillar of Focus
- Equitable resources in Spanish
- Teacher tools to support biliteracy instruction
District Dyslexia Plan
We recognize the importance of screening elementary students annually to identify reading difficulties. Screening measures indicate if students have or have not acquired grade-level reading skills. If expected skills are not established, we engage in a decision making process which includes the collection of additional assessment data and allows teachers to match instruction to the identified need. Subsequently, student growth is monitored throughout the learning process.
Robbinsdale Area Schools does not formally diagnose dyslexia. Our screening process and ongoing progress monitoring of student performance provides us with the information we need to identify missing or under-developed reading skills associated with dyslexia and helps to design and implement the appropriate instructional match to develop those skills. If your student has received a dyslexia diagnosis from an outside agency, please inform your student's classroom teacher. This information will assist the teacher in designing an appropriate plan for instructional support. The plan may include additional instructional support in the classroom, adding support through one of our supplemental reading programs or additional assessment to better understand the learning need. Teacher-Family communication is a critical component of this process.