What’s to Come
in Focus on First
Focus on First Revisions Design Team:
Melissa Tonachel, Jeremy Walters, Fay Ferency, Theresa Vilcapoma, Ana Vaisenstein, Molly Peters
Welcome!
What has been successful about teaching with Focus on First?
What are some things children have most enjoyed?
Those Shoes
Pause now to get set up:
Open and make a copy of the Focus on First Revisions Feedback form. Use this to make notes along the way.
Why are we revising Focus on First?
How are we making decisions?
(the design process)
What stays the same?
Content-based literacy instruction
Read alouds
Studios and projects
Stations
Unit topics & many texts
Fundations
Home Links
Early Literacy and Knowledge P-2:
Building Conceptual Development
Print Concepts
Phonological Awareness
Phonics & Word Recognition
Fluency
Conceptual knowledge about the world
(e.g., science, engineering, history)
Understand abstract, complex ideas when reading
Produce written language about abstract and complex ideas
Produce academic language in speech
Code-Based Skills
Meaning-
Based
Skills
What changes?
Units of study and integration of History/Social Studies standards-based content
Daily schedule
Inclusion of Science and Engineering lessons
Writing
Usability: e.g., week & unit structure, lesson layout, standards-aligned objectives and assessment
Reach for Reading
Units of Study
Current units | Revised units | Threads | |
Families, Communities, and Connections | Community: What does it mean to belong to and lead a community? | Observations of the World Around Us | Mapping |
Goods and Services | |||
Animals: What structures do animals have, and how do they help animals survive? | |||
Animal Distinctions and Adaptations | |||
Understanding Weather | Resources: What do we need and want, where do those goods come from, and what services do we use? | ||
Technology’s Inventions and Innovations | |||
Sound and Light: How can we send signals using sound and light? | |||
Maps and Mapping | |||
Units of Study
K1 | K2 | First grade | Second grade | Third grade (EL) variable | ||
Family | Our Community | | Community | | How We Learn in Our School Communities | The Power of Reading |
Friends | Animals & Habitats | Animals | | The Forces of Wind and Water | Then and Now | |
Wind & Water | Construction | | Resources | Connecting Places, Connecting People | Wolves in Fiction and Fact or The Wide World of Frogs | |
The World of Color | Our Earth | Sound and Light | The Power of Pollinators | Literary Classics | ||
Shadows & Reflections | | Thread: Observations of the World Around Us | | |||
Things that Grow | Thread: Mapping | |||||
| Community | | Life Science |
| Physical Science | | Earth Science |
| other | | Social Studies |
Daily Schedule
3 hours
More consistent day by day
Writing lessons: 30 min 5x/week
Science lessons: 30 min 2x/week
My Map Book
Science and Engineering Learning
Discrete lessons: 30 minutes, 2x/week to introduce and begin investigations
Writing and Sensemaking: Science Literacy Station
Hands on investigations: Studios
Sharing and discussing key findings and ideas: Science Circles integrated in lessons
SFL vs. Writers Workshop
SFL TLC
What: genres
How: development of content knowledge, deconstruction, joint construction
Individual Writing
Joint Revision & Publishing
Mini Lesson
Revisions Conference
Editing
Individual Writing
Focus on genre units: Students become experts in writing in various genres
Focus on the process: pre-writing, drafting, revising/editing, publishing
Brisk, 2017
Genre Overview: SFL and CCSS
Argument (W.1): Persuade |
Exposition (one side of the argument) |
Scientific Argument |
Response to Literature |
Discussion (both sides of the argument) |
Informational (W.2): Give Information | |
Report | Informational (W.2): Give Instructions |
Explanation | Procedure |
Narrative (W.3): Tell Stories |
Personal Recount Procedural Recount |
Autobiography Empathetic Autobiography Biography Historical Recount |
Fictional Narrative |
K2 | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
Storytelling & Writing Basics | What is writing? | Personal Recount |
Procedure | ||
Personal Recount | Personal Recount | Argument |
Procedure | Report | Procedure |
Report | Fictional Narrative | Report |
Explanation | Explanation | |
Fictional Narrative | Personal Recount | Autobiography |
Procedure | Argument | Biography |
Personal Recount | Biography | Report |
Argument | Explanation | Argument |
| Opinion |
| Informational |
| Narrative |
Usability
Text
Text Talk
Writing
Stations
Weekly Question
Vocabulary and Language
Studios
Home Links
Science and Engineering
Opportunities for engaging with text
Text Talk compared to Reading to Learn
What’s similar?
Independent, partner, and small group reading
Studios
Fundations
What’s different?
Additional texts
Mentor texts for writing lessons
Shared reading
Science lessons that include text
Waiting for the Biblioburro
Centers / Studios
- Embedded literacy opportunities through project based learning
- Content specific vocabulary and language practice
- Formative literacy assessment
Close Read Aloud / Text Talks
- Interactive read aloud and close reading of complex text
- Standards aligned objectives
- Scaffolded text-dependent questions
- Close viewing
- Integrated science and social studies
- Text based discussion
- Targeted vocabulary instruction
- Writing about reading
Genre-based Writing Instruction
- Comprehensive writing curriculum, informed by SFL theory
- Standards-aligned objectives
- Direct instruction in genre-specific language systems and functions
- Embedded within science or social studies content, with compelling, real-world purposes
- Teaching and Learning Cycle: deconstruction of mentor text, joint and individual construction
- Conferring and feedback
Guided Independent Reading
- Culturally sustaining classroom libraries
- Genre and content connections through self-selected text
- Research
- Conferring and feedback
Small Group Literacy Instruction
- Data-driven
- Sets purpose for independent reading
- Guided reading
- Guided writing
- Targeted instruction in word study, language and vocabulary, fluency and comprehension
- Flexibility in text choice (decodable, leveled, or complex text)
Literacy Stations
- Vocabulary - Word Work
- Reading - Listening and Speaking
Phonics/Word Study
- Explicit and systematic word study
- Standards aligned, evidence based scope and sequence
- Progress monitoring
- Shared reading of phonics and content aligned text (K2, 1st)
A Comprehensive Literacy Framework, K2 - 2 Focus Curriculum
Next steps and responsibilities
You:
Share resources and slides/ webinar.
Talk things over with your team.
Complete Intent to Implement form (school leaders).
Watch for PD announcements and plan to attend.
Us:
Communicate.
Curriculum units will be published online first, as they are ready. All teachers will receive printed copies (save your binders!).
New books and materials needed to teach the revised curriculum will be provided by the EC department; consumable materials are the ongoing responsibility of schools.
Reflections and feedback
What are you most excited about from what you’ve learned today?
What are you nervous about from what you’ve learned today?
What would you like us to consider as we move forward with revisions?
What questions do you still have?
Please send your Feedback form to Melissa Tonachel:
mtonachel@bostonpublicschools.org
We will consider all of your ideas and experiences as we revise the curriculum this spring.
Thank you!