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**WELCOME to the LITERACY LINKS for PARENTS Wiki Space**

 * **The purpose of this Wiki Space is to provide parents with information regarding the elementary literacy program provided in the Hempfield School District.**


 * **This site also provides useful information for parents and families to use at home with your children as you encourage them to develop life long reading and writing habits.**

**READING and WRITING WORKSHOP**

 * The Hempfield Elementary Reading and Writing Curriculum is based on the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards (Common Core Standards) and a Balanced or Comprehensive Literacy Model. A Balanced Literacy Model includes Word Work (Phonics, Phonemic Awareness), Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Writing. Teachers implement literacy instruction through a workshop model.**


 * What is Readers' and Writers' Workhshop?**
 * a researched base approach to instruction that is differentiated allowing teachers to meet the needs of all learners
 * workshop begins with a focus lesson where the teacher models or demonstrates a specific skill or strategy
 * strategies for comprehension include Self-Monitoring, Making Meaningful Connections, Summarizing and Inferring
 * students are then given a chance to "try it out" with the guidance of the teacher before working independently
 * during independent reading students are able to read "just right books" that match their interests, ability and readiness
 * the teacher further meets the needs of his/her students by conferring with individual students and meeting with small flexible groups to reinforce, reteach or extend the learning
 * assessment is used to inform instruction and to differentiate for all learners
 * word work, vocabulary instruction are integrated into the balanced literacy program
 * during writing workshop students have the opportunity to uses mentor texts and other exemplars as they learn to write various genres (narrative, persuasive, memoir, poetry and informational texts) and for a variety of purposes (to entertain, to persuade, to inform, describe or explain).

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