MJUSD
DIVISION 6000
INSTRUCTION
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS INSTRUCTION
The Governing Board recognizes that reading and other language arts constitute the basic foundation for learning in other disciplines. Students should develop an appreciation for literature and for reading as a means to acquire knowledge. They also should develop oral and written language skills that enable them to effectively communicate with others.
The Board desires to offer a comprehensive, balanced reading/language arts program that ensures that all students have the skills necessary to read fluently and for meaning. The program shall integrate reading, writing, speaking and listening activities in order to build strong communication skills.
For each grade level, the Board shall adopt academic standards in reading, speaking and writing, including spelling and grammar.
Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate the needs of beginning readers and the varying abilities of more advanced readers. The Superintendent or designee shall provide professional development opportunities to ensure that teachers are knowledgeable about how students develop language skills, are able to analyze students' developing literacy and are able to draw from a variety of instructional strategies and materials.
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the District's reading/language arts program offers sufficient access to reading materials of varying levels of difficulty, including fiction and nonfiction works, so that students are continually reading at an appropriate level. In addition, technology should be available to support all areas of literacy.
Grades K-3
The goal of the District's early literacy program shall be to ensure that students are able to read fluently and at grade level by the end of third grade. To reach this goal, the Superintendent or designee shall design a balanced and comprehensive reading/language arts program with the following components:
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explicit skill development for beginning readers that includes phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding skills, and sufficient practice and repetition of these skills;
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a strong literature, language and comprehension program that includes a balance of oral and written language;
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ongoing diagnosis of individual students' skills; and
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an early intervention program that provides assistance to children at risk of reading failure.
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that certificated staff have opportunities to participate in professional development activities designed to increase their knowledge and skills in effective reading/language arts teaching practices.
Grades 4-12
The Board recognizes that reading/language arts instruction is an integral component of the curriculum at all grade levels. Continuous progress in fluency and comprehension shall be the goal of reading/ language arts instruction in grades 4-12.
The program in these grades shall promote reading for subject matter comprehension, developing understanding of progressively more advanced reading material, analyzing and discussing a variety of reading materials, increasing the frequency of reading, developing more complex writing skills with attention to composition and vocabulary, and developing other communication skills.
When students in these grades do not have fully developed reading/language arts skills, resources shall be made available to assist them in reaching a level sufficient to meet the demands of grade-level material. Staff at all grade levels and in every subject shall take responsibility for supporting and expanding students' literacy skills.
Supplementary Reading Instruction
To assist those students who are experiencing difficulty learning to read and to increase the reading skills and reading enjoyment of all students, the Board may offer students increased instructional opportunities outside the regular school session.
Legal Reference:
Education Code
42239.1 Funding for intensive reading programs in grades K-4
44277 Professional growth requirements; professional development in reading
44755-44759.7 Teacher reading instruction development program
44830 Employment of certificated persons
44831 Certification qualifications
51210 Areas of study, grades 1 through 6
51220 Areas of study, grades 7 through 12
53000-53006 Comprehensive reading leadership program
53025-53031 Intensive reading program for grades K-4
53050-53057 Governor's reading award program
53075 Public involvement reading campaign
60200.4 Fundamental skills
60350-60352 Core reading program instructional materials
99220-99221 California Reading Professional Development Institutes
Code of Regulations, Title 5
9535 Purchase of nonadopted core reading program instructional materials
First Reading: 10/13/04
Governing Board Adoption: 11/10/04