Overview
FCPS elementary students are provided rich experiences in literature and composition to expand language experiences. They also develop the oral and written language skills to become lifelong learners, with instruction that includes spelling, word study, grammar and usage.
Literacy Vision
To ensure that ALL students are able to read and write, FCPS will provide evidence-based, developmentally-appropriate, comprehensive literacy instruction. In our commitment to eliminate disparities in student outcomes, we will apply research to practice so all students access content, experience social-emotional well-being, and achieve academic success through proficient reading and writing.
Reading and Writing
Students receive:
- Explicit phonics instruction to sound out decodable words.
- Word recognition to read words that occur often in text and develop sight vocabulary
- Reading fluency, meaning the ability to read words smoothly and readily comprehend their meaning
- Vocabulary skills, including use of dictionaries, thesauruses and glossaries to assist with understanding unfamiliar words
- Comprehension skills and strategies to help students to make meaning of what they hear and read.
The highest level of language development, writing requires children to communicate ideas effectively by combining their listening, speaking and reading skills.
Our literacy instruction in elementary ELA focuses on:
Reading
- Phonemic Awareness: Helping students recognize and manipulate the sounds in words.
- Phonics: Teaching the relationship between letters and sounds to decode words.
- Vocabulary: Expand students’ word knowledge to support understanding.
- Fluency: Develop the ability to read smoothing and accurately with expression.
- Comprehension: Developing the skills to understand, think critically about, and enjoy what they read.
Writing
- Develop handwriting and spelling skills
- Learn and apply the stages of writing
- Use grammar and sentence structure to clearly communicate thoughts
- Build vocabulary and writing fluency to express themselves with confidence and creativity.
Essential Curriculum