Literacy+Commitments

//With information multiplying at such a fast rate, teachers need to apprentice their students in the literacy of their discipline [Academic Literacy] so that students are equipped with the concepts/skills/understandings needed to acquire, interpret, and process new information when they graduate from HISD classrooms.//

//In the Houston Independent School District literacy is defined as the ability to read, write, speak, listen and think effectively. //

Click here for suggested Literacy Commitments activities.
 * Literacy Leads the Way** recommends that all students spend a **minimum of** **20% - 25% of their time** **in __each__ class** engaged in integrated literacy strategies to support their content-specific learning.

Click here for a printable version of the Best Practices:

Click here for the Literacy Commitments Survey:.

=**__READING__**= · modeling strategies for my students to activate or develop ** prior knowledge and making connections ** between previous learning and new information. · giving my students a ** purpose for their reading and note-taking work **. · providing my students the opportunity to read content text at their ** appropriate Lexile level **. · providing my students with ** explicit and direct vocabulary instruction ** in the content-specific academic language necessary for success in my content area. · modeling for my students how to use ** text structure ** (the organization of text including charts, graphs and drawings) to help their comprehension in my content area. =__WRITING__= · modeling a ** process for writing ** in my content that includes planning, drafting and revising with the support of a ** rubric. ** · providing my students with the opportunity to write and revise one ** significant writing assignment ** per grading period that supports content-specific learning. · modeling for my students ** systematic ways to summarize text ** using content-specific academic language. · providing daily opportunities for my students to use ** informal writing ** [journals, interactive notebooks, etc.].
 * Successful students use strategies before, during, and after reading. In order to create better readers, I commit to:**
 * Successful students process information through formal and informal writing. In order to create better writers, I commit to:**

=__SPEAKING/LISTENING__= · providing daily opportunities for my students to engage in formal and informal ** facilitated classroom discussions ** using content-specific academic language. · providing my students with opportunities for ** formal presentations ** at least once each semester.
 * Successful students process information through formal and informal speaking opportunities. In order to create better speakers and listeners, I commit to:**