What is the K-2 Literacy Curriculum?

As part of our effort to provide our schools with quality, culturally responsive curriculum, our schools now have access to a Connecticut Core Standards aligned K-2 Literacy Curriculum. Developed in partnership with teachers and principals, the curriculum features an interdisciplinary approach across instructional areas:
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Science – Next Generation Science Standards
  • Social Studies – C3 Standards (College, Career, Civic Life)
The curriculum is designed to meet the developmental needs of early readers using two approaches in particular:
* An in-depth foundational skills component aimed at teaching students concepts of print, letter and sound recognition (phonics), and other basic grammar and conventions, such as punctuation.
* A balanced literacy approach aimed at using foundational skills – putting letters and words together – to access and comprehend texts.
Students are exposed to culturally-relevant literature and texts that increase in complexity throughout the year using a variety of genres, including prose and poetry, and instructional strategies that increase student participation and discussion are at the heart of the curriculum.

How and why was the K-2 Literacy Curriculum developed?

During the 2014-2015 academic year, six (6) Hartford Public schools joined a pilot group to develop the integrated K-2 Literacy Curriculum. This academic year an additional nine (9) schools were added to the implementation cohort. The curriculum writing team, comprised of leaders and teachers from the school and central office levels, began the work by setting a clear vision for our earliest readers:
  • All students will read rich, complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently using the K-2 Literacy Curriculum.
  • All students will be engaged in rigorous literacy instruction through this student-centered, comprehensive and balanced literacy approach.
  • Students will think creatively as they individually and collaboratively build knowledge and analyze concepts, issues, events and themes from diverse perspectives.
The process of writing the K-2 Literacy Curriculum was unique, with teacher leaders within classrooms serving as curriculum writers and developers. These individuals provided ongoing feedback, recommendations and revisions during implementation to ensure that all aspects of the vision statement were visible in K-2 Literacy instruction. As we continue to refine the work as we move forward with implementation.

What does the K-2 Literacy Curriculum look like in the classroom?

Recommended K-2 Balanced Literacy Block

Read Aloud

 15-20 min Teacher The teacher is reading aloud to the whole class from a text from the curriculum’s Read Aloud Texts selections, and the teacher is asking text-dependent questions.
Students Students are listening to the text being read aloud and answering questions posed by the teacher either to the entire group or through student discussion.

Foundational Skill Instruction

 15-20 min Teacher The teacher is delivering instruction around a foundational skill standard in accordance with the curriculum scope and sequence.
Students Students are engaged in the lesson through fluency activities and hands-on strategies to build foundational skills of reading.

Content Literacy: Shared Reading & Writing

 1 hour Teacher The teacher is providing targeted instruction around the reading and writing focus in order to give every child access to grade level complex text.
Students Students are accessing grade level complex text through close reading strategies with a clear focus on reading comprehension.  Students are responding to text through an authentic writing task.

Small Group Instruction/Stations

 1 hour Teacher The teacher is providing small group instruction based on text at students’ instructional levels.
Students Students are reading, practicing fluency, and focusing on comprehension.

Flexible Use of Time

 30 min Additional Foundational Skills block, Vocabulary, Intervention Groups, Small Group, Independent Reading.

Is my school involved?

2014-2015 Pilot Schools

2015-2016 Schools
Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School
Early Reading Lab at Betances School
Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan
Milner School
Parkville Community School
Sanchez School
Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School
Asian Studies Academy
Breakthrough Magnet School (South)
Clark School
Early Reading Lab at Betances School
Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker
Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan
Kennelly School
Martin Luther King, Jr. School
Milner School
Rawson School
Parkville Community School
R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts
Sanchez School
West Middle School

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