Instructional InquiryTown: Honeoye, NY

School District: Honeoye Central

By: Amber VanCassele

Community & Demographics

• Rural• Small town

• Honeoye Lake- small, but part of the finger lakes, many seasonal cottagers• Population as of 2010 was 3,361• The median income as of 2000, for a household in the town was $50,536,

and the median income for a family was $54,306. Males had a median income of $36,114 versus $26,461 for females.

• The per capita income as of 2000, for the town was $20,808. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Honeoye Central• In the 2010-2011 school year:– there were 746 students enrolled k-12– 114 students were eligible for a free lunch and 71

were eligible for a reduced-price lunch– 99% of students were white, and 1% of students

were other (African American, Asian or Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic or Latino)

Honeoye Central School’s Mission Statement

• Honeoye Central School will be an innovative leader in education, where we inspire our students to achieve individual success through a rigorous and challenging academic environment. Academic excellence and positive youth development will be enriched by including the latest technology and engaging in creative problem solving. The mental, social, physical, academic, creative and ethical needs of the students will be met through collaboration of the school and community members. A sense of unity, heartfelt pride and a vivid spirit will distinguish Honeoye students.

4th Grade Classroom

• Nancy Green- Classroom Teacher• Certified in Childhood and Special Education• This is her 17th year teaching at Honeoye• She has taught fourth and fifth grade• Literacy Instruction Methods:

– Daily 5 centers (read to self, read to someone, word work, work on writing, listening station)

– Guided Reading Groups– Read Alouds

– Shared Reading Opportunities (usually with poems)

Daily Schedule4th Grade Schedule• 9:15-9:40 Morning Work/Class Meeting• 9:42-10:53 Daily 5• 10:55-11:25 Specials• 11:27-11:32 Snack • 11:33-12:00 Spelling/Grammar/Poems• 12:02-12:32 Lunch• 12:34-12:55 Read Aloud/Housekeeping• 12:56-1:15 Recess• 1:16-2:00 Math• 2:02-2:40 Writing Centers• 2:42-3:15 Science/Social Studies• 3:17 Pick up• 3:30 Dismissal

Literacy Assessments

• Reading Assessments include– AIMS Web: Recently piloted in this school– Dibels– Fluency Passages– Accelerated Reading Tests– Benchmark Assessments– NY State Tests– Teacher Created Assessments– Conferencing– Teacher Observations* Daily 5 and Café have been recently added to her ELA curriculum

Literacy Instruction Methods and Materials

• Combination of instructional strategies and methods– Guided Reading (based on reading levels and needs of students)– Small groups– Read aloud daily to students– Shared Reading Experiences– Poems and Choral Reading used for fluency and expression– Daily 5 used to reinforce independent reading and writing stamina– Friday Letter home to parents, students inform parents what they

did that week. Parents are encouraged to write back to their child.– Monthly Newsletter done by teacher, students can write up

something to submit to the newsletter regarding what they have been doing in the classroom or in regards to school.

How is your instructional time spent?

• Whole group instruction is done through mini-lessons based on picture books or in shared reading

• Small groups are used for literature circles and strategy groups

• Students frequently read with a partner• Independent work is done during Daily 5 and during

independent practice

What texts are used in the classroom?

• Nonfiction and fiction novels• Basals, leveled readers, newspapers, scholastic literature

magazines, picture books and student created books• Does a lot with Scholastic News (non-fiction)-

incorporating activities, cross curricular• Frequently refers to the Daily 5 and The Café Book as

references• Also refers to: Reading to, With and By Children by

Margaret Mooney and The Reading Zone by Nancy Atwell

What is a balanced literacy program?

Nancy Green believes that:• It promotes value, and enjoyment in reading

and writing. Children should be exposed to various genres.

• Both reading and writing should be modeled for students in various group settings as well as individually.

Does your room and teaching style reflect that of a balanced literacy program?

• “ I provide students various opportunities and real-life experiences with reading and writing.”

• “Students read and write daily for a variety of different purposes and settings.”

• “I’m making an effort this year to do more modeling with writing in front of my students.”

Home-To-School Literacy Connection• Public Library- reaches out to students throughout the

school year, as well as during the summer• Book store in town• Honeoye Central School Website• Teacher generated websites• Menus (three restaurants, two pizza places)• Grocery Store, Dollar General, CVS, Doctors Office, Bait Shop

(fishing), Post Office, Canandaigua National Bank, Auto Parts store, Park & Nature Trail, Marina (Boating)

• Road Signs• Marquee Board

Main Street, Grocery Stores, Public Library

Literacy in the community?-Marquee Board: Keeps the community up to date on school

events, sporting events, students of the month (business classes and foreign languages) and various school information

- The Naples Record and the Honeoye Herald keeps the community up to date on community events as well as school

events

Interview• Maggie White, female, lives by herself on Honeoye Lake.

• She expressed how much she liked the new marquee board that was added to the school about five years ago. It keeps her informed on what is going on at the school, and in the community since all of her children, and grand children are out of high school. She said that she isn’t involved as much with the school anymore since her children, and grandchildren have graduated high school.

• She mentioned that on Saturdays at the town recycle facility and at the local grocery store there are always flyers being handed out from students and parents about school and/or community events.

Extending the Role of a Balanced Literacy Program

• Giving students more of an option to work with the Café menu. Referring to The Café Book more, and implementing their ideas in the classroom during instructional time.

• Showing the menu, and allowing the students to manipulate it like we saw in the videos on the sister’s Café website.

• Access to more SMARTboards (not every class has one in this district)

• The students seem to know their routine for the Daily 5, and it seems to be run and managed effectively by the classroom teacher.