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One thing I know for sure is that a detailed search on Google will give you a number of suggestions about how to structure your Language Block. It makes sense to look at several and find aspects from all of them that work for your particular class. Your Language Block has to work for you!
The thing about mine is that it requires the students to transition quickly and for me to set alarms so that I get it all in. To say that my Language Block is an aerobic activity is an understatement. There is little time for the children to be off-task or get bored. We get lots accomplished quickly and much of my instruction is scaffolded and differentiated to meet the needs of the students as they require it.
I work a Monday to Friday schedule with Language regardless of the cycle that the school is following. This works for me because I get a chance on my weekend planning to assess where we are at with a concept(s) and either choose to stay the course or move to the next step.
My program rests heavily upon my early year and continued assessments. In September (our first month in Ontario), I spend the whole month teaching routines, procedures, and expectations. But, I also complete a whole bunch of assessments that help me gauge where a student is at and what they need. These assessments include an EPPS (or similar) assessment of phonemic and phonological awareness, Words Their Way (TM) spelling assessment, a writing sample, and an F&P(TM) /PM Benchmark(TM) reading level (for fluency and expression). You will likely have mandatory assessments as directed by your District/Board. I put in this variety for my own purposes. The time it takes to complete these assessments is so worthwhile and guides my instruction throughout the year. Then, I repeat those tests twice more at term report card time and do regular check-ins throughout the term to ensure that the student is progressing and flag any concerns or irregularities in a student's learning.
When a first-year teacher or a teacher moving into grades 1, 2, or 3 for the first time asks me what they should do first and what they can prepare over the summer, they are usually thinking about learning Ufli (TM) or Heggerty (TM) or some other resource. They are thinking about their classroom theme and how their classroom will be set up. They are worried about the "if only" students that previous/other teachers have warned them about. I get it! Those choices are way more interesting and fun than what I recommend. But, the first thing that a teacher needs to do is learn the curriculum by heart. Not just the curriculum for the grade they will be teaching but for the grade above and the grade below. A teacher must understand the scope and sequence of particular skills. The curriculum is the standard by which you assess students and knowing the curriculum helps you to plan for the success of your students. Once you know it, you can easily and quickly assess a student on the fly. Are they at grade level? Below grade level? Or soaring above grade level?
How do you do this? Well, I am old school and brain science tells me that the more we actually pen something on paper, the more synapses of our brain are involved in remembering the information. But, I also use my laptop. First, I look through the curriculum and begin grouping concepts together on paper. For example, subjects and predicates go with nouns and verbs, go with sentence writing, and sentence types. Don't just think about grammar or reading or writing in isolation. Language is one whole piece. We find examples in our reading, we understand the organization (grammar) as we view it, and we practice it in our writing. Once I have that together for the grade below, above and the one that I am teaching, I begin creating my Long Range Plans. The grouping makes the teaching more understandable for students and more easily accomplished by teachers. Your Long Range Plan needs to be a working document so that you can refer to it easily and readily throughout each week. Are you on track? Why? Why not? What is your next step? Working on this is a summer's worth of work but make sure you set aside time for relaxation and resting. The year ahead will be busy and you'll need every ounce of energy that you have.
And, this tip is VERY important! Don't plan any curriculum for September! You won't have time to teach it if you spend your time getting to know your students, teaching them expectations and routines until they have mastered them, and assessing them. It might feel fluffy but that one month of preparation will make your next nine months smooth sailing.
So what do you do in October when you know your curriculum and you have assessed your students? Stay tuned!
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