Teacher Guide Summary:

The Writing Road to Reading Teacher Guide is divided into four sections that parallel the typical actions of classroom teachers.

1. Planning an Integrated Language Arts Lesson – explains what to teach by setting forth instructional objective of two types. A lesson objective is what a student should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. A grade-level objective is what students should know or be able to do by the end of the year. Spalding lesson objectives are pacing guides to ensure the grade-level objectives are met.

Spelling, writing, and reading objectives are provided for each Academic Day. Each student objective includes the content to be learned (e.g., phonics, verbs, elements of literature) and the student behavior (e.g., explain, compose, identify) that determines whether the student has mastered the content or can perform the skill.

After each objective there is a code (e.g., M/CK/C) that reminds you to always model new objectives, ask basic and higher-level questions that check for understanding, then coach as students attempt the task.

Your day will be composed of three integrated, mutually reinforcing lessons: spelling, writing, and reading.

• Spelling Objectives teach and reinforce student’s knowledge of phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, and vocabulary, reading words for spelling (by sounds/syllable) and reading (fluency), syllabication, and spelling rules.
• Writing Objectives teach meaning and usage of vocabulary, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, affixes, sentence construction, and composition.
• Reading Objectives develop fluent and expressive reading and teach comprehension strategies. These are integrated with literary appreciation and elements of three basic types of writing.

2. Delivering and Integrated Language Arts Lesson explains how to teach the content. Delivering defines explicit, interactive, and diagnostic instruction and describes teacher-student interaction required when teaching any new skill. The Spalding Resource Center contains videos on how to model each skill or concepts

3. Assessing Skills explains hoe to test all student s and provides directions and forms for assessing spelling, writing, and reading to monitor students’ progress daily, weekly, and monthly.


4. Evaluating Skills Mastery explains how to use the information from spelling, writing, and reading assessments to differentiate instructions. Strategies, procedures, and tips enable you to challenge the student who learns easily and help the student who has difficulty.

The Writing Road to Reading Teacher guide is used by teachers to Implement the Spalding Method.