Adopting a new literacy curriculum can be daunting. Especially if your school is used to using a completely different method of teaching. If you are currently preparing to implement Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ in your school or district, read on to discover two tools to help you in your journey.
Preparing
At this stage, your school is probably considering or has committed to implementing Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™. It is important at this stage in the journey to think about your vision for your school and your values as a teacher.
"What we teach, we value; and what we value, we teach." – Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
Turning a vision into action requires a carefully laid out plan. We have created an Interactive Action Plan to help you and your colleagues think together and prepare a plan to implement FPC. The 4 steps in this interactive plan are designed to put you, your students, and your school on the path to literacy success.
- Define your vision and values. Defining your values establishes a foundation on which to build your instructional goals and a plan. Envision the ideal design for literacy instruction in your classroom. What are your values and vision for the literacy lives of the students you teach?
- Set your goals. Turning a vision into action requires the process of design that works in a coherent way. Let your core values form the backbone of your decisions, and lead you to set instructional goals that reinforce these values.
- Get to know your Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™. FPC is a transformative, first-of-its kind literacy system. Use this section to get to know the system and to plan how FPC can help you meet the literacy goals you have for your students.
- Plan your literacy time. Time for literacy is critical, but finding time to fit it all in can be a challenge. Thoughtful and intentional planning is needed to ensure efficient, engaging, and effective literacy opportunities in your classroom.
Implementing
By this point, you have purchased Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™. Maybe you have already received your boxes and are overwhelmed by the sheer number of materials. Use the printable Interactive Implementation Plan as you unpack, organize, and begin to implement FPC. The 3 steps in this interactive plan are designed to put you, your students, and your school on the path to literacy success.
- Unpack your system. Thoughtful and intentional unpacking will help you prepare for efficient organization and implementation.
- Organize your classroom. The classroom is a place of joy, activity, and continuous inquiry. As you plan the layout of your classroom, consider how to incorporate three types of learning spaces: an area for whole-group instruction and gatherings; an area for small-group instruction and discussions; and areas for students to work independently.
- Implement your Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™. As you organize your classroom and prepare to teach with FPC, consider how your space, materials, literacy time and planning work together to enhance learning across the day, and what professional learning will elevate your expertise.
Use these two guides during your Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ journey to smoothly and successfully implement your new literacy system.
~The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Team
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