Middle School ELA
Literacy Vision
Wicomico County Public School’s literacy instruction is relevant, purposeful, and explicitly taught with high expectations for all students. Each student is provided the opportunity to develop foundational skills, build knowledge and vocabulary through interacting with complex texts, and engage in evidence-based writing to become lifelong readers, writers, and communicators.
Grades 6-8 English Language Arts
Students will continue to develop literacy skills through the integration of reading, writing, listening, speaking, language, and vocabulary. Instruction is aligned with Maryland’s College and Career Ready Standards. Each quarter, students will read literary (novels, short stories, poetry, etc.) and informational texts (articles, autobiographies, websites, etc.) and write argumentative, informative, and narrative pieces. Program implementation involves direct, explicit instruction of reading and writing strategies and skills.
Course Names for Grades 6-8: Core ELA, Core Extended, Core Advanced
Text: StudySync
Units of Study: Each unit is centered around an Essential Question(s).
Resource Links
iReady: Local assessment information for students and families
JSTOR: An online database of full-text scholarly journals. This database can be used for researching topics.
Writing Commons: An Annotated List of Useful Library Databases
Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing resources to assist with writing projects.
Oratorical Contests
Description: Since its start in 1928, the Oratorical contest has become the longest-running program sponsored by Optimist International. The contest is designated for youth to gain experience in public speaking and provide them with the opportunity to compete for a college scholarship.
Eligibility Requirements: Students in grades 6-12
Important Dates: The speech process begins in mid-February and applications are due Mid-March. The preliminary club finals and district zone contests are held in April.
Awards: Medallions and plaques. Scholarships for district winners.
Poetry Out Loud
Description: This contest encourages high school students to memorize and perform great poems. It helps students master public speaking, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
Eligibility Requirements: Students in grades 9-12
Important Dates: Participating schools register by October 1 and hold school based competitions prior to the county competitions in January and the regional competition in February.
Secondary Intervention
In Wicomico County, middle school students who require additional assistance in reading are supported to meet their literacy needs. Through local assessments, students requiring specific and focused intervention are identified. Additional screeners are given to narrow the focus and target their specific area of needs. The goal is to address our students’ needs through systematic instruction using researched-based strategies, programs, and methods, so students will grow in the area of literacy and meet grade level standards.
We are currently using two research-proven intervention programs for Middle School and High School. The programs are Read 180 and Achieve 3000.
Additional Intervention Supports
Notice and Note Strategies: Teaches students 6 “signposts” that alert readers to significant moments in a work of literature and encourages them to read closely. This helps create attentive readers who look closely at a text, interpret it responsibly and rigorously, and reflect on what it means to them.
iReady MyPath Lessons and Personalized Instruction: Supports teaching and provides targeted instruction to every student’s strength and area of growth. It also provides real-time data and insights into student learning. Based on Diagnostic performance, students are automatically placed into their personalized lesson paths.
High school students reading far below grade level will have access to MyPath lessons as an intervention to address their specific area of needs.
Co-teaching Model: A collaborative approach to instruction in which two teachers work together to plan and then implement instruction for a class that includes students with disabilities.
Supporting Resources
Supporting Students with Reading Difficulties
Checklist of Early Warning SIgns of Reading Difficulty and Dyslexia by Age
