# ELA Teaching Quick-Reference Guide for Homeschool Parents (K-5)
## Condensed Summary of Key Findings and Recommendations

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## THE BOTTOM LINE: What Research Says Works Best

### Core Principle: Explicit, Systematic, Cumulative Instruction
The strongest evidence supports **Structured Literacy** - explicit instruction taught in a planned sequence, building from simple to complex, with continuous review and ongoing assessment.

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## QUICK ACTION ITEMS BY DOMAIN

### 1. PHONICS (Already Completed - 32 Weeks)
**What to do now:**
- Maintain skills through daily decodable reading
- Advance to grade-appropriate patterns (vowel teams, r-controlled, multisyllabic)
- Practice orthographic mapping (spelling-sound-meaning connections)
- Use dictation to connect reading and spelling
- Do word sorts by pattern 2-3x/week

### 2. FLUENCY (Build This Daily)
**What to do now:**
- 15-20 min daily oral reading aloud with feedback
- Repeated reading of short passages 2-3x/week
- Audiobook read-along (child reads while listening)
- Reader's theater scripts with roles
- Monitor Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) - 2nd grade target: 77-116 WCPM
- Practice poetry recitation for prosody

### 3. VOCABULARY (Critical for Comprehension)
**What to do now:**
- Teach 5 Tier 2 academic words per week (deep engagement, not just definitions)
- Discuss 2-3 new words during every read-aloud
- Create word maps/journals
- Explore prefixes: un-, re-, dis-, in-
- Play vocabulary games (Pictionary, word sorts, charades)

### 4. COMPREHENSION (Build Through Read-Alouds)
**What to do now:**
- Daily read-alouds (20-30 min) with rich, above-level texts
- Model think-alouds every day
- Teach Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then summarizing
- Use QAR questioning (Right There, Think/Search, Author/You, On My Own)
- Practice connections: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world
- Use graphic organizers: story maps, sequence chains

### 5. WRITING (Build from Grammar Foundation)
**What to do now:**
- Daily journaling or short composition (3-5+ sentences)
- Weekly genre rotation (narrative, informational, opinion)
- Sentence combining exercises 2-3x/week (compound sentences with FANBOYS)
- Analyze mentor texts from read-alouds
- Continue handwriting practice (begin cursive readiness if not started)

### 6. ORAL LANGUAGE (Foundation for Everything)
**What to do now:**
- Daily conversation routines about books, news, experiences
- Have child retell read-aloud stories orally
- Use academic sentence frames: "I think ___ because ___."
- Listen to podcasts together, then discuss
- Practice short oral presentations on topics of interest

### 7. ASSESSMENT (Track Progress)
**What to do now:**
- **Diagnostic**: DIBELS or AimsWeb at start of year (free/low-cost)
- **Formative**: Weekly oral reading check (WCPM), monthly spelling inventories
- **Benchmark**: Quarterly check-ins, portfolio assessment
- Free tools: DIBELS (dibels.org), ReadTheory.org, CommonLit.org

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## DAILY ELA SCHEDULE SUGGESTION (2nd Grade Homeschool)

| Activity | Time | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| Phonics Review | 10 min | Flashcards, dictation, word sorts |
| Fluency Practice | 15 min | Oral reading aloud, repeated reading |
| Read-Aloud | 25 min | Above-level text with discussion |
| Vocabulary | 10 min | Word study, tier 2 words |
| Comprehension | 15 min | Strategy practice during read-aloud |
| Writing | 25 min | Composition, journaling, editing |
| Independent Reading | 20 min | Self-selected books |
| **Total** | **120 min** | Can be split across the day |

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## TOP 10 RESEARCH-BACKED PRACTICES (By Effect Size)

1. **Writing Strategy Instruction** - ES = 1.05 (Graham et al., 2007)
2. **Formative Assessment** - ES = 0.90 (Hattie, 2009)
3. **Explicit Instruction** - ES = 0.89 (Hattie, 2009)
4. **Comprehension Strategy Instruction** - ES = 0.85 (NRP, 2000)
5. **Phonemic Awareness** - ES = 0.73 (NRP, 2000)
6. **Reciprocal Teaching** - ES = 0.74 (Hattie, 2009)
7. **Repeated Reading** - ES = 0.74 (Samuels and Farstrup, 2001)
8. **Metacognitive Strategies** - ES = 0.60 (Hattie, 2009)
9. **Explicit Vocabulary Instruction** - ES = 0.63-0.70 (Stuckless, 2008)
10. **Systematic Phonics** - ES = 0.41 (NRP, 2000)

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## ESSENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES

- **International Dyslexia Association** - interdyslexia.org (structured literacy standards)
- **Learning First Alliance** - learningfirst.org (science of reading advocacy)
- **Every Student Read** - everystudentread.org
- **What Works Clearinghouse (IES)** - whatworks.ed.gov (evidence-based programs)
- **Education Endowment Foundation** - educationendowment.org
- **DIBELS** - dibels.org (free assessment measures)
- **CommonLit** - commonlit.org (free leveled reading passages)
- **ReadTheory** - readtheory.org (adaptive reading practice)

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## KEY BOOKS FOR PARENTS

1. *Speech to Print* by Louisa Moats (2020) - Essential background on reading science
2. *Overcoming Dyslexia* by Sally Shaywitz (2003) - Neuroscience of reading
3. *Bringing Words to Life* by Beck, McKeown, Kucan (2013) - Vocabulary instruction
4. *Word Work* by Wilson - Practical word study guidance
5. *The Reading Mind* by Daniel Willingham (2014) - Cognitive science of reading
6. *Reading in the Dark* by Hollis Bloodworth (2022) - Science of reading for parents
7. *The Knowledge Gap* by Natalie Wexler (2019) - Importance of background knowledge

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## COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID

1. **Three-cueing (MSV)**: Teaching children to guess words from context/pictures instead of decoding
2. **Embedded phonics only**: Assuming children will "figure out" patterns through exposure
3. **Ignoring fluency**: Moving to comprehension before decoding is automatic
4. **Ignoring vocabulary**: Assuming reading alone builds sufficient vocabulary
5. **Product-only writing**: Focusing only on the final product without process instruction
6. **Isolated grammar drills**: Teaching grammar disconnected from writing
7. **Over-reliance on leveled readers**: Using simplified "leveled" texts instead of rich literature for read-alouds
8. **No assessment**: Flying blind without tracking progress
9. **Ignoring oral language**: Underestimating the role of spoken language in reading development
10. **Neglecting background knowledge**: Failing to build content knowledge that supports comprehension

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*Quick reference compiled from comprehensive research document. See full document for detailed research findings, effect sizes, and complete references.*