West Orange Public Schools

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the District’s approach to teaching English Language Arts Instruction?

• The West Orange Public Schools implements a balanced literacy approach to ELA instruction that fully incorporates a multi-sensory, systematic approach to phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, alongside a wide range of differentiated supports, to include: double dosing of phonics, and word study, small group instruction, and strategy groups. 

• Students engage in shared learning experiences, such as: interactive read alouds, shared reading, and shared / interactive writing.

• Instructional materials include, but are not limited to: decodable texts, leveled texts, mentor texts, classroom libraries, book rooms, magnetic letter and tile boards, reading response notebooks, reading strategy books, writing strategy books, student notebooks in reading and writing.  

• To further support student learning, multi-tiered systems of support are provided through intervention blocks, academic intervention services, intensive reading intervention through certified specialists trained in Wilson’s Intensive Reading Program, Just Words, IMSE Morphology, and high intensity English instruction for English Language Learners. 

• Together, these approaches and experiences are designed to address the NJ Student Learning Standards apace with the National Reading Panel’s five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

What is the K-5 ELA Curriculum currently composed of?

• West Orange has a comprehensive ELA curriculum developed in the district by K-5 teachers that addresses both READING and WRITING in direct alignment to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. Key components of the district’s curriculum include, but are not limited to:

  • Phonemic Awareness (K-1) and Phonics Skills (K-2). To develop the early literacy skills of phonemic awareness and phonics skills, the district uses the Fundations program in grades K-2. Fundations is a multisensory structured literacy program that uses an explicit and systematic approach to teaching reading.

  • Word Study (3-5). To provide students with opportunities to investigate and understand patterns in words, decode and encode multi-syllabic words, and build vocabulary.

  • Fluency.  To strengthen student comprehension skills in order to develop a student’s ability to read with accuracy, speed, and proper expression.

  • Comprehension. To develop a student’s ability to read the text, process it and understand its meaning.

  • Grammar. Grammar is embedded into writing units in order to help learners acquire grammar skills they would not have learned on their own. Its purpose is to provide an understanding of the structures required for speaking and writing, to help student’s gain proper fluency in their understanding of language and to provide clarity around why structures of language exist.

Does the ELA curriculum include Lucy Calkins Units of Study?

• Units of Study were implemented as a resource to support the ELA curriculum starting in 2019. Given the current research around the units of study, these will be phased out this year.

Is West Orange a “Teachers College District?

• No.  West Orange is not a “Teachers College district” as some in NJ are/ have been.  

Professional Development and Specialized Training

• Several special education teachers across the district are certified and trained in Orton Gillingham.

• In 2022-2023, all intervention specialists (Reading Specialists and Academic Support Teachers) were trained in Orton Gillingham’s Morphology Comprehensive 30 hour course. This will provide direct support to our students via Tier II and Tier III intervention strategies. Additionally reading specialists are equipped to provide classroom teachers with coaching of these strategies to support Tier I instruction.  This is differentiated instruction that can be utilized during small group work and during the intervention block. Furthermore, our reading specialists received the Wilson Reading certification in May. 

Literacy Academy

• The purpose of the Literacy Academy is to provide professional learning experiences based on teacher interest and areas of expertise held and facilitated by our teachers.  Literacy Academy will focus on areas of literacy and English language arts instruction. Teachers will share best practices and/or strategies targeted to different grade bands, such as writing strong thesis statements, facilitating book clubs, etc. The Literacy Academy is offered after school and is voluntary.

ELA Committee Work

• Since February 2023, an ELA Committee has been established to review the K-5 ELA program. The committee looked at curriculum, the instructional framework, and resources being used in our ELA program.  The committee identified specific areas of focus: phonemic awareness and grammar application in writing. This year the committee will be evaluating different reading programs and resources to further address these areas and to provide additional instructional resources.