Language Materials
The biome curriculum evolved out of my 6-9 classroom. I knew that this seed was successful by the way it flourished in their language expression. A research about an animal of a particular biome and continent was a daily project they chose with enthusiasm. There was a need to find reading material for emerging readers so that they could experience the thrill of reading independently for relevant information. To have readers, there needed to be a consistent sequence for introducing phonetic elements that make up the code that is the English language. The readers could, then, follow that sequence of introduction so that children would only encounter words they could decode. So, the Waseca Reading Program was created to provide that structure. The biome readers follow the structure and are organized by continent with a reader for each level. Children learning to break the code were empowered to advance to higher levels in reading and simultaneously learned to incorporate those phonetic elements in their writing so that their spelling began to resemble more closely what they read in print. It was a process that was dynamic and motivated from within the child. It was an amazing thing to observe and the results were even more impressive. Children leaving the 6-9 classroom were reading and writing on a higher level than I had ever seen. This phenomenon emerged out of a strong motivation to communicate and investigate through written language. The Biome curriculum provides that motive. The readers and the reading program are tools to be used in the process.
Sharon Duncan
Waseca Reading Program »
This reading program was designed to provide a systematic and sequential presentation of the phonetic elements used in the English language. It follows an approach used widely in Montessori classroom in which the children spell the word depicted on the card with a moveable alphabet, a process that involves encoding or using the phonetic principle introduced to make a word. In the next step the child lays out all of the cards and matches the label cards, thereby decoding the phonetic information. Additional practice in decoding involves writing the words and reading words that follow the same phonetic principle in a booklet.
The Waseca Reading Program consists of card material that uses photo images to illustrate each word and large print that highlights the phonetic element used in the word. The frame around the picture and the highlighting are color-coded for nine different boxes. The boxes cover the following categories:
Red- basic three letter phonetic words isolating each short vowel soundOrange- blends grouped with common letters to make beginning blends, then ending blends, then both.
Yellow- consonant digraphs like sh, ch, th, tch
Green- endings with –ng and –nk
Aqua- silent e rule as applied to each vowel
Blue- different phonograms used to make each long vowel sounds
Purple- various dipthongs such as r-controlled, oy, ow, aw
Pink- silent letters
Gold- less common rules such as soft consonants
The sequence of introduction is consistent with that of the Orton-Gillingham Method in its application for children with dyslexia. The seventh drawer is usually a review of the first six drawers.
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Language Works Waseca version »
Biome Readers »
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Grammar Materials »
Cursive Writing »
These boards associate cursive letters with a stroke family. An outline of the letters etched onto the board allows the child to write the letter inside of the outline. A control of error is built in as they feel the chalk or marker when it hits the etched outline. Set includes stories to teach each stroke family to help the child remember the point of interest involved. A choice of white marker board or chalk board is given. Also includes masters for paper practice.
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