Morgan Frye, M.Ed.

Master of Science in Education


Long-Term Planning for Wit & Wisdom and Fundations



Table of Contents



Introduction
Long-Term Planning: Wit & Wisdom
Long-Term Planning: Fundations
Pacing Guides
Utilizing Student Data
Conclusion




Introduction





Why long-term planning?



At the beginning of the year, the grade level teams met and discussed how we would ensure that students would master all of the content and standards that were needed throughout the year. In doing so, we took the approach of backwards planning, which allowed for us to determine where we wanted/needed to students to be by the end of the school year, and plan benchmarks according to the end of the year standards. The two main curriculums that we decided to use backwards planning for in literacy are Wit & Wisdom (for comprehension and writing) and Fundations (phonological and phonemic awareness).



Above is the K-2 Literacy Master Planning Grid at Ingenuity Prep for the 2019-2020 school year. This planning grid shows all plans for every literacy teacher in the K-2 academy, and allows for collaboration amongst teachers to occur with the sharing of plans.




Long-Term Planning: Wit & Wisdom





How did we plan long-term for Wit & Wisdom?



For Wit & Wisdom, the first step in long-term planning was ensuring that we, the teachers, knew the curriculum. This is the first year that Ingenuity Prep has used Wit & Wisdom, and the grade level teams (as well as literacy teachers from the entire K-2 academy) were all introduced to this new curriculum this year. The curriculum is broken down into five different modules: the first module is an introduction to the program, and the following four modules are all thirty to thirty-two day lessons that follow a particular "essential question" and theme. To ensure that we would make it through all modules and master the standards that were being assessed in each one, we started with the end-of-year standards and worked backwards using each of the modules as a reference. Roughly, there would be one module per quarter. Assessments for each module were planning for specific days, and a calendar for planning dates long-term was addressed and put into our master literacy planning grid.



Above are the Major Assessments listed for Module 2 in the teacher manual for Wit & Wisdom. These assessments are mapped out long term, and by looking at the planning grid, we are able to stay on track with our planning and map out when the assessments will be administered.



Above is the Module Map that shows the lessons and the different content framing questions, texts, and learning goals for each lesson. This map is useful in planning out the days and giving teachers an idea of what texts and materials they will need for those days ahead of time.



Above are the standards listed out for Module 2. Each module covers a different set of standards and each standard is outlined here. These are the standards that are assessed on the Major Assessments outline.



Above is a closeup of the dates and the Wit & Wisdom lessons that are shown in our master planning grid. The format of our planning grid allows for our administrators to see which lesson we are working on and for us to pull up our lessons plans quickly and efficiently.




Long-Term Planning: Fundations





How did we plan long-term for Fundations?



When long-term planning for Fundations, I found that the best thing was again planning backwards to ensure that all standards were to be mastered by the end of the year. Per request of our administration, the lessons are taught with complete fidelity, and only one lesson is taught every day. The lessons are broken down by weeks and days, with little room for reteaching if students did not master a certain skill. Assessments scheduled at the beginning of the year as benchmark guides to ensure that students are meeting the expectations.



Above is the Fundations long-term planning guide listed out in the Fundations teacher manual. The units are planned out in weeks that allow for teachers to fit the weeks into the school schedule.



Above is the Fundations section of our planning grid that shows the different lessons and activities that are set for that particular lesson. After the first few weeks, Fundations lessons are only put into the grid with the activities.



Pacing Guide: Wit & Wisdom





Each one of the modules has between thirty and thirty-two lessons, and each lesson is one day instruction. Our administration requested that we follow Wit & Wisdom lesson plans with full fidelity, and the pacing of these lessons ensures that all standards are taught and covered, with time for reteaching and reassessing when needed. There are days built into the pacing guide (mastery grid) and lesson plan document for when there are professional developments and/or emergency closings (snow days, etc.) which can affect the overall long-term plan. To ensure that we stay on pace, we use the K-2 Literacy Master Planning Grid (see introduction).



Pacing Guide: Fundations





The pacing guide that we use for Fundations is included below. Each of the lesson plans has been mapped to ensure that we stay on this pace throughout the year to ensure that students are meeting the standards and benchmarks throughout the year. There is time for reteaching in small group settings when assessments show that students have not mastered the standard at the original standard pace.



Above is the Fundations pacing guide that we use to ensure that students are on pace for the year with their letter learning and review. Ensuring that we stay on pace for the year is pivotal in our instruction, as we cannot begin the second semester without knowing all letters in the alphabet.




Utilizing Student Data





How does student data fit into long-term planning?



The assessments scheduled for both Wit & Wisdom and Fundations in the long-term plans are one part of the process of ensuring that students are mastering the standards that are taught for that module or week. As the classroom literacy teacher, it is also important that I am continuing to gather data on students daily with formative assessment in order to ensure that students are mastering the content that was taught that day. If there are any reasons that there should be a lesson for reteaching, that would affect the long-term plan and the plan would need to be adjusted as such. Overall, the long-term plans for both Wit & Wisdom and Fundations require the teacher to stay on pace but provide the ability to pull students for reteaching during small group instruction.



Above is our planning grid, but on Friday 9/27 and Monday 9/30, the same lesson was taught to students. Exit ticket data showed that students did not comprehend the lesson on 9/27, which was taught quickly due to BAS testing, and the lesson was retaught. The entire planning grid shifted down to change the ending date for Wit & Wisdom due to this change.



Above is the Wit & Wisdom section of the grid with changes in the pace of the lessons. There were several days when extenuating circumstances did not allow for Wit & Wisdom to be taught, which caused the grid to shift. Student data from other areas of content, including phonics and math, overtook Wit & Wisdom, as well as parent conferences, and changed the grid to accommodate students.




Conclusion





How does long-term planning help overall?



Long-term planning allows for teachers to have a guidebook to see where we are going, where we've been, and where we need to return to. The long-term plan and pacing guides ensure that all students are meeting the standards and concepts that are needed by the end of the year, and backwards planning aid long-term planning by working backwards to map out where standards need to be taught and by when. Long-term planning is one of the most important tools that a teacher can use in successful instruction.