Elementary Content-area Literacy Development

WordGen for Grades 4 and 5 is comprised of twelve two-week units, with 40-50 minute lessons each day. It expands students’ background knowledge and academic vocabulary, while emphasizing 21st century learning practices such as argumentation, analytic reasoning, perspective taking, reading to find evidence, oral discussion, and writing. 

Content-area literacy activities include:

 

  • Video Newscasts
  • Reader’s Theater
  • Word Study
  • Ask the Expert
  • Journals and Journeys
  • Informational Text
  • Situational Math 
  • Discussion/Debate & Writing 
WordGen Elementary Cover Image

The Basic Facts about WordGen Elementary:

Each unit introduces approximately five or six high-utility academic “focus words” and is designed to offer a variety of texts, word-learning activities, writing tasks, and debate and/or discussion opportunities.

Each unit begins with a video newscast and a “Reader’s Theater” that introduces multiple perspectives on a high-interest topic. Students read, discuss, debate, and write about each topic, using the focus words.
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Science Curriculum for Middle School
Inspired by the original Word Generation program, Science Generation focuses on science topics commonly taught to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. These 18 week-long units provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about basic questions in science. A digital dashboard of teacher resources recently added. 
Social Studies Curriculum for Middle School
Inspired by the original Word Generation program, Social Studies Generation (SoGen) goes in-depth on topics commonly taught to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. These curricular materials provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about basic questions in history, geography, and government.

Development of Word Generation was led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) and Suzanne Donovan (SERP). Major SERP contributors to program development include: Claire White, Alyse Krantz, Halley Wheeless, Matt Ellinger, David Dudley, and Patrick Hurley. Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland collaborated with SERP to develop Word Generation.


Support for Word Generation was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Noyce Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through grant numbers R305A090555 and R305F100026. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.

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