Cornerstone Elementary Design
MindWorks elementary Cornerstone design includes two independent instructor guides for each block. While these guides are labeled as K-1st and 2nd-5th, instructors are encouraged to select the guide that is best suited for the reading abilities of individual groups of students.
K-1 Facilitator Guide
The K-1 facilitator’s guide is designed for students who are considered to be emergent readers. Emergent readers are those who are beginning to learn sound/symbol relationships, know some letters of the alphabet, understand that writing conveys a message, and may recognize some words or letters.
Lessons included in the K-1 facilitator’s guide do not require independent reading and writing and are designed to promote early reading skills and assist in building a strong foundation for language and literacy learning.
2-5 Facilitator Guide
The 2-5 facilitator’s guide is designed for students who exhibit early fluent to fluent reading skills. At the early fluent stage, reading is more automatic, with less time spent on decoding words and more time devoted to comprehension.
Early fluent readers are able to read a greater variety of text and read somewhat independently. Fluent readers are able to read without decoding words. Their energy is devoted to comprehending what they read, and they have a good grasp of comprehension strategies. They are able to read accurately and independently.
Lessons included in the 2-5 facilitator’s guide require independent reading and writing skills and are designed to further encourage the development of reading fluency. For those students who are in the early fluent stage of reading development, modifications have been included in the 2-5 guide to facilitate the development of early fluent readers.