ABSTRACT
Structured Teaching in the Areas of Reading and Writing (STAR) focuses on the teaching of "strategies", the generic questions readers ask to help themselves decipher text. The STAR method combines effective instructional techniques with a positive and caring classroom climate. New STAR teachers start off their first year in the program with a week-long orientation to the program and the methods. The orientation gives them the building blocks for their curriculum units by teaching six basic lesson types. The lesson types are: foundation lessons, narrative reading lessons, readership lessons, strategy lessons, skills reinforcement lessons and writing lessons. The basic lessons are incorporated into each curriculum unit, and each curriculum unit has a reading or writing strategy as its objective. Pre-assessment gives teachers important information on students' strengths, experiences, and interests that can be used both to respond to students' needs and to excite them about reading. Parent involvement is considered a vital part of STAR's special focus on "readership".
