At Junaluska students grow as readers by participating in a balanced reading program. A balanced reading program consists of interactive read-aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, interactive writing, writer’s workshop, spelling, and phonics.
Our students are encouraged to value independent reading both at school and at home. Each day they are given time to read independently and nightly homework includes a required amount of independent reading. We celebrate students’ independent reading achievements!
Each day students read with teachers at their instructional reading level. Lessons are designed by the teacher to assist students in develoIMG_1770ping a deeper understanding of text. This is called a Guided Reading lesson. Students will meet with the teacher and read in a small group setting.
Many classrooms offer a Readers Workshop time based on Lucy Calkins, Units of Study for Teaching Reading. This reading instruction offers a mini lesson to address the development of reading skills, a whole group practice, small skill group reading, partner reading, independent reading, and conferring with the teacher.

We use The Comprehension Toolkit by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis as a framework for teaching comprehension strategies to students in all grade levels. Students learn strategies for monitoring comprehension, making connections, questioning, inferring, determining importance, summarizing, and synthesizing information from text.

TeachersDSCN1137 offer interactive read-aloud each day where they read aloud picture books and use the text to model the use of comprehension strategies. Students need lots of modeling prior to being asked to try a skill independently. Interactive read-aloud offers the student this valuable learning experience.
Shared Reading in the classroom allows the opportunity for the teacher to scaffold the learning beginning to give the students opportunities to practice using reading strategies with support and guidance. The teachers and students read together and discuss the use of strategies to understand text.
Writers Workshop can include a mini lesson, interactive writing, and time for students to develop independent written work. Students work on many types of writing but narrative, expository, and argumentative writing are taught at each grade level. We want students to see themselves as authors and understand that they have something to share with the world.

 
 

Upcoming Events

December 23, 2024
HCS - Annual Leave Day
December 24, 2024
HCS - Annual Leave Day
December 25, 2024
HCS - Holiday
December 26, 2024
HCS - Holiday
December 27, 2024
HCS - Annual Leave Day
December 30, 2024
HCS - Annual Leave Day
December 31, 2024
HCS - Annual Leave Day
January 1, 2025
HCS - Holiday
January 2, 2025
HCS - Optional Teacher Workday
January 3, 2025
HCS - Mandatory Teacher Workday
January 20, 2025
HCS - Holiday
February 4, 2025
HCS - Remote Learning Optional Teacher Workday
February 14, 2025
HCS - 12:30 Dismissal
February 17, 2025
HCS - Remote Learning Optional Teacher Workday
March 7, 2025
HCS - Remote Learning Optional Teacher Workday
 
 

Contact Us

  • Junaluska Elementary
  • Alex Masciarelli, Principal
  • 2238 Asheville Rd. Waynesville, NC 28786
  • 828.456.2407
  • 828.456.2446