Frequently asked questions

Pathways 2.0 provides instruction in “cherishing the means of knowledge” through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Ellen White states our responsibility as learners in Christ’s Object Lessons: “In making a profession of faith in Christ we pledge ourselves to become all that it is possible for us to be as workers for the Master, and we should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable.” p. 330

↓ See FAQs below.

Pathways 2.0: A Journey to Excellence through Literacy is an integrated language arts program that includes reading, writing, phonics, spelling, word study, comprehension and study skills, grammar, vocabulary, and handwriting.

Pathways 2.0 is based on the belief that students should not only learn how to read but also acquire the desire to read, write, and learn. Pathways 2.0 provides all students with the opportunity to become passionate learners, readers, and writers, and the curriculum includes components and activities that address ten key principles.

Pathways 2.0 is a faith-based curriculum that is built on the Adventist worldview and the belief that Christ is the model teacher. The program recognizes the responsibility of nurturing excellence and service to others. The lessons found in each Daily Lesson Guide provide rigorous academic quality aligned with standards of proficiency in literacy.

Recognition of and respect for the diversity in our world are shown through the choice of Anchor Texts and instructional lessons throughout the program. By exploring big ideas and varying answers to essential questions, students are led to understand that the Bible is the standard for learning and living a life of faith.

Philosophy

Student-centered learning is integral when designing an educational framework. Curriculum, assessment, and instruction are only effective when designed and delivered with consideration of each learner’s spiritual, mental, physical, social, and emotional development.

A student-centered curriculum begins by providing students with clear and transparent learning goals. These are identified as standards. The curriculum is designed so that both teachers and students focus on these standards throughout the process of instruction and assessment. Effective processes ensure that students are provided with regular and timely feedback, based on specific references to the learning goals, for producing quality work that reflects the rigor inherent in the curriculum.

Additionally, each student engages in self-assessment and reflection, also aligned to the standards. Such assessment leads to the student identifying personal goals, making self-adjustments based on prior knowledge, and transferring learning to new situations. With the expectation of increased rigor, it is imperative that the instructional environment is safe and supportive. For this reason, significant consideration must be given to identifying personal strengths and interests and how those will be used in contributing meaningfully to the community of learners.

 

FAQs:

1

What are the main program components?

The Teacher Manual and Daily Lesson Guide provide a platform for comprehensive literacy instruction and assessment. These two resources complement each other throughout the year to lay this foundation. The Teacher Manual includes an overview of all aspects of the language arts curriculum, and the Daily Lesson Guide provides detailed literacy and language lessons for each 20-day unit.

Teacher Manual: The Teacher Manual provides the information necessary for building a strong literacy program by including a philosophy of teaching and learning in English language arts, a comprehensive scope and sequence, a variety of ready-to-use classroom resources, detailed instructional strategies, reference charts, research-based assessments, and Adventist worldview charts for each unit.

The Teacher Manual begins with the Adventist worldview and language arts philosophy. It continues with information for successful integration of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. It also adds information on working with diverse learners and the home–school partnership. An appendix provides many resources teachers may utilize.

Daily Lesson Guides (DLGs): A DLG is provided for each theme. The DLG contains a day-to-day plan for instruction and assessments for teaching each component of the literacy blocks (Word Study, Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop).

  • Word Study includes vocabulary, phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling instruction.
  • Reading Workshop includes whole-group and small-group instruction as well as time for independent reading.
  • Writing Workshop includes writing and grammar mini-lessons as well as time for independent writing.

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children: A Treasury of 572 Poems for Today’s Child (selected by Jack Prelutsky, Random House, 1983): This book of poetry is used throughout the units.

Writer’s Handbook: Both teachers and students will use the Writer’s Handbook for mini-lessons and as a reference for language, writing conventions, and other skills. There are handbooks for 1st–2nd grades, 3rd–4th grades, and 5th–8th grades.

Basic Reading Inventory: Pre-primer through Grade 12 and Early Literacy Assessments, Ninth Edition: This resource by Jerry L. Johns contains informal assessment tools for examining a variety of reading behaviors. This resource, or one with similar assessments, is recommended for Individual Reading Inventory assessments.

Student Components

Anchor Texts: An anchor text is featured in each thematic unit. Anchor Texts have been chosen for text complexity, based on Lexile levels and qualitative features. Consideration was also given to the following criteria: global issues, diversity, developmental appropriateness, content knowledge, rich and varied vocabulary, fitting illustrations, and quality writing.

Paired Texts: Paired texts complement Anchor Texts by providing varied text types in each thematic unit. This allows students to compare different types of texts, build knowledge, integrate information, and draw conclusions. Some examples of paired texts are magazine articles, speeches, poems, diaries, letters, and short stories.

Handwriting Books: Handwriting books need to be purchased separately. Check with your conference to see if a specific handwriting program has been adopted.

Pathways 2.0 Teacher Resource site.

The functionality would be very much like other teacher resource sites that have been developed but reskinned so it looked like the new program.

Here are a few specifics:

  • There would be a program home page.
  • The program is being developed for grades 1-8.
  • For each grade level there are nine common themes:
    1. Heroes
    2. My World
    3. Living Things
    4. Walking with God
    5. Friends and Family
    6. Environment
    7. Personal Feelings
    8. Yesterday
    9. Social Issues
  • Within each theme (Heroes—for example) there is a grade level trade book title (Noah Webster). Each grade level would have the theme with the corresponding trade book title.
  • Within each theme and trade book title there would be black line masters (printables) organized by:
    • Appendix A
    • Appendix B
    • Appendix C
    • Appendix D
    • Appendix E

2

How are the Daily Lesson Guides organized?

Pathways 2.0 Unit Descriptions

The same nine themes occur at every grade level, but specific theme content changes to reflect the developmental and interest levels of students. Themes range from personal, spiritual, and family-oriented topics to those incorporating cultural, sociological, and environmental issues. Spiritual lessons aligned with the Adventist worldview, essential question, and big idea are intentionally integrated within the unit. The framework for instruction is consistent across grade levels.

Heroes: Students are introduced to heroes who overcome insurmountable odds. Biographies feature many types of heroes who faced challenges ranging from defending beliefs to social injustices. Students are led to recognize God’s power and love in these stories as well as in their own lives.

My World and Others: Students explore how people live in different cultures and political settings. They gain insight from historical and contemporary perspectives about how people live in different geographical regions and how culture affects human lives. Students will celebrate not only the differences among cultures but also the many similarities that make up God’s family.

Living Things: Students are encouraged to study the natural world around them through the lens of creation. Each level has a specific scientific focus. Through the study of “God’s Second Book,” students are brought to a closer relationship with Him.

Walking with God: This theme encourages students to grow spiritually and to foster a personal relationship with Jesus by seeking God’s plan for their lives. The many Christ-like attributes described in the stories exemplify what being a Christian truly means. Included are stories of how God has led the Adventist church and how He leads in the affairs of those who trust His guidance.

Friends and Family: This theme includes literature about interrelationships among family members and friends. In the early grades, students explore roles and relationships within families. In the middle and upper grades, the content broadens to interpersonal relationships with friends. Students are encouraged to recognize how their actions influence others by following the example of Jesus.

Environment: Selections in this theme stress the interrelationships between people and their environment. Students study ways people appreciate and preserve the environment. Students realize their responsibility to care for God’s creation.

Personal Feelings and Growth: Texts for this theme stress personal issues and struggles as students explore how life experiences enable them to grow closer to God and become resilient. The primary-grade literature focuses on students’ growing knowledge of themselves and their potential. The upper-grade literature explores an individual’s personal feelings and growth, change, perseverance, and family relationships.

Yesterday: The texts for this theme allow students a glance at life during various historical periods. Through literature, students explore a variety of historical eras and events, such as colonial times, western expansion, racial injustice, the polio epidemic, and child labor laws. While learning about cultural events, they are led to see God’s hand in the affairs of humans.

Social Issues and Culture: In this theme, readers explore relationships among different groups and issues such as prejudice, physical challenges, cultural differences, immigration, social injustices, and death. They experience how characters learn to accept others with special needs and people from different cultural backgrounds. Students explore how to respond compassionately to the turmoil in our world.

Curriculum, assessment, and instruction do not operate as separate entities. Effective instruction is achieved when aligned with a cohesive, rigorous curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Standards

The NAD Elementary English Language Arts Standards provide the framework for the curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices found in Pathways 2.0. This shift to standards-based teaching and learning ensures that all teachers and students adhere to developmentally appropriate, yet rigorous expectations.

These standards were developed by a NAD curriculum committee that studied educational research, state standards, and learning goals articulated by professional organizations. In addition, the committee included standards that reflect the Adventist worldview. The standards define the literacy areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language taught in Adventist schools and give educators consistent literacy learning goals throughout the NAD.

Adventist Worldview

The Adventist worldview serves as a conceptual tool or framework for teaching and learning. The goal in language arts is for students to be able to articulate the four worldview concepts (creation, fall, redemption, re-creation) and apply them to their interpretation or creation of texts, whether reading, writing, speaking, or listening.