Key Principles of an Effective Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum

1. The integration of interactive reading and writing processes;

2. A rhetorical approach to texts that fosters critical thinking and engagement through a relentless focus on the text;

3. Materials and themes that engage student interest;

4. Classroom activities designed to model and foster successful practices of fluent readers and writers;

5. Research-based methodologies with a consistent relationship between theory and practice;

6. Built-in flexibility to allow teachers to respond to varied students' needs and instructional contexts; and

7. Alignment with the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy.