Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® (SEEDS)

Professional Development

Professional development for Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading provides teachers with a fundamental understanding of the features of the curriculum and the benefits of integrating science and literacy instruction.  Sessions are presented by Seeds/Roots authors and professional staff developers. The pedagogical principles  behind the "Do-it, Talk-it, Read-it, Write-it" approach are explored, and the synergies between literacy and science instruction discussed in depth.

Participants examine the educative features of the Seeds/Roots teacher guides, and learn how standards-based science concepts and abilities are highlighted in both science inquiry and literacy development activities. A portion of the time is devoted to examining how the program addresses the unique needs of ELL students. The integrated assessment system is reviewed as are the roles of both formative and summative assessments. These sessions vary in focus and depth based on the audience and available time; sessions can be customized to address specific customer needs.

Curriculum

Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® is an innovative elementary curriculum that teaches science and literacy at the same time–and deepens student learning in both. It has been supported by the National Science Foundation.

Using a “Do-it, Talk-it, Read-it, Write-it” approach, multiple learning modalities draw on powerful synergies between the two domains of science and literacy. The series features original, content-rich student science books that support students’ firsthand inquiry. Research to measure the effectiveness of the Seeds/Roots approach has found what teachers have long suspected–that students who learn science and literacy in an integrated fashion make significantly greater gains in both science and literacy learning.
This program was developed for grades 2–5.