Creating a balanced literacy program

December 14, Elementary , Experts in Education. No Comments. Post a Comment Cancel Reply. This differs from other literacy tools in class, like reading aloud and shared reading, because it is a group and level activity, rather than a whole class participation.

The differentiator is that guided reading sessions focus on a particular group of students. Reading comprehension and comfortability are main focus areas when choosing groups of students, as well as literacy skill sets. This is a great activity! Much like guided reading, shared reading encompasses the same reading principles, but on a class-wide basis. Shared reading sessions involve having the teacher model the correct way to read a text, and correct proficiency.

For example, the teacher will be at the front of the classroom, and books in the hands of all the students in the class. He or she will read a paragraph or two of the book, giving the correct model. Next, the teacher will call upon a student to read the text in the same way. This balanced literacy program tool is a great way for students to learn how to read with the correct proficiency in real-time. Once a skill or strategy is modeled by the educator, students can then participate in their own purposeful practice.

The educator may use chart paper, so all students can see the writing. Modeled writing can be used for a variety of purposes, such as demonstrating grammar and convention skills, composing a summary, or determining when to start a new sentence. Unlike shared writing, students do not contribute ideas to the writing, and instead, focus on learning from the skills and strategies being modeled.

Unlike more traditional spelling programs, word study does not focus on the memorization of random, unrelated words. Instead, it looks at patterns in words that help students develop a larger vocabulary they can both read and write.

Word study asks educators to consider where students are currently at in their development and to plan next steps through lessons created with intentionality. Word study is also effective when it complements the reading and writing program. For example, the educator may discover that students are having difficulty solving multi-syllabic words during guided reading.

Word study lessons may then focus on root words, prefixes, and suffixes. This allows for authentic learning opportunities that allow students to benefit from the link between reading and writing. Share this article. Read Alouds. Guided Reading. Shared Reading. Close Reading. Independent Reading. Shared Writing. Guided Writing. Independent Writing. Modeled Writing. Word Study. Related Learning Resources. Share this resource Facebook Pinterest Email. A balanced approach could be generically described as "mixing some Phonics with Whole Language," but how this is accomplished in any particular classroom is unclear.

The eclectic approach , as some have come to call it, sometimes involves teaching Phonics first, and then "graduating" to Whole Language approaches. Balanced literacy is: independent reading, shared reading, guided reading, and read aloud.

The shared reading part is more of the minilessons, and the guided reading is the strategy grouping. Emergent literacy is a term that is used to explain a child's knowledge of reading and writing skills before they learn how to read and write words. It signals a belief that, in literate society, young children—even one- and two-year-olds—are in the process of becoming literate.

Put simply, Structured Literacy is explicit, systematic teaching that focuses on phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics and decoding, spelling, and syntax at the sentence and paragraph levels. Rather, students are encouraged to use word analogies and pictures or context to identify words.

Create content-specific book displays. Make use of practical reading materials. Create a gathering space. Try word walls. Look for interesting visuals. Incorporate anchor charts.