A successful balanced literacy program, it is argued, must combine a balance of teacher directed instruction including teacher modeling of skills, strategies and. In this eightpart series, well visit six teachers working to meet this challenge in settings that range from an urban innercity school, to a rural school, to two small community schools in eastern and western. Oct 25, 2016 balanced literacy, as the name suggests, incorporates elements from both approaches. The language arts program has daily uninterrupted blocks of time with a minimum of 40 minutes each, total time of 100120 minutes. This booklet is designed to provide information on the balanced literacy program and the balanced numeracy program. Thats one of the conclusions my network of teachers, administrators, and curriculum supervisors has reached. Apr 09, 2019 balanced literacy focuses students on grapheme representations combined with context or imagery to teach beginning literacy skills. An explanation of structured literacy, and a comparison to. Six components of an effective literacy program dataworks.
Grades k6 students learn to read and write best when their teachers balance literacy instruction. Whether a student is a proficient or a developing readerwriter, they need to have a variety of experiences. Thinkingreading voicemetacognition fluency expression. Balanced literacy is a relatively new concept to the language pedagogy realm, surging in the 1990s. Reading az provides a wealth of leveled pre k6 resources that can be used in a balanced literacy setting from wholeclass and smallgroup instruction to individual practice. Dataworks has created a learning to read english program which addresses all of these components. Incorporate assessment for learning into your literacy program with teacher conferences, success criteria, effective recording strategies and formative assessment techniques. The readingwriting workshop model supports the balanced literacy approach. Learning words phonetically in this way supports decoding and spelling abilities. How to implement balanced literacy for kindergarten. Frequently limited to the first two strandslearning language and learning about language. For example, teach a whole group lesson on mondays and fridays and do small groups and centers on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday.
The wonders balanced literacy solution offers options to create your own instructional path or customize our recommendations to build strong readers and writers in grades k5. Wonders balanced literacy includes a wealth of resources to support units of study, and includes complex, authentic texts and a focus on close reading and text evidence. Components of balanced literacy word study word study is the study of our alphabetic symbol system. In a balanced approach to literacy instruction, teachers integrate instruction with authentic reading and writing and experiences so that students learn how to use literacy strategies and skills and have opportunities to apply what they are learning. The language arts program has uninterrupted blocks of time with a minimum of 40 minutes each, total time of 90120 minutes. Effective feedback, selfmonitoring techniques and student selfassessment directly impact students progress. Reading should not be a challenge as students approach middle and high schools. Jan 24, 2017 word study in a balanced literacy program can involve decoding study of a word. First grade amount of time instructional activity with description resources to support instruction 20 min utes read aloud demonstration 100% teacher work, explicitly modeling strategies list possible strategies to be modeled. Components of balanced literacy new hopesolebury high school. Balanced literacy article department of educational. Literacy learning begins in the home and community as children listen to language in conversation, literature and media and where they listen and view and learn to speak and represent.
In a truly balanced literacy program, how you teach is as important as what you teach. Some look at balanced literacy as a combination of whole language and skillsbased instruction. A balanced literacy program consists of reading and writing that support each other. It aims to provide a balance of teacherdirected instruction and studentcentered opportunities. I will share the information contained in this website over the course of a couple two months at weekly professional development opportunities with the teachers in my school. Balanced literacy is a framework designed to help all students learn to read and write effectively. Visit 3 work on writing listen to reading word work whether it is called daily 5, fourblocks, reading or writing workshop, or balanced literacy, all the approaches are based on providing the best instruction possible in wholegroup and smallgroup and then. A balanced literacy approach integrates reading, writing, and word study components.
Components of literacy a balanced literacy program. If you only have 60 minutes and you want to use a balanced literacy approach, you can experiment with alternating whole group instruction with small groups and centers. In my work this year, i have discovered that many new teachers have very little knowledge about what makes a literacy program effective. The kindergarten program should include scheduled playtime 45 minutes. Like most educators today, weve been changing our practices to reflect new knowledge about learning and teaching. This set includes 20 days of everything needed for a reading intervention program with students whose reading. Start with your balanced literary program with an ilempower grant. Finally, teachers plan their writing instruction so that they model excellent writing for students, share the pen with students during shared and interactive writing. A major focus of early elementary grades is the development of literacy and numeracy skills. A balanced literacy approach balanced literacy in grades 47 1. Balanced literacy is a model for teaching students oral and written forms of communication based on the research of marie clay, irene fountas, and gay su pinnell. The strongest elements of each are incorporated into a literacy program that aims to guide students toward proficient and lifelong.
This means that teachers must explicitly teach and model. We want all students to be able to read fluently and for meaning when they leave elementary school. New balanced literacy schools roosevelt university. Designing and managing a balanced approach to literacy. Balanced literacy is a comprehensive program of language acquisition. This balanced literacy lesson progression generally includes the following. An effective literacy program should encompass all six of these components. Each day, students read something of their choice with fluency and understanding. Balanced literacy article department of educational psychology. The wonders balanced literacy program offers options to create a unique instructional path to build strong readers and writers in grades k5. Balanced literacy is about balancing explicit language instruction with independent learning and language exploration. Balanced literacy the term balanced literacy itself and what it means is still open to interpretation. Pressley wrote the book on balanced literacy instruction, he edited one with.
Program 1 series overview providing balanced literacy instruction is an overarching, but challenging goal for many primary teachers. Word study in a balanced literacy program can involve decoding study of a word. This set of the reading intervention program is now available. A balanced literacy program strives to achieve balance between.
Balanced literacy approach provide instruction using whole group. Balanced literacy instruction article pdf available in focus on exceptional children 345. This 30 slide powerpoint balanced literacy presentation describes all of the components i use to provide young learners with an effective balanced literacy program. Definitions and examples for the different approaches are given as a guide for your information and to use when programming. The balanced literacy program education development center. A balanced literacy program encompasses both language reading and sound in different ways to optimize literacy learning among students. This involves the areas of phonics lettersound relationships, morphemic analysis using word parts to denote meaning, and automaticity for sight words. Apr 29, 2010 a balanced literacy program will allow the students to incorporate both reading and writing. Shared reading is an interactive reading process in which a teacher and student share in reading a text. Balanced literacy, as the name suggests, incorporates elements from both approaches. Balancedliteracydiet third to fourth grade balanced.
Evaluation materials for wonders balanced literacy launching the balanced literacy classroom guide. The framework contains all of the required components for students to learn to read and write effectively. The mastery and acquisition of these skills are pivotal building blocks that make up the foundation of a students learning career. The launching the balanced literacy classroom guide provides professional development resources that will introduce practitioners to the methods that underlie a balanced literacy classroomas well as help them plan and extend their curriculum. A successful balanced literacy program, it is argued, must combine a balance of teacher.
Components of a balanced literacy program reading alouds. It continues to build on that foundation in school where literacy should be balanced and literacy instruction should stimulate, teach, and extend development of literacy skills, communication and thinking skills to include reading and writing. This balance between reading and writing allows students to receive the teaching needed in order to reach grade level status while allowing students to work. Literacy frameworks balanced literacy balanced literacy. It was created in response to those worried about the instruction of language as either whole.
Heres a quick overview of the different parts of a balanced literacy program. Balanced literacy many balanced literacy models are composed of three major components. Balanced literacy program sharon elementary school. My role as a learning leader puts me in the unique position of assisting teachers in the set up and implementation of classroom literacy programs. This set includes 20 days of everything needed for a reading intervention program with students whose reading abilities fall in the fountas and pinnell reading range of levels lp.
Modeled writing, shared writing, interactive writing, guided writing, and independent writing. Literacy has been presented through the lens of numerous theories, techniques, and objectives. It continues to build on that foundation in school where literacy should be balanced and literacy. Components of balanced literacy new hopesolebury high.
Common core is a set of standards students must meet before graduating from high school. For example, if studying the word chain, students would be working on both digraphs ch and vowelvowelconsonant rimes ain. Learn more information about grant and find out if your school qualifies. Each component is a piece of the puzzle that when assembled together in a coherent way results in a successful literacy program. When students know how to go about improving, their. All students develop their literacy skills at different rates and therefore, we apply balanced literacy strategies and techniques to ensure student success. I have described all of the components that i always include in my classroom during my.
But how do you strike the right balance of skills and knowledge, reading and writing, small and whole group instruction, and direct and dialogic instruction, so that all students can learn to their maximum potential. Balanced reading basals and the impact on thirdgrade reading. A balanced literacy program the chart here helps organize potential curriculum experiences, strategies and materials to help you keep the big picture of a balanced program. Teacher reads selection aloud to students provides adult model of fluent reading. As mentioned, teachers begin their instruction by teaching students in whole. Teachers must make sure students meet these standards, and the best way to do this is to use a balanced literacy approach.
As part of balanced literacy instruction, exposing early learners to highquality childrens literature is intended to expand their understanding of text and comprehension of concepts hoffman et al. Please take a look at fcss balanced literacy program by clicking here. It aims to strike a balance between both whole language and phonics when learning to read. Throughout the balanced literacy program the students will be part of effective teaching strategies which will incorporate both small group and whole class instruction and will help each individual student at hisher achievement level. Balanced literacy approach provide instruction using whole group, small group, and independent learning opportunities. Many of the common core standards have been divvied out across the grade levels.
Balanced literacy is an opportunity for teachers and students to use highinterest, engaging books to practice the georgia english language arts standards of excellence in reading and writing. Educational trends have come and gone over the years during the time that i have been teaching. The balanced literacy program balanced literacy provides a unified, researchbased instructional approach that is appropriate for use in all languages and pedagogical configurations in mali these include large and small classrooms, rural and urban settings, classrooms with trained and untrained teachers, and schools serving nomadic people. A balanced literacy program will allow the students to incorporate both reading and writing. Promote a love of reading, stimulate the imagination, and help students develop an ear for the vocabulary and structures of language in print, allow the teacher to introduce new reading strategies, and to model or. For important details about implementing a balanced literacy program in your school, including why balanced literacy is so important, visit our pages for administrators, teachers, and parents. Many balanced literacy models are composed of three major components. Balanced literacy program balanced literacy programs. A strong balanced literacy program includes elements of whole language and phonics instruction. With flexible pathways to meet a variety of classroom needs, a wealth of resources to support your units of study, and. Often this is a big book, a book on screen, or a student reader. Balanced literacy is an instructional approach for language arts.
A balanced literacy approach balanced literacy in grades 1. A professional development program for balanced literacy uni. For example, there is writing and reading workshops, group communication, read aloud times, and more. The study was needed to determine the impact of the mcgrawhill reading wonders program on reading achievement. Components of a balanced literacy program all of the following contribute to producing literate citizens of the 21st century. This was the first time in 15 years the district had implemented a districtwide reading program. Some people think of an independent reading conference as a private lesson. Read more about the history of the program and how it was developed and refined, using empirical evidence and theoretical ideas, and grown into the. Balanced reading basals and the impact on thirdgrade. Balancedliteracydiet assessment balanced literacy diet. The program stands firmly on the premise that all students can learn to read and write. New balanced literacy schools roosevelt university college. Another tenet of balanced literacy that supports our new era of literacy instruction is the focus on progressive lessons in reading, writing, and vocabularyor word studythat use a gradual release of responsibility approach. Shaw and hurst 2012 maintained that balanced literacy is an approach that.