A Reflective Look:

Balanced Literacy

Metropolitan Nashville

Public Schools©2009

What is balanced literacy?

Balanced literacy is a framework for literacy learning. Balanced literacy involves:

listening

speaking

reading

writing

word study

These components are integrated through oral language and content daily.

Balanced Literacy Classrooms• Physical setup

– Well defined areas for large group, small group, and independent stations

– Inviting and organized– Storage/management of materials

• Environmental elements– Classroom libraries– Interactive word walls– Literacy centers– Print appropriate to instructional context– Evidence of student writing/work products

• Instructional Elements– Balanced Literacy Framework– Classroom Observational Tool

Where do we begin?

SBRR

Scientifically Based

Reading Research

National Reading Panel:Essential Elements of Reading Instruction

• Phonemic Awareness

• Phonics

• Fluency

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

Reading Components

• Read Aloud

• Shared Reading

• Guided Reading

• Independent Reading

Each component should

be addressed daily.

Read Aloud

“The teacher reads aloud to the whole class or small groups. A carefully selected body of children’s literature is used; the collection contains a variety of genres and represents our diverse society. Favorite texts, selected for special features, are reread many times.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purpose of Read Aloud

• Provide motivation to learn to read• Provide a proficient reader model• Build background knowledge • Help to internalize sentence structure

and “book language” concepts• Develop a sense of story structure• Develop vocabulary• Build comprehension skills• Enjoy reading!

Shared Reading

“Using an enlarged text that all children can see, the teacher involves children in reading together following a pointer.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purpose of Shared Reading

• Increase enjoyment of literature

• Foster a literacy community in the class

• Create a natural teaching of skills within the context of reading

• Reinforce concepts of print

• Build fluency and oral expression

• Enhance meaning and comprehension

Running Records

“A running record is a tool for coding, scoring, and analyzing a child’s precise reading behaviors.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purposes of Running Records

• Guides your teaching

• Analyzes a student’s reading behaviors– Sources of information used

• Meaning, visual, and structure

• Determines a student’s instructional reading level– Oral accuracy and comprehension

Formal Running Records

• Texts are standardized by the district• Administered as a cold read (unfamiliar text)• Recorded on standardized district forms• Entry level running record• Administered 4 times a year for report card

– Instructional levels recorded on the report card– Instructional levels recorded in student’s individual

reading assessment folder (lavender)

Informal Running RecordsHow often should running records

be administered?

• Frequently throughout academic school year– Struggling readers at each stage of development

• Recommendation: Once a week– Emergent and early readers (MNPS Levels 1-16)

• Recommendation: Once every 2-4 weeks• They are more helpful to you if you do them more frequently

than this! – Early independent readers (MNPS Levels 17-23)

• Recommendation: Once every six weeks– Independent readers (MNPS Levels 24-44)

• Recommendation: Once every 9 weeks

Informal Running Records

• Cold read (Unfamiliar text)– Check for appropriate instructional level– Determine which strategies the student can use

independently

• Warm Read (Text that has been read previously)

– Check for fluency– Determine if student is applying recently taught

strategies– Detect repeated error patterns

Guided Reading

“The teacher works with a small group who have similar reading processes. The teacher selects and introduces new books and supports children reading the whole text to themselves, making teaching points during and after the reading.”

--Guided Reading, Fountas & Pinnell, 1996

Purpose of Guided Reading

• Students use and develop strategies while they are reading to facilitate independence

• Focus is primarily on maintaining meaning during the decoding process

• Provides opportunity to observe reading behaviors

Grouping for Guided Reading• Considerations for grouping

– Every student is different– Students progress at

different rates– Wide range of experience

and skills• Dynamic, fluid groups

– Flexible and changeable on a regular basis

– Running record level– Similar instructional needs

(Use DIBELS data to identify specific student needs related to phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.)

NO MORE ROUND ROBIN READING!!!

Independent Reading

“Children read on their own or with partners from a wide range of materials. Some reading is from a special collection at their reading level.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purposes of Independent Reading

• Allows students to practice reading strategies

• Challenges students to apply the strategies to a variety of texts

• Promotes fluency

• Builds confidence

• Allows students to support each other

• Builds vocabulary

Using Data to Drive Instruction

• District Reading AssessmentsDIBELS (Benchmark)ThinkLinkDistrict Writing AssessmentTCAP

• Instructional Reading AssessmentsDIBELS (Progress Monitoring)Running Records for Strategy Instruction and Report CardDevelopmental Spelling AnalysisClassroom ObservationsAnecdotal RecordsPortfoliosTeacher Made Tests

Literacy Centers

What is a literacy center?

Any activity that includes reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, or visual representation.

Purpose of Literacy Centers

• Give the teacher time to meet with guided reading groups

• Reinforce skills taught• Provide an opportunity to explore and

practice skills, concepts, and strategies• Allow student choice• Allow students to work at their own rate

and on their own level• Facilitate collaboration among students

Word Study

What is Word Study?

“A student centered approach to phonics, spelling and vocabulary instruction that actively engages the learner in constructing concepts about the way words work.”

---Kathy Ganske, Word Journeys, 2000

Research shows Word Study helps students learn how letters and words work, which increases their application of knowledge

across the curriculum.

PhonicsSpellingVocabulary

KnowledgeLanguage

AppreciationCritical ThinkingReadingWritingCuriosity

Supporting Research: Adams (1990), Cunningham (1995), Fountas and Pinnell (1999 & 1998), Read (1970; 1975), Schickedanz (1986) Perfetti (1992), Templeton & Bear (1992 & 1998), Templeton & Morris, (1999), Henderson (1990), Ganske (1999)

Writing

• Shared Writing

• Interactive Writing

• Guided Writing or Writer’s Workshop

• Independent Writing--The Ohio State Literacy Collaborative Framework

Modeled Writing

“The teacher or expert shows precisely ‘how to do it’ by initiating, modeling, explaining, thinking aloud, and writing aloud. Students observe the teacher planning, drafting, making choices, rereading, talking, evaluating, revising, editing, and monitoring.”

--Regie Routman, Writing Essentials, 2005

Shared Writing

“Teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories; teacher supports process as scribe.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purposes of Modeled/Shared Writing

• Develops concepts of print• Develops writing strategies• Supports reading development• Enables students’ ideas to be recorded• Draws attention to letters, sounds, and words• Provides a model for a variety of writing

styles• Produces text the students can read

independently

Interactive Writing

“As in shared writing, teacher and children compose messages and stories that are written using a “shared pen” technique that involves children in the writing.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purposes of Interactive Writing

• Provides opportunities to plan and construct texts

• Models the connection among and between sounds, letters, and words

• Increases spelling knowledge

• Produces written language resources in the classroom

Guided Writing

“Children engage in writing a variety of genres. Teacher guides the process and provides mini-lessons and conferences.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Purposes of Guided Writing

• Guides students through the writing process

• Promotes creativity and the power of composing

• Aids writers in developing their voice

• Allows students to write for a variety of purposes

Independent Writing

“Children write their own pieces, including (in addition to stories and informational pieces) retellings, labeling, speech balloons, lists, etc.”

--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

Questions