Balanced Literacy involves several methods of teaching and learning reading and writing, small group instruction, whole gp instruction, with independent work in reading, writing, and oral language. * *
*Components of Balanced Literacy * *Reading Aloud:* Teacher reads selection aloud to students - Provides adult model of fluent reading - Develops sense of story/text - Develops vocabulary - Encourages prediction - Builds a community of readers - Develops active listening** * *Shared Reading:* Teacher and students read text together - Demonstrates awareness of text - Develops sense of story or content - Promotes reading strategies - Develops fluency and phrasing - Increases comprehension *Guided Reading:* Teacher introduces a selection at student's instructional level - Promotes reading strategies - Fosters strategic processing - Increases comprehension - Develops fluency *Independent Reading:* Students read independently - Encourages strategic reading - Increases comprehension - Supports writing development - Extends experiences with a variety of written texts - Promotes reading for enjoyment and information - Develops fluency - Fosters self-confidence by reading familiar and new text *Modeled/Shared Writing:* - Develops concepts of print - Develops writing strategies - Supports reading development - Provides model for a variety of writing styles - Models the connection among and between sounds, letters, and words - Produces text that students can read independently - Necessitates communicating in a clear and specific manner** * *Interactive Writing:* - Provides opportunities to plan and construct texts - Increases spelling knowledge - Produces written language resources in the classroom - Creates opportunities to apply what has been learned* *Independent Writing:* - Strengthens text sequence - Develops understanding of multiple uses of writing - Supports reading development - Develops writing strategies - Develops active independence* * Assessment drives instruction and precedes planning.* *1. Teacher Plans GR lessons * - Defines purpose of the lesson - Selects appropriate reading strategies - States the expectations for the students - Identifies the reading strategy on which the lesson is focused - Introduces the book, author, illustrator, theme, genre - Asks students for predictions - Discusses students' prior knowledge *2. Students Read Independently* - Use meaning, structure, and knowledge of letter-sound relationships - Make a meaningful guess and check to see if it makes sense (sounds right and looks right) - Read on to the end of the sentence or reread - Ask for help if an unknown word is essential to meaning - Note any problem words for later discussion* * *3. Teacher Provides Individual Feedback* As the students read independently, the teacher moves from student to student and closely observes and monitors the ways in which individual students process print. The teacher also checks reading strategies that are being used, praises appropriate strategies and suggests new ones. *4. Students Confer for Deeper Meaning* To improve comprehension, students have opportunities to return to the text. Time is provided to discuss a book that has been read independently by a small group of students and their teacher. This part of the guided reading lesson: - Extends understanding of text - May focus on students' responses to text - May focus on literacy merits of selection - Follows a conversational pattern - Encourages student to interact concerning text *5. Students Are Involved In Creative Response Activities* - Written responses - Oral responses, including drama, RT, etc. - Reading related literature* * All of these components can be effectively used in RTI Deb G On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 6:38 PM, Maureen <jmpeterse...@msn.com> wrote: > I am following these posts with great interest. I wonder if everyone has a > common definition of "Balanced Literacy". I have seen so many different > explanations, some simple and some very complex. There are teachers who > believe they are using a balanced literacy approach, but I would have to > disagree. I would be curious as to how some of you would define the term. > It helps in discussions to be sure everyone is one the same page. > > Thanks, > Maureen > > -----Original Message----- > From: mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org > [mailto:mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Beverlee Paul > Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 8:00 AM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RTI > > And in a bit hotter hell on earth as a literacy coach or coach supervisor. > > On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 7:03 AM, Ljackson <ljack...@gwtc.net> wrote: > > > That would be nice except...our teachers of literacy have all had (or > > are > > having) the opportunity to participate in a year-long literacy class > > focusing on balanced instruction. Our teachers have unbelievable > > summer training opportunities. We have coaching support available in > > all buildings. Teachers are supported in opportunities to observe. > > These opportunities are carefully undertaken, with an opportunity to > > visit before and after with the teacher they will observe. The visits > > are facilitated by our coaching staff. Lack of training is not the issue > for most of our staff. > > > > I realize how gloom and doom these two posts sound, and I don't mean > > for them to be so. We have a number of teachers, a significant number, > > who are simply doing amazing work with students. But after seeing > > Regie Routman at N CTE this year, I am pondering her comments. She > > said, basically, for an underperforming school impacted by poverty to > > see systemic change, 90% of staff members need to be 'on board' with > changes in literacy instruction. > > That remark hit so deeply home with me, as we are so far from that > > 90% mark in nearly all of our buildings. > > > > This year, under new leadership at the district level, the district is > > exploring that issue of who is responsible for implementation and for > > the first time, that conversation is going beyond the teacher level. > > All of this makes me potentially giddy and terrified--I know that > > under different circumstances, as in replace balanced literacy with a > > prescribed same-page literacy program, this could be my own idea of hell > on earth as a teacher. > > > > Lori Jackson > > District Literacy Coach and Mentor > > Todd County School District > > Box 87 > > Mission SD 5755 > > > > ----- Original message ----- > > From: djchan <djc...@charter.net> > > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group < > > mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > > Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 7:50 AM > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RTI > > > > > Lori, > > > > > > To me, that sounds like insufficient training in literacy. A teacher > > > may > > not > > > need to be 'on board' with the program, but they should definitely > > > be > > using > > > appropriate and research supported teaching methods for literacy. If > > > they don't, then whose responsible for the training that they should > > > have received to make them effective literacy teachers? I have seen > > > this in > > the > > > school system I retired from and it was a lack of training. However, > > > that > > is > > > not to say that there aren't teachers who will deliberately sabotage > > > a schools program because it requires them to move from their > > > comfort zone > > and > > > they don't want to. I think your key phrase was 'effective teachers' > > > and > > my > > > question becomes how did they become effective teachers and the > > > others didn't? And what needs to happen to help the other teachers > > > become more effective in their literacy methods? > > > > > > > > > Deidra Chandler, NC > > > MA Early Childhood Ed > > > MA Reading > > > MultiSensory Structured Language Intervention Tutor > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Ljackson" <ljack...@gwtc.net> > > > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > > > <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > > > Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 8:23 AM > > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RTI > > > > > > > > > > The 80% mentioned here probably refers to the RtI pyramid, in > > > > which--ideally--80% of the student population have their needs met > > within > > > > the regular classroom and are performing within acceptable ranges > > > > in > > terms > > > > of grade level expectations. To me, this implies that the first > > > > step in beginning an RtI program is to carefully examine > > > > curricular practices > > but > > > > it does not follow that there is necessarily a prescribed or > > > > correct single means of doing this. Like Kelly, our district > > > > feels that > > balanced > > > > literacy and a general pacing guide for unit study will support > > teachers > > > > in attaining this goal. I do see, however, a danger in my own > > > > district > > in > > > > seeing this approach damned and dumped because we are not seeing > > > > the > > kinds > > > > of results one would hope to see. As much as I am nervous about > > > > the bantying of the term fidelity, I think Kelly has hit the nail > > > > on the > > head. > > > > We have ample evidence to show that children in classrooms where > > balanced > > > > literacy practices are honored under the orchestration of > > > > effective teachers, children are making excellent progress. The > > > > issue we have to grapple with is this. How do we begin to address > > > > the issue of teachers > > who > > > > aren't, for lack of a better term, on board? I can say that the > > majority > > > > of these teachers are implementing their own brand of instruction > > > > that looks much more like traditional basal instruction than any > > > > direct instruction program I have reviewed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Lori Jackson > > > > District Literacy Coach and Mentor Todd County School District Box > > > > 87 Mission SD 5755 > > > > > > > > ----- Original message ----- > > > > From: Kelly Andrews-Babcock > > > > <kandrews-babc...@killinglyschools.org> > > > > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > > > > <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > > > > Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:56 AM > > > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RTI > > > > > > > >> Oh my, how scary! I'm not sure what you mean by 80% requirement > > > >> for > > RtI, > > > >> are you talking about implementing RtI up to 80%? Anyway, we were > > > >> told that if you do not have a "program" that whatever your core > > > >> curriculum > > is > > > >> will be fine as long as it's being implemented with integrity and > > > >> fidelity. Our core curriculum consists of guided reading, shared > > reading > > > >> and independent reading. However it does not look the same in > > > >> every classroom nor the same at each grade level. > > > >> As a coach my job has become interesting in assisting grade > > > >> levels to meet expectations. We also formulated some pacing > > > >> guides for reading > > last > > > >> year which has helped us stay on track. I'm not sure I'm > > > >> answering > > your > > > >> question here... > > > >> Kelly AB > > > >> > > > >> On 12/16/08 5:05 PM, "Beverlee Paul" <beverleep...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > >> > > > >> Help!! I've been told that the only way a district can meet the > > > >> 80% requirement for RTI is to adopt a direct instruction program > > > >> as its > > core > > > >> curriculum. Please--those of you out there that still use > > > >> balanced literacy, how do you fulfill the RTI requirement? > > > >> Thanks. BP _______________________________________________ > > > >> Mosaic mailing list > > > >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > > >> > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > >> > > > >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> _______________________________________________ > > > >> Mosaic mailing list > > > >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > > >> > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > >> > > > >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Mosaic mailing list > > > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > > > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Mosaic mailing list > > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > -- Deb 1st/OH http://darke.k12.oh.us/~Debra_Green/ http://geaataglance.ohea.us/ "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." ~ Harry Truman _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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