Balanced Literacy
Encyclopedia
Balanced Literacy is a curricular methodology
that integrates various modalities of literacy
instruction. Assessment-based planning is at the core of this model. The balanced literacy approach is characterized by explicit skill instruction and the use of authentic texts. Through various modalities, the teacher implements a well-planned comprehensive literacy
program that reflects a gradual release of control, whereby responsibility is gradually shifted from the teacher to the students. The labels to, with and by characterize the modalities as follows:
The teacher models by reading or writing to the students within the following modalities:
The teacher reads or writes with the students within the following modalities:
Reading and writing is done by the students, independently within the following modalities:
Balanced Literacy is implemented through the Reading and Writing Workshop Model. The teacher begins by modeling the reading/writing strategy that is the focus of the workshop. Subsequently, students are engaged in practicing the focal strategy in small groups or independently as the teacher monitors and provides guidance. Selected students share their work. Then, students read leveled texts independently or write independently for an extended period of time as the teacher circulates amongst them to observe, record observations and confer. At the culmination of the workshop session, selected students share their strategies and work with the class.
It is recommended that Guided Reading
be implemented during the extended independent reading period. Based upon assessment, the teacher works with small groups of students (no more than 6 students in each group) on a leveled text (authentic trade book). The teacher models specific strategies before reading and monitors students while they read independently. After reading, the teacher and students engage in activities in word study, fluency, and comprehension. The purpose of Guided Reading is to systematically scaffold the decoding and/or comprehension strategy skills of students who are having similar challenges.
Direct Instruction in Phonics
and Word Study are also included in the Balanced Literacy Approach. For emergent and early readers, the teacher plans and implements phonics based minilessons. After the teacher explicitly teaches a phonemic element, students practice reading and/or writing other words following the same phonemic pattern. For advanced readers, the teacher focuses on the etymology
of a word. Students who are reading at this stage are engaged in analyzing the patterns of word derivations, root words, prefixes and suffixes.
The overall purpose of balanced literacy instruction is to provide students with a differentiated instructional program which will support the reading and writing skill development of each individual.
Critics of balanced literacy, such as Diane Ravitch
, say that it teaches reading skills and strategies, but as implemented, it ignores the content. "Knowing reading strategies is not enough; to comprehend what one reads, one must have background knowledge."
However, teaching comprehension of text is one of the five essential elements of the balanced literacy approach to reading instruction. The teacher begins every lesson by activating students' prior knowledge (schema) through discussion and continues this throughout the lesson to help students make connections to other books as well as their own experiences.
Children are taught to use comprehension strategies including:
During the Reading and Writing Workshop teachers use scaffolded instruction
as follows:
Throughout this process, students progress from having a great deal of teacher support to being independent learners. The teacher support is removed gradually as the students acquire the strategies needed to understand the text by themselves.
Methodology
Methodology is generally a guideline for solving a problem, with specificcomponents such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques and tools . It can be defined also as follows:...
that integrates various modalities of literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
instruction. Assessment-based planning is at the core of this model. The balanced literacy approach is characterized by explicit skill instruction and the use of authentic texts. Through various modalities, the teacher implements a well-planned comprehensive literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
program that reflects a gradual release of control, whereby responsibility is gradually shifted from the teacher to the students. The labels to, with and by characterize the modalities as follows:
The teacher models by reading or writing to the students within the following modalities:
- Interactive Read Aloud
- Demonstration or Modeled Writing
The teacher reads or writes with the students within the following modalities:
- Shared Reading
- Shared Writing or Interactive Writing
- Guided ReadingGuided ReadingGuided reading is a method of teaching reading to children. It forms part of the National Literacy Strategy for England and Wales and is therefore a preferred approach employed within primary schools. In the United States, Guided Reading is also a key component to the Reading Workshop model of...
(contains independent reading with close conferring)
Reading and writing is done by the students, independently within the following modalities:
- Independent readingIndependent readingIndependent reading is a term used in educational settings, where students are involved in choosing and reading material for their independent consumption and enjoyment. People choose to read independently. It gives student the right to be creative in what they want to read...
(with teacher observation and conferring) - Writing processWriting processThe Writing process is both a key concept in the teaching of writing and an important research concept in the field of composition studies.Research on the writing process focuses on how writers draft, revise, and edit texts...
(with teacher observation and conferring)
Balanced Literacy is implemented through the Reading and Writing Workshop Model. The teacher begins by modeling the reading/writing strategy that is the focus of the workshop. Subsequently, students are engaged in practicing the focal strategy in small groups or independently as the teacher monitors and provides guidance. Selected students share their work. Then, students read leveled texts independently or write independently for an extended period of time as the teacher circulates amongst them to observe, record observations and confer. At the culmination of the workshop session, selected students share their strategies and work with the class.
It is recommended that Guided Reading
Guided Reading
Guided reading is a method of teaching reading to children. It forms part of the National Literacy Strategy for England and Wales and is therefore a preferred approach employed within primary schools. In the United States, Guided Reading is also a key component to the Reading Workshop model of...
be implemented during the extended independent reading period. Based upon assessment, the teacher works with small groups of students (no more than 6 students in each group) on a leveled text (authentic trade book). The teacher models specific strategies before reading and monitors students while they read independently. After reading, the teacher and students engage in activities in word study, fluency, and comprehension. The purpose of Guided Reading is to systematically scaffold the decoding and/or comprehension strategy skills of students who are having similar challenges.
Direct Instruction in Phonics
Phonics
Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write that language. Phonics involves teaching how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations...
and Word Study are also included in the Balanced Literacy Approach. For emergent and early readers, the teacher plans and implements phonics based minilessons. After the teacher explicitly teaches a phonemic element, students practice reading and/or writing other words following the same phonemic pattern. For advanced readers, the teacher focuses on the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of a word. Students who are reading at this stage are engaged in analyzing the patterns of word derivations, root words, prefixes and suffixes.
The overall purpose of balanced literacy instruction is to provide students with a differentiated instructional program which will support the reading and writing skill development of each individual.
Critics of balanced literacy, such as Diane Ravitch
Diane Ravitch
Diane Silvers Ravitch is an historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S...
, say that it teaches reading skills and strategies, but as implemented, it ignores the content. "Knowing reading strategies is not enough; to comprehend what one reads, one must have background knowledge."
However, teaching comprehension of text is one of the five essential elements of the balanced literacy approach to reading instruction. The teacher begins every lesson by activating students' prior knowledge (schema) through discussion and continues this throughout the lesson to help students make connections to other books as well as their own experiences.
Children are taught to use comprehension strategies including:
- Sequencing
- Relating background knowledge
- Making inferences
- Comparing and contrasting
- Summarizing
- Synthesizing
- Problem-solving
- Distinguishing between fact and opinion
- Finding the main idea and supporting details
During the Reading and Writing Workshop teachers use scaffolded instruction
Instructional scaffolding
Instructional scaffolding is the provision of sufficient support to promote learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students...
as follows:
- Teacher modeling or showing kids what a good reader does when reading a text, thinking aloud about the mental processes used to construct meaning while reading a book aloud to the class.
- Guided practice gradually gives the students more responsibility with the teacher stepping in to help as needed. Students practice a comprehension strategy during discussion in a large group or in smaller groups with peers.
- Independent practice where children begin to work alone while reading books by themselves, conferencing individually or in small groups with the teacher to make sure they are using a comprehension strategy correctly.
- Application of the strategy is achieved when the students can correctly apply comprehension strategies to different kinds of texts and are no longer just practicing but are making connections between and can demonstrate understanding through writing or discussion.
Throughout this process, students progress from having a great deal of teacher support to being independent learners. The teacher support is removed gradually as the students acquire the strategies needed to understand the text by themselves.