Balanced Literacy Rikki Hyjurick Bear Creek Community Charter School

Components of Balanced Literacy Incorporating the Balanced Literacy Approach involves learning to use specific teaching strategies:  Independent Reading/Writing  Guided Reading/Writing  Interactive Reading/Writing  Modeled Reading/Writing  Shared Reading/Writing

What is Balanced Literacy?  Balanced Literacy incorporates all reading approaches realizing that students need to use numerous devices in order to become proficient readers.  It provides and improves the skills of reading, writing, thinking, speaking and listening for all students. A Balanced Literacy program not only balances the reading philosophies, it also balances reading and writing instruction. In a balanced literacy program, students read in order to write and write in order to read.

Modeled Reading and Writing In the modeled reading and writing strategies, the teacher assumes the responsibility of learning and demonstrates, for the students, the correct reading and writing processes. Modeled Reading (Read Aloud)  Demonstrates proficient reading  Expands access to text beyond child's abilities  Exposes children to a variety of genres.  Models the reading process positively  Exposes students to rich vocabulary  Provides students with new information

Modeled Writing The benefits of modeled writing are:  Demonstrates proficient writing  Expands access to writing beyond child's abilities  Exposes children to a variety of genres

Shared Reading and Writing In the shared reading and writing strategies, everyone participates; there is a shared responsibility for learning. The teacher's purpose in shared reading varies from grade level to grade level and from lesson to lesson. The purpose of shared reading is:  Modeling the reading strategiesreading strategies  Teaching the reading strategiesreading strategies  Extending the understanding of the reading process The purpose of shared writing is:  Modeling writing strategieswriting strategies  Teaching writing strategieswriting strategies  Extending understanding of the writing process

Interactive Reading and Writing Interactive Reading  Teacher & child chose text  Teacher & child share reading  Teacher encourages child to read when able Interactive Writing  Teacher & child chose topic  Teacher & child share pen  Teacher & child compose together

Guided Reading/Writing  In the guided reading/writing teaching strategy, the teacher has reduced the amount of support he/she is giving to the students. The teacher is working with fewer students and the students are doing most of the reading. Students are reading at their instructional levels and teachers are interacting with the students before, during and after reading.

Guided Writing  Teacher reinforces skills  Teacher engages child in questioning & discussion  Teacher acts as a guide  Child does the writing  Child practices strategies  Child builds independence

Guided Reading  Teacher reinforces skills  Teacher engages child in questioning & discussion  Teacher acts as a guide  Child does the reading  Child practices strategies  Child builds independence

Independent Reading/Writing Independent Reading  Child chooses the text  Child practices at his/her independent level  Time to practice demonstrates the value of reading (SSR, DEAR time, use of Accelerated Reader) Independent Writing  Child chooses the topic  Child practices at his/her independent level  Time to practice demonstrates the value of writing