“Balanced Literacy” Viterbo EDUC 640 “Balanced Literacy” Viterbo EDUC 640 Sharon Garvey – Instructor (3/12) Sharon Garvey – Instructor (3/12)

Garvey - Viterbo Balanced Literacy Class Big Ideas Define “Balanced Literacy” (final) Know and understand essential components of an effective literacy program Establish structures and effective strategies for a balanced literacy program Increase knowledge base of information and resources, including the internet Practice and apply as appropriate and possible

Garvey-Viterbo Review: Essential Components of an Effective Literacy Program Long Term PlanningShort Term PlanningVariety of Reading Materials Linking Assessment to Instruction Instruction in Reading and Writing Solid Linguistic Foundation Building Conceptual Knowledge Building on Prior Experiences & Learnings Interaction and Dialogue

Garvey-Viterbo What does a balanced literacy program include? The model this class will focus on is based on the research of Marie Clay, Irene Fountas, and Gay Su Pennell. Children read and write each day independently and in group settings (both large and small) “In a truly balanced literacy program, how you teach is as important as what you teach.” ~Dorothy Strickland

Four Types of Reading Experiences  Reading Aloud to students  Shared reading – whole class  Guided reading – small group  Independent reading Garvey- Viterbo

Four Types of Writing Experiences  Shared Writing – Whole Class  Guided Writing – Whole /Small Groups  Writer’s Workshop – small groups or individual  Independent Writing Garvey - Viterbo

Bond with your students. The modeling by people that we love is what changes us. -Don Holdaway Get to know students as readers. Unless we reach into our students’ hearts, we have no entry into their minds.

Bonding with Students Means that we:  Treat them and their families with respect  Act kindly toward them.  Show that we care about them.  Listen to them.  Keep them safe.  Celebrate their efforts and accomplishments.  Know their interests and incorporate those interests into the curriculum.  Provide optimal learning conditions.  Make sure they succeed from the very first day.  Have faith in them as learners.  Value them as individuals.

What is a read aloud? A read aloud is a planned oral reading of a book or print excerpt, usually related to a theme or topic of study. The read aloud can be used to engage the student listener while developing background knowledge, increasing comprehension skills, and fostering critical thinking. A read aloud can be used to model the use of reading strategies that aid in comprehension.

Reading Aloud Requirements  Students need to be able to make connections to their own lives, which is a necessity for deepening comprehension.  In Becoming a Nation of Readers (1985),stated that the single most important factor in children’s reading success is having people read aloud to them. --a practice that should continue through all the grades

Reading Aloud (Full Support) Reading Aloud: Teacher reads selection aloud to students. Read aloud experiences:  Serve as a foundation of a solid, thoughtful language and literacy program  Support content in every subject area by building background knowledge that supports inquiry  Nourish the intellect by developing active listening  Demonstrate thinking  Provide a demonstration of phrased, fluent reading, showing the function of tone, intensity, pacing, and mood Garvey - Viterbo

Read-aloud experiences:  Develops sense of story/text  Expand vocabulary and create sensitivity to language  Provide exposure to text structures  Expand children’s literary knowledge by developing their understanding of plot, character, themes, and setting  Create a literary community in the classroom  Build a repertoire of genres, favorite authors, and favorite illustrators  Expand the notion of writer’s craft

Intentional Read-Alouds We make read aloud intentional when we purposely select texts and times with the intent to:  Inspire  Invest  instruct

When we inspire we select a particular title for a read aloud because we know it:  Promises to be enjoyable for our students  Connects to an aspect of our curriculum  Highlights the music of language and offers opportunities to model fluent reading, phrasing, and well-crafted writing  Contributes to an author study  Highlights key literary elements or provides good demonstration of particular text structures  Addresses important issues like friendship, racism, etc.  Present multiple perspectives

Importance of Timing  Timing is a critical factor  If we want this read aloud to inspire children to pick up a book, to explore new authors and genres and topics, we need to make it a standard feature in the daily happenings.  The read aloud becomes a ritual, a part of the daily routine that helps them mark the passage of time and live with a sense of focus and expectation.

Reading Aloud to Invest When reading aloud to invest time, language, and conceptual information, we group them around the following:  Author study  Genre  Text structure  Topic  Theme

Reading Aloud to Instruct  Choose books based on the sense of community established  Know what learning is expected  Know students (background knowledge, etc.)

The Art of Read Aloud To read aloud well, the reader, like the storyteller, must attend to at least these four qualities. 1.Tone – reflected in the voice quality of the reader 2.Mood – emotional climate of the piece 3.Intensity – reflected by shifts in volume and power of the reader’s voice 4.Pacing – heartbeat of the text

Reading aloud is like playing music. “The ups and downs of our voices and our pauses and points of emphasis are like music, literally, to the ears of young children, and kids love music.” -Mem Fox -Mem Fox

Read-Aloud Assignment for the Next Friday  Be willing to share a read-aloud during class.  Decide the purpose: inspire, invest, instruct  Highlight the story, appropriate grade levels, genre, etc.  Choose a portion of the story to model reading – give your listeners a purpose for listening  Add your book to the Read-Aloud table on the class wiki  (10 points)