Balanced Literacy - Summer Institute 2010

Every Child a Reader and Writer

Monday, August 2, 2010

A Cultural Context


An educational manifestation of social inequality


Manifest on most indicators of achievement


Normalization of Failure


Brutal Facts


44 million adults in the U.S. can't read well enough to read a simple story to a

child. Reference: National Adult Literacy Survey (1992) NCED, U.S. Department of Education


Disadvantaged students in the first grade have a

vocabulary that is approximately half that of

an advantaged student Reference: Graves, 1986 / White, Graves & Slater, 1990


21 million Americans can't read at all, 45 million are marginally illiterate and one-fifth of high school

graduates can't read their diplomas.

Reference: Department of Justice, 1993


In a class of 20 students, few if any teachers can

find even 5 minutes of time in a day to devote to

reading with each studentReference: Adams, 2002


Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3 - 4 times more likely to drop out in later

Reference: National Adult Literacy Survey, (1002) NCES, U.S. Department of Education


"The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure." Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.

Reference: US Department of Justice


15% of all 4th graders read no faster than 74 words per minute,

a pace at which it would be difficult to keep track of ideas as they are developing within the sentence and across the page

Reference: Pinnell, et. al. 1995


Absolute Faith


Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even

15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of

text in a year.

Reference: Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988


Teachers are the single most important factor in accelerating

reading growth.



Teachers are the single most important factor in accelerating

reading growth.



Balanced Literacy can help...


Components of Balanced Literacy

Reading Workshop

Literature Study

Guided Reading

Independent Reading

Writer’s Workshop

Guided Writing

Independent Writing

Language/Word Study

Shared Reading/Writing

Interactive Read Aloud

Interactive Writing/Edit

Phonics/Word Study

Interactive Vocabulary

Handwriting

Spelling


The Two-Hour Literacy Block


Whole Class Shared Reading

Grades 2 - 5 40 minutes per day

Grade 130 minutes per day

focus lessons are presented to teach explicit reading skills or strategies teacher explicitly models reading strategies and skills that students need to learn the responsibility for reading is “shared” between the teacher and students, although the teacher reads most of the text usually occurs with the whole class

Guided Reading Block (w/

independent reading)

provides students with the opportunity to talk, think, and question their way through textthe teacher meets with a small group that needs to practice a specific strategy - or - has

a similar reading level each student has a copy of his/her own text; reading is done by the student while the

teacher coaches independent reading is a time when students read text (either self-selected or teacher

recommended) at their independent reading level to practice reading strategies

Whole Class Read Aloud

provides a model of fluency and builds listening comprehension you read to the students acting as both author and reader

Word StudyGrades 2 - 5

20 minutes per day Grade 1

30 minutes per day

involves both the decoding (reading) and encoding (phonics and spelling) of our alphabetic symbol system should include handwriting

At a Glance...


Focused Learning

Think Aloud

Mini-lesson (strategy, skill or craft)

Modeling

Targeted Instruction(needs based)

Explicit Instruction5 - 10 minutes

Flexible Guided Reading Groups(changes every 6 weeks)

Shared Reading/Read Aloud

Conferring

Literature Circles

Guided Instruction30 - 40 minutes

Purposeful, independent reading

Cooperative Learning experiences

Independent Practice(while teacher works w/grp)

Student Reflection of learning (5 - 10 minutes)

Summative Assessment

Teachers move fluidly through these stages based on formative assessments such as Running Records, Conferring Notes, Journal Notes,

Exit Tickets, and Student Created Work

EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN READING: Components of a Reading & Writing Workshop


GROUPINGWHOLE CLASS Shared Reading

Interactive Read AloudMini-lessons

SMALL GROUPGuided Reading/Writing

Literature Discussion GroupsSkill/Strategy groups

INDEPENDENT Independent Reading/WritingReading/Writing conferences

Accelerated/Remedial Monday, August 2, 2010

Mini-Lesson StructureConnectionConnect today’s lesson with…

yesterday’s lessonongoing unit of studystudent’s workan experience outside of school or classroom

Teaching PointPresent verballyDemonstrate or model

Active EngagementChildren…

try out a skill or strategy with a textact like researchers as they watch a demonstrationplan work out loudimagine trying a skill or strategy

LinkTo ongoing work


Reading WorkshopIndependent Reading

Self-selectedSelf-pacedPractice previously learned strategies and skillsResponding to reading

Guided ReadingLeveled booksFiction and non-fictionAbility groupedSkill focused

Literature StudyVarying levelsVariety of genresInterest based groupsStrategy focused


Language and Word Study

K-2

Shared Reading

Shared Writing


Phonics/Word Study

Poetry Reading

Reader’s Theatre

Handwriting

Spelling

3 - 5

Shared Reading/Writing


Interactive Writing/Edit

Phonics/Word Study

Interactive Vocabulary

Current Events

Spelling

Reader’s Theatre

Poetry


Guided Reading


Traditional Reading Groups vs. Guided Reading Groups

TRADITIONAL GUIDED READING

Groups remain stable in composition. Groups are dynamic, flexible, and change on a regular basis.

Students progress through a specific sequence of stories and skills.

Stories are chosen at appropriate level for each group; there is no prescribed sequence.

Introductions focus on new vocabulary. Introductions focus on meaning with some attention to new and interesting vocabulary.

Skills practice follows reading. Skills practice is embedded in shared reading.

Focus is on the lesson, not the student. Focus is on the student, not the lesson.

Teacher follows prepared "script" from the teacher's guide. Teacher and students actively interact with text.

Questions are generally limited to factual recall. Questions develop higher order thinking skills and strategic reading.

Teacher is interpreter and checker of meaning. Teacher and students interact with text to construct meaning.

Students take turn reading orally. Students read entire text silently or with a partner.

Students take turn reading orally. Focus is on understanding meaning.

Students respond to story in workbooks or on prepared worksheets.

Students respond to story through personal and authentic activities.

Readers are dependent on teacher direction and support. Students read independently and confidently.

Students are tested on skills and literal recall at the end of each story/unit. Assessment is ongoing and embedded in instruction.


Running Record - Reading A-Z


Sample Texts


Before ReadingThe Teacher

Teacher selects groups on ability and needsSelects appropriate texts -90-94% readabilityPreviews vocabulary, context, and structure of the textPrompts students’ prior knowledge and experience of

topicHelps students set a purpose for readingDiscusses concepts of the book and scaffolds prior

knowledgeFocuses on a particular strategy during the guided

reading process (ex. predictions, close look at story elements: plot, characters etc., and helping students to use illustrations to understand new concepts) Organizes students into groups and provides them with

activities to do, while teacher is leading guided reading group.


Before Reading

The Studentdiscusses what he/she thinks may happen in the story,

make predictionsoffers prior knowledge on the topic students not participating in guided reading work

individually doing other reading activities.


During ReadingThe Teacher

Observes students reading independentlyCan reinforce ideas through consolidation of learningCan help students decode words and define meaningHelps to build new knowledgeScaffolds comprehension for students

The StudentReads the selected text independentlyApplies reading strategies and reflects on text being

readMakes predictions about what happens nextReflects and utilizes reading strategies


During ReadingThe Teacher

Debriefs and assesses if reading purposes were met and if predictions were true.Connects information with the story and starts extension activities. Gives students encouraging words. Talks about what the students learned. Listens to students’ comments. Determines what they need to read next.Listens to what the kids have to say about their feelings on the text. Provides links that give meaning to the story. Can conduct a mini-lesson.

The StudentAnswers oral questions on what he/she felt about the book and does the follow-up

activities that the teacher assigns. Consolidates new knowledge. Moves closer to independence. Shares reading strategies and responses to text.


When you designteaching for learning,

these are the results!


My Favorite ResourcesGuided Reading Materials

www.readinga-z.com

Beth Newingham - Scholastic Star Teacherhill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3

Mrs. Meachem Classroom Snapshots (blocked at school)www.jmeacham.com/

Powerup Learningwww.poweruplearning.com

Literature Circles Resource Centerwww.litcircles.org


http://www.readinga-z.com




http://www.jmeacham.com

http://www.jmeacham.com

http://www.poweruplearning.com

http://www.poweruplearning.com

http://www.litcircles.org

http://www.litcircles.org