Balanced literacy
Balanced literacy is an instructional approach designed to teach reading and writing by integrating various methods and activities aimed at enhancing students' literacy skills. It emphasizes a combination of phonics instruction and whole language strategies, allowing for a multifaceted exploration of language. Key components of balanced literacy include Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, and Workshops, all of which encourage active engagement and collaboration between teachers and students.
In Read Aloud sessions, teachers model reading strategies while sharing their thought processes, fostering comprehension skills. Shared Reading involves students actively participating alongside teachers, enhancing their reading fluency and engagement. Writing components focus on modeling writing processes and encouraging student contributions, thus building their writing abilities. Additionally, Workshops provide a structured environment where students can apply their skills independently or in groups, further reinforcing their learning through practical application.
Proponents of balanced literacy advocate for its adaptability to diverse learning needs and contexts, highlighting its potential to connect literacy skills to real-world situations. However, some critics express concerns about its complexity, particularly for struggling learners. Overall, balanced literacy seeks to create a dynamic and responsive learning environment that prioritizes both process and content in literacy education.
Balanced literacy
Balanced literacy is a technique to teach reading and writing that involves combinations of topics, lessons, and activities meant to build students' reading and writing skills. The term is most frequently used to denote lessons that balance the study of phonics with the study of whole language. However, the term sometimes means the balancing of other factors in language learning as well.
Balanced literacy stresses the method of teaching as much as the content itself, encouraging teachers to find creative methods of conveying information. Many types of activities are considered part of balanced literacy lessons. The five main categories include Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, and Workshops.
Overview
Many teachers focus on a balance between phonics and whole language lessons, accomplished by using many sources of writing (including novels, poems, nonfiction works, lists, signs, etc.) along with more traditional textbooks to demonstrate linguistic principles. Teachers ask students to read the material for content and literary analysis first, and then they ask the students to reread sections to support various types of phonics or grammar lessons.
Proponents of balanced literacy believe this practice helps students to see language in real-world contexts, as well as become exposed to new ideas and materials not traditionally employed in language classes. Balanced literacy techniques have won favor in many schools but have been criticized for making language studies overly complex and difficult for struggling learners.
Other educational combinations play parts in balanced literacy. For example, the balance could be between different areas of the curriculum if linguistic skills are taught in math or science contexts, or vice versa. The balance also can be between teacher-initiated and student-initiated activities; between reading and writing lessons; or among skills involving meaning, structure, and visual information.
Balanced literacy requires teachers to continually monitor student development, seeing daily performance as a valuable gauge of student achievement. Balanced literacy techniques also require teachers to design lessons that engage students and address their needs. Advocates of balanced literacy place high importance on the methods of teaching and encourage teachers to creatively customize new lessons. These lessons may vary, but generally fall into reading lessons, writing lessons, and workshops.
Reading Lessons
Reading lessons include the categories of Read Aloud and Shared Reading. In Read Aloud activities, teachers read aloud a text to the class. While reading, the teachers should occasionally pause and explain any thoughts they have while reading. The internal dialogue that the teachers provide helps to show how they process the information. Teachers may focus on developing academic skills or using the information to make meaning. (For instance, teachers may relate an aspect of the text to their own lives, another familiar text with similar features, or related world events.) Meanwhile, the students should listen to the text as well as the teachers' added insights. Later, students can perform activities in which they use similar thought strategies independently to understand text or make meaning.
Shared Reading activities are similar but involve more active participation by students. In these activities, teachers provide a large text on the blackboard, a projector screen, or another easily seen medium. The teachers then read the text while the students read along. During the reading, the teachers can contribute new insights and ideas, and the students may raise questions or add their own information. The shared nature of this reading is intended to engage students and keep them visually focused on text as it is being read.
Writing Lessons
Writing lessons include the components of Shared Writing and Interactive Writing. In Shared Writing activities, teachers write texts while students watch. As the teachers write, they explain what they are thinking. Expressing internal dialogue helps to show students how experienced writers handle writing tasks and what kinds of thoughts contribute to the writing of texts. Using these dialogues, teachers may model any aspect of composition, from spelling and grammar choices to word connotations and personal style. During this activity, students are expected to watch and listen while the teachers develop the texts. Later, the students can perform various activities to use techniques similar to those modeled by the instructors.
In Interactive Writing, teachers and students work together to write texts. Instructors may generate a topic or theme or write an opening sentence on a large, easily visible writing surface. Then students take turns writing new words and sentences on the writing surface. As needed, teachers could contribute to the growing text to help guide students toward a goal or to fill in material that may be too basic or too advanced for the students. This activity helps students visualize writing techniques and build linguistic skills.
Workshops
While most balanced literacy activities are meant to build and hone student literacy skills, Workshops provide students with an opportunity to use their skills and teachers the opportunity to assess student learning. In Workshops, students—independently or in small groups—perform language tasks using their new skills. Workshops may focus on reading, writing, or both.
Reading Workshops may involve skills such as identifying phonics, choosing appropriate reading or research materials, dealing with unknown words, taking notes, distinguishing between facts and opinions, relating background knowledge, determining authors' purposes and attitudes, and finding main ideas and details. During Writing Workshops, teachers may ask students to perform tasks such as choosing research topics, writing in different forms and genres, developing sentences and paragraphs, writing summaries, and editing and revising their work. During all reading and writing activities, teachers can creatively choose and coordinate materials and assignments to reinforce needed language skills.
Bibliography
"Balanced Literacy in Kindergarten and First Grade." Mrs. Richardson's Class, 21 July 2016, www.mrsrichardsonsclass.com/balanced-literacy-kindergarten-first-grade. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Berne, Jennifer, and Sophie C. Degener. The One-on-One Reading and Writing Conference: Working with Students on Complex Texts. Teachers College P, 2015.
Calkins, Lucy. "Balanced Literacy Is One Effective Approach." Room for Debate. New York Times. 2 Jul. 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/07/02/the-right-approach-to-reading-instruction/balanced-literacy-is-one-effective-approach. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Goldberg, Margaret. "Seeing the Good in Balanced Literacy . . .And Moving On." Reading Rockets, 2 Aug. 2022, www.readingrockets.org/blogs/right-to-read/seeing-good-balanced-literacy-and-moving. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Nazaryan, Alexander. "The Fallacy of 'Balanced Literacy.'" The New York Times. New York Times Company. 7 Jul. 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.
"The Science of Reading vs. Balanced Literary." Lexia, 15 Aug. 2024, www.lexialearning.com/blog/the-science-of-reading-vs-balanced-literacy. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.