Learning to Read in a Balanced Literacy Environment Beginning Readers August 27, 2013

Learning to Read in a Balanced Literacy

EnvironmentBeginning Readers

August 27, 2013

Linda BaldwinCarole HutchinsonShona Sneddon

Presenters from Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools

Balanced Literacy Definition

WritingRepresenting

ReadingViewing

SpeakingListening

The aim of balanced literacy is to encourage the development of skills in

• speaking and listening (oral language), • reading and viewing, • writing and representing

to make meaning of the world and to prepare our students to be engaged, reflective lifelong learners.

Balanced Literacy Definition

WritingRepresenting

ReadingViewing

SpeakingListening

Our balanced literacy approach recognizes that learners need to use a variety of strategies and authentic tasks to become efficient readers, writers and communicators through a variety of literature and media.

As practitioners, we continually utilize ongoing assessment to inform our practice and to be responsive to student needs.

Balanced Literacy Definition

WritingRepresenting

ReadingViewing

SpeakingListening

Within balanced literacy, the gradual release of responsibility

(I do/We do/You do)

is used to empower students to apply strategies and skills to new learning opportunities.

Modeled ReadingTeacher reads a selection aloud to students 

MOSTSUPPORT

Modeled WritingTeacher writes in front of students 

Shared (Interactive) ReadingTeacher and students read text together

 Shared (Interactive) Writing

Teacher and students both act as scribes to plan and create text

Guided ReadingTeacher supports students as they apply reading

strategies and skills to read text at student’s instructional level

Guided WritingTeacher supports students as they apply writing

strategies and skills to write text at student’s instructional level

Independent ReadingStudents choose and read self-selected texts

independently

LEAST

SUPPORT

Independent WritingStudents write text independently

COMPONENTS OF BALANCED LITERACY - GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Principles of Learning

Learning requires the active participation of the student

People learn in a variety of ways and at different rates

Learning is both an individual and a group process

ActivityWhat are classroom activities or instructional practices that would support each of these elements of reading?

Add to your handout, and write on post-it notes throughout to share at the end

Independent

Reader

Current research in literacy instruction suggests that successful literacy

programs include10 Essential Characteristics

(BC Ministry of Education IRP)

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Literacy learning in Kindergarten is critical to later success

A comprehensive and co-ordinated literacy program is crucial.

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Professional learning communities support a comprehensive and co-ordinated literacy program.

An extended and uninterrupted block of time for literacy learning is essential.

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Literacy experiences must strongly support student engagement.

Ongoing assessments are used to drive instruction and support learning.

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Focussed teaching is essential.

A resource-rich environment makes a big difference.

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Struggling and/or reluctant literacy learners benefit from research-based interventions

Ten Essential Characteristics of a Successful Literacy Program

Successful family-school partnerships improve student literacy learning

Five Elements of Reading

IndependentReader

Decoding and Word

Recognition

FluencyComprehension

Vocabulary

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness:

Five Elements of Reading

• is auditory and is the ability to recognize, combine and

manipulate basic sound units of the spoken word

• there is no evidence that phonological awareness is taught in a

specific order, however, below is a progression of elements

which range from the easiest to the most difficult

• it is the foundation upon which reading is taught and can be

integrated into every component of the primary literacy program

Rhymi

ng

Alliteration

Sentence

Segmenting

Blending and

Segmenting Syllables

Phoneme Manipulation(recognition,

isolation, blending, segmenting,

deletion, addition, substitution)

Decoding and word recognition:

Five Elements of Reading

• the ability to accurately sound out words and is fostered through

explicit and systematic phonics instruction

• phonics teaches the principles of letter-sound relationships,

including letter patterns and how to correctly pronounce words

Five Elements of Reading

• understanding the letter sound relationship enables the reader

to more efficiently figure out words they haven’t seen before.

• although models may vary slightly, elements to teach phonics

are systematic

Alphabetic Princi

pal

Short vowels &

consonants

(VC and CVC

pattern)

Final e(CVCe patter

n)

Clusters and

Blends(br, cl,

str)

Digraphs

(ch, sh, wh, etc.)

Complex

Vowels

Multisyllabicdecod

ing

Five Elements of Reading

There are four main approaches to phonics instruction:

A. Synthetic approaches that start by teaching the individual

sounds and then how to blend them into words

B. Analytic approaches that teach the whole word first, then the

component sounds within the word are analyzed

C. Analogic approaches teach students to apply word parts they

know to identify and write new words

D. Phonics through spelling which is an approach that introduces

letters, sounds and patterns with immediate links to writing

Fluency:

Five Elements of Reading

• the ability to read smoothly and accurately with appropriate

expression and intonation

• if able to successfully decode, fluent readers can concentrate

on making connections and develop a deeper understanding of

what they are reading

Vocabulary:

Five Elements of Reading

• a reader’s vocabulary can be developed in the classroom by

using open ended questions and wherever possible

paraphrasing their responses with a richer vocabulary

• there is a direct correlation between having a strong vocabulary

base and having greater success in learning to read

A variety of rich language

experiences

Explicit teaching of individual

words

Teaching vocabulary strategies

Promoting an awareness and

interest in words

Comprehension:

Five Elements of Reading

• is the active, fluent construction and revision of the meaning of

text

• when constructing meaning students engage in three

different

levels of thinking: literal, inferential and critical Literal:

information that is explicitly

stated in the text

Inferential: a connection to

known concepts/ideas or previously read material

Critical: evaluating what the reader reads relative to the meaning it

holds for them and the author's intent

Why do we need to organize and teach the learning routines?

Learning Routines

-learning routines are habits of the mind that are self-directed and self-monitored (Rog, 2013 Read, Write, Play, Learn…)

-whichever structure you use it is important to model, demonstrate and practice what you want your students to be able to do (Gradual Release of Responsibility, Pearson & Gallagher 1983)

Daily 5 (Boushey & Moser, 2005)“ Building Muscle Memory”

The Daily 5 and The Cafe

The Daily 5 and The Cafe

The Teacher’s Guide to the Four Blocks (Cunningham, Hall & Sigmon, 1999)

FrameworkRepresents four different approaches to teaching children to readDaily incorporating the different approachesUses a variety of formats to make each block as multilevel as possible

The Four Blocks

How do effective learning routines look in the context of a balanced literacy classroom?

Learning Routines

ProgramFits in the Working with Words section of a balanced literacy program and covers the phonological awareness, decoding and word recognition elementsReview soundsBig BookStudent sound bookPractice sheetWord cards for blendingWord games and segmentingTricky words

Programuses pictures containing familiar objects, action and scenes to draw out words from children’s listening and speaking vocabularythe purpose of PWIM is to develop the students’ vocabulary, concepts about words, sentence and paragraph structuresthe strategy can be used whole class, small groups, pairs or individualsFits within the guided reading and writing sections of a balanced literacy program and covers the vocabulary and comprehension elements

PWIM : Picture Word Inductive Model (Calhoun, 1998)

Program

Fits within the Working with Words part of a balanced literacy program and covers the phonological awareness element

Primary purpose to guide instruction and meet needs of students

Of learning – confirm what students know: summative, marksFor learning – modify teaching or activities: formative, descriptiveAs learning – role of the student: personal reflection

Assessment

Screening – brief test to asses an individual in order to identify a need for help or interventionUniversal or district screening – may indicate areas of curriculum that need supplemental support or identifies what students are at risk and may need additional diagnostic assessmentProgress monitoring – repeated assessment of target skills to see progress toward essential learning outcomes and to determine the effectiveness of an interventionDiagnostic assessments – individually administered to discover specific areas of skills deficits and provide baseline data

Assessment

Critical that students be assessed upon entering school and continue to be frequently assessed in the early years as they begin to readInitial assessment provides a baselineInformal throughout the year allows the teacher to address students’ individual needs and give extra assistance or change instructionImbed in instruction when possibleExamples include: anecdotal records, conferences, checklists, rubrics, products, response groups, learning logs, interviews

Assessment

Activity CompletionPut your post-it note activities on the appropriate chart paper

Independent

Reader

Participant Activities for the 5 elements of readingPhonological AwarenessRubber band words

Segmenting

Word sorts

McCracken

Explode the Code

Primary Phonics

Zoo Phonics

Sort pictures by sounds – initial, vowel, endings

playing with sounds in words using blocks

Games

rhymingstudent created word games

Lexia

Decoding and Word RecognitionLexia

sticker scenes

word searches

flip books

Bingo

memory games with sight words

Writing

word within a word

Primary Success

Dolch words

McCracken

Explode the Code

Primary Phonics

fill in the blank sentences

Crosswords

"does that look right?“

lots of easy reading books

spelling

VocabularyLexiaword searches

picture induction

write out

pre-discuss

word wall

Paraphrase

stories with good vocabulary

Dictionary practice

research projects

spell aloud

1,2,3 Spell

Fluencyshort "fold and say" stories

shared, choral reading with poetry or chants

daily practice

read aloud, read along

use different voices

partner reading

repeated reading

sing and definition

small grouplearning and discussion

Apps

model

Comprehensionliteracy circles

shared reading

check for understanding

reading power strategies

re-tell - summarize story

story elements

word toss

open discussion

write, read, write

book reports

literal, inferential, critical, evaluating

Foundations for literacy http://foundationsforliteracy.cllrnet.ca/index.php/Foundations_For_Literacy

Jolly Phonics http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/

Summer Institute http://successforallsummerinstitute.weebly.com

Websites

Thank you for attending this workshop. Enjoy the last few days of summer!