Balanced Literacy Framework
to Structure your Literacy Block for Effective Literacy
Many school districts
have adopted a 90 minute balanced literacy framework as a model to
implement literacy instruction in the classrooms.
This page describes a
balanced literacy framework that is being used in many urban
districts, particularly those who are part of the Reading First
Grant. It has many elements that would work in any classroom,
especially if you want to use a differentiated approach to teaching.
This is not the
same as some balanced literacy programs found on the internet, such
as Four Blocks but has many of the components found in most balanced
literacy programs. The typical balanced literacy framework
consists of Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Independent Reading & Word
Work -- these can be found in this model.
Another alternative is the
BREAKDOWN FOR EACH
It would be best
to have a 90 minute literacy block for reading.
|15 - 20 minutes
|45 - 60 minutes
|15 - 20 minutes each group
|15 - 20 minutes
read-aloud is an activity in which the teacher reads a book
aloud to the whole group. The purpose of the read-aloud is to
model appropriate reading behaviors and reading strategies.
It is also a time to expose children to a variety of genres
and literary styles. The teacher has an opportunity to show
students the joys of reading and teach them how to think and
discuss text. Teachers should have a set purpose for each
read-aloud and should read with the proper fluency, rhythm,
Students do not have a copy
of the book. Their job is to listen how the teacher
models fluency or a strategy for reading.
and pointed lesson that is under 20 minutes. Look at
http://non-sequitur.tripod.com/id13.html for the structure
of a mini-lesson.
Some mini-lessons include:
literary styles/content of text
grammar or mechanics
stations have two purposes: (1) to engage students while the
teacher works with small reading groups, and (2) to reinforce
literacy skills (vocabulary, reading, phonics, word study,
mechanics). Students are grouped heterogeneously and
rotate to 3 centers. They remain at each center for
approximately 15 - 20 minutes. For more on literacy stations, please go to
reading is when the teacher works with a small group of
students that are on the same reading level. Each student
usually has their own text and the teacher works with the
students on skills depending on their needs, whether it is
phonemic awareness, work attack skills, fluency, or reading
reading is done during the literacy stations time.
For more on guided reading, go to the Guided Reading
regroups to discuss what they learned or did in their groups,
such as which strategies they employed for reading, or
projects they worked on. Share time is VERY IMPORTANT and
should not be skipped. It is a great way to assess what
students have and have not learned.
Word Work, usually referred to as spelling or phonics, is the
time when the teacher works with the whole class on phonics
skills and spelling strategies. This is important in the
primary grades because it helps children learn the decoding
skills needed to read. Word work can take the place of
share time or can be done after the 90 minute block.