A Balanced Literacy Approach to
Reading and Writing
•
The teacher makes thoughtful choices each day about the BEST way to teach
what students need to become skillful readers and writers based on data.
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Includes phonics, word study, grammar skills, reading and comprehension
strategies, and writing forms and skills.
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When children are given direct instructional support and a variety of daily
reading and writing experiences that are needed in the complex process of
becoming independent readers and writers.
READING COMPONENTS FOR A BALANCED
LITERACY PROGRAM
 Shared Reading
 Interactive Read Aloud
 Independent Daily Reading
 Small Group Instruction (Guided Reading,
Partner Reading, Skill Groups, Book Clubs,
Conferences)
 Word Study (phonics, grammar, mechanics,
spelling, vocabulary)
SHARED READING
 Shared Reading is an interactive reading experience that
occurs when students join in or share the reading of a big
book or other enlarged text while guided and supported
by the teacher.
 Students observe the teacher reading the text with
fluency and expression.
 Shared reading gives an authentic reason to practice
skills and strategies.
TYPES OF SHARED READING MATERIALS
 Big books and lap books
 Text projected on smart board
 Poetry
 Songs
 Morning message
 Classroom news
INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD
 Teachers choose Read Aloud books to build students’ knowledge
about a theme or content area, or to model a particular
comprehension strategy.
 Teachers choose vocabulary words to explicitly teach and mark
spots that are ripe for questions and for “thinking aloud” about
reading comprehension strategies.
 Teachers plan when to pause reading to model “thinking aloud” to
demonstrate the thought processes that good readers do when
reading text.
 Teachers plan when to leave open space for “accountable talk,”
(turn and talk to a partner), record thinking/thought process with use
of post it notes, etc.
INDEPENDENT DAILY READING
 Students engage in self-selected texts at their
independent level.
 Students use this time to practice what good readers
do and apply skills previously taught during the mini
lessons.
 Students read in book nooks around the room while
the teacher holds individual reading conferences or
meets with small groups of students for guided
reading, strategy lessons, or book clubs.
 Students are held accountable for reading through
their reader’s response notebook, graphic
organizers, partner reading, post its, etc.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE READERS’
WORKSHOP - (45 minutes)
 Whole Group – Mini Lesson (10-15 minutes)
 Small Group Instruction (30 minutes) –
(Guided Reading, Partner Reading, Book
Clubs, Independent Daily Reading, Skill
Groups, Conferences)
 Whole Group – Share/Closure (5 minutes)
Whole Group – Mini Lesson
 Readers’ Workshop begins with a whole group mini lesson which
lasts approximately 10-15 minutes. During each mini lesson, the
teacher teaches a specific reading skill or strategy, also known as
the teaching point.
 The teacher will model or demonstrate the skill for the students.
 Students actively engage in practicing the skill.
TIP: When using mentor texts to model reading strategies, teachers
should refer to or ONLY reread small excerpts of a text that has
been previously read aloud. Read Aloud is SEPARATE from a
mini lesson. The longer the mini lesson lasts, the LESS time
students will have to practice the strategy on their own, with
partners, or in small group.
Small Group Instruction is
the HEART AND FOCUS
for reading success in
West Orange
GUIDED READING
 Guided Reading is when a teacher pulls students who are all reading
on the same level together so they can read books at their
instructional level.
 Guided Reading groups are dynamic, flexible, and change.
 All students are actively interacting with text at their independent
level to construct meaning.
 Skills such as phonics, word study, vocabulary, grammar, mechanics
are embedded.
 Questions are prompted to develop higher order level thinking and
strategic reading.
 Students respond to literature through writing extensions and
authentic activities.
 Assessment is ongoing and embedded in the instruction.
Research says…
The BEST way to move a student in
reading is to teach them at their
instructional reading level.
PARTNER READING
 Pairs sit together shoulder to shoulder
reading the same book or a different book,
reading one page at a time, then engage in a
brief question and answer session to confirm
comprehension.
 Improves fluency, reading rate, word attack
skills, builds confidence, and helps students
monitor their own comprehension.
BOOK CLUBS
 Students read the same book and meet in small
groups to discuss the book.
 Teacher facilitates the discussion but ultimately
the students are in charge of their book club.
 Students discuss their thoughts and opinions of
the book and are encouraged to interact and
comment.
 Great opportunity for students to experience
new kinds of genres and collaborate/discuss with
peers.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE WRITERS’
WORKSHOP (45 minutes)
 Whole Group – Mini Lesson (10-15 minutes)
 Small Group and Independent Writing – (30
minutes) - Skill Groups, Peer Editing,
Conferences
 Whole Group – Share/Closure (5 minutes)
SHARED WRITING
 The teacher models “thinking aloud” as he/or
she writes, so that students see how a good
writer’s thought process works.
 Students participate by listening to the teacher’s
thought process.
 Students speak in partnerships or in whole-class
discussions, trying out writing skills and
strategies with the teacher’s assistance.
 The teacher acts as a scribe with student
participation and collaboration.
INTERACTIVE WRITING
 The teacher composes an enlarged text with
the students. Students participate by writing
parts of the text. The teacher and student
SHARE the pen.
 The teacher writes what is too easy or too
difficult for the students.
 At the end, teacher and students have
produced a text that is conventional (spelling
and punctuation are correct).
BREAKDOWN OF TIME NEEDED FOR
BALANCED LITERACY…
 (45 Minutes) Readers’ Workshop
 (45 Minutes) Writers’ Workshop
 (30 Minutes) OUTSIDE of the Readers’ and
Writers’ Workshop
Phonics, Word Study, Daily Edits, Daily Writer’s Notebooks,
Interactive Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive
Writing, Language Instruction, Vocabulary
HOW DO WE MAKE WORKSHOPS WORK WITH
LESS TIME?
 Teach a new mini lesson every other day or
every two days.
 Shorten small group work, one on one
instruction on days when you are teaching a
new mini lesson.
 Keep sharing and closure to a minimum.
IF short on time, what do you do?
MAKE “SMART” CHOICES
 On days when you are teaching a mini lesson,
possibly give up the read aloud.
 Possibly teach word study/language lessons
every other day.
 Tuck in language every morning as a quick
“Do Now” through Daily Edits.
TO CONCLUDE…
 A Balanced Literacy Approach to
Reading and Writing creates a
positive, collaborative,
differentiated, STUDENT DRIVEN,
literacy environment where the
onus of learning is on the
students.