Building Balanced Literacy

   Literacy development is a complex process.  Although many "basal" programs have a reading curriculum that incorporates the components of literacy, most are inadequate in meeting the diverse needs of the learners in our classrooms.  In terms of children's needs, there are eight basic components of literacy development that a teacher needs to blend and orchestrate to create a rich environment for literacy development (Word Matters, Pinnell and Fountas). These components include:

   1.  Understanding the purpose of literacy so children may develop an appreciation for literature in their lives.

   2.  Children need to hear written language so they can learn its structure and take in new information and ideas.

   3.  Children need to become aware of the sounds of language, to enjoy those sounds, and to use this knowledge as a tool in becoming literate.

   4.  Children need to have many experiences working with written symbols so they can learn how to look at letters and use this information to read and write.

   5.  Children need to explore words and learn how words work so they can use this information effectively and efficiently in reading and writing.

   6.  Children need to learn the conventions of print and how books work so they can use this knowledge as readers and writers.

   7.  Children need to read and write continuous text so they can use and expand their knowledge about letters, words, sounds, and language.

   8.  Children need to develop flexibility and fluency to enhance comprehension and enjoyment of reading and writing.

   Additional information about these eight principals of literacy, several professional and classroom resource books are provided in this section of Primary Teacher's web site as well as the Book Nook. 

     Meeting the needs of our students can be an overwhelming task.  However, I have found that beginning with one component and building over time is the most comfortable method of learning and developing a system that works for YOU.  One key point to remember is that ASSESSMENT is the key to learning about the "big" picture.  The assessment process should be ONGOING and drive your instructional practice. This enables students to develop skills, fluency and make progress in whole or small groups and as INDIVIDUALS.  When students feel successful and can make sense out of the reading process, then this intrinsic motivation ignites the love of reading.

                       ASSESSMENTS

  The following are a brief list of assessments, formal and informal, and resources.  Click on the underlined title OR book cover to review the materials.

Developmental Reading Assessment         DRA     By Joetta Beaver  Excellent for all primary teachers!
	READING FOR LIFE  The Learner as a Reader *Process, strategies, assessment and more.	PALS University of Virginia

     Key points to remember:

       * Assessment is where the teacher begins and  it is ONGOING.

      * Assessment enables the teacher to view progress as well as understand where to begin the next instructional steps. (ZPD)

      *  Assessments are NOT always formal.  Running records, observations and anecdotal notes, conversations with a child about reading, and parent feedback through reading logs are valuable assessment pieces.

                   SUGGESTIONS:

   * Running Records:

          To keep my running record information organized, I use a steno notebook for each child.  Information or reading behaviors that I have observed, running records, or notes I make on the student's progress in the steno book are in ONE place.  The notebooks are an asset when presenting information on a child's progress in reading, as well as oral and written language during conferences.

                    Assessment Data:

         The requirements of your school district may be different but, at the beginning of each school year, I assess students using many different resources and tools.  To develop a more complete picture of the child's language/literacy knowledge, I include evaluations to such as:

         Observational surveys and notes - these are made during social interactions with other children or with myself.  An oral language sample provides a picture of the level of expressive and receptive language.  Most of my students have been dominant Spanish speakers.  Consequently, my evaluations reflect both languages and the degree of flexibility and proficiency a child has within each domain.  When using the DRA, I also assess the child's knowledge of print (CONCEPTS OF PRINT, M. Clay).  This provides a picture of letter, word, sound knowledge, book concepts, directionality, return sweep, one-to-one correspondence, etc.  Additionally, I interview students about their reading habits, home reading, what they like to read, etc.

       VOCABULARY AND SIGHT WORDS -to assess vocabulary/sight word knowledge, I use Dolch lists beginning with the first 25-words and continue in 25-word groups.  Other word lists that may be used are the Ohio Word List, Frys Ayers, etc.

       Written Language - Assessment, "Hearing and Recording Sounds in Words" (M. Clay).  In brief, the teacher reads a sentence.  Students write the words the teacher dictates.  Points are given for correct letters/sounds produced.

            Letter Identification - Students say the name of the letters (upper case, lower case) and the sounds each letter produces.

      Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA).  Includes observational survey, running record, fluency, and comprehension in varied leveled reading texts. This assessment is excellent.  Further information may be found at the DRA web site in the resources listed on this page. 

         Writing Samples - I use journals, morning messages, and composition books.  Students write about varied topics.  I conference with the student to discover how the child "solves" problems in written expression, etc and what are the next steps.  Observe students while writing to see if they are trying to "stretch" sounds in words.

         Drawings, illustrations, lists, etc.:  When students draw a picture, the content of their drawing is a window to their thoughts and perceptions.  View the drawing to look for complex details, labels, spatial perceptions, thoughts, etc.  A developmental picture is gained when reflecting on their work.

          Parent interviews/feedback: Ask parents about what their child reads at home. An interview with parents presents a picture of the developmental reading at home (lap reading, rhymes, etc) as well as the quantity of print in the home.  Families may be encouraged to read to their children when provided with materials to support this learning.  More about that later............

This book enables you to teach phonemic awareness in a fun, interactive, hands-on way without taking a lot of extra time out of your curriculum. The "sound boards" are based on books we all read to our kids including: Where The Wild Things Are, The Snowy Day, Miss Nelson Is Missing, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, The Paper Bag Princess, Curious George, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Mrs. Wishy-Washy, Brown Bear, Brown Bear etc. After enjoying the read-aloud or shared reading, the class works with the sound board in a game-like way to practice sound matching with rhyming words, beginning sounds, ending sounds, vowel sounds, and more. The boards are adaptable to use with small groups or individuals of varying needs. They're great to use with older kids who need phonemic awareness practice, too. Everything you need is included in this book--ready-made, ready for you to copy and use. Experience phonemic awareness success with this book!

Making Words

It presents a method for involving students in the process of identifying phonological units and patterns within words, and helps the student to become aware of similarities in words that can help in writing. Students physically manipulate letter cards to spell words of increasing length, then sort and classify the words they have spelled. It can be used in small group or whole class settings, and is fairly easy to manage. The book presents the sequence of steps in a typical lesson, a series of introductory lessons to teach the method to the students, and has a large number of words and word lists that can be the basis for lessons in your class. I used it the last half of the year in my first grade class, and it was very effective, providing a clearly understood framework for teaching spelling.

Fun Phonograms

By: Trisha Callella

 PHONEMIC AWARENESS

This is one of those books I use over and over again with my K-3 reading groups. The kids love the activities and I am happy with what they are learning. To be good readers, children need to be able to hear the sounds that make words, change sounds in words to make new words, and see the relationship between sounds. This book supplies you with over 60 exciting lessons for just that. The lessons are easy to do and many you can do without any materials. The book does supply you with the needed reproducible manipulatives, picture cards, and word lists.

TAKING RUNNING RECORDS

Dr. Shea shows not only how to code a running record, but also how to code a systematic retelling assessment tool. This tool's results are correlated with a running record results to give an over-all picture of a student's performance in reading a book.
This is an affordable, easy to read book that will be worth your investment of time and money.

WORD FAMILY POEMS AND PUPPETS

Teach phonemic awareness with these fanciful and fun reproducible poems that feature 20 of the top key word families. Then, invite kids to create an adorable paper-bag puppet to go with each poem. The puppets will help kids remember the sounds. They'll love bringing them home to share with their families. Includes easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions on how to make a bug puppet, crab puppet, blue jay puppet, and much more.

PICTURE SORTS FOR

 PHONEMIC AWARENESS

PHONICS GAMES KIDS

  CAN'T RESIST

Includes Ready-to-use Patterns!
Alphabet Soup, Cereal Box Consonant Search, Clown Slide Blends, Flip the Vowel Flapjacks . . . . Kids will clamor for these irresistible games and activities that teach the alphabet, consonants, blends, vowels, and more. Classroom tested!

Phonemic Awareness Activities

Phonemic awareness—the understanding that words are made up of sounds—is essential to a child's early reading success. With this book, children gain this awareness through engaging, easy to teach activities

BALANCING LITERACY

A Balanced Approach to Reading and Writing

    LITERACY BAGS

  (P. Cunningham)

By: Pinnell and Fountas

A complete Phonics and Word Study Curriculum for each of the primary grades with 100 Minilessons for Grade 1.

 I use this book in my classroom for whole and small group as well as centers.  The centers are included in the three book set.

  Words Their Way

Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, third edition, a phenomenon in word study, provides a practical way to study words with students. Based on the research on invented and developmental spelling, the framework of this text is keyed to the five stages of spelling or orthographic development. Ordered in this developmental format, Words Their Way complements the use of any existing phonics, spelling, and vocabulary curricula.

The following two books complement this book.

A must have especially in Virginia (PALS)

Weekly Word Sorts  

WORDS THEIR WAY

Word Sorts for Within Pattern Spellers

This supplemental book expands and enriches the practical, research-based and classroom proven way to study words with students, specifically Word Pattern spelling. Notes for the Teacher, Organizational tips, and follow-up activities all assist teachers and future teachers to begin using word sorts with minimal preparation and to easily reinforce previous word sort skills as students learn and build new ones. Designed for use as part of a reading curriculum where word pattern spelling is covered, topics provide step-by-step instructions on how to introduce and guide students through the sorting lesson. The free Words Their Way CD-ROM supplement is loaded with extra pdf files of games, word sorts, word lists, and game boards providing ready to print activities for new teachers. The Companion Website provides a resource for additional spelling inventories for grades 1-3, resources for using word sorts with ELL learners, and links to related word study websites. Designed for use as part of a reading curriculum where word pattern spelling is covered.

     *A MUST HAVE!!!!

 Especially in Virginia (PALS)

WORD SORTS FOR ALPHABETIC SPELLERS

This book enables readers to understand the best way to teach elementary reading or phonics. This is a practical, research-based, and classroom-proven guide to expand and enrich word study, specifically for Letter Name—Alphabetic Spellers. Step-by-step instructions introduce and guide learners through the sorting lessons. These lessons include: review sorts for initial consonants; same-vowel word families with pictures; digraphs and blends picture sorts; mixed vowel word families; picture shorts for short vowels; short vowels in CVC words; introduction to R-influenced words; and contractions. An obvious choice for elementary educators

  A MUST HAVE ALSO

Especially in Virginia (PALS)

        The referenced book, IRRESISTIBLE SOUND-MATCHING SHEETS in the reference book table above is one of my favorite books.  Each literature selection has a sound map.  Children manipulate cubes, beans, etc. as they listen for beginning, medial, or final sounds as well as varied vowel sounds, digraphs, blends, and rhyming words.  My favorite is the sound mat for Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.

       Here are some other resources to facilitate word work activities in your classroom.

Phonemic Awareness Through Language Play

          Getting Ready To Read                                                                                 

Another wonderful resource for early literacy games is Dr. Maggie (Dr. Margaret Allen). Many of her great materials are published by Creative Teaching Press.

            Sites

       LITERACY

         CENTERS            

  Writing and reading are like peanut butter and jelly.  The literacy skills in reading and writing are interrelated and blend together.  I love teaching using a writer's workshop format.  My students start writing from the first day of school even in kindergarten.  It is amazing to see the development in their reading and writing skills by the end of the year.  There is one rule.  Children MUST read, be read to, be supported in their reading and writing, have writing instruction that is both modeled by the teacher, shared together and interactive. Students need to practice these mini-lesson skills independently EVERY DAY!  Writing is NOT a once in awhile activity.  I cringe when I hear teachers say, "get a paper and write a story."  Well, that is like telling a person who does not know how to drive, "here are the keys, have a good time." As a literacy coach, my instructional foundation is credited to Lucy Calkins, M. Mooney, Reading Recovery, Marie Clay, and the New Zealand research in the development of literacy.  There is curriculum that I would recommend to anyone teaching in early childhood (or upper grades).  This is called Units of Study, by Lucy Calkins.  You may review the units in this program by clicking on the mouse on the book cover below.  During writer's workshop, the mini-lesson, modeling, and conferencing are important steps.  To read more about conferencing, the book, ONE-TO-ONE in the professional reading section below may be of interest.  Lucy Calkins writes and models her ideas in clear language with examples and incorporates literature representing the genre/style/skills that will really help develop your writer's workshop.

                    OTHER PROFESSIONAL READING

	Many schools are incorporating the "Daily Five" in their daily curriculum.  This book is very good in describing the philosophy and procedures.

      Examples of my daily writer's workshop are posted throughout the web site.  Go to the main menu to find writing that is incorporated in each unit of study.

    Additional topics will be added later.  More examples of word game activities, literacy centers, pictures from my classroom, and guided reading suggestions coming soon.  Until then, read to your students, let them read, sing, chant, rhyme, and build literacy with word work activities.  Make it meaningful and fun!

                    Y'all come back and visit soon.

                    B.A.Sarah Froehlich, M.Ed, NBCT

         Owner, Primary Teachers, All Rights Reserved

                             Fredericksburg, Virginia

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