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Elementary Balance Literacy Framework
Elementary Balance Literacy Framework
The Why, What and How of our reading block
The Why, What and How of our reading block
Balanced literacy is about balancing explicit language instruction with independent learning and language exploration. It aims to strike a balance between both whole language and phonics when learning to read. The strongest elements of each are incorporated into a literacy program that aims to guide students toward proficient and lifelong reading. A typical balanced literacy framework consists of five components including read aloud, guided reading, shared reading, independent reading, and word study.
Frequently asked questions about reading levels for students in K-5th
Frequently asked questions about reading levels for students in K-5th
What does the term LEVELED mean?
What does the term LEVELED mean?
A level refers to the difficulty of the book in relation to other books along a continuum from A to Z, easiest to hardest. The characteristics of a book are examined and placed along a gradient of books in relation to each other. A level designates the books as easier than the level after (later in the alphabet) and harder than the level before it (earlier in the alphabet). Various characteristics are used to determine a level of a book.
How are reading levels determined?
How are reading levels determined?
Oak Park D97 l literacy teachers assess students’ reading levels at the beginning of each year using the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System™. This assessment is giving three times per year.
Students are tested individually using the following procedure. They read orally from a leveled text for a few pages. The teacher records their errors and fluency.
The teacher asks comprehension questions to determine their understanding at this level. If they read fluently, make few errors and understand the text, a higher level is assessed. Through this process, the teacher identifies the student’s independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels.
What is Guided Reading?
What is Guided Reading?
Once the instructional reading level of each student is determined. The teacher forms a temporary group of students that are alike enough in their development of a reading process that it makes sense to teach them together for a period of time. In selecting a text for the group, the teacher uses the level designation; thinks about the strengths, needs, and background knowledge of the group. The teacher uses the text to help the children expand what they know how to do as readers.
Guided reading is a teaching approach designed to help individual readers build an effective system for processing a variety of increasingly challenging texts over time. Guided reading is not an exercise to practice reading skills. It is targeted, scaffolded reading instruction that propels all students toward confident, independent reading of high quality grade level books across a diverse array of literature and informational genres. Reading well means reading with deep, high quality comprehension and gaining maximum insight or knowledge from each source. In addition, an important key feature of the Common Core State Standards is to provide students with a grade-by-grade staircase of increasing text complexity and steady growth of comprehension.
Ten Text Characteristics for Guided Reading
Ten Text Characteristics for Guided Reading
Genre/Form: Genre is the type of text and refers to a system by which fiction and nonfiction texts are classified. Form is the format in which a genre may be presented. Forms and genres have characteristic features.
Text Structure: Structure is the way the text is organized and presented. The structure of most fiction and biographical texts is narrative, arranged primarily in chronological sequence. Factual texts are organized categorically or topically and may have sections with headings. Writers of factual texts use several underlying structural patterns to provide information to readers. The most important are description; chronological sequence; comparison and contrast; cause and effect; and problem and solution. The presence of these structures, especially in combination, can increase the challenge for readers.
Content: Content refers to the subject matter of the text-the concepts that are important to understand. In fiction, content may be related to the setting or to the kinds of problems characters have. In factual texts, content refers to the topic of focus. Content is considered in relation to the prior experience of readers.
Themes and Ideas: These are big ideas that are communicated by the writer. Ideas may be concrete and accessible or complex and abstract. A text may have multiple themes or a main theme and several supporting themes.
Language and Literary Features: Written language is qualitatively different from spoken language. Fiction writers use dialogue, figurative language, and other kinds of literary structures such as character, setting, and plot. Factual writers use description and technical language. In hybrid texts you may find a wide range of literary language.
Sentence Complexity: Meaning is mapped onto the syntax of language. Texts with simpler, more natural sentences are easier to process. Sentences with embedded and conjoined clauses make a text more difficult.
Vocabulary: Vocabulary refers to words and their meanings. The more known vocabulary words in a text, the easier a text will be. The individual's reading and vocabulary refer to words that she understands.
Words: This category refers to recognizing and solving the printed words in the text. The challenge in a text partly depends on the number and the difficulty of the words that the reader must solve by recognizing them or decoding them. Having a great many of the same high-frequency words makes a text more accessible to readers.
Illustrations: Drawings, paintings, or photographs accompany the text and add meaning and enjoyment. In factual texts, illustrations also include graphics that provide a great deal of information that readers must integrate with the text. Illustrations are an integral part of a high quality text. Increasingly, fiction texts include a range of graphics, including labels, heading, subheadings, sidebars, photos and legends, charts and graphs. After grade one, texts may include graphic texts that communicate information or a story in a sequence of pictures and words.
Book and Print Features: Book and print features are the physical aspects of the text-what readers cope with in terms of length, size, and layout. Book and print features also include tools like the table of contents, glossary, pronunciation guides, indexes, sidebars, and a variety of graphic features in graphic texts that communicate how the text is read.
Just Right or Good Fit Books
Just Right or Good Fit Books
In the classic tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks tried all of the bears' porridge, chairs, and beds. Eventually, she found the ones that were "just right" for her. The books your child reads can be thought of in the same way. A book that is "just right" is one that your child can read independently. It is not too hard and it is not too easy. It's a good fit - it's "just right".
One way to help your child choose such a book is to use The Five Finger Rule. While reading the first page of a book, count the unknown words (using fingers to keep track is fine). If there are five or more, the book is too hard for now. Read that book together!
When Your Child Comes To An Unknown Word
Often adults tell a child to "sound out" an unknown word. Frequently that prompt is successful and the word is decoded. When sounding out doesn't work, adults usually tell the word and reading continues.
However, our goal is to help children become independent readers. Here are some alternative suggestions for parents or "homework helpers" to use when your child confronts an unknown word:
* Wait 5-10 seconds to see what attempts are made. Ask: "What would make sense there?"
* Use the picture to help figure out the word.
* Skip the word and continue reading to the end of line or sentence.
* Go back and read the sentence again.
* If the word was on a previous page, go back and try to find it.
* Look for a smaller word in a big one (and in sand).
* Cover the ending (-ed, -ing) with your finger and try the word.
* Look how the word begins. Let the sound "pop" right out.
* Help with blending (sounding it out).
* Tell the word and keep on reading.
* It is important that children learn to use these strategies independently. When your child figures out a word, you might ask how he/she did it. Telling about their reading helps to reinforce learning
What is Reader's Workshop?
What is Reader's Workshop?
Readers' Workshop
Readers' Workshop
Reading instruction takes place with the whole class, small groups, partners, and individual students.
Development of reading strategies is the focus of this time.
Guided reading in small groups or with individual students utilizes leveled books.
During the independent reading portion of the workshop, students read Just Right Books - books they select that can be read without help. Our classroom has a wide variety of books and poems for shared reading, posters, computer activities, and a teacher who loves reading to children and teaching them about reading!
Structure of our Readers' Workshop
Structure of our Readers' Workshop
Mini lesson - The teacher instructs the whole class on a skill, strategy, or habit that students need to learn and use during independent reading. A mini-lesson connects to a previous lesson, ongoing unit of study, student work or student experience. The teaching point is stated clearly and demonstrated or modeled. Students are actively engaged in trying out the skill or strategy, watching a demonstration, or planning work out loud.
Independent Reading - Students independently read Just-Right or Good Fit Books they have previously chosen from the classroom library. A portion of the time also may be for partners to read together and/or discuss their reading. The teacher has brief instructional conferences with a few individual students and guided reading with small group(s).
Wrap up/share - This important time is used as a mini-lesson reinforcement, add-on, or to preview a coming lesson. A few students may share a strategy they used in their reading.
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level K-5TH
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level K-5TH
Parent Tips
Parent Tips
BAS assessment is giving 3 times per year to identify students reading level in grade K-5th grade
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level Characteristics
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level Characteristics
Instructional Level: With teaching and support, the child can read the text.
Instructional Level: With teaching and support, the child can read the text.
Independent Level: Text the child can easily read and understand on his/her own.
Independent Level: Text the child can easily read and understand on his/her own.
A
Parent Tips:
Readers are beginning to learn how print works and to notice the relationship between sounds and letters. They are learning to look at print from left to right, match the written word with the spoken word in print, read text with one line of print with simple words and on familiar topics, and use illustrations to match the print.
Children must be given the opportunity to read and reread these simple texts with help. Encourage your child to finger point each spoken word to the written word.
B
Parent Tips:
Readers are learning how print works, developing left to right directionality, firming up word‐by‐word matching with two lines of print, self‐monitoring and attempting to self‐correct and use illustrations to match the print.
Continue to provide opportunities to read and reread these simple texts with help while encouraging to finger point each spoken word to the written word. Provide both fiction and nonfiction texts with familiar topics.
C
Parent Tips:
Readers encounter simple stories and familiar topics with 2‐6 lines of print on each page. They smoothly and automatically read from left to right. Pointing is smooth, and the eyes are taking over the process to match the spoken word to the printed word, with less picture support. Readers are consistently monitoring their reading.
Praise children for self‐correcting and assist the use of dialogue with the voice.
D
Parent Tips:
Readers track print with their eyes and process texts with fewer repeating language patterns. They use a range of punctuation and read dialogue. Word by word matching is smooth and automatic.
Children should drop pointing to each word. Attention should be given to word endings.
E
Parent Tips:
Readers encounter texts with 3‐8 lines of print per page. Texts have more complex stories and require more attention to understand. Readers rely more on print with less supportive pictures.
Oral reading demonstrates fluency and phrasing with appropriate stress on words. They solve words with regular letter‐sound relationships as well as a few irregular words.
Choose text with familiar vocabulary to your child which is likely used in their oral language.
F
Parent Tips:
Readers are beginning to build knowledge of the characteristics of different genre of texts. They can read both simple and split dialogue. In fiction, they are beginning to meet characters that are more developed.
Children are reading without pointing and use appropriate rate, phrasing, intonation and word stress.
Texts may include familiar content that expands beyond home, neighborhood, and school.
G
Parent Tips:
Readers encounter a wider range of texts. They are still reading texts with 3‐8 lines of print per page, but the print is slightly smaller. They are able to give attention to slightly more complex story lines and ideas.
They are also able to use a range of word solving strategies as they read while making meaning. Illustrations are generally on every other page and depict multiple ideas. Texts have a few challenging vocabulary words.
Children should be reading for understanding. Encourage self‐correcting and rereading.
H
Parent Tips:
Readers encounter same challenges as Level G; but the language and vocabulary are more complex. The stories are longer and there is less repetition.
Children will begin to read more new texts silently in order to achieve efficient and smooth processing. When reading orally they should be using appropriate rate, phrasing, intonation and word stress.
I
Parent Tips:
Readers will be processing texts that are mostly short (8‐16 pages) as well as some easy illustrated chapter books (40‐60 pages) that require them to sustain attention and memory over time.
They can effectively process complex sentences and follow text with their eyes without pointing.
Find short chapter books with a single point of view and illustrations to help support the text. Nonfiction text focuses on a single idea/topic.
J
Parent Tips:
Readers are able to process a variety of texts such as: short informational text, short fiction texts with simple plots, short chapter books and simple biographies.
Children read silently during independent reading. Choose humorous stories typical of childhood experiences.
K
Parent Tips:
Readers are able to process a wide variety of genres. They will read many illustrated chapter books, including some series books. The demand on reader’s memory is increased.
Texts have many characters which are more complex. Nonfiction text is organized into a few simple categories.
As children read orally they should be demonstrating all aspects of fluency: appropriate rate, word stress, intonation, phrasing and pausing. Children should also recognize and use all punctuation appropriately.
L
Parent Tips:
Readers process easy chapter books including some series books. Plots become more sophisticated with fewer illustrations.
They learn new content through reading and are required to bring prior knowledge to the process.
Children are able to understand multiple perspectives of characters.
Children should be able to solve many complex words including multi‐syllable words, contractions, possessives, content‐specific and some technical words.
M
Parent Tips:
Readers know the characteristics of a range of genres.
Series books and mysteries are often chapter books children are interested in reading.
Elaborate plots and multiple characters that develop and change over time are evident in fictional chapter books.
Children read shorter nonfiction texts with single topics.
Encourage children to explore chapter books and nonfiction topics they are interested in learning about.
N
Parent Tips:
Readers are able to process a full range of genres. They read special forms of chapter books such as mysteries and series books. Fiction narratives have elaborate plots and multiple characters that change over time.
Children are able to solve words smoothly and automatically in both silent and oral reading.
O
Parent Tips:
Readers have very similar genre characteristics as Level N. They can process complex sentences and solve new vocabulary words, some defined in the text and others unexplained.
Some abstract themes require inferential thinking to gain meaning. At this level children should be able to read and fully understand the text.
P
Parent Tips:
Readers can identify the characteristics of a full range of genres. They are able to understand abstract and mature themes and take on diverse perspectives and issues.
As children encounter more abstract text it is crucial that it can be comprehended by the child.
Q
Parent Tips:
Readers automatically read and understand a full range of genres. They read special forms such as mysteries, series books, books with sequels, short stories and short informational text.
They understand perspectives different from their own as well as settings and people far distant in time and space.
Children are challenged by many longer descriptive words and content specific and technical words that require using embedded definitions, background knowledge and readers’ tools, such as glossaries.
R
Parent Tips:
Similar to Level Q, readers encounter special forms which also include diaries and logs. Nonfiction contains multiple topics that go well beyond readers’ personal experiences and content knowledge.
Children understand texts in a variety of layouts as well as fonts. They consistently search for information in illustrations and increasingly complex graphics.
S
Parent Tips:
Readers encounter fiction text with complex plots, subplots and multiple story lines. Nonfiction content is particular to preadolescents’ interests.
Children will read text with more challenging themes, some requiring an understanding of cultural diversity, as well as texts with deeper meanings applicable to important human problems and social issues.
T
Parent Tips:
Readers’ text will be longer with many lines of print on each page, requiring readers to remember information and connect ideas over a long period of time.
Complex fantasy, myths and legends offer added challenge and an increased use of symbolism.
As text becomes more challenging, be sure your child is able to understand this complex level of text.
U
Characteristics are similar to Level T. Themes present mature ideas, problems of society and human problems such as war, hardship, racism and economic issues.
V
Readers will encounter longer texts requiring then to remember information and connect ideas over many days of reading.
Complex fantasy, myths and legends offer added challenge and an increased use of symbolism.
Readers also encounter some abstract special forms of literature, such as satire.
W
Readers will encounter mature themes that expand their knowledge of social issues. In addition, they will encounter abstract special forms of literature, such as satire, and literary devices, such as irony. Themes are
multidimensional and may be understood at many levels. Readers are challenged by many content‐specific and technical words.
X, Y, Z
Although readers may encounter many texts that are long and have complex sentences and paragraphs as well as many multisyllabic words, they may vary greatly because readers are expected to understand and respond to
Mature themes such as abuse, poverty, sexuality, and war. Biographies offer a range of individuals who may not be admirable, requiring thinking on the part of readers.
Text may include archaic language and regional dialect.
What additional activities are happening during my child's reading time in the classroom?
What additional activities are happening during my child's reading time in the classroom?
Shared reading allows students to participate in reading material that may be beyond their reading levels. The teacher models a reading strategy to the whole class using enlarged text (ex. big books, morning message on chart paper). Students all have access to and can interact with the text.
Read Alouds
Read Alouds
The teacher reads a selection to the class from a book, poem or other print material for a specific purpose. It's an opportunity for teachers to model reading fluency and reading/writing strategies.
This can be done at any part of the school day:
~ To begin/end your day - intended for enjoyment
~ During a reading mini lesson - to model thinking aloud
~ During a writing mini lesson - to study an author's craft
~ During other content area subjects to support the content area, teach unique features of texts, teach children how to apply comprehension strategies when reading in the content areas.
~ During a genre study - read many examples of the genre being studied
~ To introduce an author study - read variety of books by same author
~ To encourage rich conversations about books - whole group share, turn and tell or think/pair/share.
Guided Reading
Guided Reading
Guided reading is designed to help students learn how to problem solve increasingly challenging texts with understanding and fluency.
The teacher works with small groups of students reading at similar levels, selects and introduces texts to readers, supports individual students as they read instructional level texts and engages the readers in a discussion after reading.
Students are grouped and regrouped according to ongoing observation and assessment by the teacher. The amount of support given by the teacher varies with the reading skill of students in a group. Each child is responsible for problem solving the entire text (or portion of it if reading a longer book) with support from the teacher as needed.
Reading Conferences
Reading Conferences
While the children are reading independently, the teacher provides direct instruction to a group of students (guided reading) or to individual students (conferences). These conferences have a certain structure to be effective.
The teacher:
~Sits by the child, reviews notes of previous conference, and observes the child as he/she reads.
~ Begins conference with a comment about an observed strength the child shows - a compliment.
~ Teaches a skill or strategy that's needed to help improve the child's reading. Just as in a mini-lesson, it's best to decide on one teaching point for a reading conference.
~ Demonstrates and then has child try to do it.
~ Compliments the effort and restates the teaching point as a goal for student to work on.
~ Jots notes for each conference including strength mentioned and new goal.
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