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A Balanced Literacy Approach with Targeted Instruction
A Balanced Literacy Approach with Targeted Instruction
Balanced Literacy incorporates all reading approaches realizing that students need to use numerous devices in order to become proficient readers. It provides and improves the skills of reading, writing, thinking, speaking and listening for all students. A Balanced Literacy program not only balances the reading philosophies, it also balances reading and writing instruction. In a balanced literacy program, students read in order to write and write in order to read. Taylor, Pressley, and Pearson (2000) found that 96% of students show academic gains in literature using the balanced literacy framework.
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The Simple View of Reading - Word Recognition and Language Comprehension Together Equate to Reading Comprehension
The Simple View of Reading - Word Recognition and Language Comprehension Together Equate to Reading Comprehension
"The Simple View formula presented by Gough and Tunmer in 1986 is:
Decoding (D) x Language Comprehension (LC) = Reading Comprehension (RC)
The Simple View formula and supporting studies show that a student’s reading comprehension (RC) score can be predicted if decoding (D) skills and language comprehension (LC) abilities are known. Notice that D and LC are not added together to predict RC. They are multiplied. In the Simple View formula, the values of D and LC must be between 0 and 1 (or 0% and 100%). A score of 0 means no skill or ability at all and 1 indicates perfection. (Examples of how the formula works are presented later in this article.)
Gough and Tunmer (1986) proposed the Simple View of Reading to clarify the role of decoding in reading. Many educators did and still do believe that strong decoding skills are not necessary to achieve reading comprehension if language abilities are strong. Beginning and struggling readers are often taught to compensate for weak decoding by guessing an unfamiliar word based on the first letter or the picture, then asking themselves if the word makes sense after reading the sentence. In contrast, when decoding is the focus of instruction students are taught to sound out unfamiliar words using all the letters and to practice reading accurately until an adequate reading rate is achieved, along with accurate decoding.
This article discusses the following so that educators can take advantage of the Simple View of Reading to help all students achieve their maximum reading potential.
1. The Simple View formula makes clear that strong reading comprehension cannot occur unless both decoding skills and language comprehension abilities are strong.
We must teach students to decode expertly as early as possible. When students can decode expertly, their reading comprehension capabilities equal their language comprehension abilities.
We must provide students with strong content knowledge in many domains at all grade levels in order for them to develop adequate language comprehension abilities.
2. Intervention for struggling readers is effective only when it addresses the student’s specific weakness, which may be decoding, language comprehension, or both.
Intervention instruction focused on developing content knowledge or comprehension strategies will benefit struggling readers only they have a weakness in language comprehension.
Struggling readers of all ages can have decoding weaknesses; explicit instruction in decoding will be necessary to improve their reading comprehension.
3. Decoding and language comprehension skills are separable for both assessment and teaching, although both are required to achieve reading comprehension.
Scores from reading comprehension (RC) assessments are not enough data to identify students’ whether a student’s specific area of weakness is D or LC (or both) with certainty.
Assessment for students of all ages must supply enough information to specifically identify decoding skills and language comprehension abilities.
4. The Simple View of Reading is a mathematical formula with three variables. If we have two variables, the third can be estimated using the formula.
5. The Simple View of Reading is supported by scientific research."
-Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, Marcia Davidson, Tina Osenga - Reading Rockets www.readingrockets.org/article/simple-view-reading
The Reading Rope is divided into two parts, focusing on Language Comprehension and Word Recognition. Effective Tier 1 literacy instruction should encompass all components of the Reading Rope so that students learn to both decode and comprehend. Intervention in Tier 2 or 3 instruction is where we can differentiate instruction and target specific skills. As educators plan for instruction and work with students who struggle to read, it is helpful to be aware of and know the parts of the Reading Rope" - Alysa VanHekken
"According to Scarborough (2018), “Weakness in ANY strand can disrupt reading, and weakness in SEVERAL strands can disrupt reading more.” We can no longer say that a student struggles to read without identifying the specific area of need and identify what breaks down for the learner. We can ask questions such as, “Can they decode CVC words, like hat?” “Can they decode CCVC words, like flat?” “Can they comprehend what they read?” Use the Reading Rope to identify and target instruction and intervention to meet student needs."
2023-2024 Elementary Balanced Literacy Frameworks
2023-2024 Elementary Balanced Literacy Frameworks
K-2 Balanced Literacy Framework
K-2 Balanced Literacy Framework
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2023-2024 K-2 Elementary Balanced Literacy Framework.
3-5 Balanced Literacy Framework
3-5 Balanced Literacy Framework
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Middle School Balanced Literacy Frameworks
Middle School Balanced Literacy Frameworks
Gable Middle School
Gable Middle School
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Fairforest Middle School
Fairforest Middle School
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Reading-Balanced Literacy_Resources.docxDawkins Middle School
Dawkins Middle School
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A Tiered Approach to Balanced Literacy
A Tiered Approach to Balanced Literacy
Please click the links below to view our 2023-2024 Spartanburg District 6 MTSS Guidelines and 2023-2024 ELA Process:
2023-2024 District Six MTSS Guidelines
2023-2024 District 6 MTSS ELA Process Overview
2023 2024 D6 MTSS Overview.pdfWIN Time Resources for Assessment and Progress Monitoring (4).pdfGradual Release of Responsibility Model
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
"The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction suggests that cognitive work should shift slowly and intentionally from teacher modeling, to joint responsibility between teachers and students, to independent practice and application by the learner (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983). This model provides a structure for teachers to move from assuming “all the responsibility for performing a task . . . to a situation in which the students assume all of the responsibility” (Duke & Pearson, 2004, p. 211). The model is built on several theories:
• Jean Piaget’s work on cognitive structures and schema (1952).
• Lev Vygotsky’s work on zones of proximal development (1962, 1978).
• Albert Bandura’s work on attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation (1965).
• David Wood, Jerome Bruner, and Gail Ross’s work on scaffolded instruction (1976).
Taken together, these theories suggest that learning occurs through interactions with others, and when these interactions are intentional, specific learning occurs. " - Fisher and Frey (2013) See link to brief below,
Optimal Learning Model_Dawn Mitchell.pdf
The Importance of Balance
The Importance of Balance
"A balanced literacy plan is most effective 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.A balanced reading program includes knowing students individually, balancing both direct and indirect instruction, balancing instructional activities including skills emphasis and meaning emphasis. Balanced reading is deep-rooted in the belief that teachers should be constantly aware of students' individual needs and progress...Teachers who know students individually provide many kinds of support, enabling students to move to higher levels of reading and literacy development." - Carol Bennett Western Region Education Service Alliance What is Balanced Literacy?
Helpful District Resources to Support Balanced Literacy Implementation
Helpful District Resources to Support Balanced Literacy Implementation
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