Phonics/Word Study Workshop Curriculum

The Importance of Explicit and Systematic Instruction within a Balanced Literacy Framework

We know that effective classroom practice is built upon beliefs and experiences. It is our belief that all students can and should learn how to read. We also believe that reading is a complex, cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning and our students need and deserve multiple methods to learn and apply the core components of literacy. "Core reading instruction should include instruction in the five essential components of reading: phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Instruction in oral language, writing, spelling, and handwriting are also essential. These components should be addressed in a comprehensive manner. High-quality reading instruction includes explicit and systematic strategies , consistent routines, and ample opportunity for practice with appropriate student support materials, cumulative review, and alignment to the South Carolina English Language Arts College- and Career-Ready Standards for each grade level.."- SC Dyslexia Handbook 2020

Student Driven, Standards-Based Instruction

We know that according to a body of educational research and our collective experience that reading instruction is most effective when it is aligned with the interests and abilities of the students in the classroom as well as current research-based best practices in literacy. It is important for the teacher to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses with ongoing assessments and to then target instruction informed from this data and supported by a collaborative professional learning community.

In the fall of 2020, a team of literacy coaches and specialists worked together to create a research-based Tier 1 scope and sequence that provided students with explicit and systematic instruction in grades K-2. You will find these organized by grade and by nine weeks in the links below.

You will also find additional helpful instructional resources for your phonics / word study instruction.

Bringing the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom

You will see that we have aligned the scope and sequence for each nine weeks with current SCCCR standards, ongoing formative assessments, instructional strategies, as well as thinking shifts that combine both the science of reading as well as balanced literacy. This work was influenced by several texts such as Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom (Burkins and Yaris, 2021), Making Sense of Phonics (Beck, 2005), A Fresh Look at Phonics (Blevins, 2016), How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction (Walpole & McKenna (2017), and SC Dyslexia Handbook (2020), and the SC MTSS Framework and Guidance Document (2019).

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."

https://heggerty.org/resources/blog-post/the-reading-rope/

K-2 Balanced Literacy Framework

Click the picture below or the link below to view our

2023-2024 K-2 Elementary Balanced Literacy Framework

2023-2024 K-2 Balanced Literacy Framework.docx

Phon-instruction for Beginning Readers

Phon-instruction for Beginning Readers Keeping It Straight Pyramid Update pdf.pdf

Ongoing Opportunities to Apply Phonics Within Authentic and Meaningful Contexts

We know that for implementation of this scope and sequence to be effective we need to define expectations as well as opportunities for ownership and ongoing support. With this curriculum, the scope and sequence needs to be consistent as well as direct and explicit. It is important that K-2 teachers follow the scope and sequence outlined in the order provided. While the scope and sequence provides teachers with instructional strategies and resources to consider, teachers do have flexibility over the instructional strategies that they use to teach the skills as we know there are multiple ways students learn and many possibilities for classroom practice. To determine if students have mastered the skill it will be important for teachers to utilize the ongoing formative assessments. This not only ensures that students are mastering the phonics skills that are outlined in the curriculum, but also provides teachers with the data they need to provide Tier 2 support for students during WIN time for small group interventions for students who need additional support in order to reach mastery. Most of all, it is essential that students have ongoing opportunities to apply what they are learning in phonics/word study within authentic and meaningful contexts such as interactive read alouds, shared reading, small group guided reading, writing workshop, and in their own independent reading.

Support For Implementation From Professional Learning Communities

For improvement in reading to occur research suggests that first, a common curriculum with clear, intelligible standards that are aligned with appropriate assessments is essential (Fullan & Stiegelbauer, 1991; Marzano, 2003; Rosenholtz, 1991). Second, in order for schools to improve, school personnel need to function as professional learning communities (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Wagner, 2004; Wise, 2004). Each month our literacy coaches will provide professional development that supports the implementation of this scope and sequence for K-2 teachers through our PLC meetings during collaborative planning.

Engaging in Reflective Practice

We also ask that teachers, coaches, and administrators engage in reflective practice as they work towards this journey of implementing an explicit and systematic approach to phonics instruction within our existing balanced literacy framework in our early grades. We want students to grow not only in their proficiency in reading and writing skills but we also want them to develop strong identities as readers and writers that will build a solid foundation of literacy that will follow them into their futures. #readersareleaders!