The elementary literacy program is comprehensive and concentrated in effective reading and writing practices. Teachers and students engage in a reciprocal process that involves thinking within, about, and beyond the text orally and in written form. A balanced literacy approach serves as the foundation of literacy instruction and provides students continuous opportunities to engage in a literacy rich environment. Every K-5 educator incorporates research based instructional strategies during instruction. An equitable balance between whole language and phonics, explicit and indirect instruction, and scaffold teaching and independent practice is embedded during the literacy block. Teachers model effective reading and writing strategies and provide opportunities for students to practice with their teacher, peers, and independently. The balanced literacy framework consists of five components including word work/spelling/word study, read aloud, shared reading, guided reading and independent reading. Students practice the skills and strategies they are learning during guided reading and writing and independent reading and writing times. Literacy is carefully and purposefully integrated with content areas. This immersion in literacy supports our work as we reimagine literacy.