Balanced Literacy

Balanced literacy is a blend between whole language and phonics instructions. The components used during our balanced literacy approach are as follows...

• Fundations: Fundations makes learning to read fun while providing a strong phonics foundation. This program builds on the foundational skills for reading and spelling; emphasizing phonemic awareness, phonics-word study, high frequency word study, fluency, vocabulary, handwriting, and spelling.

• Shared Reading: During shared reading, the teacher leads the class in reading a big book or oversized text with predictable structure. Children join or share in the reading. Shared reading of the predictable text can build sight word knowledge and reading fluency. Shared reading also allows for teacher modeling of concepts of print and reading strategies.

• Read-Aloud: A read-aloud helps build foundational reading skills. A read-aloud helps introduce vocabulary and models fluent and expressive reading. Children begin to recognize the connection between written and oral language.

• Interactive Read-Aloud: During an interactive read-aloud the teacher reads aloud to their students. During an interactive read-aloud both the teacher and students think, talk, and respond to the text. Children are given the opportunity to turn and talk to their peers at teacher selected points in the book.

• Guided Reading: During guided reading, small group instruction is used in building reading strategies, comprehension skills and fluency. Children read at their instructional level with teacher support. Children whisper read and then reread the same passage/text two to three times. Encouragement and feedback is given to each individual child. The teacher helps children understand why a strategy is useful, and describes explicitly how the strategy should be used.

• Independent Reading: During independent reading, children read on their own, with minimal to no assistance using books at their independent reading level.