1. Fitting It All In
Incorporating phonics and other word study work into reading instruction
Michelle Fitzsimmons

2. Agenda Key Practices of Balanced Literacy Collection of Data
Whole Group Instruction
Small Group Instruction
Flexible Grouping Strategy (T.A.P.S.)
Methods for Fitting It All Together
Planning Templates

3. Key Practices That Lead to Balanced Instruction
Use assessment-to-instruction model of teaching
Respect children’s background, language, interests and abilities
Use information about the learners’ culture, values, knowledge and interest to plan instruction
Teach strategies and skills explicitly using a whole-part-whole approach that returns the learner to meaningful whole text
Provide planned, systematic instruction on needed strategies
A Balanced Approach to Beginning Reading Instruction:
A Synthesis of Six Major US Research Studies
2003 IRA

4. Review of Student Data Reflection:
What types of data do you use to understand your
students’ understanding of:
- Letter/Sound Relationships
- Spelling Patterns
- High Frequency words
- Word Meaning
- Word Structure
- Writing Process
- Written Response to Reading
- Comprehension

5. Whole Group Instruction
Review class data to determine areas of need that the majority of the students have in a given area.
Incorporate instruction in these areas of need during whole group instructional time. (Interactive Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing)
Provide instruction on grade level skills. (Whole group skill instruction)

6. Quality Initial Reading Instruction
Teach the essentials
Explicit instruction
Systematic instruction
Differentiated instruction
Key role of assessment
Instructional adaptations

7. Child-Focused Instruction
Review data at the student level.
Understand the learning strengths and needs of each child.
Use flexible grouping to target instruction. (Guided Reading, Writer’s Workshop, Small Group Skill Instruction)

8. Flexible Grouping Strategy T.A.P.S.
(T) Total group: there may be information and new skills that need to be shared or demonstrated to the whole class.
(A) Alone: Sometimes students need to practice by working alone as they will on standardized tests. In life, we often think and work independently of others.
(P) Partners: partnering gives students a narrow audience with whom to share ideas, discuss new information, or process learning. (may be random or teacher-constructed)
(S) Small groups: there are many ways of forming small groups. Groups of three to five may be constructed for a variety of purposes.

9. Balanced Literacy Program
For a balanced literacy program utilizing
T.A.P.S., we recommend the following:
T: read aloud, shared reading
A: independent reading, (D.E.A.R.)
P: buddy, peer, shared reading
S: guided reading, literature and informational circles

10. T.A.P.S. Strategies for reading, writing, speaking and listening
Review the strategies listed for reading,
writing, speaking, and listening for each
component of T.A.P.S.
Which strategies have you utilized with students?
Which strategies would you like to try with students?
Share your experiences and thoughts with a partner.

11. What Do I Teach During Small Group Instruction and Intervention?
How do I teach?
How does the lesson format change based on student reading proficiency?
Students at an advanced level of instruction
Students at a benchmark level of instruction
Students at a strategic level of instruction
Students at an intensive level of instruction
How do I extend learning for struggling readers?

12. Purposes for Small Group Instruction
Differentiated grade level skill development
Skill-based instruction in an area of need
Cooperative group learning
Interest based

13. Differentiated Instruction Guidelines for HOW to teach:
Explicitly clarify key concepts and instructional focus to ensure all students gain powerful conceptual understanding
Emphasize critical and creative thinking as a goal in lesson design. The tasks, activities, and procedures should require that students understand and apply meaning
Engaging all learners is essential. Strive for lesson plans that are engaging and motivating for the diversity in the students

14. Differentiated Small Group Instruction
Utilize various forms of student assessment
data to assist in instructional planning.
oral reading fluency
accuracy rate
phonics skills students may have deficits in, which impact their fluency.
Comprehension/vocabulary data

15. Question to Consider:
How does the classroom teacher balance time devoted to the different components?

16. Fitting It All Together
Through the Four Part Lesson Plan, teachers are provided with a structure that incorporates grade level skill development, targeted skill instruction based on need, vocabulary development and reading with connected text into a guided reading lesson.

17. Explicit Lesson Planning Template
Warm-Up (PA, Phonics, Word Study (5 minutes)
Whole Word Reading/ Vocabulary Development (5 minutes)
Sentence Reading and Dictation or Development based on vocabulary words.
Reading of Connected Text/Literature Circles
- Speaking and Listening Skills
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Strategy Use
- Follow-up Activity or Project
Written Response to Text
(See Table 4.8: T.A.P.S. strategies for reading, writing, speaking and listening)

18. Differentiated Lesson Plan
Review lesson plans for Intensive, Strategic and Benchmark students.
What do you notice?
How could this be utilized at your grade level?

19. Final Thoughts
Effective balanced instruction requires a very comprehensive, integrated approach, demanding that teachers know a great deal about literacy research related to emergent literacy, assessment-based instruction, phonological and phone ic awareness, the alphabetic principle, phonics, word study, selecting appropriate leveled readaers, reader response, writing process, and constructivist learning. (IRA, 2003)