1. Balanced Literacy Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools ©2009
A Reflective Look:
Balanced Literacy
Metropolitan Nashville
Public Schools
©2009
Note: Introduce presenters. Have participants introduce themselves at each table (name and school). Then, poll the whole group to determine variety of grade and experience levels.

2. What is balanced literacy?
Balanced literacy is a framework for literacy learning. Balanced literacy involves:
listening
speaking
reading
writing
word study
These components are integrated through oral language and content daily.

3. Balanced Literacy Classrooms
Physical setup
Well defined areas for large group, small group, and independent stations
Inviting and organized
Storage/management of materials
Environmental elements
Classroom libraries
Interactive word walls
Literacy centers
Print appropriate to instructional context
Evidence of student writing/work products
Instructional Elements
Balanced Literacy Framework
Classroom Observational Tool
Handout: Room Map (Transparency)
Handout: Principal’s Observation Tool (Transparency)

4. Where do we begin?
SBRR
Scientifically Based
Reading Research

5. National Reading Panel: Essential Elements of Reading Instruction
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Handout: Handout of NRP Elements (Transparency)

6. Reading Components Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading
Independent Reading
Each component should
be addressed daily.

7. Read Aloud
“The teacher reads aloud to the whole class or small groups. A carefully selected body of children’s literature is used; the collection contains a variety of genres and represents our diverse society. Favorite texts, selected for special features, are reread many times.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

8. Purpose of Read Aloud Provide motivation to learn to read
Provide a proficient reader model
Build background knowledge
Help to internalize sentence structure and “book language” concepts
Develop a sense of story structure
Develop vocabulary
Build comprehension skills
Enjoy reading!

9. Shared Reading
“Using an enlarged text that all children can see, the teacher involves children in reading together following a pointer.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

10. Purpose of Shared Reading
Increase enjoyment of literature
Foster a literacy community in the class
Create a natural teaching of skills within the context of reading
Reinforce concepts of print
Build fluency and oral expression
Enhance meaning and comprehension

11. Running Records
“A running record is a tool for coding, scoring, and analyzing a child’s precise reading behaviors.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

12. Purposes of Running Records
Guides your teaching
Analyzes a student’s reading behaviors
Sources of information used
Meaning, visual, and structure
Determines a student’s instructional reading level
Oral accuracy and comprehension

13. Formal Running Records
Texts are standardized by the district
Administered as a cold read (unfamiliar text)
Recorded on standardized district forms
Entry level running record
Administered 4 times a year for report card
Instructional levels recorded on the report card
Instructional levels recorded in student’s individual reading assessment folder (lavender)

14. Informal Running Records
How often should running records
be administered?
Frequently throughout academic school year
Struggling readers at each stage of development
Recommendation: Once a week
Emergent and early readers (MNPS Levels 1-16)
Recommendation: Once every 2-4 weeks
They are more helpful to you if you do them more frequently than this!
Early independent readers (MNPS Levels 17-23)
Recommendation: Once every six weeks
Independent readers (MNPS Levels 24-44)
Recommendation: Once every 9 weeks

15. Informal Running Records
Cold read (Unfamiliar text)
Check for appropriate instructional level
Determine which strategies the student can use independently
Warm Read (Text that has been read previously)
Check for fluency
Determine if student is applying recently taught strategies
Detect repeated error patterns

16. Guided Reading
“The teacher works with a small group who have similar reading processes. The teacher selects and introduces new books and supports children reading the whole text to themselves, making teaching points during and after the reading.”
--Guided Reading, Fountas & Pinnell, 1996

17. Purpose of Guided Reading
Students use and develop strategies while they are reading to facilitate independence
Focus is primarily on maintaining meaning during the decoding process
Provides opportunity to observe reading behaviors

18. Grouping for Guided Reading
Considerations for grouping
Every student is different
Students progress at different rates
Wide range of experience and skills
Dynamic, fluid groups
Flexible and changeable on a regular basis
Running record level
Similar instructional needs (Use DIBELS data to identify specific student needs related to phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.)
NO MORE ROUND ROBIN READING!!!
Note: Click on the picture of the group of children to reveal a hidden slide where the “Round Robin” blows up.

19. --Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996
Independent Reading
“Children read on their own or with partners from a wide range of materials. Some reading is from a special collection at their reading level.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

20. Purposes of Independent Reading
Allows students to practice reading strategies
Challenges students to apply the strategies to a variety of texts
Promotes fluency
Builds confidence
Allows students to support each other
Builds vocabulary

21. Using Data to Drive Instruction
District Reading Assessments
DIBELS (Benchmark)
ThinkLink
District Writing Assessment
TCAP
Instructional Reading Assessments
DIBELS (Progress Monitoring)
Running Records for Strategy Instruction and Report Card
Developmental Spelling Analysis
Classroom Observations
Anecdotal Records
Portfolios
Teacher Made Tests

22. What is a literacy center?
Literacy Centers
What is a literacy center?
Any activity that includes reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, or visual representation.

23. Purpose of Literacy Centers
Give the teacher time to meet with guided reading groups
Reinforce skills taught
Provide an opportunity to explore and practice skills, concepts, and strategies
Allow student choice
Allow students to work at their own rate and on their own level
Facilitate collaboration among students

24. Word Study What is Word Study?
“A student centered approach to phonics, spelling and vocabulary instruction that actively engages the learner in constructing concepts about the way words work.”
---Kathy Ganske, Word Journeys, 2000

25. Language Appreciation Critical Thinking Reading Writing Curiosity
Research shows Word Study helps students learn how letters and words work, which increases their application of knowledge across the curriculum.
Phonics
Spelling
Vocabulary Knowledge
Language Appreciation
Critical Thinking
Reading
Writing
Curiosity
Supporting Research: Adams (1990), Cunningham (1995), Fountas and Pinnell (1999 & 1998), Read (1970; 1975), Schickedanz (1986) Perfetti (1992), Templeton & Bear (1992 & 1998), Templeton & Morris, (1999), Henderson (1990), Ganske (1999)

26. Writing Shared Writing Interactive Writing
Guided Writing or Writer’s Workshop
Independent Writing
--The Ohio State Literacy Collaborative Framework

27. Modeled Writing
“The teacher or expert shows precisely ‘how to do it’ by initiating, modeling, explaining, thinking aloud, and writing aloud. Students observe the teacher planning, drafting, making choices, rereading, talking, evaluating, revising, editing, and monitoring.”
--Regie Routman, Writing Essentials, 2005

28. Shared Writing
“Teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories; teacher supports process as scribe.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

29. Purposes of Modeled/Shared Writing
Develops concepts of print
Develops writing strategies
Supports reading development
Enables students’ ideas to be recorded
Draws attention to letters, sounds, and words
Provides a model for a variety of writing styles
Produces text the students can read independently

30. Interactive Writing
“As in shared writing, teacher and children compose messages and stories that are written using a “shared pen” technique that involves children in the writing.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

31. Purposes of Interactive Writing
Provides opportunities to plan and construct texts
Models the connection among and between sounds, letters, and words
Increases spelling knowledge
Produces written language resources in the classroom

32. Guided Writing
“Children engage in writing a variety of genres. Teacher guides the process and provides mini-lessons and conferences.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

33. Purposes of Guided Writing
Guides students through the writing process
Promotes creativity and the power of composing
Aids writers in developing their voice
Allows students to write for a variety of purposes

34. Independent Writing
“Children write their own pieces, including (in addition to stories and informational pieces) retellings, labeling, speech balloons, lists, etc.”
--Fountas & Pinnell, Guided Reading, 1996

35. Questions