1. A Parent’s Guide to Balanced Literacy
Presented by Kathryn Conway

2.    You may have tangible wealth untold;
   Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
   Richer than I you can never be - -
   I had a mother who read to me.
                        --Strickland Gillilan

3. How do I use this presentation?
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4. Five Key Components of Literacy
Phonemic Awareness – the understanding that our language contains sounds that vary in size
Phonics – the understanding that there are relationships between the sounds of words and the letters that represent those sounds in print
Fluency – the ability to read with accuracy, speed, and expression
Vocabulary – knowledge of word meanings that allow us to communicate through speech and print
Comprehension – cognitively understanding and interacting with what is being read

5. Home - School Connection
Reading Group Instruction: What is it?
Supporting Reading Groups at Home
Shared Reading/Writing: What is it?
Supporting Shared Reading/Writing at Home
Author Studies: What is it?
Supporting Author Studies at Home

6. Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions or need for clarification, please feel free to contact me.

7. READING GROUP Small groups which are teacher directed
Groups are based on student needs
Enables students to use and develop strategies
Increases ability to become independent
Reading material has been specially selected for students within the group
Engaged in activities that cover all key components of literacy
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8. Reading Group: Activities to do at home
These following activities will support your child’s literacy development.
Read to your child daily.
Read a variety of books.
Engage in conversation about the book.
Raise questions regarding the book.
Make predictions.
Check to see if the predictions were accurate.
Listen to your child read.
Visit the local library
Help your child find “just right books.” (books that are not too hard nor too easy)
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9. SHARED READING / WRITING
supports students as they work to become independent readers and writers.
allows the teacher to model comprehension strategies, fluency and word development skills.
fosters a positive learning environment.
helps develop reading, listening and writing vocabulary.
allows students to relate and share their own experiences and prior knowledge.
focuses on problem solving skills.
gives students access to a text in which they are unable to read independently.
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10. Shared Reading/Writing: Activities to do at home
Read together at home.
Take turns reading a book.
Have your child write down family stories that have been previously shared.
Compose poems that relate to a shared book.
Share connections to the experiences and feelings that were expressed in the book.
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11. AUTHOR STUDIES
Student is exposed to many different works by one author.
We look for common ideas, themes and structures.
We read background information about the author.
We discuss possible motivations of the author.
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12. Author Studies: Activities to do at home
Ask you child to identify books that they like.
Go to the library and look for books by the author.
Read these books with your child.
Discuss similarities and differences within these books.
Read the given information regarding the author.
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13. Phonemic Awareness: Activities to do at home
Look for rhyming words within a story.
Blend different sounds together to make words (/c/ /a/ /t/ = cat).
Un-blend sounds (cat =/c/ /a/ /t/).
Deleting sounds (omit the /c/ from cat and what do you get? at)
Identify and change beginning, middle or end sounds (change the /t/ in cat to /p/ and what do you get? cap)
Count the syllables or sounds
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14. Phonics: Activities to do at home
Read many books with your child.
Look closely at the words within the text.
Point out the sounds that make up the different words.
Blend the sounds together to create words.
Read rhyming words and discuss the similarities and differences in their spelling.
Give child access to many different forms of print (newspapers, books, computer, magazines, poetry, calendars, shopping lists, etc).
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15. Comprehension: Activities to do at home
Look at the pictures before reading the book.
Discuss predictions before and after reading.
Create pictures of the characters from the book.
Make a time line of events (either with pictures or words).
Create a list or talk about the problems and solutions.
Pretend to be a news reporter and develop a broadcast.
Make a trivia game.
Use puppets to re-tell the story.
Create a comic strip about the book BACK

16. Vocabulary: Activities to do at home
Read with your child.
Encourage child throughout reading even when having difficulty with particular words.
Ask- what word do you think would fit? As well as other questions that relate to the meaning.
Keep a dictionary easily accessible and model using one with your child.
Discuss how parts of words give hints to the meaning (prefixes, suffixes, and roots)
Discuss how the child can use pictures to aid in their understanding of new words.
Discuss the origin of words (can be found in a dictionary).
Encourage child to use new vocabulary when speaking and writing.
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17. Fluency: Activities to do at home
READ, READ, READ with your child. (You are the most important model for reading fluency your child has.)
Allow your child opportunities to re-read books that are not challenging.
Encourage your child to be a confident and independent reader.
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