Balanced Literacy program

Balanced Literacy program:

Balanced Literacy program Becky Cook EDRDG 610 July 2011

Philosophy of Reading:

Philosophy of Reading As a teacher I believe it is my responsibility to engage and challenge students as they develop the necessary skills and confidence to become independent, life-long readers. I believe all students are unique with their own way of learning; however, all students need a variety of skills and strategies available when reading and learning. I believe a learner-centered environment is imperative where students have the opportunity to choose their own texts for independent reading. Providing quality literature in a variety of genres and formats is necessary to engage and challenge students, along with providing the support necessary to successfully apply reading skills and strategies. Reading needs to be explicitly modeled and taught through reading aloud, guided reading, shared reading, cooperative reading and independent reading. All students need positive reinforcement from teachers and parents. I believe reading is the key to all learning.

What is a Balanced Literacy Program?:

What is a Balanced Literacy Program? Balanced literacy… allows children to participate in a variety of reading and writing activities daily that vary in teacher support, structure, and focus is a combination of teacher-directed activities and independent work time in both reading and writing includes word work (phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension includes an array of texts, assessments, and groupings includes read-alouds, modeled writing, shared reading/ writing guided reading /writing, and independent reading/ writing

Indiana Language Arts Standards:

Indiana Language Arts Standards The Indiana Language Arts Standards are a set of guidelines as to what students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. Indiana has adopted the Common Core Standards to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed and will begin implementing them starting with kindergarten students in 2011-2012. Both sets of standards can be accessed through Indiana’s Department of Education Website: http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/index.shtml

What will our Language Arts Block look like?:

What will our Language Arts Block look like?

Daily 5 and CAFÉ :

Daily 5 and CAFÉ The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research-based tasks are fun, engaging, and have big impacts on student reading and writing achievement. (Boushey, 2006) The CAFÉ menu is a collection of highly effective reading strategies that the students will be taught to use, to help them become better readers. CAFÉ stand for: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary (Boushey, 2009) Parent letter

Assessments:

Assessments Response Journals Story tests, including literary analysis and response Writing Assignments Rubrics Anecdotal Records/Teacher Observation Weekly Spelling Test Weekly Language Tests Accuity ISTEP+ STAR Reading

Grouping:

Grouping Your child will be working in a variety of groups in our balanced literacy program. Whole group Small groups Partners Independently These groups will be determined by several factors: -Students who need to focus on a particular skill (small group or individual) -Students with the same ability level -Mixed ability grouping -Interest groups – students choose

RTI:

RTI Response To Instruction (RTI) is: A tiered service delivery model, which means different levels of service (instruction, assistance) are provided and students receive their instruction and any assistance at whatever tier (or level) they need that information. Indiana has a 3 tier (level) model Tier 1 – core instruction that everyone receives (all students) Tier 2 - provides deliberate, targeted intervention in addition to the core curriculum and instruction (some students) Tier 3 - provides intense intervention to target specific, individual student needs. ( a handful of students) (Indiana Department of Education, 2010)

What will RTI look like?:

What will RTI look like? Tier 1 – (90 minutes uninterrupted block) Core curriculum and instruction provided to all students with: Research or evidence based instructional strategies Differentiation Embedded interventions Common accommodation Tier 2 - (an additional 30 minutes per day). Targeted interventions for some low-responding students or those exceeding expectations Additional Guided Reading Groups (below, on, or above grade level) Targeted/strategic differentiation (below, on, or above grade level) Small flexible skill groups or book clubs Before or after school programs Tier 3 - (an additional 30-60 minutes per day) Intensive interventions for individual low-responding students or those exceeding expectations Title 1 – individual or small group with Title 1 teacher Special education services.

Parent Involvement What can you do to help? :

Parent Involvement What can you do to help? “Parents serve both as teachers and role models in reading” (National Research Council, 1998 as quoted in Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader - July 1999 ). To encourage literacy: The Top Three Talk often with your child to build listening and speaking skills. Read to and with your child often. Talk to her about the words and ideas in books. Encourage your child to read on her own. Ask your child's teacher how you can help your child practice at home what she is learning at school. (Institute for Literacy, 2006) Even though your child can read he or she still needs to hear fluent reading. This is also a time for your child to connect with you. Talk about what you are reading with your child. Have your child write and mail letters to family and friends. Volunteer to be a guest reader in the classroom or work with a small group during reading time. Please take a few minutes to look through the literacy brochure you received tonight. It has more suggestions of ways to help your child. Reading Requirements: Your child will be required to read 20 minutes a day 5 days a week (or 100 minutes) outside of school. I’m asking that you sign your child’s reading log every week and return it to school every Friday. If your child reads the required minutes he or she will have practiced reading the equivalent of 10 full school days. (tooter4kids.com)

Websites for parents: :

Websites for parents: Read Write Now! Activities for Reading and Writing Fun. http://www.udel.edu/ETL/RWN/Activities.html Reading Rockets Many reading strategies and activities to help children learn to read better. http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents/ Put Reading First Helping your Child Learn to Read. A guide for parents by the National Institute for literacy http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbrochure.pdf

Resources :

Resources Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2009). The CAFE book: Engaging all students in daily literacy assessment & instruction . Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades . Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers. Boushey, Gail, Joan Moser (2009). Indiana Department of Education, (2010). Response to instruction foundations for implementation Retrieved from http://www.doe.in.gov/rti/docs/RtI_Guidance_Document.pdf Institute for Literacy (U.S.), & RMC Research Corporation. (2006). A child becomes a reader: Proven ideas from research for parents : kindergarten through grade 3 . Washington, D.C.: National Institute for Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.doe.in.gov/readingsummit/docs/a_child_becomes_a_reader-kindergarten_through_grade_3.pdf National Institute for Literacy (U.S.). (2001). Put reading first: Helping your child learn to read : a parent guide : preschool through grade 3 . Washington, D.C.?: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U.S. Dept. of Education. Retrieved from http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbrochure.pdf Stein, S. (2006). Why your child should read for 20 minutes every day. . Retrieved from http://www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/why_read_for_20_minutes_every_da.htm Temple, Charles A., Ogle, Donna, Crawford, Alan N., & Freppon, Penny. (2010). All Children Read: Teaching for Literacy in Today's Diverse Classrooms + Myeducationlab . Allyn & Bacon. U.S. Dept. of Education, America Reads Challenge. (1999) "Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader." Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/startearly/ch_1.html