The 411 on Balanced Literacy

Have you ever been in a classroom or experienced within your own classroom a balanced literacy program

that enriches students' literacy instruction? Well, I am here to assure you that a balanced literacy program for intermediate students carries a variety of components (three in particular) that guide the key to success. Are you ready to learn about those three components and ways to improve literacy instruction based on my personal experience, research, and understanding? I hope you find this beneficial and leave this blog feeling enlightened to implement great practices to promote a balanced literacy approach. Here goes nothing!

To start, what exactly is balanced literacy? As Reutzel discusses, “Balanced literacy is all about knowing

that at particular ages and stages, that children need different essential components of literacy instruction in their classroom environment” (Walden University, 2014e, 0:25). Honing in on a group of learners of fourth-sixth graders, it is critical that the three components of writing, vocabulary, and comprehension are areas that are implemented within instruction, enriched, and work towards to be successful within; to then carry into other subject areas. From this point made, ways in which I can improve my literacy instruction for fourth graders to achieve a balanced literacy approach I think about the area of vocabulary and how this can be enriched. When thinking about the area of vocabulary it can be a daunting task to push, motivate, and encourage students to grow in their understanding of vocabulary within written text. To build upon this act and implementation to promote a balanced literacy approach, through research-based practices an idea caught my eye. Within the article Using the Common Core Standards to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners: Challenges and Opportunities it discusses how, “ For example, teachers can pre-teach specific vocabulary words before having students read a text with a number of unfamiliar words. Similarly, classroom discussions and hands-on learning experiences can help students build essential content knowledge before reading a conceptually challenging text” (Halladay, J. L., & Moses, 2013, pg. 37). Providing this type of guidance, support, and extension for students to better understand/master unknown words is a strategy I wish to use to promote a successful balanced literacy opportunity. Secondly, when thinking about the writing component of a balanced literacy approach I feel that I could improve the way in which I incorporate technology for students to display their writing skills. Building upon the common core standard, it is asked of us educators to implement technology. To reassure this implantation it is mentioned within A Planning Cycle for Integrating Digital Technology Into Literacy Instruction that, “Throughout the standards, students are asked to produce a response that incorporates digital media or to understand information that is conveyed through digital media”(Hutchison, A., & Woodward, L., 2014, pg. 457). It is evident now more than ever, that this implantation of technology creates a balanced literacy approach and a positive rich environment for a variety of students in a way that allows students to blossom, display their creativity, and show their written expression skills in a more in-depth way. Lastly, when looking at the comprehension component this piece of the puzzle is critical and is one I can grow within as well. Comprehension can be displayed in a vast amount of ways and I feel that implementing more opportunities for collaboration amongst the students and learning from one another carries great weight. Students can learn from one another and display their understanding/comprehension of a read text and be a part of great discussions. To assure a positive rich learning environment and build a balanced literacy program it is discussed within the article Collaborative Conversations: Speaking and Listening in the Primary Grades how, “Discussion increases students’ engagement, helps them take responsibility for their learning, prompts higher-level thinking, offers room for clarification, encourages children to build and share knowledge, and gives them opportunities to apply comprehension strategies” (2019). From these three components of a balanced approach of literacy, it is also connected to how a positive rich environment is implemented and creates a learning environment where reading is challenged, motivating, encouraging, collaborative, and insightful. These are just a few ways to improve and think about implementing a balanced literacy approach to promote success for students. Are you up to creating this learning environment and learning experience for your students?

As educators, we are called to self-reflect and think about ways to better our instruction. I am sure you

have done the same in your teaching journey. Now is the time where I will immerse you into my own personal reflection and maybe motivate you into doing the same. While reflecting on the two areas I feel I would like to improve the most, the areas of vocabulary and writing. My reasoning for choosing vocabulary is due to the fact that I sometimes feel that I can change my approach to encouraging students to understand vocabulary within written text. The one way that I feel would be highly beneficial, especially in the higher grades is to take part in cooperative learning. From this, it is assured that through this implementation and collaborative activity students will learn in ways that help them flourish greatly. Freeman explains how, “Involving students indirect participation, content area instruction, and cooperative learning are also excellent ways to improve vocabulary and meaning” (2007, pg. 15).

This type of practice promotes not only a balanced literacy approach but also a positive rich learning environment for all students through scaffolding that allows for students to flourish within literacy and speaking and listening skills. In regards to writing, there are so many different components, levels, and ways to scaffold learning for students to be successful in their writing. Because of this, I feel that this is an area that I could use a greater understanding to best meet the needs of all of my students and promote a balanced literacy approach. Including components such as shared writing within my practices is something I feel I could grow more within and allow my writing block to be even more student-centered. To support the continuation of implementation and growth within writing it is stated how, “Shared writing activities are constructed for students based on the level and type of teacher support needed as students expand their writing skills over time” (Shared Writing, n.d.).

As you can see, the balanced literacy approach is one that creates great success, motivation,

encouragement, collaboration, and promotes critical thinking to students while reading. As Ray Reutzel makes known, “A balanced literacy approach is all about the right balance, the right elements, at the right time. Teachers who do this using the three components of vocabulary, writing, and comprehension will truly make a difference” (Walden University, 2014e). Your students can be truly transformed with these implementations within your literacy instruction and classroom. It’s never too late to start. Balanced literacy is the key to great reading and great success!

References

Collaborative conversations: Speaking and listening in the primary grades. NAEYC. (2019, March). Retrieved April 11, 2022,

from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2019/speaking-listening-primary-grades

Freeman, J. (2007). Using a balanced literacy approach in elementary schools. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from

https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1686&context=grp

Halladay, J. L., & Moses, L. (2013). Using the Common Core Standards to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners: Challenges

and Opportunities. New England Reading Association Journal, 49(1) , 33–44.

Hutchison, A., & Woodward, L. (2014). A Planning Cycle for Integrating Digital Technology Into Literacy Instruction. Reading

Teacher, 67(6) , 455–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr . 1225

Shared writing. Shared Writing | Read Write Think. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2022, from

https://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/shared-writing

Walden Universi ty, LLC. (Producer). (2014e). Conversations with Ray Reuazel: Creating a balanced approach {Interactive

media}. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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