Uninterrupted blacks of time for literacy learning are essential to allow students to:
Explore topics thoughtfully and thoroughly
Engage in research and inquiry and
Apply learning in new contexts.
Thoughtfully planned literacy blocks provide for student growth in reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, representing, and higher order and critical thinking. In a literacy block these elements are skillfully woven together to ensure that the learning experience is deep, rich and has application in many other subject areas.
The following instructional approaches are part of a comprehensive literacy program and address all the facets of literacy learning mentioned above.
Read Aloud (Modeled Reading) and Modeled Writing/Interactive Writing
Shared Reading and Shared Writing
Guided Reading and Guided Writing
Independent Reading and Independent Writing
Teachers select an approach based on their assessment data and the amount of support that a student or group of students require to be successful. Teachers should be able to answer the question, "why am I doing, what I am doing, in this way, with this group of student at this time?"
Learning is scaffolded for students in the following ways:
In an effective program, these approaches fit together like pieces of a puzzle to make a whole. Each part is necessary and complements the other parts. No one part alone will result in the achievement of literacy. All of the pieces provide students with the skills they need to be literate.
While the teacher is working with a small group, all other students should be purposefully engaged in reading and writing during the learning block. The texts that students use should be challenging, relevant and worthy of study. Texts include electronic texts found in hand held messaging devices, chat rooms, emails, web logs, as well as newspapers, magazines, graphs, timelines, visual images, movies, novels, short stories, poetry and advertisements.
Language and word Study is an essential aspect of a comprehensive literacy program. An extensive vocabulary enlarges students' ability to understand texts of increasing complexity as it increases their knowledge of essential concepts. "Vocabulary instruction also has a significant impact on achievement levels." M. Schmoker (2006)
Marzano (1998) identified the following nine instructional categories that strongly affect student achievement. These should be evident in the classroom environment and in the tasks that students are required to do related to their literacy learning.
Identifying similarities and differences (comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies)
Summarizing and note taking (analyzing information in depth & synthesizing information)
Setting goals and providing feedback (the meta-cognitive system of thinking)
Generating and testing hypotheses
Activating prior knowledge
In addition, Reeves (2001) indicates that when students engage in more non-fiction writing (description, analysis, and persuasion with evidence) student achievement improves.
Throughout the literacy block there must also be many opportunities for accountable talk. Talk that promotes intellectual development a students solve problems, refine their thinking, connect to the ideas of others and engage in debate and respectful dialogue.
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