Balanced Balanced LiteracyLiteracy

and the CCSSand the CCSS

July 2014Patty McGee

Outcomes for TodayOutcomes for Today

0 Research-supported Literacy Practices

0 Writing Instructional Components0 Reading Instructional Components

0 Word Study

• Engage fully • Inquire and dig

deeply into challenges

• Respect the knowledge and experiences of others

• Expect curiosity

Tenets

0Practice: Pencil to paper, eyes on print0Learning is messy, teaching must be flexible0Formative Assessment0Feedback0Approximation0Transfer is the Key

Components of a Components of a Comprehensive Literacy Comprehensive Literacy

ApproachApproach

Interactive Read AloudShared Reading

Reading WorkshopGrammar

Shared WritingWriting Workshop

Word Study

Purpose of Purpose of ComponentsComponents

Word StudyWord Study

Reading and Writing Workshop

Shared WritingShared Writing

GrammarGrammarShared Reading Shared Reading

Read AloudRead Aloud

Gradual Release of Responsibility

ExplicitlyTaught

Demonstrated

Shared and

Guided

Collaborative

Independent

Cambourne’s Seven Conditions of Learning

Writing

Five Qualities of Good Writing

0 Focus/Content0 Elaboration0 Voice0 Structure0 Mechanics

Shared WritingShared Writing0Separate from Writing Workshop, rarely used

in a minilesson0Share– create it together, teacher does the

writing0Preparation and skill introduction and

practice

Sample of Direct Grammar Instruction Across Units

Grammar and MechanicsGrammar and Mechanics

Practice like a word study but set up for (and expect) transfer

Grammar and MechanicsGrammar and Mechanics0 The difference between conventions and grammar:

Grammar refers to the structure of a language: the parts of speech and their functions, their relationship to each other, word order in sentences, the parts of a sentence and how they are put together, e.g., subject, predicate, objects, etc. Mechanics refers to the conventions of written language: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc.

0 Language of literacy0 Students along the way are going to understand, and

then mess it up again. This using and confusing is important and a natural progression in grammar acquisition!

If we only fix students’ writing, or

tell them to be correct, then they

may revert to simpler vocabulary

and sentence structure that they

are sure how to punctuate.

Mentor SentencesOne Technique for Teaching Grammar for Usage

Stages of Development in Grammar

1. Unfamiliarity2. Familiarity3. Experimentation4. Using and confusing5. Mastery and control

The Writing WorkshopA place for feedback, transfer, and lots and lots of

writing!

Writers Need

0Time0 Choice0 A variety of strategies to access

learning

Minilesson

Writing Workshop Structures and Routines0 Minilesson0 Independent Writing and Small Group Teaching0 Conferring0 Small Group Strategy Work0 Mid Workshop Teaching Point

0 Share

Writers Need0Time0Choice0A variety of strategies to access

learning0 Models0 Modeling

Nothing a teacher can do can have a greater

effect than this combination—

giving students crystal clear goals,

opportunities for engaged work, and the feedback that includes compliments and steps

for more progress.

Teachers must also ensure that children have access to reading materials that are relevant to

the kind of writer they are interested in becoming at that particular moment. Teachers must also

recruit the authors who will become the children’s unwitting collaborators.

Frank Smith on Mentor Texts

Writers Need0Time0Choice0A variety of strategies to access

learning0 Models0 Modeling0 A Writer’s Notebook

A Writer’s Notebook: Building a Writing Life

A Writer’s Notebook0 Not a journal0 A place for practice0 A place for feedback0 A place for planning 0 A place to collect minilessons or teaching

strategies0 Filled with all different genre0 A place to collect ideas, pieces of stories,

inspiration for writing0 A place to live like a writer0 Teacher comments in post its0 Graded differently than other writing

#PWI12

#PWI12

#PWI12

#PWI12

Whether it is with a group of characters or an idea for the plot,

begin to write. Everything develops under the pencil as you begin to

write.Roald Dahl

Assessment of Notebooks

0 Volume0 Variety0 Thoughtfulness0 Maintenance

The Writing Process

Assessment

0Assessment for Learning: This is what you did well, here are my questions, here are my suggestions to improve your writing

0Assessment of Learning: Process, content, conventions grades

Reading

Reading Requires…

0 Decoding0 Comprehension0 Fluency

EssentialsEssentials

0 Read-ability

First, a little reading…Pa XXXX Joanie with his dirty XXXX. Spoon rose to

follow Pa, but one of the XXXX XXXX in the window caught the light of the real XXXX and sent off pure white XXXX directly at Spoon. He sat down again, XXXX by the XXXX orb, feeling as if he was on the brink of a meaningful XXXX, on the verge of XXXX his XXXX.

His eyes darted from one XXXX to the next. Something of Gram’s.

Thinking, thinking.5th grade reading level, GRL R85% accuracy

Let’s try that again at 90%...

Pa followed Joanie with his dirty XXXX. Spoon rose to follow Pa, but one of the XXXX suns in the window caught the light of the real XXXX and sent off pure white XXXX directly at Spoon. He sat down again, XXXX by the XXXX orb, feeling as if he was on the brink of a meaningful thought, on the verge of XXXX his XXXX.

His eyes darted from one XXXX to the next. Something of Gram’s.

Thinking, thinking.A little betterStill not “just right”

This is what it should sound (and feel) like…

Pa followed Joanie with his dirty dishes. Spoon rose to follow Pa, but one of the stained-glass suns in the window caught the light of the real sun and sent off pure white flashes directly at Spoon. He sat down again, mesmerized by the gleaming orb, feeling as if he was on the brink of a meaningful thought, on the verge of solving his problem.

His eyes darted from one sun to the next. Something of Gram’s.

Thinking, thinking.So what does that show?

From Sun and Spoon by Kevin Henkes

This shows…

0Reading a book that is too hard is equivalent to not reading at all.

0Reading at 98% or higher accuracy is essential for reading acceleration.

0Anything less, slows the rate of improvement and anything below 90% accuracy doesn’t improve reading ability at all.(Allington, 2012; Ehri, Flugman & Gross, 2007)

0 In order for students to make the necessary progress to become better readers they need 57 minutes a day to read books they can read with accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

EssentialsEssentials

0 Read-ability0 Volume0 Choice0 Timely, Explicit, Strategy

Instruction

0 Literate Talk

Reading Workshop

0Minilesson0 Independent Reading with Small Group

Teaching0 Conferring0 Small Group Strategy Work0 Mid Workshop Teaching Point

0Share

Guided ReadingGuided Reading

0 Powerful vehicle to differentiate instruction0 Features vs. Comprehension Skills– balance

changes as levels become more difficult0 Text considerations (Independent, Frustrational,

Instructional)0 Guided reading can strengthen strengths as well

as help move levels0 Should be viewed as a support to transfer reading

skills

“A child's reading level doesn't catch up to his listening level until eighth grade. You can and should be reading seventh-grade books to fifth-grade kids.”

“You have to hear it before you can speak it, and you have to speak it before you can read it. Reading at this level happens through the ear.”

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”

~ Becoming a Nation of Readers, 1985

Read Aloud

Instructional Read Aloudwith Accountable Talk

0Practice strategies learned in other reading modalities

0Practice talking about reading

0Removes the decoding to allow for comprehension work

Shared ReadingShared Reading0Chance to practice

skills and strategies together in a shared text

0All students can see the words

0Link to your unit plans, records, and assessments– often as a preparation and practice for the more difficult skills of a unit

Word Study

0Word patterns (Letter-sound, Affixes, Common Greek and Latin roots)

0Vocabulary (inside and outside)

0Sight Words (High frequency words)

Tiers of Vocabulary

0Tier 1: Oral Language0Tier 2: Literary Language (AKA

Academic Vocabulary)0Tier 3: Content Specific Language

(AKA Domain Specific Vocabulary)

Spelling

High Frequency Words0Trends become Whole

Class teaching0 Individualized or

small group instruction

Word Patterns

0Trends become Whole Class teaching

0 Individualized or small group instruction

Student Writing

Instructional Moves

0Assessments0Word Walls

0Personal Word Walls0Sorts/games

0Chart Chanting and Writing Application