Components of Balanced Literacy

ORAL LANGUAGE IS THE BASE

Writing Aloud/Modelled Writing - the teacher makes the thinking visible while composing text - students see a demonstration of how writing works - planning, thinking drafting, organizing, selecting words, forming letters, spelling, punctuating, revising, editing and formatting through 'think alouds'	Shared Reading - the students see the text, observe an expert (usually the teacher) reading it with fluency and expression and are invited to read along - big books, poems, novel passages, readers theatre are examples of shared reading text
Shared Writing - the teacher and students compose collaboratively - the teacher acts as an expert records while guiding and negotiating the creation of meaningful text - the focus is on the craft of writing as well as conventions INTERACTIVE WRITING - is shared writing with the addition that students share the pen	Guided Reading/Reading Conferences - reading instruction in which the teacher guides one or more students through aspects of the reading process: choosing books, decoding, defining words, reading fluently and comprehension strategies - the reading conference celebrates what the student can do well - the teacher chooses one reading skill or strategy to develop
Guided Writing/Writing Conferences - writing instruction in which the teacher guides a group of students through aspects of the writing process based on need - writing conferences celebrate what the writer can do well - the teacher focuses on one writing strategy to develop	Independent Reading - an extended reading time - students are reading material at their independent level - students record a personal connection in their Reader's Notebook - students share their insights with text in book clubs, pairs, or whole class discussions
Independent Writing - after the appropriate preparatory modeling, sharing and talking students have an extended writing time - writing is shared and celebrated daily	Read Aloud - the teacher makes the thinking visible to interpret the author's message and use text features to support comprehension of the text by using big books, author study and novels - the students learn strategies that 'good readers' use when reading to apply to their Independent Reading books

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INTEGRATED through curriculum content
LITERATURE is an integral part of the process

therefore.

Think
INTERACTIONS
Not Activities

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