Balanced Literacy in My Grade 1/2 Classroom
By JoJean Vicioso
The components of a Balanced Literacy classroom which I have developed in the 1996-97 school year are: Read-Alouds (up to 7 a day), Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Running Records, Shared Writing, Guided Writing, and using Assessment and Evaluation to determine lessons taught. I would like to become more adept at all of these components, as well as incorporate more demonstration and use literacy centers effectively in the coming year.
Read Alouds were the easiest component to master. Reading to my students has always been a special joy to me. Making each story have a purpose and a goal associated with it has been a challenge. I make certain that every day I read at least one story or poem simply for the joy of doing so. I believe that children need to see that some literature should be experienced simply for the joy that it brings.
Shared Reading has been a real challenge. A lack of appropriate materials has put a strain on my time, but it has also made me far more inventive. Finding material that suits my students' needs and is accessible to them has meant that traditional formats have been left behind. I have used tagboard reproductions, enlarged formats of existing books, and even created a few books on my own to help with this process. My students have reacted very positively to my efforts, and I have seen a lot of growth in their reading ability and concepts of print.
Guided Reading has been the most successful component of my Balanced Literacy Program. I do not have leveled materials (i.e. Reading Recovery Levels), but I have carefully selected materials which are not beyond my students' grasp nor are they too easy. I have used running records to monitor progress of each student, and with only twenty students in the classroom, I am able to complete a running record on every student at least every week.
Shared Writing and Guided Writing go together so well. I understand how to help students transition from viewing demonstrated techniques to using the techniques in their own writing. The students are using more standard spelling, and they make certain that their writing makes sense before they consider it complete. I would like to do a lot more with conferencing with students and making writing meaningful next year.
The key to all of the changes that I have made has been Assessment and Evaluation. I have determined my student's strong and weak areas. I use their strong areas to help build the weak. It is amazing that I could have taught nearly ten years without recognizing the importance of this! Having an expected outcome, which does not include an understanding of students' abilities, was extremely counterproductive. I am far happier with my teaching since I began incorporating Balanced Literacy in my classroom.
In the next school year I will endeavor to include meaningful literacy centers in my classroom. I will attempt to improve on the changes I have already made, and I would really like to involve my students' parents in the classroom more. This year has been a challenge, but it has also been one of the greatest learning experiences I have ever had.
