How did you learn to read? Phonics? Whole language? A balanced approach to literacy? Much will depend upon the era you grew up in.
A long-standing debate on how literacy should be taught in schools has ensured that education policy has regularly switched between phonics and whole language learning.
The balanced approach to literacy – first introduced in the 1990s – is said to provide a welcome alternative. Some educators argue that this literacy program provides children with the skills they need to become successful readers and writers throughout the whole of their lives.
Here we explore the balanced approach to literacy and try to determine just how effective it really is.
What is balanced literacy?
Historically (and often contentiously), literacy teaching has swung between two supposed extremes.
On one side, we have the phonics approach. Children are taught to recognize the sounds and letters that compose words. They then work to blend and segment these sounds in order to read and to write.
On the other side, we have the whole language approach. Using this method, children are taught to recognize whole words in context. Proponents of this style of literacy teaching believe children are able to discern more meaning from what they read.
The balanced approach to literacy aims to incorporate the best aspects of these two different approaches. Sitting somewhere in the middle, it aims to assign equal importance to the phonics and whole language methods.
So what does a balanced approach to literacy actually look like? You’d expect a balanced literacy program to include the following five components delivered in whole class, small group, and one-to-one formats:
1. Reading aloud
The teacher reads a story or poem to the whole class, modeling good reading in the process. Teachers can make these sessions more interactive by asking for feedback or posing comprehension questions to students.
2. Shared reading
The whole class reads aloud together, using a text that everyone can see. The teacher can reinforce reading strategies and encourage students in their recognition of familiar patterns and phonic families.
3. Guided reading
In small groups, students of a similar reading level read a text together with teacher support. During these sessions, teachers are able to recognize any weaknesses and try to address them with relevant future texts.
4. Word study
Word study sessions give students the opportunity to focus on certain groups of words, recognizing patterns in their sound and appearance.
5. Independent reading
Students are given time to read independently, choosing texts that spark their interest and applying skills they have learned in group literacy sessions.
What are the benefits of using the balanced approach to literacy?
It provides the best of both worlds
If phonemic learning seems too structured and whole language too wishy-washy, a balanced approach to literacy might be the “just right” option you’re looking for.
This approach allows children to experience literacy creatively, finding meaning, and enjoying the texts that they read.
But it also gives them the tools they need to break language down into its component parts, reading and writing correctly from a younger age.
Children get the opportunity to learn in different ways
No parent wants to hear that their child is falling behind with their reading. But as phonics tends to favor kids who learn best by listening and the whole language approach is better suited to hands-on, visual learners, neither will suit all students.
By incorporating both of these approaches, a balanced literacy program ensures fewer children fall through the net.
It gradually hands responsibility over to students
Sometimes teachers, in their desire to see their students succeed, provide too much input or not enough. A balanced literacy program gradually gives kids more responsibility for their reading and writing.
Firstly, teachers model good reading and writing to their class. Then, teachers and children share in enriching literacy experiences as students practice their skills. Finally, students are encouraged to implement their skills independently.
It works for children at all levels of literacy
As part of this method, children are constantly assessed, which means teachers are able to address their literacy needs on a case by case basis. Whether kids are ahead or behind their expected literacy level, teachers are able to provide input to help them progress.
It creates a rich literary environment
A balanced approach to literacy introduces students to a range of different reading materials. Fiction and non-fiction. Storybooks, newspapers, comics, and even road signs!
A wide range of reading texts ensures all students are engaged and interested in literacy learning. This helps kids to develop a love of reading that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Balanced literacy: is it effective?
There are certainly arguments for a balanced approach to literacy. Teachers are able to promote explicit language instruction alongside language exploration and discovery.
Phonics provides a useful approach for young children learning to read. But many educators argue that it fails to support students in their literacy learning as they progress through the grades.
Solely decoding words doesn’t provide kids with the skills to infer, ask questions, and find meaning in texts. And these are the skills they’ll need when dealing with more complex reading material in future years.
It’s also worth remembering that no one approach to literacy is guaranteed to work for all students in all settings. The beauty of the balanced literacy program is that teachers can adapt it to meet the needs of the students they have sitting in front of them.
A little more phonics? A little more literary appreciation? A good teacher with the right support and training will be able to consistently assess the literacy level of their students and implement the most effective method for each individual child.
Ultimately, when it’s well delivered, the balanced approach to literacy provides students with the skills they need to read and write across all stages of their education.
Teaching your child how to read? Check out the reading worksheets in the KidsKonnect library. Here you’ll find worksheets on phonics, comprehension, and a range of exciting texts.
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Link will appear as The Balanced Approach to Literacy – What Is It and Why Is It Effective?: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 21, 2020