ABCs of Literacy

With a common language and shared understandings, we move forward together. Yes! Just as everyone knows the 26 letters of the alphabet, everyone can share a common language for the fundamentals of reading, conversation, writing, and presenting towards building a global community of lifelong learners. Imagine the sheer power of all citizens knowing 36 words representing the ABC’s of Literacy for reading, writing, and communicating. Today, I might walk up to a high school student and ask, “What are the five elements of a story?” Far too often, the response would be, “I am not sure what you are asking” or “You mean the climax and that kind of stuff.” The power of all students and citizens being able to answer in the same way with confidence would be revolutionary, “I’ve got that down pat – characters, setting, conflict, resolution, and plot. Would you like to hear how this connects with the book I am currently reading?” These five terms are part of OnPoint’s 36 ABC’s for Literacy.

Super Standards of Literacy

Brian Kissman has written a balanced literacy curriculum – The Super Standards for Literacy Approach – that has six umbrella standards, which all learning outcomes for literacy fall under:

1. All students will develop competency in phonology and word study.
2. All students will develop and expand vocabulary.
3. All students will read for literal, inferential, and analytical comprehension.
4. All students will engage in conversation to create and convey meaning    
            – keeping the Traits of Conversation in mind.
5. All students will write for purpose by process writing
           – keeping the Traits of Writing in mind.
6. All students will present with clarity and presence
           – keeping the Traits of Presentation in mind.

Balanced Literacy Approach

The Super Standards for Literacy Approach is brought to life through the balanced literacy best practices of Guided Reading, Word Study, Writer’s Workshop, and Structured Independent Reading. 

While this traditionally has been an elementary school model, learning through the “lens of literacy” is gaining recognition at the secondary level.  In fact, students have shown greater content area growth by learning through literacy best practices beyond what the traditional secondary methods of instruction often achieve.

What is Guided Reading?

The OnPoint Balanced Literacy Approach to Guided Reading explicitly “guides” students to become fluent readers and to read for deep comprehension.

Students experience a Read Aloud daily—The teacher models think aloud meta-cognition, making their inner voice and the “lifting of meaning” with explicit strategies visible to the students.  Students “think-pair-share” to develop their reading comprehension abilities.  Literature appreciation through a variety of genres and text forms is gained by the passion brought to reading demonstrated by the teacher.

Shared Reading is used to focus on fluency, expression, and pace. 
Students follow a text while the teacher reads aloud or by participating in an oral choral reading.  The shared text can be a big book, chart poem, poster, overhead, or copies of the text in the hands of the students. 

Guided Reading has the teacher working with an individual or small group of students through the reading process—Before/During/After.  Students grow their abilities as engaged readers with decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and explicit reading comprehension strategies.  These reading conferences depend on the teacher to be the instructional leader, guiding students’ growth and allowing for a gradual release of responsibility towards self-regulated independent reading and rich book club conversations.

Oral Language and Speaking Skills are developed with explicit strategies to grow oral language capacity, the Traits of Conversation, and the Traits of Presentation.

What is Writer’s Workshop?

The OnPoint Balanced Literacy Approach to Writer’s Workshop explicitly “guides” students to become engaged and fluent writers in a variety of genres and text forms for a wide range of purposes. 

A daily writer’s workshop routine is employed:

MINI LESSONS
Writing Aloud, the teacher model’s writing with think aloud meta-cognition on chart paper, a white board, or overhead.  Students see and experience authentic writing through a variety of genre and text forms with the Traits of Writing and Process Writing.

In Shared Writing the teacher and students compose and edit text collaboratively (i.e., DOL, Morning Message, “co-authored” piece).  The teacher records while guiding students through the creation of a text. 

[10 minutes]

WRITE & CONFERENCE
Students then engage in Independent Writing for an extended period of time.  The students monitor and self-direct their efforts.

The teacher provides Guided Writing instruction to students — systematically seeing all students weekly.  The teacher works with an individual student or small group while the whole class writes. The teacher celebrates what the student does well and focuses on aspects of writing the student needs to develop.   A Traits of Writing rubric is used by both student and the teacher to monitor growth.

[40 minutes]

SHARE & CELEBRATE
Finally, students are allowed time to share and celebrate their efforts with partners or to the whole class through a variety of routines.

[10 minutes]

What is Word Study?

True knowledge of words is gained through critical thinking as students are coached to know, understand and apply patterns in phonics, spelling, and the meaning of vocabulary.

The OnPoint Word Study Program employs word study centers, word sorts, partner reading, reader’s theater, word study games, word walls, the Phonics Things Book and Banners, the Big Six vowel and syllable spelling patterns, and a syllabication routine exercise.  The ultimate goal is to help students make it a habit of mind to manipulate word concepts, identify patterns, and apply critical thinking skills.

Students have the opportunity to manipulate words along a continuum:

Emergent—Letter Name—Within Words—Syllables/Affixes—Derivational

Students learn the “Big Six” vowel and syllable spelling patterns:

CVC—CVCe—CVVC—CV/C—CVC/C—/Cle

A diagnostic—prescriptive approach to differentiated learning is guided with the Developmental Spelling Inventory (DSI) by Donald Bear, observations, and anecdotal notes.

What is Structured Independent Reading?

The OnPoint Balanced Literacy Approach to independent reading explicitly “guides” students to become engaged in sustained independent reading.  Leveled reading libraries are made accessible to the teacher and students.

As a daily routine, students have a set time to read alone a text that is at their independent reading level.  Students may choose to note “tracks of thinking” or respond to their reading in a journal.  However, this is a choice.  Research-evidence supports independent reading is effective when the student is not held accountable to produce a response.

Students’ “book bags” are filled weekly by the teacher according to the student’s assessed independent reading level and to assure that a variety of genres and text forms are read.  The teacher may provide a group of students with the same title to facilitate and guide book club conversation. 

A diagnostic—prescriptive approach to differentiated learning is guided by the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA2), observations, informal running records, and anecdotal notes.