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A COMPREHENSIVE, BALANCED LITERACY PROGRAM

Tammy Gingras

Literacy: The Integration of the Language Arts

EEDUC 5121
Gwen Barry Blumberg, Adjunct Faculty
March 15, 2009
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Comprehensive, Balanced Literacy Program 3

References 8

Appendix 9
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What will a comprehensive, balanced literacy program

consist of and look like in my 2nd grade classroom? I will
provide students with the skills and strategies they need to
become independent readers and writers. I will do this by
providing a variety of reading materials and presenting them in
many different ways. I will use various types of word studies
and a word wall to build spelling and phonics skills. I will
also implement writing workshops.
When you enter my classroom, one of the first things you
will notice is the classroom library. The library will be
created in a separate area of the room and will look comfortable
and inviting. There will be a rug on the floor and several large
pillows and bean-bag chairs. There will also be a tall floor
lamp with two comfortable small chairs on each side of it. I
will also have my own rocking chair to use during silent
sustained reading. The bookshelves will be full of colorful
baskets that contain different genres and types of reading
materials. They will all be labeled to make locating a book easy
for the students. The books will all be leveled according to
Guided Reading by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. During
independent reading times, students will be able to use the
entire library area and classroom to make themselves feel at
home.
To get the year started, I will be administering an
Observation Survey similar to the Observation Survey created by
Marie Clay. The Observation Survey will include a reading
inventory that will help me collect a reading history and
background information on each student. I will administer a
dictation test to the students to observe their ability to hear
and record sounds in words. I will do a phonemic awareness
inventory on those students that I feel may need extra phonics
help. I will also do a running record with each student to
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determine their reading level. I will be administering and

analyzing the data from a Primary Spelling Inventory from Words
Their Way. The information I collect and analyze from the
Observation Surveys will allow me to group students for
different areas of instruction and create goals for future
growth. I will repeat the running records on my students several
times a year and the Primary Spelling Inventory three times a
year. I will re-administer the other tests on an as needed basis.
For reading and writing instruction, I will be using the
Model for Effective Teaching and Learning presented by Regie
Routman in her book Conversations. (See Appendix). Regie states,
“The best teachers make tasks explicit through demonstration,
shared demonstration, guided practice, independent practice,
response and feedback, more demonstrations, and ongoing
assessment” (Routman, 2000, p.23.) The model basically works
from direct teacher support to guiding the students to
independence in reading and writing. I believe that modeling is
the most powerful tool for instruction and for setting up my
students for success in what they do, whether it is in reading
or writing.
One thing you will notice in my classroom is that everyone
has fun reading. When students enter the classroom in the
morning, they will get themselves settled in and sit right down
at their desks to read. I think this is a great way to start the
day. After recess, the students will gather in the library area
on the rug while I read to them. I will be reading picture
books, short chapter books, poems, songs, magazine and newspaper
articles, and anything else I find interesting for them. This
time of the day will be informal and allow students to sit back
and unwind before we move onto the rest of the day. More
importantly, it will allow me to model good reading skills and
introduce my students to different genres, concepts, and
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vocabulary that they may not be able to read or discover

independently. There will also be time each day designated for
sustained silent reading. The focus of this reading time will be
reading for enjoyment. Everyone, including myself, will be
sitting around the room reading independently for 15 to 20
minutes. I will designate two days a week to roam around the
room for informal one-on-one reading conferences. I will require
students to keep a log of the books and genres they have read.
The log will include the name and author of the book, the genre,
and a rating scale to rate the books they read. This log will be
on-going, and it will allow the students to see their reading
progress.
For direct reading instruction, I will be using the model
in Guided Reading. Students will be grouped according to reading
and skill level. Each group will have four to six students and
will meet for 15 to 20 minutes. I will work with the neediest
groups every day. I will meet with the other groups at least
three times a week. I will be doing modeling, shared reading,
conferencing, and word work. I will select leveled readers based
on the reading level of the group. I will begin with an
introduction to the book. Next, I will discuss what prior
knowledge the students have about the theme or topic of the
book. I will also bring up any vocabulary words or specific
skills the students will need to successfully read the book on
their own. At this time, I will work with them on any specific
word work I feel is necessary. Then, I will begin reading the
book with the students as a shared reading in which I will ask
questions and discuss the characters, setting, theme of the
story, and anything the students do not understand. We will make
predictions, summarize, retell, think aloud, and create graphic
organizers to reinforce ideas or concepts. The purpose of the
shared reading is to have conversations about the book and to
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make sure that students are comprehending what has been read.
From the shared reading, I will guide the students into whisper
reading and make my way around the group to listen to their oral
reading and have one-on-one conferences. Once I feel that the
students have the skills necessary to read the book
independently, I will send them back to their seats to finish
and re-read the story alone or with a partner. I will quickly
evaluate what I just worked on and make some notes about what I
will work on during our next meeting. I will then call the next
group of students to begin their guided reading.
While I am doing guided reading groups, the rest of the
class will be busy working at their seats. Some will be
finishing the book we read during their guided reading group.
Others will be doing specific word work from our weekly work
board and doing activities using the words on our word wall.
Words Their Way is loaded with ideas I will use for creating
word sorts and word games. I will also include activities from
Making Words (Cunningham & Hall, 1994). All of the activities I
include will help to build phonemic awareness, phonics,
vocabulary, and spelling to help students be successful readers
and writers. These skills will be reinforced throughout the day
during morning message, whole class reading, and during writers
workshop.
I also plan to implement a writers workshop. The focus of
this workshop will be writing for enjoyment. About 15 to 30
minutes will be designated three times a week for writing.
Students will have the choice to write stories or poems from
their own ideas on topics that are interesting to them.
Occasionally, I will choose a writing prompt for the students to
work on.
For writing instruction, I will also be following the Model
for Effective Teaching and Learning from Conversations by Regie
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Routman. I believe that modeling quality writing is the best way

to teach writing skills. I will model good writing skills by
doing whole class writing aloud and shared writing activities.
During this time I will teach mini-lessons about things like the
importance of planning and organizing, word choice, punctuation,
and revising and editing. I think another powerful teaching tool
for writing is sharing writing samples from other students (from
other classrooms or previous years). Together, we will analyze
writing samples of excellent, average, and poor writing.
I am so excited to incorporate a comprehensive, balanced
literacy program into my own 2nd grade classroom. I feel that I
have so many great tools to support the teaching and learning of
literacy in my class. I look forward to a classroom where my
students learn while enjoying to read and to write.

REFERENCES
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Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., and Johnston, F.,

(2008). Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics,
Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (4th ed.). Columbus,
OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Cunningham, P.M. & Hall, D.H. (1994). Making Words: Multilevel,

Hands-On, Developmentally Appropriate Spelling and Phonics
Activities. Grand Rapids, MI: Frank Schaffer Publications.

Routman, Regie. (2000). Conversations: Strategies for Teaching,

Learning, and Evaluating. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.