What is Balanced Literacy?
Balanced Literacy is a philosophy for reading instruction that includes
the best elements of both systematic or explicit phonics instruction, with whole language
philosophy. The balanced literacy teacher
will combine the strengths of whole-language philosophy with appropriate
explicit skills
instruction. In so doing create an instructional
approach that is more than the sum of its parts. Balanced
instruction is based on the synergetic relationship which
exists between the whole-language philosophy and more systematic phonics
approaches to reading instruction (Pressley, 2002). Over
the years more
and more educators have stared to agree that
no single approach to teaching
reading is fundamentally superior
to all the rest. Projects conducted
specifically to examine the
best approach to reading, conclude that children
learn to read by
a variety of materials and methods and that a combination of
approaches is often more effective (Bond and Dykstra, 1967,1977).
Carbo
(1996) points out the different learning styles of students,
by stating
"the 'analytic and auditory' students in particular, benefit
from explicit phonics
instruction; students with 'visual, tactile and global
learning styles' tend to
profit from a whole language philosophy.
Furthering the support for a
balanced approach, Carbo continues in
declaring, "the different stages of
reading acquisition (selective cue,
spelling-sound, and automatic) require
different approaches".
According to the California Department of
Education (1995, 1996)
"the heart of a powerful reading program is
the relationship between
explicit systematic skills instruction, literature,
language and
comprehension. While skills alone are insufficient to develop
good
readers, no reader can become proficient without these foundational
skills."
|
The search for any "one best way" to teach children is doomed to fail because it is a search for the impossible. (Cunningham & Allington, 1999) |
A simple principle: Children differ This explains why there can be no one best method, material or program. (Allington, 2001) |
My work in preparing this thesis has brought me to a firm understanding of the term "balanced literacy". A balanced approach to literacy incorporates phonics skills with meaning in a manner that studies and evaluates the individual and the individual setting. The intensity of one approach as it relates to the other is appropriate after consideration of the unique teaching/learning situation. The balanced approach can be described as one that incorporates the necessary intensity and best elements of explicit phonics instruction with meaning based discussions.
 | How does Balanced Literacy differ from the Whole Language Philosophy? Whole language is an philosophy to literacy education that emphasizes natural development of literacy competence. Immersion in real literature and daily writing is favored over explicit teaching of basic reading skills. Skills instruction occurs in whole-language classrooms on an as-needed basis only, and then only in the context of reading and writing, rather than as a focal point of instruction (Pressley, 2002, p.15). Experts such as Goodman, Smith and Weaver present the case for whole language by stating: -meaning making should take priority in reading at all times, including as children are learning to read. According to the whole-language perspective, the context clues and the schemata they trigger are very important in reading, in fact they are prime players. Whole-language educators believe that schemata play a large role in comprehension, and with the acceptance of this notion, their approach is often thought of as a top-down approach. That is, the reader first gets the top level, big ideas, which inform his or her understanding of parts of the text. In contrast is the bottom-up approach, which involves analyzing individual letters to produce individual words that are combined to construct the meaning of the text. Phonics is certainly a part of the whole language philosophy, but unlike pure systematic phonics instruction, letter-sound skills are taught within the context of meaningful literature. A summarization of reading using the work and views of Weaver (1994), is contained in the following: 1. In isolation, most words do not have a single meaning but rather a range of possible meanings. 2. Words take on specific meanings as they transact with one another in sentence, text, social, and situational contexts. For further insight go to Weaver's Restaurant Schema. 3. Meaning is not in the text, nor will the meaning intended by the writer ever be perceived (or rather, constructed) exactly the same by a reader. 4. Readers make sense of texts by bringing to bear their schemata- their entire lifetime of knowledge, experiences, and feelings. 5. Meaning emerges as readers transact with text in a specific situational context. 6. Thus, the process of reading is to a considerable degree whole to part, top to bottom, deep to surface, inside out (Pressley,2002, p.24). In a nutshell, the classic (purist) whole-language philosophy with respect to the development of word recognition skills claims, in place of teaching decoding directly, immerse children in print experiences and opportunities to write with invented spelling, and they will learn to read. Phonics instruction is embedded in the context of the text. Whereas in the Balanced Literacy approach, there is provision, as needed, for a systematic approach to word identification as well as recognition of the importance of gaining meaning from schema and context found within authentic literature. |
| How does Balanced Literacy differ from the Phonics Approach? Balanced reading instruction means a combination of approaches. Where phonics advocates assert that children need training in both phonemic awareness, by which they develop an awareness of individual sounds, and in cueing strategies, through which they learn to decode the text and comprehend the material (Kelly, 1997). This instruction is traditionally taught before the reading of authentic texts. Phonics materials include a controlled set of words that the students have previously been taught how to decode. The balance approach supports the belief that students can learn phonemic awareness and cueing strategies while immersed in authentic literature. Further discussion on the place for phonics in a balanced literacy approach click on Phonics Instruction in a Balanced Literacy Program. |
| Why is it necessary to choose one approach over another? Those who choose curriculum seem to feel that reading must be taught using one method or another. A single method is neat, clear, and comforting. Literacy education in the United States is at a perilous crossroads. School boards and state legislators seem to be searching for the silver bullet, the answer to literacy education for all children. To read an annotation on this perspective of using the best of each method, in place of school boards and legislators throwing out whole programs, click onto Silver bullets, babies, and bath water: Literature response groups in a balanced literacy program. |
| What does Research say? (a highlight from the IRA position statement) A quote from the International Reading Association states "There is no single method or single combination of methods that can successfully teach all children to read. Therefore, teachers must have a strong knowledge of multiple methods for teaching reading and a strong knowledge of the children in their care so they can create the appropriate balance of methods needed for the children they teach." There is a strong research base supporting this position. Large-scale studies of reading methods have shown that no one method is better than any other method in all settings and situations (Adams, 1990; Bond & Dykstra, 1967; Foorman et al., 1998; Hoffman, 1994; Stallings, 1975). If teachers are given the professional freedom to make informed decisions for the instruction of their students, with the right "tools" they will be able to provide the best elements of systematic phonics and meaning-based instruction, with appropriate intensity. Michael Pressley (2002) describes the most sensible beginning-reading curriculum as one with a balance of skills development and authentic reading and writing. He goes on to state that this is really what good teachers do. Pressley makes clear the need for balance in the following statements. "No matter how good the phonics instruction is,... it is not enough to produce excellent literacy in students. The whole-language components stimulate elements of literacy development not affected by decoding (phonics) instruction alone, such as vocabulary development, writing competence, and positive attitudes toward reading and writing (Pressley, 2002, p.223)." It makes good sense based on the many empirical analyses now available to review, to develop primary-level instruction that is rich and balanced in both skills instruction and whole-language immersion. My personal experience and success in grade one, during the 2002-2003 school year, also support this claim. |