| It will be my responsibility as a teacher of | | | | their own individual book selection that will be at |
| language arts to challenge, motivate, and support | | | | their level and appeal to their personal interests. A |
| students in becoming proficient readers, writers, | | | | class library and browsing boxes should also be |
| speakers, listeners, and thinkers. The common | | | | accessible to the children. It is the teacher's |
| goal for students is to become independent | | | | responsibility to continually monitor what each child |
| readers and writers, but the paths that they will | | | | is reading to be sure that the books they spend |
| take to achieve this goal will be very varied. | | | | time with match their readiness and interests. |
| Students' learning processes differ just as much | | | | Observation and assessment of students is the |
| as their size and shape, and to ignore that fact is | | | | strongest tool to use to form lessons. The |
| to deny children effective education. The balanced | | | | teacher must look to see what cues each student |
| literacy approach to teaching language arts was | | | | is attending to and offer them strategies that |
| created with this in mind. The basis of this | | | | should lead to self-correction and self-monitoring. |
| approach focuses on how to effectively instruct a | | | | By keeping records in a "Running Record" format, |
| classroom full of students coming from all | | | | the teacher has immediate reference to how |
| different walks of life. By acknowledging that each | | | | each child is reading. By using this information to |
| student brings different characteristics with them | | | | create mini-lessons, one can save time by |
| into the classroom, the teacher can adjust the | | | | focusing time on what strategies need to be |
| types of access to information and strategies | | | | learned and simply reinforce the skills that the |
| they will use to become adept in reading and | | | | students already have. |
| writing. | | | | Through read-alouds and shared reading lessons, |
| This approach to teaching does not just look good | | | | the teacher must model the behaviors and |
| on paper - it works! Extensive research on the | | | | introduce skills and strategies that will come to be |
| subject supports this. If you were to look at a | | | | expected of the students. The teacher must |
| class that uses this approach, it would be very | | | | demonstrate that reading is enjoyable and can be |
| clear that this is an effective method of | | | | very informative. Students should learn of the |
| instruction. Children make greater and stronger | | | | many genres of reading and writing and the |
| steps through the learning process when they are | | | | purposes of each. The class must spend time |
| moderately challenged and appropriately | | | | with interactive reading and writing tasks where |
| supported. Something that challenges one student | | | | they are all involved in the reading, as well as |
| may be tedious to another. Trying to find a | | | | creating written works to display around the |
| middle ground for these students will not help | | | | classroom. |
| them, but likely bore or frustrate them, in turn | | | | The students will share what they have learned, |
| turning them off to reading and writing. An | | | | read, and written with each other. They will work |
| educator must provide a safe, student-friendly, | | | | together at learning stations. They will read with |
| and print rich environment, in which children will be | | | | peers during guided reading lessons. These groups |
| able to work independently in work stations and | | | | will all be very fluid, so as each student changes |
| have a chance for small group instruction as often | | | | and grows, they will be moved to where they |
| as possible. A strong sense of community must | | | | can maximize their current potential. Strong |
| be established to create comfort and support for | | | | readers may not be strong writers, and vice |
| all beginning readers. Creating access to strategies | | | | versa, therefore the students will likely work with |
| and skills, and making sure that each student is | | | | many different peers in the classroom who |
| appropriately challenged and supported will be my | | | | match their readiness level at a particular skill. The |
| priority in English Language Arts instruction. | | | | whole class will also work together at times so |
| There are many important factors to attend to | | | | there is an understanding that the class is a |
| when implementing a balanced literacy approach in | | | | community or readers who can learn, share what |
| the classroom. The first thing to focus on, before | | | | they have learned, and not be afraid to take risks. |
| the children even step foot into the classroom, will | | | | As an educator I intend to offer myself to my |
| be the physical environment of the room. The | | | | fullest ability as an instructor to emergent readers |
| class must be organized so that children have | | | | and continue to support fluent readers. I will |
| access to the materials they need and the ability | | | | attend to the many aspects of the balanced |
| to use them independently. In the beginning of | | | | literacy approach. I will be sure that the students I |
| each school year the focus of instruction should | | | | am teaching will be challenged, supported, |
| be on teaching children how to use the materials | | | | engaged, and active in my classroom. I will be the |
| in the classroom effectively so that they can | | | | students' coach and mentor and give them as |
| maximize their time spent on literacy tasks. | | | | much responsibility for their learning as they can |
| Learning centers appealing to various learning | | | | handle. All students will be active in their literacy |
| profiles must be implemented into the classroom | | | | learning and feel that their classroom is a safe |
| so the students will be able to do productive and | | | | community where they can flourish as readers |
| meaningful literacy work while the teacher meets | | | | and writers. |
| with groups or individuals. Students should have | | | | |