Setting up a classroom to foster literacy development and engagement is a critical part of literacy instruction. A teacher′s belief system and philosophy can be translated into both the physical structure of her classroom and the content communicated on the walls.
Setting up a classroom to foster literacy development and engagement is a critical part of literacy instruction. A teacher′s belief system and philosophy can be translated into both the physical structure of her classroom and the content communicated on the walls.
Although Word Walls are typical features in a primary classroom, they can be visible and concrete learning supports that can expand students’ vocabulary and provide ongoing concrete examples of new concepts and ideas learned at all levels.
Student work can tell the story of student learning and development or it can share examples of published work to celebrate student accomplishment. Typically, student work displayed in the classrooms and hallways are finished, graded, and represents the best work of the students.
Studies show that in classrooms with accessible, well-organized libraries students read up to 60% more and engage in more than twice as many literacy related activities. So, what makes a strong classroom library?
Our classroom libraries are the heart of our literacy classroom. We need to select a wide variety of texts and organize them so that students can use strategies to select appropriate texts for their book bins.
A student’s book bin is her toolbox for independent reading and application. The contents of the book bin supports the student’s developing interest and motivation for reading while providing texts to practice the skills and strategies she is learning in class.
The goal in a Balanced Literacy classroom is to build the group’s stamina to read for 30 minutes every day.
Rituals and routines refer to all the planning, discussions and agreements between the teacher and students related to classroom management, organization and expectations.
The goal of daily independent reading of student self-selected text is to foster wise readers who are self-motivated, self-directed, engaged readers that are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and meaning makers who love to read and choose to read!
Independent reading is incomplete if the teacher is not conferring with each child about their reading every week.
When a teacher confers, they change their stance. They become a fellow reader, but also an observer, assessor and data collector. The teaching purpose of conferring about students’ independent reading is to collect information that helps you plan.