What Is Balanced Literacy?

Students learn to read and write best when their teachers balance literacy instruction. But how do you strike the right balance of skills and knowledge, reading and writing, small and whole group instruction, and direct and dialogic instruction, so that all students can learn to their maximum potential?

[AdrianClavijo]

To address the question of why phonics is not simply taught, it is important to note that the school, state, and national curricula are not designed to for phonics instruction. Teachers with TEFOL or TESOL certifications can adapt any material for phonics. However, if a teacher has not been trained in teaching phonics, they may struggle with this task. Phonics instruction should ideally begin in kindergarten and first grade. For phonics to be effective, learners need to be regularly assessed through activities such as dictation on a weekly basis. This provides the best way to evaluate students' progress and identify areas where they may be struggling. Unfortunately, this approach to learning can be quite repetitive, but it is essential for establish the foundational skills.

As far as I know, there is no American curriculum or program that offers a well-structured and logical approach to teaching phonics. The British curriculum, on the other hand, has a comprehensive program. This is the primary reason why American schools have not made the switch. Although there is a program called "Hooked on Phonics" in the United States, many American approaches tend to skip phonological Awareness, which is not to be confused with blends or blending. Most phonics programs I have encountered begin with teaching the basic 26 letter sounds of the alphabet and then abruptly move on to having students read sentences with sight words. This approach sets children up for failure and discourages teachers.

To maximize the benefits of phonics instruction, the alphabet should be taught in a specific order that allows for the formation of the greatest number of words with each letter. For example, if we begin with the letters "s, " "a, " "t, " "i, " "p, " and "n, " we can already form several words. This order is more effective than starting with "a, " "b, " and "c." The order suggested is as follows:

s, a, t, i, p, n
ck, e, h, r, m, d
g, o, u, l, f, d
ai, j, oa, ie, ee, or
z, w, ng, v, oo, oo
y, x, ch, sh, th, th
qu, ou, oi, ue, er, ar

Even in this order, I have not covered all the blends and digraphs in the English language. American English has 44 sounds, while British English can have up to 46 sounds due to the inclusion of additional vowels. The list above does not include all the variations such as /ph/, /ow/, /igh/, /ay/, /ur/, /ir/, /ea/, /au/, /sion/, /ious/, /es/, soft "c, " soft "g, " and many more. There are also rules regarding symbol counts that are not being taught, and other rules such as the "magic e" or the rule of dropping the "y" and adding "ies" or "ed."

For example, "Australia" has three A's and none of them have the same sound. Phonics can explain this with word deconstructions. /Au/___ s-t-r-a__ l-i-___a. There is an open syllable rule being used.

Many programs simply present these sounds and then tell students to start reading. However, it does not work that way. Students need to practice word deconstruction, to develop phonological and phonemic awareness, and these aspects are often not included in standard programs.

In my personal experience, my own children read better than me because they have had practice and have mastered the fundamentals.

[quantumbemusement]

Balanced Literacy is heavily refuted by Cognitive Science research. Balanced Literacy teaches students to read like poor reading adults. The article published by APM Reports titled, "At a Loss for Words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers, " goes into detail about how this flawed approach to teaching literacy has resulted in a significant reduction in reading proficiency in the U.S. Although the company behind Balanced Literacy makes over $500 million/year selling this curriculum, it does not have students' or society's best interests at heart. The APM article's executive summary reads, "For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't know there's anything wrong with it."

[Buttertoast]

What is balanced literacy: a defunct and discredited method for teaching kids to read that has done incredible damage to several generations of children.

[nicksmale]

I've developed an instructional approach which gives a naturally balanced approach in line with the Corwin style. Let me know if you're interested.

[wwspic]

Why not just teach phonics? Use "Reading With Phonics" by Julie Hay and Charles Wingo.