What is Balanced Literacy?
A balanced literacy program would include personal, literary and expository texts. These texts would be implemented in all 6 strands of ELA (see below for strands and further examples).
- Personal Texts: journals, free-writing, reflections
- Literary Texts: poetry, biography, narrative, drama
- Expository Texts: reports, arguments, explanations, descriptions
- Personal Texts: journals, free-writing, reflections
- Literary Texts: poetry, biography, narrative, drama
- Expository Texts: reports, arguments, explanations, descriptions
Balanced Literacy - link to the Balanced Literacy Diet website, including information and implementation resources for the classroom
The 6 Strands of English Language Arts
Reading: Reader’s Theater, author’s chair, reading circles, genre studies,
K-W-L, directed reading activities, grand conversations, etc.
Writing: free writing, response journals, creative writing, writing for real audiences (editorials, letters, e-pals...), writing in role, scripts, etc.
Viewing: Films/videos, photographs, paintings, observation exercises
Speaking: debates, speeches, mini lessons as “class expert”,
dramatic readings, dialogues, discussion, sermons...
Listening: interviewing, note taking, paraphrasing...
Representing: textual/non-textual projects which represent learning, for example, posters, 3 dimensional projects, dramatizations, art, music, etc.
K-W-L, directed reading activities, grand conversations, etc.
Writing: free writing, response journals, creative writing, writing for real audiences (editorials, letters, e-pals...), writing in role, scripts, etc.
Viewing: Films/videos, photographs, paintings, observation exercises
Speaking: debates, speeches, mini lessons as “class expert”,
dramatic readings, dialogues, discussion, sermons...
Listening: interviewing, note taking, paraphrasing...
Representing: textual/non-textual projects which represent learning, for example, posters, 3 dimensional projects, dramatizations, art, music, etc.