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Bestseller!

This Is Balanced Literacy, Grades K-6

First Edition

Fisher/Frey Imprint

All the tools and tips you need to strike the right balance of high impact learning and realize the goal of balanced literacy instruction in your classroom.

Full description

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Product Details
  • Grade Level: K-6
  • ISBN: 9781544360942
  • Published By: Corwin
  • Series: Corwin Literacy
  • Year: 2019
  • Page Count: 272
  • Publication date: September 17, 2019
Price: $40.95

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Author(s) Table of Contents Reviews

Description

This is Balanced Literacy: Grades K-6

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?

The answer lies in the intentional design of learning activities, purposeful selection of instructional materials, evidence-based teaching methods, and in strategic groupings of students based on assessment data. Together, these create the perfect balance of high impact learning experiences that engage and excite learners. In this hands-on essential guide, best-selling authors Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Nancy Akhavan help you define that balance for your students, lighting the path to implementing balanced literacy in your classroom. Their plan empowers you to integrate evidence-based approaches that include:

• Instructional materials comprised of both informational and narrative texts.
• The best uses of instructional delivery modes, including direct and dialogic instruction.
• Grouping patterns that work best to accomplish learning aims for different learners at different stages.
• Instruction in foundational skills and meaning making, including oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
• Technology used as a tool for increasing learning of a specific literary process.

All the tips and tools you need to realize the goal of balanced literacy learning are included, with classroom videos that show strategies in action. Tap your intuition, collaborate with your peers, and put the research-based strategies embedded in this roadmap to work in your classroom to implement or deepen a strong, successful balanced literacy program. Grow as a reading and writing teacher while leading your students to grow as readers and writers.

Author(s)

Douglas Fisher

Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is a credentialed English teacher and administrator in California. In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design, as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook 2/e, Your Introduction to PLC+, The Illustrated Guide to Teacher Credibility, The Teaching Reading Playbook, and Welcome to Teaching!.


Nancy Frey

Nancy Frey is a Professor in Educational Leadership at San Diego State and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California. She is a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel. Her published titles include The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning, Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners, Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers, and RIGOR Unveiled: A Video-Enhanced Flipbook to Promote Teacher Expertise in Relationship Building, Instruction, Goals, Organization, and Relevance.

Nancy Akhavan

Dr. Nancy Akhavan has spent more than 30 years as an educator and consultant. Her work focuses on student support through literacy instruction and intervention, English Language Development, leadership development and organizational systems to increase student achievement. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Fresno State. She is the founder of Nancy Akhavan Consulting, Inc. Dr. Akhavan has been a bilingual teacher, principal of three schools, and a district administrator of a large urban district for ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science and World Languages. She also served as Assistant Superintendent Secondary Division in a large urban school district. Dr. Akhavan is recognized for her expertise in teaching literacy practices and has published twelve books that focus on instruction that increases student achievement, and has worked with districts and county offices in multiple states and internationally to increase student achievement in reading, writing, and in content areas.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Defining Balance, Finding Balance

Chapter 2 - Whole Class Reading Instruction: High-Level Support for Learning

Chapter 3 - Whole Class Writing Instruction: High-Level Support for Learning

Chapter 4 - Collaborative Reading and Writing: Learning in the Company of Peers

Chapter 5 - Small Group Reading Instruction: Targeted Support Through Guided Learning

Chapter 6 - Small Group Writing Instruction: Targeted Support Through Guided Learning

Chapter 7 - Independent Reading: Practicing, Applying, and Extending Learning

Chapter 8 - Independent Writing Instruction: Practicing, Applying, and Extending Learning

Chapter 9 - Assessment and Intervention in the Balanced Literacy Classroom: Noticing and Responding to Students' Needs

References

Reviews

Quote by Lura A. Hanks, Supervisor for English Language Arts and Social Studies, Washington County Public Schools: These authors (if more than you!) have brilliantly synthesized evidence-based best practices for quality instruction - breaking down the complexities of a balanced literacy classroom and aligning excellent instruction with formative assessment to meet the needs of all learners. This resource exemplifies the distinguished practices of Danielson’s framework and makes it digestible as a tool for classroom teachers in planning and implementing a balanced literacy approach sure to yield tangible achievement results!
These authors (if more than you!) have brilliantly synthesized evidence-based best practices for quality instruction - breaking down the complexities of a balanced literacy classroom and aligning excellent instruction with formative assessment to meet the needs of all learners. This resource exemplifies the distinguished practices of Danielson’s framework and makes it digestible as a tool for classroom teachers in planning and implementing a balanced literacy approach sure to yield tangible achievement results!
Lura A. Hanks
Supervisor for English Language Arts and Social Studies, Washington County Public Schools
Quote by Wiley Blevins, Author, A Fresh Look At Phonics, ILA Leadership Brief: Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction: "Balanced literacy means different things to different people. In This Is Balanced Literacy, Fisher, Frey, and Akhavan take a research-based, best-practices look at what balanced literacy can and should be. Readers will leave with loads of practices and ideas to fine-tune every aspect of their balanced literacy curriculum to truly maximize student learning!"
"Balanced literacy means different things to different people. In This Is Balanced Literacy, Fisher, Frey, and Akhavan take a research-based, best-practices look at what balanced literacy can and should be. Readers will leave with loads of practices and ideas to fine-tune every aspect of their balanced literacy curriculum to truly maximize student learning!"
Wiley Blevins, Author
A Fresh Look At Phonics, ILA Leadership Brief: Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction
Price: $40.95

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