Literacy Skills and Strategies
Literacy skills
It is important to remember that the modes of literacy; reading, writing, talking and listening are interrelated, each contributing to the development of the others. Therefor a balanced literacy program should be implemented to cater for a coherent and comprehensive curriculum. Children’s natural capacity for meaning making requires continual nourishing in order to flourish. The optimal conditions for growth include a balance of teacher-directed and self-directed activities that involve students in having real conversations about real texts and using what they know to learn more. When done well, it is a most joyful and satisfying experience for both students and teachers (Hammond 2011). Choosing literature that interest your students will be vital in gaining motivation and assist in building on knowledge to gain further understanding. This will be particular useful in engaging Thomas in participating in reading and providing stimulus for encouraging writing For further assistance in selecting the right texts for your students, see the PDF file on our webpage titled; ‘Selecting texts that are just right’.
Finding out what your student’s interests are will provide a strong foundation to the curriculum cycle. The circular style allows for repetition and reflection while also allowing teachers to adapt the stages according to the unit of work (Derewianka 1991).
(For an enlarged image of Curriculum cycle, see CC word document on webpage)
Thomas is indicating reading levels of 6.2year old, which places him at a year one level. Using ‘Best Start’ literacy continuum, is an effective indicator of what skills Thomas has achieved and what he needs to develop along the continuum in order to advance his skills for his year group. The interactive continuum provides a detailed description of each literacy skill; reading texts, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, speaking, phonics, phonemic awareness and concepts about print (NSW DET 2012). HARMonious places Thomas at cluster 7 and or 8. If you hover the mouse over each section at the cluster it will clarify each element and give some teaching strategies to improve each skill area. The link to the interactive continuum is;
Other support for literacy teaching strategies including assessment can be found on the Curriculum support webpage; http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/index.htm
Here are some other strategies for improving literacy skills in reading and writing through modelled, guided and independent lesson focus.
Reading
A balanced reading program addresses the learning needs of the whole class, selected groups within that class and the individual reader (Bat & Frencham 2009). Daily opportunities for students to develop further and refine reading skills and strategies is imperative to making links between comprehension, fluency, writing, talking and listening and is provided through modelled, guided and independent reading activities.
Modelled reading
Modelled reading is when the teacher thinks aloud and explicitly demonstrates strategies to decode written and visual texts (Harris, McKenzie, Fitzsimmons & Turbill 2003). By modelling metacognition and using meta-language, the teacher is effectively teaching reading strategies to;
These strategies are helpful in developing fluency and comprehension as well as being applicable in writing. Serial reading is another modelled activity where student are able to hear what a proficient reader sounds like and be able to enjoy listening to reading.
Guided reading
Guided reading involves using the same text with a small group. Student and teacher interactions help to target a specific reading strategy that is suited to the group’s needs. The teacher prompts student using planned questions to explore;
This helps to gauge understanding and share reading strategies with peers. The texts should be challenging but appropriate to that groups reading level (NSW DET 1994).
Independent reading
Independent reading is a chance for the students to read on their own and practice skills used in modelled and guided lessons (Harris et al). Classrooms should have a wide range of texts for students to choose in D.E.A.R or USS time and access to the library. Other independent reading activities include;
Writing
Writing is carried out to express meaning for a variety of purposes and audiences. The skills of spelling and handwriting allow students to engage in creating specific text types, using these to explore the skills of drafting, editing, proofreading, re-writing, lay-out, publishing, spelling, language, grammar and punctuation. Students create literary and factual texts as well as visual and multimedia texts through modelled, shared, guided and independent literacy activities.
Modelled writing
Modelled writing episodes involving explicit demonstrations where the teacher writes so all students can see clearly, thinking out loud, as they construct various text types. Through modelled writing the students are immersed in what competent writers do to construct texts (Harris et al 2003) including the structures, language and grammatical features used and why, as well as writing with purpose and an intended audience. Handwriting is another modelled activity included in the literacy block.
Guided writing
The above skills may also be workshopped in small groups (guided writing) where the teacher instructs students in regards to improving a specific writing skill or reinforcing a concept or extending them through planned, focused teaching. In a class group it is common that students work together to create plans for their writing including word banks, story or concept maps, paragraph frames and sequence charts to help direct their writing to achieve its purpose. Writing conferences or interviews between student and teacher allow students’ to discuss their written texts providing the teacher with an understanding of their thinking process, beliefs about writing and their view of themself as a writer (Bean, 2010), allowing for further individualised assistance.
Independent writing
Students write individually or in pairs and groups producing a variety of texts using skills and strategies such as note-taking, identifying key words or phrases from texts, and listing ideas to assist their writing. Journal writing is valued in the literacy block as it allows students to write freely and to reflect on their writing. Blog writing is appealing as students are writing for an authentic audience while making global connections and fulfilling a desire to socialise and satisfy cultural curiosities (Sheko, 2011). Students are encouraged to use personal interests and issues of importance to them for their blog writing and an environmental focus often comes up as environmental protection and awareness is part of the school culture.
Thomas may need to be placed on an Individual Literacy Plan (ILP) to target the more important aspects of literacy that he needs to develop, especially those skills for year 5 students with NAPLAN. Strategies that may be useful for your teaching in assisting Thomas are;
See scanned pages from; Programming and Strategies Handbook; Assisting year 3 and 5 students who need additional support in literacy 2010 NSW Department of Education and training
SCAN PAGEs- independent reading pg45, reading record pg46
Phonemic awareness pg71
Onset and rime pg 78-79
Letter sound correspondences picture cue cards pg84
Spelling pg87
Rhyming word pg111
Pre reading- KWL charts pg149
References
Bat, J & Frencham, R 2009, A recipe for guided reading – powerful teaching in reading, Practically Primary, vol. 14, no. 2, pp 29-32
Derewianka, B. (1991) Exploring how texts work, Primary English Teaching Association, Newtown, Australia
Hammond, J. (2001a) Scaffolding and Language in Scaffolding: Teaching and Learning in Language and Literacy Education, PETA, Newtown, Australia pp15-29
Harris, P McKenzie, B Fitzsimmons, P & Turbill 2003a, Reading in the Primary School Years, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne
Harris, P McKenzie, B Fitzsimmons, P & Turbill 2003b, Writing in the Primary School Years, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne
Sheko, T 2010, ‘Using blogs to transform learning and teaching’, FYI : the Journal for the School Information Professional, vol. 14, no. 2, pp5-7 Accessed: 30/08/2011 Available: www.slav.schools.net.au/fyi/summer2011/sheko.pdf
It is important to remember that the modes of literacy; reading, writing, talking and listening are interrelated, each contributing to the development of the others. Therefor a balanced literacy program should be implemented to cater for a coherent and comprehensive curriculum. Children’s natural capacity for meaning making requires continual nourishing in order to flourish. The optimal conditions for growth include a balance of teacher-directed and self-directed activities that involve students in having real conversations about real texts and using what they know to learn more. When done well, it is a most joyful and satisfying experience for both students and teachers (Hammond 2011). Choosing literature that interest your students will be vital in gaining motivation and assist in building on knowledge to gain further understanding. This will be particular useful in engaging Thomas in participating in reading and providing stimulus for encouraging writing For further assistance in selecting the right texts for your students, see the PDF file on our webpage titled; ‘Selecting texts that are just right’.
Finding out what your student’s interests are will provide a strong foundation to the curriculum cycle. The circular style allows for repetition and reflection while also allowing teachers to adapt the stages according to the unit of work (Derewianka 1991).
(For an enlarged image of Curriculum cycle, see CC word document on webpage)
Thomas is indicating reading levels of 6.2year old, which places him at a year one level. Using ‘Best Start’ literacy continuum, is an effective indicator of what skills Thomas has achieved and what he needs to develop along the continuum in order to advance his skills for his year group. The interactive continuum provides a detailed description of each literacy skill; reading texts, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, speaking, phonics, phonemic awareness and concepts about print (NSW DET 2012). HARMonious places Thomas at cluster 7 and or 8. If you hover the mouse over each section at the cluster it will clarify each element and give some teaching strategies to improve each skill area. The link to the interactive continuum is;
Other support for literacy teaching strategies including assessment can be found on the Curriculum support webpage; http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/index.htm
Here are some other strategies for improving literacy skills in reading and writing through modelled, guided and independent lesson focus.
Reading
A balanced reading program addresses the learning needs of the whole class, selected groups within that class and the individual reader (Bat & Frencham 2009). Daily opportunities for students to develop further and refine reading skills and strategies is imperative to making links between comprehension, fluency, writing, talking and listening and is provided through modelled, guided and independent reading activities.
Modelled reading
Modelled reading is when the teacher thinks aloud and explicitly demonstrates strategies to decode written and visual texts (Harris, McKenzie, Fitzsimmons & Turbill 2003). By modelling metacognition and using meta-language, the teacher is effectively teaching reading strategies to;
- make predictions using words and images in the text
- graphophonic awareness, sounding out unknown words or using words around that word and or images
- re-reading and reading on
- making meaning through vocabulary
These strategies are helpful in developing fluency and comprehension as well as being applicable in writing. Serial reading is another modelled activity where student are able to hear what a proficient reader sounds like and be able to enjoy listening to reading.
Guided reading
Guided reading involves using the same text with a small group. Student and teacher interactions help to target a specific reading strategy that is suited to the group’s needs. The teacher prompts student using planned questions to explore;
- certain features of the text (either grammatical or structural)
- language
- make comparisons with other texts
- prediction
- extracting information and summarising text.
This helps to gauge understanding and share reading strategies with peers. The texts should be challenging but appropriate to that groups reading level (NSW DET 1994).
Independent reading
Independent reading is a chance for the students to read on their own and practice skills used in modelled and guided lessons (Harris et al). Classrooms should have a wide range of texts for students to choose in D.E.A.R or USS time and access to the library. Other independent reading activities include;
- Reading conferences
- Cloze passages
- Research- computer or factual texts
- Self-assessment, fluency records
Writing
Writing is carried out to express meaning for a variety of purposes and audiences. The skills of spelling and handwriting allow students to engage in creating specific text types, using these to explore the skills of drafting, editing, proofreading, re-writing, lay-out, publishing, spelling, language, grammar and punctuation. Students create literary and factual texts as well as visual and multimedia texts through modelled, shared, guided and independent literacy activities.
Modelled writing
Modelled writing episodes involving explicit demonstrations where the teacher writes so all students can see clearly, thinking out loud, as they construct various text types. Through modelled writing the students are immersed in what competent writers do to construct texts (Harris et al 2003) including the structures, language and grammatical features used and why, as well as writing with purpose and an intended audience. Handwriting is another modelled activity included in the literacy block.
Guided writing
The above skills may also be workshopped in small groups (guided writing) where the teacher instructs students in regards to improving a specific writing skill or reinforcing a concept or extending them through planned, focused teaching. In a class group it is common that students work together to create plans for their writing including word banks, story or concept maps, paragraph frames and sequence charts to help direct their writing to achieve its purpose. Writing conferences or interviews between student and teacher allow students’ to discuss their written texts providing the teacher with an understanding of their thinking process, beliefs about writing and their view of themself as a writer (Bean, 2010), allowing for further individualised assistance.
Independent writing
Students write individually or in pairs and groups producing a variety of texts using skills and strategies such as note-taking, identifying key words or phrases from texts, and listing ideas to assist their writing. Journal writing is valued in the literacy block as it allows students to write freely and to reflect on their writing. Blog writing is appealing as students are writing for an authentic audience while making global connections and fulfilling a desire to socialise and satisfy cultural curiosities (Sheko, 2011). Students are encouraged to use personal interests and issues of importance to them for their blog writing and an environmental focus often comes up as environmental protection and awareness is part of the school culture.
Thomas may need to be placed on an Individual Literacy Plan (ILP) to target the more important aspects of literacy that he needs to develop, especially those skills for year 5 students with NAPLAN. Strategies that may be useful for your teaching in assisting Thomas are;
See scanned pages from; Programming and Strategies Handbook; Assisting year 3 and 5 students who need additional support in literacy 2010 NSW Department of Education and training
SCAN PAGEs- independent reading pg45, reading record pg46
Phonemic awareness pg71
Onset and rime pg 78-79
Letter sound correspondences picture cue cards pg84
Spelling pg87
Rhyming word pg111
Pre reading- KWL charts pg149
- It may also be beneficial to use literacy groups with ability level to work on guided and independent reading and writing strategies. This way, you can work with small groups of your students to further assess understanding and development of learning and provide addition support for Thomas and other lower ability students.
- You may like to set up a reading corner or a ‘Cafe’ style corner in which you could adapt Gail Boushey and Joan Moser’s the Daily cafe Menu (see PDF thedailycafemenu.com) which focus on Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand vocabulary.
References
Bat, J & Frencham, R 2009, A recipe for guided reading – powerful teaching in reading, Practically Primary, vol. 14, no. 2, pp 29-32
Derewianka, B. (1991) Exploring how texts work, Primary English Teaching Association, Newtown, Australia
Hammond, J. (2001a) Scaffolding and Language in Scaffolding: Teaching and Learning in Language and Literacy Education, PETA, Newtown, Australia pp15-29
Harris, P McKenzie, B Fitzsimmons, P & Turbill 2003a, Reading in the Primary School Years, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne
Harris, P McKenzie, B Fitzsimmons, P & Turbill 2003b, Writing in the Primary School Years, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne
Sheko, T 2010, ‘Using blogs to transform learning and teaching’, FYI : the Journal for the School Information Professional, vol. 14, no. 2, pp5-7 Accessed: 30/08/2011 Available: www.slav.schools.net.au/fyi/summer2011/sheko.pdf