Balanced Literacy

Balanced literacy is a theory based on the idea that there are many different learning styles for children who are learning to read. There are many different teaching methods that are effective ways for teaching reading, but alone they do not always deliver for every student. With the variety of learning styles that the students bring into the classroom it is impossible to suggest that one method of teaching would effectively teach each student how to be a good reader. The balanced reading approach bases itself on the idea that a combination of teaching methods used together will teach a greater range of students more effectively.

Lev Vygotsky, a psychologist who focused on cognitive development, viewed learning as being integrated and socially

"While many teachers in today's schools are mandated to use prescriptive basal reading programs ... a teacher should know much more to become an effective instructor of reading." (Bukowiecki, 2007) There is more than one way to teach reading to students, and the diversity and variety in the lessons can help students with all types of learning styles and needs learn to be effective readers. Before the instructional techniques can be described there is a critical theory behind reading instruction that needs to be addressed and understood, that theory is the five big ideas of

This method accommodates the differences in student's reading abilities while focusing on the meaning, interest, and pleasure of reading. "An important part of classroom life should be reading, reading literature that makes children wonder, weep, laugh, shiver, and gasp." (Vacca, 2006) When students are thoroughly enjoying the material that they are reading they can fully immerse themselves into reading. The students, when using this method, choose their own books which personalizes reading and ensures that they are reading high interest materials. A good strategy used under this theory is based on the idea that "literature can be used as a springboard for writing - children can write different endings for stories or incidents in their own lives that reflect conflicts similar to ones about which they have read." (Vacca, 2006) Another extension of this technique is to allow students to use the same structure of an existing story and write their own following that structure. Students are able to feel control over their learning while advancing their reading and writing