How to Develop a Comprehensive Literacy Classroom

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If a child cannot read all facets of their life (socially, academically, relationally, financially, etc.) then they will suffer and this will continue into adult hood. Reading and understanding what you read is essential in almost everything we do such as school work, homework, buying a car, buying a house and much more. It is our job as educators to not only teach a child to read but to ignite a passion for reading, striving to make it something that comes almost as natural as breathing, and something we cannot live without. Developing a comprehensive literacy classroom is an integral part of doing exactly that.

What is a comprehensive literacy classroom? To answer that you first must understand that each child in a classroom is different and therefore will have diverse needs. A teacher must figure out a way to meet the needs of all the children which can be very challenging and complex. The term used in the education world for this is differentiation. In a comprehensive literacy classroom a teacher must differentiate instruction, often by utilizing small groups, pairs or one on one sessions. You also must make sure you create engaging lessons. By this I mean that students are having so much fun they almost forget they are actually learning. In a comprehensive literacy classroom teacher lecture very little and let the students do most of the work.

Ellery (2009), states that there are three critical components in order to build a comprehensive literacy classroom. These components are curriculum, assessment and instruction. Research suggests that your curriculum should include the five essential components for teaching reading; Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension (Learning ...

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... You must be prepared and have all materials ready and very little lag time. This helps to keep your students focused and engaged. A teacher should never stop learning themselves and utilize any professional development opportunities presented. A comprehensive literacy classroom is a place where learning can flourish and students of all different backgrounds and learning abilities can succeed.

Works Cited

Ellery, V. (2009).Creating strategic readers: Techniques for developing competency in

phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Learning Point Associates. (2004).A closer look at the five essential components of effective

reading instruction: a review of scientifically based reading research for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/components.pdf.

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