This document discusses different approaches to literacy instruction including basals, literature-based approaches, and individualized reading. It provides details on: - The basal approach which uses graded anthologies and supplementary materials. Basal lessons include activating prior knowledge, skill lessons, reading comprehension, and follow up activities. - Literature-based approaches center literary selections as the core materials and allow for tailoring to student interests. Models include core texts, text sets, and thematic units. - Individualized reading workshops include preparation, independent reading time, literature discussion groups, teacher conferences, and extension activities. - Other approaches covered are language experience, Reading Recovery, Success for All, Four Blocks, and Early Steps

1. Materials and Programs for
Literacy Instruction
Chapter 6

2. Changes in Approaches
• UP until mid-1980s, most children were
taught through basal readers
• Holistic movement through the use of
children’s literature
• Currently use a balanced approach with
skills instruction and reading with
literature are integrated

3. Basal Approach
• Series of readers, or anthologies, and supplementary
materials that gradually increase in difficulty. Begins
with emergent literacy and extends through sixth-
grade reading.
• Today’s basals have specific provision for below-
average, average, and above-average achievers.
• Are more language based, offer teaching
suggestions, big books, supplementary libraries,
read-aloud books, wide array of games and
manipulative, audiotapes, computer software,
videodiscs, inservice programs, posters, charts,
supplementary spelling and language books, end-of-
the-unit tests, placement tests, observation guides,
portfolio systems, Web sites, and more

4. Basal Teacher’s Edition
• Scope and sequence chart
• Reduced version of the student’s text
• Lesson plans

5. Student’s Basal Text
• Anthology of original contemporary and
classic stories, poems, news clips, and
expository text selections
• Comprehension questions
• Glossary of words

6. Anatomy of a Basal Reading Lesson
• Activating prior knowledge
• Skill lessons
• Previewing and predicting
• Setting the purpose for reading
• Guiding the reading of the selection
• Confirm predictions
• Comprehension discussion questions
• Skill instruction and practice
• Theme projects

7. Advantages to Basals
• Convenient package of materials,
techniques, and assessment devices.
• Offer varied reading selections, an
abundance of practice material, carefully
planned units and lessons, and a wealth of
follow-up and enrichment activities.
• Sequenced from grade to grade, providing
continuous reading instruction

8. Disadvantage to Basals
• Core of the program is the anthology, workbook,
and manual to provide a base of materials for all
students to move through.
• Question of pacing and time spent with a
selection.
• Basal selections are presented to the whole
class. Selections may lack sufficient challenge for
high achievers and will be too hard for those
reading below grade level.

9. Phonic-Linguistic Basals
• Emphasis to reinforce phonic elements or
linguistic patterns.
• Tightly controlled vocabulary and are used
primarily for struggling readers.
• Selections are contrived so it is difficult to
use context clues.
• Examples: Reading Mastery and Merrill
Linguistic Readers

10. Literature-Based Approach
• Teaching reading in which literary
selections are the major instructional
materials.
• Reading materials can be tailored to
student’s interests and needs.
• Models: core literature, text sets, and
thematic units.

11. Models
• Core Literature: selected literature to be
read as a whole class (e.g., Shiloh or
Number the Stars).
• Text Sets: a series of related books to
foster making connections
• Thematic Units: series of books organized
around a central idea, topic, or focus.

12. Individualized Reading
Workshop
• Preparation: state-of-the-art class conference
and a minilesson to present a skill/strategy
lesson on predicting, inferences, context clues,
etc.
• Self-Selected Reading and Responding: approx.
30 min. silent reading and meet in literature
discussion group, write in journal, work on an
extension activity
• Conferences: meet with teacher to discuss the
book through questioning (see pg. 464)

13. Language-Experience Approach
• Students dictate a story based on an
experience they have had.
• The teacher writes the dictated story.
• Through discussion, the teacher can help
students organize and reflect on their
experiences.

14. Language-Experience for ELL
• Accept the child’s language and show that it is
valued.
• If the teacher edits it, it becomes the teacher’s
language, not the child’s.
• However, if mispronounced, the teacher should
spell correctly.
• As children grow in language, they will have
opportunities to develop fuller knowledge of
verbs, contractions, and pronunciation.

15. Reading Recovery
• Designed to reduce reading failure in the
1st grade for the lowest performing 20%
of students
• 1:1 intensive reading instruction for 30
min. per day
• Engage in 5 activities

16. Reading Recovery Activities
• Reread 2 familiar books
• Teacher takes a daily running record of oral
reading
• Work with letters and words (magnetic letters
on a cookie sheet)
• Child dictates a sentence or two and teacher
helps to write a story
• Introduce new story – discuss new vocabulary
and sounding out words

17. Success for All
• Total school reform grades K-3
• Goal is to get all students reading at the
3rd grade
• Provides individual tutoring sessions
• Homogeneous groups for reading
• 90 min. reading block

18. Four Blocks
• 30 min. reading blocks
• Basal block
• Writing block
• Working with words block
• Self-selected reading block

19. Early Steps
• Early intervention program
• 1:1 intensive daily reading instruction
• 30 min. per day
• Reread familiar books
• Word sort activities (word families or rimes)
• Child writes a sentence
• Introduction of a new book