The Literacy Block is a block of time set aside daily to devote to literacy instruction. Within a literacy block a teacher may manage to incorporate a few components of a balanced literacy program:
- Reader's Workshop
- Writer's Workshop
- Word Study, etc.
Reader's Workshop
Reader's Workshop is an uninterrupted block of time during which children participate in:
- Crafting
- Composing Meaning-Invitational Groups and Conferences
- Reflecting
Crafting is a time when the teacher and whole class sit together while the teacher teaches an intention explicitly through:
- modeling
- thinking aloud
- a child strategy or author's writing with the expectation that the students will then emulate the model. It often involves talking about how a student can think through a task.
Composing Meaning
- a process in which readers and writers work independently to apply what has been taught in the Crafting session.
- Teachers confer with individual students and occasionally conduct Invitational Groups.
- Students occasionally work in pairs, trios, meet in book clubs and/or share their work in progress with peers during Composing sessions.
Invitational Group
- a small group of children identified by the teacher for in-depth instruction based on a shared need.
- The groups meet only for a limited time until the learning need is met and change constituency based on need.
- Children can opt in to an Invitational Group if they believe they share the need being addressed.
Conferencing
- a time when the teacher meets individually with a student during Composing to converse with him or her about his/her work.
- Teachers praise, question, suggest, and extend what has been taught in the Crafting Session in order to ensure students apply what has been taught and challenge themselves in reading and writing.
- During a conference, teachers may invite students to share during the Reflection Session or suggest that he/she attend an Invitational Group.
Reflecting
- A time in which a few children share successful attempts at a recently taught strategy.
- Teachers model ways in which readers share and extend insights gained during composing.
- During this time, students assume responsibility for "teaching" their peers about the Learning Outcomes they have recently applied.
Writer's Workshop
Writer's Workshop is an uninterrupted block of time during which children participate in:
- Crafting
- Composing Meaning-Invitational Groups and Conferencing
- Reflecting
Word Study
Children learn to read and spell high frequency words and learn the patterns which allow them to decode and spell lots of words. This is done through the use of :
- Word Walls
- Developing phonemic awareness
- Study words in children's literature and texts