Grace Lutheran Middle School
The Foundation of our Balanced Literacy Program
Middle School Literacy Program Mission & Vision
The mission of Grace Lutheran’s Middle School Literacy Program is to develop life-long, strategic readers and writers who reason, reflect, and problem solve. We do this by engaging students in purposeful, authentic, dynamic literacy experiences and by providing opportunities for students to think, discuss, read, and write critically. Our goal is that all students use literacy in powerful ways to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
To confidently meet the challenges of the 21st Century, Grace Lutheran middle school students are actively and enthusiastically engaged in authentic, rigorous and relevant literacy experiences that inspire students to be life-long readers, writers, communicators, and critical thinkers.
To confidently meet the challenges of the 21st Century, Grace Lutheran middle school students are actively and enthusiastically engaged in authentic, rigorous and relevant literacy experiences that inspire students to be life-long readers, writers, communicators, and critical thinkers.
How we accomplish our mission & vision through balanced literacy
The term “balanced literacy” comes, in part, from the recognition that readers need a variety of different opportunities to learn. The reading workshop provides time for students to read, with a mentor who is a passionately engaged reader, with opportunities for talk and sometimes write about reading, and with explicit instruction in the skills and strategies of proficient reading. All of this is incredibly important, but alone, it is not sufficient. Students also need opportunities to learn from other components of balanced literacy.
Once children are in middle school, language arts class takes place for a block period each day. Reading and writing strategies are also reinforced and integrated into content classes (social studies, science, math and encore classes). The reading workshop lasts approximately a full class period every day. In addition, the students need daily opportunities to hear wonderful literature read aloud and frequent opportunities to participate in book talks around the read-aloud text. At least a few times a week the teacher will lead interactive read aloud sessions and support conversations around the read aloud book. In addition, the writing workshop will occur for a full class period each day. Middle school students also need to study the conventions of written language, including writing with paragraphing, punctuation, and syntactical complexity. Middle school students still have a lot to learn about spelling patterns and to study words—both their meanings and their spellings. Middle school students need opportunities to read texts within content area disciplines and to receive instruction in reading those texts well. Finally, children who struggle with fluency (that is children who read slowly and robotically) need opportunities to participate in small group or partnership strategy lessons and in repeated oral readings.
Teachers provide a range of experiences and the instruction necessary to help children become good readers. The main event during reading class is reading. In Grace Lutheran classrooms we would expect to see 80-90% of daily literacy class time provided for children to read and write. A balanced literacy program regularly provides several kinds of reading. Key classroom opportunities to read include:
Once children are in middle school, language arts class takes place for a block period each day. Reading and writing strategies are also reinforced and integrated into content classes (social studies, science, math and encore classes). The reading workshop lasts approximately a full class period every day. In addition, the students need daily opportunities to hear wonderful literature read aloud and frequent opportunities to participate in book talks around the read-aloud text. At least a few times a week the teacher will lead interactive read aloud sessions and support conversations around the read aloud book. In addition, the writing workshop will occur for a full class period each day. Middle school students also need to study the conventions of written language, including writing with paragraphing, punctuation, and syntactical complexity. Middle school students still have a lot to learn about spelling patterns and to study words—both their meanings and their spellings. Middle school students need opportunities to read texts within content area disciplines and to receive instruction in reading those texts well. Finally, children who struggle with fluency (that is children who read slowly and robotically) need opportunities to participate in small group or partnership strategy lessons and in repeated oral readings.
Teachers provide a range of experiences and the instruction necessary to help children become good readers. The main event during reading class is reading. In Grace Lutheran classrooms we would expect to see 80-90% of daily literacy class time provided for children to read and write. A balanced literacy program regularly provides several kinds of reading. Key classroom opportunities to read include:
- Independent reading workshop and partner reading
- Writing workshop, embedding grammar and conventions of written language
- Interactive read aloud with accountable talk
- Small-group work
- Word study (vocabulary and spelling pattern development)
- Content area reading
- Formative Assessments