In LISD, reading is viewed as an integral part of a balanced literacy program where reading and writing are complementary processes.

The 5 core components of reading instruction are
*phonemic awareness
*phonics
*vocabulary
*comprehension
*fluency

These components are delivered through:

Interactive Read Alouds
Interactive Read Aloud is a component in which the teacher reads a selection out loud to children, allowing them to be strong participants in their learning. The selection may be a story, poem, nonfiction text, newspaper article, letter, morning message, chart, or text from another genre; all exemplary models for readers and writers. The teacher thinks aloud using language and questions to stimulate quality conversations focused on a clear target or standard so that the teacher and student can share their thinking. The purpose of an Interactive Read Aloud is to accelerate learning and guide development--to boost language development, promote active listening, encourage deeper thinking, provide an outstanding fluency model, to introduce children to a variety of genres, authors and illustrators, and to teach comprehension and build vocabulary by immersing children in rich book language.

Shared Reading
Shared Reading is the heart of the Balanced Literacy program. During a Shared Reading lesson, the teacher and children sit close to read and reread an enlarged text together. In the older grades, each child may have a copy of the same small text. Children are encouraged to attend to the print and share their responses to the text. The enlarged text can be from various genres such as a morning message, big book, poetry, directions, word walls, pocket charts, or any other appropriate selection. Shared Reading is supportive in nature, which allows students to read confidently beyond their current reading ability. The teacher’s task is to introduce a variety of authors and illustrators, to demonstrate reading strategies/skills and to assist in the development of book language.

Guided Reading
Guided Reading is a component of balanced literacy that has specific diagnostic, instructional, and evaluative intent. It supports and encourages the development of strategies for independence in reading within a small group. Children have their own copy of the selection from a set of leveled books or other appropriate text at the group’s instructional level. After an introduction/preview, the child is responsible for the first reading. Guided Reading provides children the opportunity to problem-solve and use reading strategies while reading for meaning. The teacher is able to monitor the reading process of each child, provide feedback and instruction to individuals or to the group, and allow children to ask questions and respond orally to the text. Guided Reading places more emphasis on word recognition and reading with fluency. It allows for the explicit teaching of effective reading strategies such as predicting, confirming and self-correcting. As with any reading approach, emphasis is on increased comprehension. Guided Reading is the bridge between Shared Reading and Independent Reading. Children are grouped according to similar needs, skills or strategies, based upon on-going assessment and observation. These small groups are flexible and ever-changing.

Independent Reading
Independent Reading provides children the opportunity to choose their own text and practice reading at their independent level. The reading materials available include many familiar texts, nonfiction materials (magazines, newspaper articles), poetry, big books, student-made books, children’s literature, and book baskets of leveled texts or other appropriate selections. Independent Reading builds fluency and provides children the opportunity to practice using different reading cues and strategies with a variety of texts. 


*Critical listening helps to comprehend
the speaker’s message and intent.

*Reading a wide variety of genres expands
understanding of the world, its people
and oneself.

*Readers apply a wide range of
strategies to comprehend, interpret,
evaluate and appreciate texts.

*Clarity in written and spoken language
demonstrates effective communication
for a variety of audiences and
purposes.

*Inquiry and research guide the discovery
of new information, help in formulating
questions, and promote critical
thinking.

*Knowledge of media, materials, and
techniques empowers us to make choices
and express ourselves.

What is fluency?
Reading fluency is the ability to read with accuracy, expression, comprehension, and appropriate rate. According to the National Reading Panel, fluency is reading text "with speed, accuracy, and proper expression."

Why is fluency important?
In essence, students who are fluent readers are better able to devote their attention to comprehending the text. A student has only so much attention to focus on comprehesion. As more and more of that attention is devoted to recognizing words, the result is likely to be limited reading fluency and comprehension. Fluency, then, generally results in increased compreshension.
(From Fluency: Questions, Answers, and Evidence-Based Strategies by Jerry Johns and Roberta L. Berglund)

Fluency Standards for first grade:
At the end of first grade, students should be reading 45-70 words correctly per minute on grade level (DRA2 level 16/independent). Students should be reading at least 40 wpm on the EOY DIBELS test of Oral Reading Fluency (ORF).

Fluency Practice/Ideas for parents
Daily fluency practice is recommeneded for struggling readers. Some examples might be: paired reading, echo reading, reading into a tape recorder, and choral reading.

Fluency Ideas for Parents
by Lesley Mandel Morrow, Rutgers University

Fall marks the beginning of a new season and a new school year. It is a time when we are ready and eager to try new ideas. Research has found that an important element for reading success is the ability to read fluently. Fluent reading is automatic and is accurate. A fluent reader reads at an appropriate pace, with expression, and good phrasing. Fluency demonstrates that children can figure out words using phonics and other word study skills, and understands or comprehends what they read. Activities to practice fluency are fun and easy to do. Here are some fluency activities to try at home throughout the school year.

Echo Reading involves you reading one line of a poem or story and your child repeating the same line after you have read. Increase the number of lines read at one time as the child's reading improves. Ask your child to follow the story with their finger to be sure he/she is looking at the words. Let your child read first with easy materials. Try to echo read once a week.

Choral Reading involves a story that your child has read before or that is easy for him/her to read. Read the text together. Lead the reading by using expression and appropriate pacing. Choral read once a week.

Reader's Theater is a read-aloud activity. Roles are distributed and each person reads when his/her character speaks. This should be done with easy reading materials for your child that includes conversation. Fables are often good pieces of literature for Reader's Theatre since they are short and have well defined characters. Try this when you find a good selection for the activity.
Reader’s Theater (scripts)
www.cdli.ca/CITE/langrt.htm#Scripts
www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
cpanel.servdns.net/~readingl/Readers_Theater/Scripts/scripts.html
loiswalker.com/catalog/guidesamples.html
bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtscriphome.htm

Partner Reading involves sharing reading. You read a sentence or half the page, and ask your child to read one sentence or half the page. As reading improves each partner can read an entire page or section. Try partner reading once a week.

Taped Stories provide good samples for listening to fluent reading. When using a taped story have the child follow the text with his/her finger or read along to help with fluency. Have children tape their own stories and evaluate their reading for fluency.

Repeated Reading involves your child in reading books or stories more than once in the same week. Tape record your child reading orally, before you begin the fluency activities and tape record again after you have read and recorded for about two months. Then do another oral reading taping. Evaluate if the reading flows smoothly at a good pace, with expression and all words are decoded.
Go to school events your child's teacher may have related to fluency. Fill out the monthly checklist you create for recording the different fluency activities you do or one sent home from the teacher. Come to school and lead children in group fluency activities.

*These are great strategies that I use in class that I encourage you to use when reading with your child.

Reading Strategies
That Proficient Readers Use
(from Stephanie Harvey, author of Strategies That Work)

1. Making Connections
• Make connections between new information and that which is known
• Activate content-based connections (text to self, text to text and text to world) as well as connections to the genre, form and style

2. Questioning
• Ask questions before, during and after reading
• Wonder about the content, concepts, outcomes and genre
• Design inquiry
• Question the author
• Question the ideas and the information

3. Visualizing
• Create images of the text in their minds
• Visualize as well as hear, taste, smell and feel the words

4. Inferring
• Draw inferences during and after reading
• Draw conclusions
• Predict outcomes and events
• Identify messages
• Surface underlying themes
• Crack vocabulary in context

5. Determining Importance
• Sift important ideas from rich details
• Choose what to remember
• Weigh evidence
• Isolate variables
• Set priorities
• Make decisions

6. Synthesizing
• Take stock of meaning while reading
• Stop and think
• Use the parts to see the whole
• Read for gist
• Generate knowledge
•Merge what is known with new information to form a new idea, perspective or insight
•Change thinking