1. Balanced literacy is a comprehensive approach that focuses on phonics, otherwise referred to as word study, reading and writing. The fundamental goal of this program is to include the strongest aspects of each. The balanced reading strategy includes the following major elements: independent reading and writing, guided reading and writing, shared reading and writing, reading and writing aloud, modeled reading and writing, interactive reading and writing as well as word study and reading and writing workshops. According to Policastro and McTague (2015), the paramount goal of a balanced literacy strategy is "to teach reading not as a skill broken into isolated steps, but as a lifelong learning process that promotes higher-order thinking, problem solving, and reasoning" (13).
According to Parr and Campbell (2012), balanced literacy "offers a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction that puts students at the center of the learning process" (145).
The process of employing a balanced literacy approach is based on three major principles, which help teachers drive effective instruction. In the first place, teachers employing this framework are convinced that "the students in their classroom are individuals with different needs" (Fresch 11). According to this principle, teachers understand that some children might need more instruction and guidance in learning to read or write. In other words when a teacher realizes specific abilities and needs of each student, he is likely to choose the most relevant type of activity for each student and give the most effective instruction in each particular case.
Secondly, teachers employing this approach understand that in order to advance in skills, "students must regularly engage in targeted instruction that demands and application of knowledge that challenges but does not frustrate them" (Fresch 11). Reading and writing aloud as well as interactive reading and writing are often used by teachers to challenge students and encourage them to demonstrate greater academic results and achievements.
The third fundamental principle of balanced literacy strategy is the development of a student-centered environment. According to Fresch (2016), "teachers recognize that students need to find joy in their learning as well as feel motivated to participate" (11). Functioning in such environment has proven to be beneficial not only for students, but for teachers as well. Students are likely to demonstrate the best of their abilities within the course of shared reading and writing or interactive reading and writing . In the meantime, these types of activities encourage cooperation between students and effective teacher-student communication at the same time. therefore, working in a student-centered environment help teachers understand and assess more accurately how each child learns best and acquires information more effectively and, as a result, what type of instructional practices is likely to motivate particular student to demonstrate better results in the classroom.
2. Speaking from the perspective of reading as a total integrative process, the majority of researchers agree on the opinion that reading "starts with the reader and includes the affective, perceptual, and cognitive domains" (Rubin and Opitz 7). When analyzing reading within the context of total integrative process, all of the above components should be taken into consideration with reference to each other.
Affective element is associated with specific emotions, feelings, attitudes, and thoughts an individual might have about a particular piece of literature or the process of reading taken as a whole. The affective domain is a fundamental element of the reading process that can not only cause students feel emotions or develop attitudes, but also encourage the development of the reading habit.
The perceptual domain of reading as a total integrative process "becomes evident when we consider what would be left of our reading skills if pattern memories that we acquire throughout our reading experience were erased and set to zero (Kennedy, Radach, and Heller 19). Perceptual domain is associated not only with the sensory modalities including visual and tactile (e.g., distinguishing printed letters and characters from one another), but also with complex patterns concerning the real-world expertise. Another fundamental aspect of perceptual domain of reading is that it is the basis for important foundations of complex cognitive processes, such as language, and that an individual's ability for perceptual learning is retained in the course of a lifetime.
According to Sadoski (2004), the cognitive domain of reading "develops fundamental competencies of reading, increases levels of independence, and fosters the ability to use reading to solve problems" (327). Speaking from the perspective of cognitive domain structure of the reading model, the two major components here are "word recognition and comprehension" (Durgunoğlu and Goldenberg 306). In other words, cognitive elements not only helps recognize particular words and word combinations, but also helps make sense of these elements of language in order to make use of them in the future.
Work Cited
Durgunoğlu, Aydin Yücesan, and Claude Nestor Goldenberg. Language and literacy development in bilingual settings. New York: Guilford Press, 2011. Print.
Fresch, Mary Jo. Strategies for effective balanced literacy. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education, a division of Teacher Created Materials, 2016. Print.
Kennedy, Alan, Ralph Radach, and Dieter Heller. Reading as a perceptual process. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2000. Print.
Parr, Michelann, and Terry Campbell. Balanced literacy essentials: weaving theory into practice for successful instruction in reading, writing, and talk. Markham, Ont.: Pembroke Publishers, 2012. Print.
Policastro, Margaret Mary, and Becky McTague. The New balanced literacy school: implementing common core. Mankato, MN: Maupin House Publishing by Capstone Professional, 2015. Print.
Rubin, Dorothy, and Michael F. Opitz. Diagnosis and improvement in reading instruction. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2007. Print.
Sadoski, Mark. Conceptual foundations of teaching reading. New York: Guilford Press, 2004. Print.
