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Four Blocks: Writing

As you know, I have described the Four Blocks Literacy Program as having four distinct sections. I have discussed both the Guided Reading Block and the Self-Selected Reading Block. While both blocks enhanced reading skills, they used two very different teaching styles. Today, I would like to introduce the writing block. This block is often overlooked or misinterpreted by educators. Some teachers treat this block as handwriting. However, writing and handwriting are two very different things. The goals of the writing block are to allow children to see that writing is a way to tell about things, to learn to … Continue reading →

Four Blocks: Self-Selected Reading Block

As you have seen in past blogs, the Four Blocks Literacy Program consists of four blocks that work together to make a program compatible for everyone and every type of learner. In a previous blog, I described the Guided Reading block. In this article, I will discuss what a Self-Selected Reading block should contain. The goals of Self-Selected Reading are for the teacher to share different types of literature, to elevate student interests in reading, to allow for instructional-level literature, and to encourage intrinsic motivation. The Self-Selected Reading Block has four steps. First, the teacher shares a read aloud book. … Continue reading →

Four Blocks: Guided Reading

The Four Block Literacy Program is made of four blocks. The first block is Guided Reading. The purpose of Guided Reading is to teach and strengthen comprehension skills and strategies, to expose children to various types of literature, to establish background knowledge, language, and vocabulary, introduce students to the different elements of a story, and to encourage confidence and motivate students to students to read. Guided Reading begins in kindergarten and continues through the eighth grade. All children are being exposed to the same level of reading and receiving the same instruction during this block. During Guided Reading, the teacher … Continue reading →

Four Blocks Literacy Overview

Most schools adopt a literacy program that is hot at the moment. For example, when whole language programs hit the education trend, schools began having lessons where students were self-directed and spent much time in real reading and writing while the teachers were facilitators and provided a stimulating environment. When phonics programs hit the media, schools began having more structured programs with teacher-directed activities. These programs focused on one aspect of learning and one type of learner. The Four Blocks Literacy Program is different. It takes all learning types into consideration. As we know, not all students learn the same … Continue reading →

Vocabulary

In addition to reading for meaning and reading fluency, vocabulary plays a very important part in reading. At one point in time, vocabulary knowledge was taught by looking up and writing the definition to words. However, we know now that vocabulary is much more than defining a word. Expanding a child’s vocabulary can help with reading comprehension. When a child does not understand the words that are written it is very difficult for children to understand the meaning of the passage. In addition to hearing the meaning of words, children need to hear various words used in context. When talking … Continue reading →

Reading Comprehension

In a previous article, I discussed that reading has many variations. My article addressed reading fluency. In today’s article, I would like to talk about reading from a different perspective. While reading fluently is very important, so is reading comprehension or reading for meaning. Some children, and adults alike, are very fluent readers. When listening to the person read, one might assume that the person is an outstanding reader. However, when questioned about what was read, they may not be as wise. Naming words and comprehending words do not always come together. It is very important for a reader to … Continue reading →

Reading Fluency

Most parents are ecstatic when their child learns to read. Learning to read is a major milestone in a child’s academic career. Many feel that reading consist of saying written words. However there is much more to reading than recalling words in a book or on a paper. There are many different levels of reading that teachers teach. Just because a child can call words off of paper does not mean that he/she is a good reader. One aspect of reading that teachers should focus on is fluency. Fluency is how well a person reads. A good, fluent reader can … Continue reading →