Balanced Literacy is also available in a Network version. Please call (800) 899-6687 for more information.

Essential elements of reading instruction

Phonemic awareness: Extensive attention is paid to the connection between the letters and phonemes of English and their sounds (sound/symbol method).

Phonics: Explicit phonics instruction is based on the word families or word “chunks” method.

Decoding and encoding: Decoding by analogy is a reliable and easy-to-understand strategy that students can build on.

Activities help students spell over 140 decodable words, and practice is provided with decodable books for each unit included in the blackline masters. Nine Anchor Books provide ample opportunity to read leveled text.

Fluency: Multiple opportunities to read text on screen, as well as structured writing activities, provide practice in fluency.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary development in context is provided on screen and in the Anchor Books. Black line masters include vocabulary-building activities for each unit.

Comprehension: Every story includes tools to help students understand what they have read and concludes with questions to assess comprehension.