Four Blocks


	The 4-blocks Literacy Framework is not a curriculum or a program. I t is a delivery system for instruction in reading and language arts. Basic Tenets of the 4-Blocks Frameworks To be successful in teaching all children to read and write we must do it ALL! Doing it all means incorporating on a daily basis the different approaches to learning to read. The 4-blocks- Self Selected Reading, Guided Reading, Writing and Working With Words- represent four approaches to teaching children to read. Providing for differences in literacy levels is addressed by using a variety of instructional techniques and literature to make each block as multilevel as possible. Doing all four blocks every day validates that children do not all learn in the same way. Goals of This Block: To teach comprehension skills and strategies To develop background knowledge, vocabulary, and oral language To teach children how to read all types of literature To provide as much instructional level reading as possible To maintain the self-confidence and motivation of struggling readers When you are in the Guided Reading block, your focus is comprehension. Children may read chorally with the entire class, in small groups, partners, or individually. Support is given so that all readers can access the text. Students don't take turns reading in groups. They all read together. Comprehension Strategies Thinking Strategies This group of strategies helps readers form meaning for the text through use of schema and the words the author has chosen. Connecting- How can you connect this literature to your own life, to another piece of literature, or to the world? This one comes naturally to children. They see similarities between themselves and the characters they read about. Questioning/Monitoring- We have questions about what we read before we read, while we read, and after we are done. These questions can help to guide our understanding. Predicting/Anticipating- Making predictions, recognizing when they are accurate and changing them when they are not helps us to anticipate what will happen next. Summarizing/Concluding- As you read it is important to be able to summarize the story, and use this information to draw conclusions. Imagining/Inferring- Using sensory images and our background information helps us to understand unwritten images and feelings. Evaluating/Applying- Forming opinions or applying what you have learned based on what you have read, and background information. Text Strategies These strategies help readers gain meaning through the more mechanical organization of the words. Fluency- The smoothness with which we read helps determine meaning. Following Sentence and Paragraph Structure- Understanding pronoun referents, verb endings, the meaning of capital letters and such can increase a readers understanding. Following Story Structure- Understanding basic story elements is a basic comprehension skill. Following Information Structure- When reading non-fiction text in particular, readers need to understand the structure the author used. Graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams, Webs, KWL charts, T-charts and time lines are useful tools for exploring this skill. Readers also need to read text that is organized on the page in various ways, such as speech bubbles or picture captions and diagrams. What the Block Looks Like Before Reading: 10 minutes, whole group There is a purpose set for reading based on one of the strategies listed above. Vocabulary is introduced. During Reading:20 minutes Children read in the grouping configuration the teacher has determined will best support access to the text by all students. They read altogether. Students complete an activity to practice the comprehension strategy. It may be a graphic organizer, questions to discuss, or a written response. The teacher moves between groups or partners to check on how readers are doing, and to facilitate appropriate discussion and response. After Reading: 10 minutes The class shares the activity they completed to focus on the comprehension skill. Goals of this block: To share all different kinds of literature through teacher read-aloud To encourage children’s reading interests To provide opportunity for each student to read at their instructional level To build intrinsic motivation for reading What the block looks like: Teacher reads aloud:5-7 minutes The teacher reads aloud to the class. There is variety in what is read to include many reading levels and genres. Students read books independently at their reading level 5-20 minutes Teacher conferences/chats individually with students about their reading. Informal assessments can occasionally be done. Students read independently- not in partners. Everyone reads at their own level. Sharing- 5 minutes Children share about the books they have read to encourage others to choose them, developing a reading community. This can be done with the whole class, or students can break up into small groups or partners. Every child should share every week. Goals of this block: Learn to read and spell high frequency words through the use of a word wall Learn patterns used to decode and spell lots of other words Transfer word knowledge to their own reading and writing What the block looks like: Word wall chants, movement and writing- 5 minutes Students use movement and chanting to practice the weekly word wall words before they practice writing them. We start the year with only the alphabet letters on the word wall. We add 5 words every week. On the back activities- 5 minutes Practice new or old word wall words, and other word skills which extend the wall words such as adding endings and rhyming. Decoding/spelling activity- 20 minutes We work with a variety of activities to develop the ability to identify and use patterns to read and spell. Goals of this block: To learn what writers do To see writing as a way to tell about things To write fluently To learn to read through writing To apply grammar and mechanics in their own writing To learn various writing forms To develop self-confidence and motivation with writing, and see themselves as writers What the block looks like: Teacher mini-lesson 10 minutes- Using the overhead, chart paper or the board, the teacher demonstrates one skill for the students. Skills may be in the areas of procedures of writing, mechanics, or writing craft. Just one skill is demonstrated each day. Students are not required to use that skill that day. We keep coming back to skills that need lots of work. Children write- 20 minutes- In second grade students usually begin the year writing on topics which are self selected. As the year goes on, focused writing becomes a larger part of their writing. At these times, they must write on the assigned topic. Students may take as many or as few days as they would like on each piece. During this time, students may be engaged in other types of writing work, such as researching a topic or reviewing mentor text to help make decisions about how their writing will take form. Teacher conferences individually with each child while others write- I hope to conferences with each student every week. Conferences focus on one or two topics- not attempting to make the piece “perfect.” We will often talk about the writerly work they are doing, and choices they have made about how to do this writing. My goal here is to teach something to help this student be a better writer. Children share works in progress or published pieces on a regular basis 5-10 minutes- This share may take several forms. Sometimes all students will share briefly. It may be a great line, or an interesting verb, or a change they made. sometimes the share happens in small groups, involving feedback from peers. Sometimes it may be between partners. Occasionally, students may read a part of what they wrote to the entire class.