Balanced Literacy

At PS 527 we use a Balance Literacy approach to teaching students how to read, write, speak, and listen. Throughout the school day students interact with a variety of texts in multiple ways that foster a love of reading and writing.  In all grades, students listen to engaging read alouds from their teachers, read books independently and write in a variety of genres. The building blocks for all of this comes from explicit instruction in phonics and phonemic awareness, based on the research and information on the science of reading.

Students in grades K -3 participate in phonics and phonemic awareness study daily using Fundations and Heggerty as our curriculum guides. Students in grades 4-5 engage in vocabulary study daily.  In the Reading Workshop, students are taught reading comprehension strategies that allow them to apply the rules learned from phonics and phonemic awareness, and build into making meaning of complex texts.  Teachers work with students in small Guided Reading groups in order to deliver more targeted instruction based on student needs.  Students also write daily in Writing Workshop.  Students write personal narratives about their own lives, as well as persuasive and expository writing pieces based on research and texts.  Throughout the school day, multiple opportunities exist for students to actively listen and then engage in high-level discussions with their peers and teachers.

Literacy instruction is seen in all subjects at PS 527. Our staff understands that reading, writing, listening, and speaking need to be practiced together in various settings and that these skills are necessary to create the leaders of tomorrow.