In the Comprehensive Literacy Framework teachers integrate approaches and strategies as they intentionally build on what their students already know, extend their students’ skills and knowledge, and encourage inquiry, problem-solving, self-monitoring, and independent thinking. Literacy contexts are social, purposeful,contextualized, and functional. The components provide structure for teaching and practicing the skills and strategies of effective reading and writing.
 
     

Teachers select text and read to students. The purpose of the read aloud may be to share a wonderful piece of text, to model fluent, expressive reading or to model and teach a needed skill or strategy. Teachers read from texts of all genre: literature, magazines, newspapers, letters, and informational. Teachers should read aloud as part of teaching in every content area. Reading aloud from informational sources during science and social studies supports students as they make needed connections between the content and the real world. In the primary grades teachers read aloud several times during the day.
     
Teachers directly teach skills and strategies of effective reading. Students have a copy of the text and can follow as the teacher reads the text. The teaching objectives of Shared Reading are listed in the first column (What I Teach) of the Planning and Scheduling Timeline.
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Small group instruction for students who have similar needs and instructional reading levels. Teachers select a text that is challenging, but within students’ skill range, (highest instructional reading level). Students read the selection on their own.

  • Students read aloud from text levels A through J as the teacher concentrates on a single reader and observes the strategies being used effectively and consistently to decode unknown words and construct meaning from the text. Teacher notes which strategies still need support, explanation or practice. The teacher guides the student to return to a difficult part of the text and teaches a needed strategy or skill. The teacher works with each student in the group

  • Students read silently from text levels K and higher. Teacher listens to each student read a portion of the text aloud and observes the strategies being used effectively and consistently to decode unknown words and construct meaning from the text. Teacher notes which strategies still need support, explanation or practice. The teacher guides the student to return to a difficult part of the text and teaches a needed strategy or skill. The teacher works with each student in the group. School District of Philadelphia Comprehensive Literacy Framework.
     
Students spend time each day quietly reading books that they select to read. This is an opportunity for students to select books from all categories of genre and interest. As students read they are practicing and perfecting strategies and skills needed by effective readers.
     
Teachers demonstrate how they think about and compose text while students watch and listen. Teachers teach students all strategies and skills used by effective writers: how to choose a topic, stretch and write the sounds in a word, develop content, and write a powerful lead sentence, etc.
     
Teachers work with a small group or whole group of students to compose a message or text together. Teachers directly teach the skills and strategies of effective writing by demonstrating and inviting students to participate in the writing. The teaching objectives are listed in the first column (What I Teach) of the Planning and Scheduling Timeline.
     
Small group instruction for students with similar instructional needs. Students share their written work with theteacher and the teacher teaches a needed skill or strategy.
     
Students spend time each day writing their own text. Topics are selected by the teacher or selected by students. As students write they are practicing and perfecting strategies and skills needed by effective writers.