Shifting the Balance, Grades K-2: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom

by Jan Burkins, Kari Yates

Overview

The current emphasis on the body of research known as the "Science of Reading" has renewed the reading wars and raised challenging questions for balanced literacy teachers about the best way to teach reading. Instead of fueling the debate, Dr. Jan Burkins and Kari Yates immersed themselves in the research and produced Shifting the Balance, Grades K-2: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom.

This best-selling guide is concise and practical, integrating effective reading strategies from each perspective. Every chapter of Shifting the Balance, Grades K-2 focuses on one of the six simple and scientifically sound shifts reading teachers can make to strengthen their approach to early reading instruction in these areas:

• Reading Comprehension
• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• High-Frequency Words
• Cueing Systems
• Text Selection

Practical Instruction for Primary Grades: Whether your students are just learning to read or building more advanced reading comprehensive skills, Shifting the Balance, K-2 is designed to help teachers meet the instructional needs of K-2 students.

Six Manageable Shifts: Each chapter focuses on a key shift that helps educators understand common misconceptions and adjust their thinking around some common instructional practices that teachers have been using for decades.

Evidence-Based Instruction: Burkins and Yates offer busy educators a blueprint for integrating finding from brain research, cognitive science, and child development into their daily instruction, while keeping meaningful experiences with books a priority.

Classroom Applications: Shifting the Balance, K-2 is full of sample activities and classroom vignettes that paint a picture of what these shifts look like in action with roomful of learners.

The book has already helped countless educators by taking the guesswork out of how to blend best practices with the latest research while keeping students at the forefront of reading instruction. We've written this book to support you in making sound decisions anchored in the best of science, the truth of responsiveness, and a relentless focus on providing all children learning experiences saturated with meaning, the authors write.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625315106
Publisher:	Stenhouse Publishers
Publication date:	02/18/2021
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	9,589
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Dr. Jan Burkins was an elementary classroom teacher for seven years and a literacy coach for seven years. She has worked as a part-time assistant professor, a district literacy leader, and is currently a fulltime writer and consultant.

Kari Yates is an author, speaker, consultant and staff developer with a passion for helping busy literacy educators thrive. Her experiences include classroom teacher, special education, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal and district literacy coordinator.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction Embracing Science and Balance 1

Shift 1 Rethinking How Reading Comprehension Begins 9

Clearing Up Some Confusion 12

Misunderstanding 1 Reading comprehension begins with print 12

Misunderstanding 2 Understanding spoken language and understanding written language are two different things 16

Misunderstanding 3 If children have strong oral language, they have most of what they need to learn to read 18

Misunderstanding 4 Successful comprehension in beginning reading texts means that reading comprehension is on track 20

A Short Summary of the Science 22

Recommendations for Making the Shift 23

Shift 2 Recommitting to Phonemic Awareness Instruction 33

Clearing Up Some Confusion 35

Misunderstanding 1 Phonemic awareness develops naturally 36

Misunderstanding 2 Phonemic awareness and phonics are the same thing 38

Misunderstanding 3 Once children know all their letters and sounds, they will be able to read 40

Misunderstanding 4 Phonemic awareness is mostly a readiness or prereading skill 42

Misunderstanding 5 Intentional phonemic awareness instruction takes a lot of time or fancy resources 42

A Short Summary of the Science 48

Recommendations for Making the Shift 49

Shift 3 Reimagining the Way We Teach Phonics 63

Clearing Up Some Confusion 65

Misunderstanding 1 Learning to recognize letters is just like learning to recognize any other object 66

Misunderstanding 2 Strengthening phonics instruction means purchasing a program 67

Misunderstanding 3 Phonics isn't really worth teaching because English is unpredictable and its spellings are unreliable 70

Misunderstanding 4 If you have a strong scope and sequence and solid instructional routines, you have systematic instruction 72

Misunderstanding 5 Learning phonics is boring 74

A Short Summary of the Science 75

Recommendations for Making the Shift 76

Shift 4 Revising High-Frequency World Instruction 89

Clearing Up Some Confusion 91

Misunderstanding 1 Sight words are the same as high-frequency words 91

Misunderstanding 2 High-frequency words can't be decoded 93

Misunderstanding 3 Children just need to memorize irregularly spelled high-frequency words as whole units 94

Misunderstanding 4 The best way to learn high frequency-words is to practice reading, writing, and/or chanting the letters over and over 95

Misunderstanding 5 If you can read a word, you know it 96

A Short Summary of the Science 99

Recommendations for Making the Shift 100

Shift 5 Reinventing the Ways We Use MSV (3 Cueing Systems) 109

Clearing Up Some Confusion 114

Misunderstanding 1 We need to avoid telling students to "sound it out." 115

Misunderstanding 2 When they are problem solving, children should first ask "What would make sense?" 116

Misunderstanding 3 Children don't need to use all of the print to read 118

Misunderstanding 4 The primary reason to teach children to decode is to problem solve the word in the moment 120

A Short Summary of the Science 121

Recommendations for Making the Shift 122

Shift 6 Reconsidering Texts for Beginning Readers 135

Clearing Up Some Confusion 137

Misunderstanding 1 Decodable texts are loaded with problems 138

Misunderstanding 2 Predictable texts make learning to read easier 141

Misunderstanding 3 Using meaning as the go-to source of information will teach children to comprehend 144

Misunderstanding 4 As long as kids are spending time with books every day they wilt become better readers 145

A Short Summary of the Science 147

Recommendations for Making the Shift 148

Afterword 159

References 161

Index 175

Editorial Reviews

Finally, a book that has the power to stop the literacy pendulum swings! In Shifting the Balance, Burkins and Yates skillfully explore ‘balanced literacy’ and ‘the science of reading’ to find the sweet spots where they overlap, connect, and actually complement one another. The result is a resource that raises our level of instruction while helping children discover and reap the joyful rewards of reading.”

—Susie Rolander, Bank Street College

“What are the research-based, critical elements for teaching reading? In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari give you the information, classroom examples, and tools to help you make the best decisions around six key shifts for instruction. After reviewing the misunderstandings, the science, and the needs of your students, you will be able to audit your current practices (individually, in a PLC, or system-wide) to provide responsive and effective literacy learning for all your students.”

—Fran McVeigh, Teacher, Consultant, #G2Great Chat Moderator and Associate Academic Coordinator for Morningside College

“In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari invite us to reflect and reexamine our beliefs about teaching reading. They gently nudge us to rethink and possibly adjust our early literacy practices. Jan and Kari have taken on this controversial topic by embracing vulnerability and modeling what it means to be truly reflective practitioners. This book is a must read for new and veteran teachers!”

—Jennifer Allen, Literacy Specialist, Waterville Public Schools, ME

“In Shifting the Balance, Kari and Jan have masterfully dispelled many of the myths and misunderstandings associated with reading instruction. Additionally, they offer classroom teachers and coaches six simple, practical shifts that have the power to transform the way we teach children how to read. Indeed, balanced literacy and science do exist in harmony, and we practitioners can offer our children both concurrently. Thank you, Kari and Jan, for this important work that is sure to change lives!”

—Christina Nosek, co-author of To Know and Nurture a Reader: Conferring with Confidence and Joy

“In Shifting the Balance, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates provide a safe space for teachers to courageously examine some long-held balanced literacy practices and turn a critical eye to where those practices have gotten out of balance. If you’re willing to be vulnerable and move towards resolving the gap between research and practice, this book provides actionable steps you can take to shift your thinking and bring instruction into alignment with the scientific evidence.”

—Helen White, Instructional Support Teacher, Northside Independent School District

“Shifting the Balance is a welcoming opportunity to reexamine our familiar teaching practices. Without judgment, Burkins and Yates invigorate these practices by inviting educators to make scientific shifts in the systems that have been in place for years. This book will revolutionize reading instruction and in turn, the lives of countless students.”

—Jennifer Clyne Stewart, M.Ed., Dyslexia Specialist

“This book speaks to teachers. It is overwhelmingly clear that Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have been and are immersed in the world of today’s classrooms. Shifting the Balance will help many rethink instruction in ways that will support all students. In the current version of the Reading Wars, it is difficult for any of us to say we were wrong about some of our beliefs or practices. And thus, few do. However, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have done just that. This is as commendable as it is unusual.”

—David Liben, www.readingdoneright.org

“This book found me at just the right time! Shifting the Balance gives voice to the questions I’ve had in my mind about Balanced Literacy and the Science of Reading and provides clear insights on how to connect the best parts of both to benefit early readers. Throughout the book, Jan and Kari confirm practices worth holding onto while providing actionable next steps I can’t wait to implement with students to strengthen my reading instruction.”

—Kristen Mullikin, Reading Specialist, Elk Grove Unified School District.

From the Publisher