Balanced Literacy

1990s

The idea of a balanced literacy program began in the 1990s. A balanced literacy program is one that uses both phonics and whole language, combing the strongest elements of the two in order to teach children how to read. The five components of a balanced literacy program are, the read aloud, guided reading, shared reading, independent reading, and word study. The balanced literacy program believes in the importance of providing students with a variety of experiences in reading and that they receive each of these components simultaneously.