Balanced Literacy Instruction

Abstract

A few years ago, Pressley (1998) wrote a book about elementary-level literacy instruction, Reading Instruction That Works: The Case for Balanced Teaching.A main message in that book is that excellent elementary literacy instruction balances skills instruction (e.g., phonics, comprehension strategies teaching) and holistic literacy opportunities (reading of authentic literature, composing iil response to text).In making that case, Pressley reviewed substantial evidence validating the positive impacts on literacy achievement of many elements of elementary literacy instruction.He also reviewed evidence that beginning literacy classrooms in which achievement is high are typified by balanced teaching.The message was strong and clear that the two warring camps in elementary literacy were both wrong.The available evidence favors neither those promoting predominantly skills-focused literacy teaching nor those favoring environments filled with holistic experiences to the exclusion of skills instruction (e.g., whole language).The term "balance" has definitely caught on.As is often the case, however, many began to wrap themselves in the term without regard to whether their position was consistent with Pressley's (1998) intention in Reading Instruction That Works.Thus, in the past several years, many other books have used the phrase "balanced instruction" or some variation of this phrase.Some of these recent books suggest heavy doses of skills, with many pages devoted to conceptualizing, describing, and defending skills instruction while mentioning holistic opportunities only in passing.Others devote many pages to conceptualizing, describing, and defending holistic teaching, and recommend skills instruction as something that can be done in the context of holistic reading and writing and only when the need arises.We should have anticipated imbalanced conceptions of balanced teaching.Before Pressley wrote the book on balanced literacy instruction, he edited one with Ellen McIntyre (McIntyre & Pressley, 1996).That text offered a variety of conceptions of balance, from conceptions more heavily favoring skills teaching to those clearly in the whole language camp.That somewhat confusing mishmash of conceptions, in fact, motivated the emphasis in Pressley's subsequent book that balanced instruction really means a lot of skills instruction in the context of massive holistic teaching!

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