Strategy chart evaluating literacy strategies

 


Diverse learners often require diverse approaches to literacy. Educators can meet their needs by creating a toolbox of strategies for engaging them in literacy.

create a strategy chart evaluating literacy strategies as they relate to the five reading components.

Step 1. Select Select a population of students in your school (elizabeth city middle school in elizabeth city Nc) such as English learners (ELs), inclusion, or male students.

Step 2. Explore Explore 15 different literacy strategies to meet diverse students’ needs.

Step 3. Evaluate Evaluate the 15 strategies by ranking them from most important to least important.

Step 4. Create Create a Strategy Chart using the resources linked on the Learning Objects page. Include the 15 strategies relative to the five reading components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Step 5. Write Select the top 5 strategies and write a brief description of each. Be sure to include at least one citation for each strategy.

 

2-4. Literacy Strategy Evaluation and Component Chart

 

The following chart outlines 15 high-impact literacy strategies, ranked by their overall importance for meeting the diverse needs of middle school ELs, and evaluates their primary relationship to the five core reading components.

RankLiteracy StrategyPhonemic AwarenessPhonicsVocabularyFluencyComprehension
1Explicit Vocabulary Instruction (Tier 2/3)  X X
2Visual Scaffolding (Graphic Organizers/Images)  X X
3Think-Alouds (Modeling Metacognition)    X
4Sentence Stems and Frames X XX
5Reader's Theater/Choral Reading X X 
6Reciprocal Teaching  X X
7Shared Reading with Annotations  XXX
8Word Walls with Visuals/Translations XX  
9Chunking Text (Segmenting paragraphs)    X
10Concept Mapping (Semantic Mapping)  X X
11Dictogloss (Integrated Skills) XX  
12Use of Cognates and Word Families  X  
13High-Frequency Sight Word Games   X 
14Language Experience Approach (LEA) XXXX
15Sound Boxes (Elkonin Boxes)XX   

 

5. Top 5 Literacy Strategies for ELs

 

The following five strategies are ranked as most crucial for middle school ELs because they simultaneously address the need for explicit academic language development and comprehension scaffolding.

 

1. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction (Tier 2/3 Words)

 

Description: This strategy involves directly teaching high-utility, cross-curricular words (Tier 2) and content-specific words (Tier 3) using a consistent routine. Instruction moves beyond simple definitions to explore word function, meaning in context, morphology (roots, prefixes, suffixes), and how to use the word in speech and writing. This is critical for ELs to bridge the gap between social English and academic English.

Citation: Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. Guilford Press. (This work emphasizes teaching students strategies for figuring out word meanings and organizing vocabulary instruction into tiers.)

 

2. Visual Scaffolding (Graphic Organizers and Images)

 

Description: This involves using non-linguistic cues to support content understanding. Examples include: providing pictures, diagrams, and realia; using graphic organizers (like Venn diagrams, sequence chains, or KWL charts) to structure information before, during, and after reading; and having students draw or sketch concepts. Visuals reduce cognitive load and allow ELs to grasp the concept without struggling through difficult language first.

Citation: Marzano, R. J. (2009). The art and science of teaching: A

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

This response focuses on creating a literacy strategy toolbox for English Learners (ELs) in the middle school setting (Elizabeth City Middle School, NC), as this population requires highly scaffolded and explicit instruction across all five components of reading.

 

1. Selected Population: English Learners (ELs)

 

The target population is English Learners (ELs) in grades 6-8 at Elizabeth City Middle School. These students possess varying levels of proficiency in English (WIDA levels 1-5) and come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Their literacy needs include developing both basic decoding skills (phonics/fluency) and complex academic language (vocabulary and comprehension) necessary to access grade-level content across all subjects.