Organization: Part 3: Background Information

One of the hardest things for new reading teachers is simply determining how to use the time at school most effectively. The previous section (Definition of Terms) defines different ways to organize your literacy class from Four Blocks to Guided Reading to Reading and Writing Workshop. Because writing is an essential component of literacy that was not studied by the National Reading Panel, it has it’s own section on this website, the last tab.

I have included all of the basic models for organizing a classroom so you know the different structures that are out there in school districts. None of them is necessarily better than any of the others. You may teach in a building that has adopted one of the models and find that is what you must do also. Four Blocks is especially popular. You will most likely be given a basal reading series. These have improved dramatically since the 1980’s when they were heavily criticized. The companies producing them responded to the criticism with many improvements, including leveled supplemental readers, systematic phonics, quick classroom assessments, and paired fiction and nonfiction texts. Whether you use a basal or just good children’s books and no matter how you determine to structure your day, you need to make sure to include all of the essential components of teaching reading. If you do, your children will learn to read.

The list that follows includes references that you can use to deepen your understanding of these various organizational structures. To quote William Purkey, co-author of Inviting School Success, “You’ve got to mess around if you want to be a good teacher.” It is OK to tinker with your organization. Just make sure you are assessing your students so you know that they are learning. Learning is the bottom line.

Cheryl Sigmon is an accomplished Four Blocks trainer. Her website is: http://www.cherylsigmon.com/about.asp.

http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/ - Four Blocks Literacy Model of Pat Cunningham and Dorothy Hall

http://www.four-blocks.com/ - Carsondellosa’s Four Blocks website

http://www.teachers.net/4blocks/column.html - Four Blocks website with lots of resources plus articles by Cheryl Sigmon

http://edtech.cebs.wku.edu/~ppetty/fourblocks.htm - Western Kentucky University’s Pam Petty’s website with resources and links to other websites with more information and activity ideas

http://www.cherylsigmon.com/ - Cheryl Sigmon’s website with handouts and helpful hints, as well as other resources

http://home.midwest.net/~cazueck/fourblocksliteracymodel.htm - Four Blocks website with tons of links and resources to help teachers get started and continue with new ideas

http://www.blocks4reading.com/ - Four Blocks website created by Joe Fuhrmann who is a Four Blocks presenter. This website has tons of links. One website has power point presentations for parents and teachers

http://www.debfourblocks.com/aboutus.html - Four Blocks website created by Deb Smith a Four Blocks consultant. This website includes lesson plans for all four blocks.

Carlin, D. Making Words? A Guided Spelling Instructional Strategy. www.readingcenter.
buffalo.edu/center/research/word.html

Cunningham, P. & Hall, D. (2002) Data supporting the four blocks framework. Four
Blocks website http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/.

Cunningham, P., Hall, D., & Cunningham, J. (2000).Guided Reading The Four-Blocks Way. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa.

Cunningham, P., Hall, D., & Sigmon, C. (1999). The Teacher’s Guide to the Four Blocks. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa.

Cunningham, P., Hall, D. & Defee, M. (1991). Non-ability grouped, multileveled instruction: A year in a first grade classroom. The Reading Teacher, 44(8), 566-571.

Cunningham, P., Hall, D. & Defee, M. (1998). Non-ability grouped, multilevel instruction:
Eight years later. The Reading Teacher, 51(8), 652-664.

Cunningham, P., Cunningham, J., and Allington, R. (2002). Research on the components
of a comprehensive reading and writing instructional program. Four Blocks
website http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/

Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G. (1996). Guided Reading Good First Teaching for All children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Ohio State’s Literacy Collaborative website http://www.lcosu.org/index.htm.

Ohlhausen, M.M. & Jepsen, M. (1992). Lessons from Goldilocks: “Somebody’s been
choosing my books but I can make my own choices now!” New Advocate, 5(1), 31-46.

Pinnell, G. (2002). Scholastic Guided Reading Program, Blue Edition, Teachers Guide. Scholastic Inc.

Taberski, S. (2000). On Solid Ground. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Schwartz, R. (2005). Decisions, decisions: Responding to primary students during guided reading. Reading Teacher, 58. 436-443.

www.ecs.org Programs and Practices – Four Blocks (2002).