The Four Block Model is a balanced literacy program based on research. The 2 hours allotted to Language Arts is divided among four blocks. These blocks Guided Reading, Self-Selected Reading, Writing, and Working with Words represent the major approaches (methods) to teach reading. Each component of The Four Block Model is designed to grow all students in a diversified classroom setting. The teacher uses a variety of materials and cooperative formats to make the instruction multilevel. At different times, teachers work with the whole class, small groups and individual children. Consistency and brisk pace are built into this model. This model originated in North Carolina and has been replicated with success throughout the country.

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During Guided Reading all the students in the class use the same text. Stories from a basal may be used, or stories from an anthology, or class sets of novels. The text is not reading leveled material; rather it is age/grade level appropriate. The text varies in instructional difficulty. Therefore, the teacher should alternate hard pieces with easier pieces. For instance, The Devil's Arithmetic is a hard novel and Pinballs is a much easier novel. The goal is not to "cover" or "read" the literature -- the goal is to use the literature to teach reading comprehension strategies. The lesson is structured to support diversity in reading levels within the class.

The purpose of this block is to teach reading comprehension strategies that will enable students to acquire, interpret, apply and evaluate text. The teacher must preview each piece of literature or each chapter within the novel to determine which comprehension strategy(s) this particular text lends itself. This then becomes the focus of the lesson.

There are only a few comprehension strategies but these strategies must be taught thoroughly as students develop the ability to read more complex text. The strategies taught are those embedded in the text. Examples of comprehension strategies are:

• Inferences
• Compare/contrast
• Cause and effect
• Sequencing
• Main idea and supporting details
• Character analysis
• Literary elements
• Point of view
• Print Concepts

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Is it necessary to teach reading in social studies, science and other content classes? Absolutely! Why? First, it is an essential path to learning the content. If we love science - and would like our students to learn about science we need to teach them how to read science. Can't that be taken care of with literature? No! Use the analogy of eating an apple and eating an orange. Indeed, both are fruits, and both are round - but we eat them with very different strategies. So too are the reading of literature and the reading of content different. Today, we have many students who do not realize there is a difference in the reading of literature and the reading of content. What is the result? We have students picking up that orange (content text) and biting into it as though it was an apple (literature). The result is bitter.

The purpose of the reading lesson is to teach reading comprehension strategies that will enable students to acquire, interpret, apply, and evaluate expository text. We are no longer focused on only low-level knowledge regurgitation such as "What is the capital of France?" Rather, we now are focused on higher level critical thinking such as "How does the economic growth of Paris compare to the economic growth of London?"

We must be aware of the expository text structure if we are to teach students how to read text. Our goal is then to assist students in developing an awareness of the structure so they may use appropriate reading strategies as they analyze the text. Expository text has specific text structure:

• Compare/contrast
• Cause and effect
• Sequencing
• Listing
• Problem/Solution
• Main Idea/Supporting details

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Children should be using this period of time reading books on their independent reading level. It is necessary to have a variety of genre and reading levels available in the classroom to meet the needs and interests of the children.

The teacher has a primary role in motivating the students to read, and to ensure they are reading books that are instructionally appropriate. Several tools are available to assure that will happen.

Books in the Classroom

Books, books, books! We can't expect students to get excited about reading if there are not an adequate number of books in the classroom. Five hundred plus is a recommended number.

The manner in which the books are displayed also impacts reading during this block. Students must be able to see the covers of the books if we want them to read. Remember, during self-selected reading the teacher is selling the concept of reading books.

Conferencing

Conferencing is the accountability factor in self-selected reading. The students will be more attentive to their books if they know they will be discussing the books with the teacher.

The classroom teacher usually conferences with approximately 4-5 students daily. The teacher does conference more frequently with the less fluent reader(s).

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Students must also have the skills to decode and encode multi-syllabic words to facilitate their ability to construct meaning from text.

Handwriting Formation

Many upper elementary students have not mastered the formation of certain letters or letter combinations. A quick review by the teacher modeling the formation fills in the gaps for older students.

Spelling / Word Wall

Spelling is a writing skill that is developmental. Students should be able to spell high frequency words accurately and instantly. In the upper elementary grades there is a wide variation in spelling knowledge - from student to student and from high-frequency word to high-frequency word. And individualized spelling list ensures that the needs of individual students will be met.

Pretest: On Monday a pretest is given to all students. A three-flap file folder is used for testing. It is comprised of ten high-frequency words and enrichment words for those students who may already know how to spell the high-frequency words. These words are listed under "flap #1" in the Spelling Folder. The first ten words are given to the students. The students write the pretest words under "flap # 2" in the Spelling Folder. The pretest is scored:

If a student misses all ten high-frequency words, he is assigned the first five to learn.

If a student spells all ten high-frequency words correctly he is assigned the five enrichment words.

Other students learn the first five missed.

Word Wall: The Word Wall contains the first five words from each spelling test. All students must spell the words on the Word Wall correctly when writing. The Word Wall is also used as an instructional tool in teaching study strategies for learning spelling words.

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During the Writing Block the students make the connection between reading and writing. Students read to extract meaning from the text and write to create a text that communicates meaning, emotion, and personal experiences.

Students are not assigned writing during the writing block, nor are they just told to write. Instead, students receive guided instruction for:

• Format for specific genre - narrative, expository, descriptive, poetry, research
• Mini-lessons for revision
• Mini-lessons for editing
• Individual conferences
• Evaluation and growth
• The Writing Block allows students to work through all stages in the writing process:
• Prewriting
• Drafting
• Revising
• Editing
• Publishing

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What are Thinking Maps®?

Thinking Maps®, developed by Dr. David Hyerle, are visual teaching tools that foster and encourage lifelong learning. They're based on a simple yet profound insight: The one common instructional thread that binds together all teachers, from pre-kindergarten through postgraduate, is that they all teach the same thought processes. In kindergarten, for example, we may call one of these processes grouping or sorting. Later, we refer to it as categorizing: main idea, supporting ideas and details. But whatever the label, it is the thought process of classification - one of eight distinct Thinking Map processes. The similarities and differences between Thinking Maps® and task-specific graphic organizers can be seen in the double bubble map below. While Thinking Maps® and task-specific graphic organizers share many of the same qualities, the differences are what make Thinking Maps® an ideal common visual language in classrooms and whole schools.

If every teacher within a school utilized consistent visual tools across all grade levels and content disciplines, students could learn more effectively and more efficiently. Objectives could be covered in less time with greater retention. Cause and effect reasoning in one class would be represented in a similar manner throughout the curricula, as would every other thought process!

This common visual language would become such a familiar part of students' education that it would remain an effective learning tool throughout their academic careers - and beyond.

How Thinking Maps® Work

Based on thorough and well-accepted academic study and brain research, the eight Thinking Maps® correspond to eight fundamental thinking processes. More than simple graphic organizers, they can be utilized individually or in various combinations to form a common visual language for students and teachers at all grade levels, in all subjects.

By giving students tools that they will use throughout their school careers - tools that can be applied in increasingly sophisticated ways as the students mature - schools promote continuous cognitive development. By providing tools that can be used consistently across disciplines, schools also promote integrated thinking and interdisciplinary learning. Thinking Maps® are also ideal tools for conducting pre- and post-lesson assessments. By taking advantage of Thinking Maps® portfolios, teachers can easily gauge student knowledge prior to a specific lesson, the effectiveness of lessons as they happen, and what the students ultimately learned from the lesson. Utilizing consistent visual tools, individual student performance can be tracked accurately over time, from week to week or even from year to year.

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