Philosophies of Literary Instruction

Kelsey Ross
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

When considering literary instruction, I have come to understand that

literacy in the classroom needs a balance of integrated learning, provide
positive learning environments by integrating culture and community, as well
as implement a readers/writers workshop to strengthen literary skills. With
these three philosophies in mind, my future classrooms will be positive,
authentic, and challenging. These practices will develop students literary
skills as well as promote community and celebrate backgrounds.
Integrated literary instruction allows for a thorough and authentic
learning experience to take place. Integrating literary into mathematics,
science, and social studies allows for students to practice reading and writing
in a meaningful way. By implementing literacy into multiple subjects,
students make stronger connections to concepts. This philosophy is
important to me because it engages multiple learning styles, allows for extra
efforts in the working brain while challenging their thinking and problem
solving skills, as well as allows for students to explain and think about their
answers in an authentic way.
The aspect of culture in the classroom is a philosophy that I hold very
important for my future classroom. As an English as a second language
minor, I believe in accommodation not assimilation in the classroom.
Students need to be perspective of cultures that are of others cultures as
well their own. Students need to use each other as resources in the
classroom. By allowing to use literacy as a way to open cultural aspects in
the classroom, students can be both perspective and reflective of culture. For
example, students can read about cultures that are not similar to their own
and find commonalities and differences respectfully. By writing about
cultures and cultures of their own, students can have more genuine outlooks
of community in and outside of the classroom.
Lastly, implementing a reader/writers workshop to the classroom is an
outstanding way to fulfilling a meaningful literary instruction in the
classroom. The Daily Five book written by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser,
Boushey and Moser emphasize the importance of the Daily 5 principals: Read
to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, and Word
Work. In the first chapter, Boushey and Moser state that "All of these items
[things children did during literacy time], and many more, were used to keep
children busy while we attempted, none too successfully, to work with a few

small groups and individuals.... For the hundredth time we asked ourselves
did those things just keep our kids busy, or were they engaged in literacy
tasks that will make a difference in their literate lives?" (page 4). By
allowing students to complete authentic practices in reading and writing
workshops, students can develop better reading and writing skills. Students
will be reading to themselves, writing, reading their work to peers, and
listening to peers published work. This workshop method aligns well to the
Daily 5 principals.

Reference

Boushey, Gail, and Joan Moser. The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary
Grades. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.