balanced literacy

American  

noun

1. a method of teaching reading in which phonics and whole language approaches are both used to maximize student learning.

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Etymology

Origin of balanced literacy

First recorded in 1995–2000

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balanced literacy

But the research has become clear: Looking at the pictures or context of a story to guess a word — as is encouraged in whole language or balanced literacy instruction, leads to struggles with reading.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025

Younger Alphas are also likely to benefit from the nationwide shift away from balanced literacy and towards the phonics-based science of reading, which could soon become mandatory under California law.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

For example, in May 2022, Lucy Calkins, an education professor and leading advocate of balanced literacy, announced a major retreat.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 26, 2023

By third grade, children should have reached on-grade proficiency in both reading and writing, and thus the balanced literacy program should take precedence.

From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2022

More commonly, teachers learn a method called balanced literacy, which combines both approaches.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2021

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