balanced literacy

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of balanced literacy¹

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

For decades, most school districts in California have been devoted to a different approach called “whole language” or “balanced literacy,” built on the belief that children naturally learn to read without being taught how to sound out words.

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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.

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She was seeing many children under “balanced literacy” lessons slip through the cracks — especially those with limited vocabularies.

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“But it’s a steep learning curve,” she said, especially for teachers who have long taught a balanced literacy approach.

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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.

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