Shifting the Balance Grades 3-5

<p>In this much anticipated follow-up to their groundbreaking book, <i>Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom</i>, authors Jan Burkins and Kari Yates, together with co-author Katie Cunningham, extend the conversation in <i>Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom</i>. This new text is built in mind specifically for grades 3-5 teachers around best practices for the intermediate classroom. <br><br><i>Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5</i> introduces six more shifts across individual chapters that:</p><ul> <li>Zoom in on a common (but not-as helpful-as-we-had-hoped) practice to reconsider</li> <li>Untangle a number of “misunderstandings” that have likely contributed to the use of the common practice</li> <li>Propose a more science-aligned shift to the current practice</li> <li>Provide solid scientific research to support the revised practice</li> <li>Offer a collection of high-leverage, easy-to-implement instructional routines to support the shift to more brain-friendly instruction</li> </ul><p>The authors offer a refreshing approach that is respectful, accessible, and practical – grounded in an earnest commitment to building a bridge between research and classroom practice. As with the first <i>Shifting the Balance</i>, they aim to keep students at the forefront of reading instruction.</p> Introduction: Head Work and Heart Work 1. Reconsidering How Knowledge Impacts Comprehension 2. Rethinking the Role of Strategy Instruction in Learning to Comprehend 3. Recommitting to Vocabulary Instruction 4. Reclaiming Word-Reading Instruction in the Intermediate Grades 5. Revisiting Fluency Instruction 6. Reimagining Independent Practice in the Literacy Classroom