The VCLD Newsletter

Vol. 16, No. 2

Spring 2002

 

 

IntelliTools Reading: Balanced Literacy

Sandy Morrissette
Integrated Technology Services
Fairfax County Public Schools

  IntelliTools Reading: Balanced Literacy by IntelliTools is a nine unit, yearlong program of supplementary literacy instruction at the first grade skill level. Balanced Literacy provides a balanced approached to literacy instruction for beginning readers. It is a multimedia program that integrates guided reading, structured writing, and word study (phonics) activities.
  Each of the nine Balanced Literacy units is designed to correspond to a month-long teaching schedule. Every unit is comprised of a sequence of daily lessons. Each lesson contains one to six activities designed to support and supplement the language arts curriculum. The activities in each unit feature easily identifiable, animated animal characters and colorful, fully illustrated environments.
  Each unit uses a different animal theme to reinforce guided reading comprehension, phonics instruction and writing. An Anchor Book introduces structured language, sight vocabulary, onsets and/or rimes taught in that unit. Animated songs introduce each new onset and rime. Onset and rime “books” further increase phonemic awareness. More than 300 computer-based phonics activities develop decoding skills. Pattern “books” reinforce sight words and common phrases.
 
Teachers can set up Classes, Groups and Student Folders using the Class Management Screen. The program automatically monitors students’ progress as they work through each unit and manages the lesson sequence for students. It also automatically keeps a record of each student’s progress by recording his/her responses to the review questions. The report record lists questions and right and wrong answers. Stars indicate correct answers, checks show wrong answers. Teachers can see how many tries it took a student to solve each review question. These records help teachers assess student mastery of the topic and focus on areas needing continuing support. These records are also very useful in teacher-parent conferences. The progress reports may be previewed and/or printed.
 
Balanced Literacy is completely accessible to children with special needs, including physical or learning disabilities and developmental delays. It supports various access devices including a mouse, a keyboard, IntelliKeys, and switches.

IntelliTools Reading: Balanced Literacy includes:

  • 9 full-color original story books (Anchor books)
  • 100+ electronic books
  • Comprehensive Teacher’s Guide with daily lesson plans and a host of extension activities
  • Balanced Literacy CD (Mac/Win dual platform) with over 500 activities
  • 46 colorful, durable overlays
  • Demo Version of IntelliTalk II (printing/saving disabled)
  • Bonus! Writing Resource CD with 58 extension activities using IntelliTalk II and 1,000+ graphics from the program
  Learn more about IntelliTools Reading: Balanced Literacy and download Balanced Literacy Program Highlights at the IntelliTools web site http://www.intellitools.com.

 

 

Balanced Literacy Pilot Project


Lisa Givens
Integrated Technolgy Services
Fairfax County Public Schools
 


Several Fairfax County elementary teachers of students with special needs participated in a pilot project this year that focused on implementing the Balanced Literacy program as a supplemental reading program in their classrooms. Teachers from LD, ED, PD, MR, NCE, MOD/SD, AUT and Preschool programs participated. These teachers met with ITS staff three times during the year to discuss how they were using the program.

 

Most teachers found that the program easily coordinated with their primary reading programs. They reported that with some students they saw a great deal of improvement in their understanding of sound/letter relationships and comprehension after using Balanced Literacy. Teachers especially liked the binder of materials and the colorful books that are included with the program. Many teachers also created their own extension activities to provide students with additional practice with the skills taught in Balanced Literacy.

 

 

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