Phonics vs whole language? Diana Finch, Founder of The Literacy Project says, "SINCE WHEN have effective teachers limited their toolboxes? We need every effective tool we can get!" Effective educators know that it is crucial to have and use ALL of the "best practices" in literacy instruction. The key is to have teachers who are well trained in ALL of the essential literacy teaching methods. Diana says, "We must fill up our toolbox and know how, when and why to use all of those tools". Here, Diana presents Balanced Early Literacy Instruction (August 20, 2013). She highlights the key elements in the process of developing literacy in children, including core learning objectives and effective teaching methods and strategies. She advocates the use of mindful instructional methods which are STRONGLY phonics embedded. Explicit direct instruction in phonics is embedded within a meaningful context because removing instruction from meaningful context WEAKENS learning outcomes for all but the most challenged students. In literacy instruction, as in most controversies, we find that the answer to the question lies in the BALANCE. The Literacy Project offers a variety of program improvement services for schools and educational agencies; the most important of which is teacher training in literacy instruction. www.the-literacy-project.com Major Topics: Zero to Three, Learning Objectives-Age 3 to Grade 3, Instructional Management, Teaching Methods, Teaching Strategies, Curriculum, Assessment // Subtopics: Phonemic & Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Word Solving, Emergent Writing, Concepts About Print, Guided Reading & Text Selection, MSV Cueing System, Interactive Writing, Writer's Workshop, Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension, ZPD, Scaffolding, Differentiation, Prior Knowledge, MUCH MORE // Participants: Elementary School Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Homeschool Parents

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