A Daily 110-Minute English/Literacy Block Framework

The following extract is taken from PETAA book Writing the Future written by Kaye Lowe.

Hold tight to the expectation that everyone writes every day, that ‘it’s just what we do here’. Routines work. Children like the predictability and security of knowing the literacy block: they know that they write every day, and because of this they are on the lookout for things to write about. The following literacy block framework ensures there is time for 20 minutes of sustained writing and 20 minutes of sustained reading each day. In addition, the literacy block includes a teacher read-aloud, whole class and small group sharing, teacher-led inquiry and literacy activities.

Table 2.1: Daily 110-minute English/Literacy Block

Component Teacher
read-aloud 		 Teacher-led
inquiry 

Independent
writing 

 Whole-class
sharing 		 Voluntary
free reading 		 Whole-class
sharing 		 Literacy
activities 		 Group
reports 
 Minutes 10  10  20  10  20  10  20  10 
 Parallel
activity		     Teacher
conferences 
Teacher
conferences 		   Group
reports 		  

Table 2.2: English/Literacy Block in Detail

Component  Description 
 Teacher read-aloud
(10 minutes)		  Teachers read quality literature, preferably a chapter book, to the whole class. The
read-aloud provides the exemplary model of everything we want writers to achieve.
 Teacher-led inquiry
– connected to data
and an identified
learning outcome or
content descriptor
(10 minutes)		  Teachers prepare a text as an exemplary model of a learning outcome, and lead the
investigation or inquiry. Some options to try:
• Co-constructed text with the class. For example, a story about ‘the magpie
problem’, because your data tells you that your class has difficulty constructing
narratives that have a beginning, middle and end.
• Excerpt. For example, the description of Mr Twit from The Twits, because your data
tells you that your class has difficulty adding detail.
• Teacher-constructed text. For example, you construct a text of about four to six
sentences leaving out the punctuation, because your data tells you that your class
needs to pay more attention to the role of punctuation in texts.
• Samples of student writing. Select these for exemplary purposes, not to be ‘fixed
up’ or corrected with the class. For example, Chen wrote a factual text about snakes
and it would be useful to examine the components of factual text; Aleesha has an
exceptional introductory paragraph; Jack has written a screenplay. Throughout the
term, make sure all children have their writing showcased for exemplary purposes.
The class reads the text many times, so that it becomes predictable for students who
need support with reading. It stays visible for the whole class to continue reading as
they move into the writing session.
 Independent writing
(20 minutes)		  Children write independently every day. Extended time and regular opportunities
allow writers to tune in to their inner voices. The inner voice does not get a chance
to project itself when students are limited to spasmodic, short bursts of writing.
• From Foundation/Kindergarten, students write for a minimum of 20 minutes a day
in their writer’s notebook about topics of their choosing.
• For the first two weeks, Foundation/Kindergarten write for 10 minutes every day
and build to 20 as quickly as possible. Some will ‘chicken scratch’ and some will
write recognisable letters and narratives. They all write something to be celebrated.
• Writers simply need to get started for the magic to happen. Begin by writing the
date – for some children that is enough. Tell students that they don’t need to know
what they’re writing about; they just need to start. Say, ‘Just start and the pencil will
take you on the journey.’
• In the first week, teachers sit with the students, away from their desks, and
write too. Once the routine is established and all children are writing, teachers
conference with every child one-on-one during the week for around five minutes.
 Whole-class sharing
OR peer conference
OR authoring circles
(10 minutes)		  Teachers restate the learning outcomes and connect the earlier inquiry (associated
with the learning outcome) to the students’ writing. Share multiple responses and
interpretations from the writing by:
• calling on children who can provide an example
• drawing children’s names from a pop-stick container
• asking the children to turn and read to the person beside them
• arranging author circles consisting of three children who read and share their
writing with each other
• holding author circles and peer conferences on a regular basis.
 Voluntary free
reading
(20 minutes)		  Students read books of their choice for 20 minutes every day. Hold five-minute,
one-on-one conferences with individual students during this period.
• Teachers check that the books chosen by each student are a ‘right fit’. A risk is that
some get stuck in their reading choices and don’t know how to choose more
challenging books. This is often the case with boys around Year 2 when they
discover Andy Griffiths, Ahn Do, Terry Denton and the like (authors who have done
us a great service, writing for this age bracket). Never take a book out of a child’s
hands though; suggest that it becomes the afternoon read and offer other, suitably
challenging options. Choice matters, so I offer two to three to choose from.
• Kindergarten/Foundation children need access to a collection of predictable
texts and their published writing. Books must be accessible and are best placed in
containers on tables within easy reach. They will read four to six in 20 minutes. For
children who need additional support, teachers and/or learning support teachers
create books based on the children’s interests (for example, family, friends and
pets). They scribe short sentences dictated by the student on each page, so that a
predictable text is created. Photos, clipart and rebus are included as visual prompts.
During reading time the student takes responsibility for choosing a selection of
these personal books, as well as favourite published books. After five minutes,
the learning support teacher and student echo-read the chosen books and work
together on creating another personal book for the collection.
 Whole-class sharing
(10 minutes)		  Teachers reinforce learning outcomes and connect the earlier inquiry (associated
with the learning outcome) to the students’ reading (for example, students find
exemplars in their reading books).
 Literacy activities
(20 minutes)		  Literacy activities are organised around the following headings, with the choice of
activities informed by data and designed to reinforce a learning outcome:
• Spelling
• Genre
• Teacher-led (purpose-based group)
• Activity attached to a learning outcome associated with grammar or vocabulary
or punctuation
• Literature based.
 Group reports
(10 minutes)		  Group members report on their group’s efforts. Teachers reinforce the learning
outcomes through sharing.