To-With-By

=** Essential Question: How does an integrated literacy framework/balanced literacy support children's literacy development? **=
 * A balanced literacy framework is important in supporting children's literacy development, as it provides a way to differentiate instruction. Differentiation helps all learners to be successful by identifying strengths and helping learners work to their full potential. The to-with-by model of instruction allows for balanced literacy instruction. "To", "With' and "By" are the three tiers of this model. There are many ways a teacher may use the to-with-by model in literacy, through both reading and writing lessons. With each tier of instruction, students gain more independence.**
 * The first tier, "to", is when a lesson is initially taught to students. This tier provides students with the basic concepts that they will be working with. An example of this tier would be an interactive read aloud, as the teacher is reading to the students.**




 * Tier 2 is "with", in which the teacher works with the students and guides them. This tier of the model works best when the teacher is able to work with students in small groups. This allows the teacher to give guided and more individualized instruction. One example of this tier would be the use of guided reading groups in the classroom.**




 * The third tier of this model is "by", in which students work more independently, or by themselves. This tier can be performed through assessments, projects, or any other type of individual practice. This gives the student the opportunity to show how much they have learned about the subject matter. This could also be as simple as independent reading, since the students are showing they can read by themselves.**