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Learning Strategies Reflection
Cynthia L. Hilton
Liberty University
EDUC 200: Principles of Education
Mrs. Cynthia Sheldrake
September 9, 2024
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Learning Strategies Reflection
There are many different learning approaches. A balanced literacy approach is a learning
strategy in which students are able to practice the key components of reading and writing. A
balanced approach starts with the teacher creating a routine for the class to follow. For example,
she starts by explaining the lesson to the class and after the lesson the students may go into
groups based on their individual learning style. According to the textbook “Thus, a balanced use
of both approaches, rather than abandonment of one approach in favor of the other, seems to be
the key to reading instruction.” (Ryan, K., Cooper, J., & Bolic, C.M. (2016). Those who can,
teach. (14th ed.). Boston, MA; Cengage Learning).
During the lesson, the class is able to interact with the teacher while building words.
After the lesson she divided students into groups. The teacher created groups based on the
assignment, she created multiple groups to focus on many key components such as building
words, practicing phonics, reading etc. During the whole class she gave clear instructions and
guided the students on what to do to establish a routine in the classroom. The teacher states “I
think the balanced literacy approach really benefits the students because it ensures that they are
getting all the components of literacy” (Ryan, Cooper, and Bolick, 2016, Elementary Reading
Instruction: A Balanced Literacy Approach)
There are several pros and cons to a balanced literacy approach. One pro is that a student
gets more one on one time with a teacher. With one on one time the teacher can focus on that
student's struggles and not just the whole class. Teachers also learn alot about a student through
one on one time. Another pro is that students can choose which learning style works for them.
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On the flipside, a con is since there are multiple activities going on a student may get distracted
with what another student is doing. Another con is students might not be motivated to do work or
that one assignment if they would rather do another task or assignment that may be their favorite.
Another subject that would benefit from a balanced approach is a math class. When
working on math problems there are different techniques students can use to get to the same
answer. The teacher can organize the class based on which methods they prefer to use. For
example, when adding numbers some will prefer to use blocks as a visual while others may
prefer to count in their head. According to the textbook “Experts in mathematics education are
urging teachers to introduce multiple approaches for solving real-world problems” (Ryan, K.,
Cooper, J., & Bolic, C.M. (2016). Those who can, teach. (14th ed.). Boston, MA; Cengage
Learning).
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References
Ryan, K., Cooper, J., & Bolic, C.M. (2016). Those who can, teach. (14th ed.). Boston, MA;
Cengage Learning
