ABSTRACT
Literacy instruction is at the core of teaching and learning in the constructivist classroom. Are the students responding to a one-size-fits-all curriculum, or are they receiving instruction based on the curriculum and their learning needs? Is literacy learning authentic with rich literature and opportunities to read and write, or does it consist mainly of reading passages, worksheets, and fill-in-the-blank type of activities? This chapter addresses how constructivist teachers teach literacy lessons with heart. It includes the importance of conversation, authentic literary experiences, many ways to teach students to analyze the texts they read, and how to build students’ vocabulary and stamina as readers and writers. This chapter also addresses the importance of phonics and phonemic awareness in a constructivist literacy classroom and how not to get swept up by the pendulum and politics of phonics instruction. After reading each section, readers are encouraged to use the questions offered to reflect upon their own classroom literacy instruction.
