Story Based Literacy (SBL) is a funfudamental approach that has significantly impacted my teaching. But what exactly is Story Based Literacy? SBL is a way to use grade-level texts to enhance literacy skills.
It is crucial for students without disabilities to engage with age-appropriate literature as it fosters reading interest, improves reading skills, and assists in teaching the literacy standards set by your state. Unfortunately, students with disabilities often face challenges accessing literature due to their independent reading level.
Through Story Based Literacy (SBL), we can provide our students the opportunity to engage with age-appropriate literature, thereby strengthening their reading abilities and literacy comprehension.
Here are just a few of the skills you can teach through Story Based Literacy-
Demonstrate print concepts (title, author, turning page, following along, etc.)
Vocabulary
Answering explicit and inferential comprehension questions
Identify characters, setting, and events (plot)
Identify the main idea of the chapter or text
Summarize the chapter or text
Compare print to video; understand similarities and differences
There are many components to effective literacy instruction. While we know that explicitly teaching phonemic awareness and phonics skills is absolutely essential, Story Based Literacy provides an opportunity to address the other strands of the reading rope, such as vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language.
Story Based Literacy: Weekly Outline
This is what a week of Story Based Literacy Instruction looks like in my special education classroom. Days 3 & 4 can be switched if you prefer to read the chapter back to back.
Day 1:
Introduce vocabulary and story elements
Complete the vocabulary section of students' interactive notebooks
Update chapter storyboard with story elements
Day 2:
Introduce repeated line
Read the chapter focusing on vocabulary and repeated line
Day 3:
Complete vocabulary worksheets or interactive vocabulary cards
Sequence plot and complete summary section of students' interactive notebooks
Day 4:
Re-read the chapter and ask comprehension questions
Take data
Day 5:
Do an activity
Literacy Instruction: Vocabulary
I choose a few words per chapter. I focus on words that my students will hear and encounter on a regular basis. I like to choose words that repeat themselves throughout the chapter or book. I explicitly teach the vocabulary, and then my students complete a vocabulary activity on their level. We do a vocabulary review every 5 to 10 chapters, like BINGO.
Literacy Instruction: Comprehension
Because we read the chapter twice throughout the week, I can really target student comprehension. I set a monthly comprehension focus for each student based on their instructional level. Some students work on yes/no questions, while others may be working on explicit WH questions or inferential questions.
I create a chapter communication board with characters, settings, vocabulary, and possible answers to comprehension questions. I make flashcards with the characters and settings for my students who need limited choices or use eye gaze. Comprehension data is taken once weekly for each student after they have heard the chapter twice.
Literacy Instruction: Repeated Line
A repeated line essentially summarizes the chapter's main idea. It’s a way to get all of my students involved in the reading. I use recordable buzzers (affiliate link) for my nonverbal students and a visual for my verbal students. As we read, I signal to the students, and they say the repeated line. This gives all students an opportunity to join in our reading.
Literacy Instruction: Writing
Another important component of literacy instruction is writing. It’s easy to implement a weekly writing prompt related to the chapter. I also have interactive notebooks for each student, and each week, students write a sentence or paragraph summarizing the chapter. For my students who cannot write, I use cut-and-paste sentences or alternative pencils.
Literacy Instruction: Related Activity
My favorite part of SBL is being able to integrate other subject areas through weekly activities. Each week, we do an activity that pulls in another subject area, like math, functional or social skills, or art.
Are you ready to start Story Based Literacy with your students?
Grab my weekly outline template and communication board template for free.
Read all about how to create your own Story Based Literacy unit.
Let me do the hard work for you! Grab one of my pre-made SBL units.
Do you have questions about Story-Based Literacy? Leave them below, or shoot me an email! I’d love to chat more about how you can incorporate this into your classroom!
