The New Haven Public School system has made literacy its top priority. Through the use of the balanced literacy approach, the system plans to increase the reading competency of all its students.
Balanced literacy involves more than just a student's ability to read the printed page. Literacy includes the student's ability to read but also incorporates the child's desire to learn to read and write, the development of language concepts, the ability to apply phonemic awareness as the child encounters unfamiliar words, increased vocabulary, and the understanding and usage of letters and letter sounds.
The goal of the balanced literacy program is to produce children who enjoy reading, who are able to read and write, and who have the analytical skills needed to comprehend what they read. To achieve the purpose of the balanced literacy program, the children are exposed to a large variety of literary works. This includes both fiction and non-fiction literature.
The teacher acts as a model for the reading and writing process, including the children as much as possible until these roles become their own and the children emerge as young readers and writers.
Detective fiction, mysteries, and suspense stories lend themselves as an excellent source of literary work through which to capture the attention of children and adults alike. Through the use of detective fiction this unit will attempt to motivate the students to read and listen for detail, for pleasure, and will develop the skills necessary to become critical thinkers and analyzers.
