Creating A Literate

Environment

Mary C. RigginsWalden University

Dr. Cassandra BosierEDUC 676G-10:

The Beginning Reader, PreK-3October 20, 2011

Presentation Outline:

I. Getting to Know the Literacy Learner

II. Selecting TextIII. The Interactive PerspectiveIV. The Critical PerspectiveV. The Response PerspectiveVI.Eliciting FeedbackVII.References

I. Getting to Know the Literacy Learner:

• Assessment of a student’s cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of literacy development provides teachers with in-depth information about the student’s interests, background, level of development, motivation, and attitude toward literacy (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).

• Collection of data is used to drive the planning of literacy lessons that targets the student’s interests and instructional level, and improves students motivation and attitude toward reading.

• Cognitive assessment: measures students reading ability • Reading Inventory: Commercially

published or teacher-created resources that assess reading proficiency and identify the student’s independent, instructional, and frustration levels• Graded Word Lists• Graded Passages• Retelling Rubrics• Comprehension Questions (Afflerbach,

2007)

I. Getting to Know the Literacy Learner:

• Non-cognitive assessment: measures students’ motivation and attitude toward reading • Elementary Reading Attitude Survey

(ERAS) (McKenna & Kear, 1990)

• Reading and Me survey (Johns & Lenski, 1997, p. 23)

I. Getting to Know the Literacy Learner:

AnalysisBy pre-assessing my students’ cognitive abilities, I was able to determine the students’ stage of literacy development and target individual instructional needs for each of “The Five Pillars”, or components of literacy instruction (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b). The administration of graded word lists and passages revealed grade-specific instructional levels for each student. Knowing these levels allowed me to present students with differentiated “opportunities to build new reading strategies” (Johns, 2007, p. 8) at targeted levels that were not too easy or too difficult.

Analysis (continued)Administration of the reading attitude survey allowed me to get to know my students on a more personal level. Knowing what subjects interest my students, their level of motivation, and attitude toward reading provided insights beyond those of their reading abilities. By providing a variety of text for students to choose from, I was able to increase student motivation for reading.

Both the cognitive and non-cognitive pre-assessment data was used in the selection of interested-related text choices appropriate for each students’ identified instructional level.

II. Selecting Text• The Literacy Matrix is a graphic

reference tool used as a guide by teachers in the selection of various instructional text types.

• When considering text, teachers must evaluate the text’s readability, length, structure, print size, and visual supports to ensure students’ individual needs are met (Laureate Education,

Inc., 2011c).

AnalysisKnowing that an increased level of exposure to instructional text in the early years eases student’s transition from learning to read to reading to learn (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011d), I chose text beyond those of the traditional basal reader.

The literacy matrix helped me to select a more linguistic, chapter book for my higher level reader, while semiotic text choices were necessary for my lower level readers. I chose both a narrative and an informative text on the same subject to teach students the comprehension skill, sequencing.

III. Interactive Perspective

• Strategies for teaching students how to read

• Goal: Students become strategic, independent readers and writers

• Students think about their own thinking• Strategic Processing: reflective

thinking• Metacognition: self-evaluating

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011e)

AnalysisBy focusing on the comprehension strategy of sequencing, students were able to use reasoning skills to identify a purpose for reading, make predictions about the text, and make sense of the text.

Lower level readers focused on building sight word fluency and applying knowledge of phonics to decode unfamiliar words. Higher level readers used context clues for vocabulary development and created timelines as a comprehension strategy (Tompkins, 2010).

IV. Critical Perspective• Students learn to critically evaluate

a wide variety of text types• Examine text from multiple

perspectives• Judge validity• Determine the purpose text• Role of race, ethnicity, or social

issues V. Response Perspective• Students experience text on an

emotional or personal level• Share personal thoughts or

feelings• How is the reader affected or

changed by the text?

AnalysisStudents analyzed the text by determining the author’s motivation and purpose for writing the story, If You’re Angry And You Know It (Kaiser, 2004). Students evaluated the character’s actions, categorized behaviors as appropriate or inappropriate, and determined alternative choices for the character that could have changed the outcome of the story.

Students were able to make a text-to-self connection through the use of response journals, as they relate to personal experiences of feeling or dealing with anger.

VI. Eliciting Feedback• Did this presentation:• Provide you with any insights

about literacy and literacy instruction?

• Change your literacy practices and/or your literacy interactions with students?

• Q&A: • How can I support you in the

literacy development of your students or children?

• How might you support me in my work with students or your children?

• Other

VII. References:Afflerbach, P. (2007). Understanding and using reading assessment, K-

12. Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

Kaiser, Cecily. (2004). If you’re angry and you know it. New York, NY:

Scholastic, Inc.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Getting to

know your

students [Webcast]. Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). The beginning

reader

[Webcast]. Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c). Analyzing and

selecting text

[Webcast]. Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011d). Informational

text in the

early years [Webcast]. Baltimore, MD.

VII. References: (continued)

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011e). Interactive

perspective:

strategic processing [Webcast]. Baltimore, MD.

McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward

reading: A new tool

for teachers. The Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626-639. Retrieved

from

Education Research Complete database. (Accession No.

11080456)

Johns, Jerry L., & Lenski, Susan D. (1997). Improving reading: A

handbook of strategies.

Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the twenty-first century: A balanced

approach. New

York, NY: Pearson.