Professor Pam FitzgeraldEDUC-6706R-2 The Beginning Reader, PreK-3

Literate Environment AnalysisGetting to Know Literacy LearnersSelecting TextsLiteracy Lesson: Interactive PerspectiveLiteracy Lesson: Critical and Responsive

Perspectives

Getting to Know Literacy LearnersIn order to create a successful literate

environment teachers need to get to know their students (Tompkins, 2010).

Teachers need to become familiar with their students’ literacy experiences and what their development is as a literacy being.

This research based practice helped me to select appropriate text and develop meaningful lesson plans.

Getting to Know Literacy Learners(Continued)I chose two research based practices to help

gather data about three individual literacy learners. I assessed three elementary school students.

They ranged in ages 6-8, they were all girls and two were 2nd graders and one was a first grader. I chose a cognitive and non-cognitive activity.

Cognitive- assesses the students comprehension

Non cognitive- assesses the students attitude toward learning

Getting to Know Literacy Learners (Continued)For the non-cognitive

activity I selected the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey ( McKenna and Kear, 1990).

Based on the data from the ERAS, I concluded that the students did not like to read for recreational purposes.

For the cognitive I used a writing assessment tool with a rubric.

Based on the data from the writing the students were able to write story summaries.

Getting to Know Literacy Learners (Continued)The information I obtained from the

assessments helped guide my selection of appropriate text for the students. I learned that my students needed motivation to read text.

The purpose of getting to know your students is to assess motivation in reading and to help the teacher develop engaging lessons (Gambrell, Palmer, Codling & Mazzoni, 1996).

All in all teachers need to get to know their literacy learners because it builds community and helps them to feels special.

Selecting TextSelecting text can be a very challenging

process for teachers.Teachers need to consider their goals for

their students when making text selections.Dr. Hartman discussed various

considerations for evaluating text (Laureate Education, n.d.a).

He said teachers need to use the literacy matrix for making text selections.

Selecting text(Continued)Literacy Matrix

Narrative- Tells a storyInformational- Gives informationLinguistic- Word orient and tells a storySemiotic-Wordless and delivers words in different

ways.

The literacy matrix is used to ensure teachers use a balance of text in their classroom(Laureate Education, n.d.a)

Selecting Text (Continued) Literacy Matrix Example

Selecting Text(Continued)The information I obtained from the

researched based practice helped guide my selection of appropriate texts for the students.

I chose a text that the supported the students needs and met their literacy interest.

Based on the data my students needed a familiar text to help increase motivation and academic achievement.

Tompkins (2010) stated that the more a student knows about a text or topic the easier it is to learn new information.

Literacy Lesson: Interactive PerspectiveInteractive Perspective

The goal of the interactive perspective is to teach students to be literate learners who can navigate text independently (Laureate Education, n.d.c).

According to Dr. Almasi students need to use strategic processing when reading and writing to become metacognitive (Laureate Education, n.d.c). Once a student becomes metacognitive they will learn how to self monitor and correct their reading and writing independently.

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Processing (Continued)Lesson Plan

I developed a reading comprehension lesson using strategic processing.

The text I selected was Cinderella (Coen,2005). Cinderella is a familiar text. In the beginning of the lesson I promoted the students strategic processing

and metacognition by activating their prior knowledge. During the comprehension lesson, I built the students background

knowledge by activating prior knowledge and background information about the text (Tompkins, 2010).

After reading the story, students were able to demonstrate their metacognition by answering questions from the text and completing a story summary.

Research shows when teachers use retelling and questioning around story structure it increases listening comprehension ( Stahl,2004).

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response PerspectivesThe purpose of the critical and response

perspectives are to provide different ways for students to think about text and to respond to it.

The critical perspective helps students analyze and evaluate the text (Laureate Education, n.d.b).

The response perspective enables students to connect personally and emotionally (Laureate Education, n.d.c).

Both perspectives provide ways for students to think about the text critically and respond to it using their own thoughts and feelings.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspectives (Continued)Literacy Lesson

I developed a shared reading lesson in response to the critical and responsive perspectives. The lesson was on a familiar text Cinderella (Coen,2005).

To meet critical perspective, I chose The Persian Cinderella (Climo, 1999). The Persian Cinderella is a diverse version of Cinderella it takes place in a different culture and country.

Dr. Almasi (Laureate Education, n.d.b) said that students should read books from different perspectives (set in another country) because it helps them to think critically.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspectives (Continued)To reinforce the response perspective I

added stopping points to the lesson to allow the students the ability to think critically and respond. Dr. Almasi said that helping them to utilize the response perspective will help them to personally connect and become better people (Laureate Education, n.d.d).

Having students using the critical and response perspectives gave the students a chance to read the text with a world view.

References Climo, S. (1999) The Persian Cinderella. New York,NY: Harper Collins.

Coen, F. (2005 ) Cinderella. Columbus,Ohio : McGraw-Hill

Gambrell, L.B., Palmer,B.M., Codling, R.M.,& Mazzoni,S.A. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher,49(7),518-

533.

McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool for teachers. Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626–

639.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.a). Assessing writing development. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.b). Critical perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.c). Perspectives on early literacy. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.d). Response perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Stahl,K.A.D.(2004). Proof, practice and promise: Comprehension strategy instruction in the primary grades. Reading

Teacher,57(7),598-608.

Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon