LITERATE ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS PRESENTATIONASHLEY FANDEL KELLYWALDEN UNIVERSITY

Professor Dr. Melinda Carver

EDUC-6706R-6 The Beginning Reader, PreK-3

CREATING A LITERATE ENVIRONMENT

“Literacy is a process that begins in infancy and continues into adulthood, if not throughout life” (Tompkins, 2010, p.111)

•GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS

•SELECTING TEXTS

•LITERACY LESSON: INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE

•LITERACY LESSON; CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE

PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS

The more you know about your students, the better you will be able to connect to them with

test that can have a profound impact upon them (Laureate Education, 2010b).

With this being know, I gave the three boys I had selected two reading motivation assessments. I gave them the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERA), and the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP). The students were also given the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to determine their reading level. This was done to develop a better understanding of them.

PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS (CONTINUED)

Through non-cognitive assessments, teachers can learn about a student’s motivations, self concept, interest, and attitudes (Afflerbach, 2007).

Non-Cognitive Assessments

1. Interest Surveys: Elementary Reading Attitudes (McKenna & Kear 1990).

2. Student interviews

3. Teacher observations

PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS (CONTINUED)

Cognitive assessments focus on the skills and strategies used by a student as they develop and grow as a reader (Afflerbach, 2007).

Cognitive Assessments

1. Reading Inventories

2. Developmental Reading Assessments (DRA)

3. Running Record

PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS (CONTINUED)

The cognitive and non-cognitive assessments I gave were very beneficial. I was able to see a personal side of the students selected through the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERA), and the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP). I was also able to determine the reading level of the boys through the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and areas in need of growth through administering running records. In addition, the tests I gave also gave me insight to their comprehension, decoding skills, fluency, their ability to read with expression, and phonological awareness. With all of this new knowledge I am able to create a better learning environment for my students based on their needs and strengths.

I also learned that being an educator means knowing your students on a personal level. Through this course I learned a new way to educate myself about my students. This is called “Me Stew” (Laureate Education, 2010b). I plan on using “Me Stew” next year. If I do this early on in the school year, I will be able to select books that are of high interest for them.

As an educator, it is important that I create a literate environment for my students and I believe I did just that.

PART 2: SELECTING TEXT

Linguistic

Semiotic

Narrative

Informational

The Literacy Matrix is used to make sure that teachers have a balance of text in their classroom. (Laureate Education, 2010c).

Narrative- Fictional and nonfictional stories/read a louds

Informational- Non fiction texts with it’s own features and format

Semiotic-Text communicates messages without/less words

Linguistic-word oriented

(Laureate Education, Inc,. 2010a)

PART 2: SELECTING TEXT (CONTINUED)

The Literacy Matrix is a wonderful tool to help keep track of what kind of text is being used in class. It is also a wonderful tool to see what type of text children are selecting. I selected three different types of text for the boys.

•Today is Monday (Carle  1993)•From Head to Toe (Carle  1997)• The Very Quiet Cricket (Carle  1990)•Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Martin & Carle 1992) Online• Elmer (David McKee)

•Buzz! A Book About Insects (Berger  2000)

Narrative Text

Informational Text

According to the continuum given by Dr. Douglas Hartman (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010c.). The Eric Carle books: Today is Monday, From Head to Toe, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? fall low on the semiotic level and in the narrative section according to the continuum. The books I have selected do not have many words. I would say that these books are more appropriate for kindergarteners but all three boys are reading on the kindergarten level.

The book Buzz! A Book about Insects by Melvin Berger is on the informational level and higher on the scale of the semiotic level then the books listed above.

Lastly, Elmer, falls right in the middle of the semiotic level and the linguistic level. This book is also a narrative. This book was read to the boys and was used for critical response questions

PART 2: SELECTING TEXT (CONTINUED)

PART 3: LITERACY LESSON: INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Interactive perspective teaches students how to read and be strategic processors and

thinkers (Laureate Education Inc., 2010e)

The primary goal of the Interactive Perspective is to teach children how to be literate learners who can independently navigate through the

textual world (Laureate Education Inc., 2010d).

“The word metacognition is often defined as “thinking about your own thinking,” but more accurately, it refers to a sophisticated level of thinking that students use to actively control

their thinking (Tompkins, 2010 p. 12)

PART 3: LITERACY LESSON: INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE (CONTINUED)

I worked with a group of three boys in a guided reading group. To reinforce the interactive perspective, I created a lesson that focused on reading with fluency and expression. The text selected for this lesson was Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? By Eric Carle.

Before the boys read the book, I model reading the book and had them listen to how I read with expression and was fluent. In addition, I introduced reading strategies they should apply while reading, word recognition, comprehension and decoding words.

In order to increase comprehension, I built up the boys background knowledge. First, I asked the boys if they have ever been to a zoo before, and I asked them what might they see at a zoo. We did a picture walk and talked about each animal we saw on the pages and if those animals could be at an actually zoon.

During the lesson I had to boys monitor their reading. “Readers also monitor their reading, and monitoring is a metacognitive strategy” (Tompkins 2010 p. 12).

During this lesson I gave the boys an assessment. I had each boy read the book while I administered a running record. From my data, I found that one child is able to move up to the next reading level.

PART 4: LITERACY LESSON: CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE

“Being able to look at the text and examine it from multiple perspective enables one to think

critically about it, to be able to evaluate that text and also be able to make judgments about the validity or

veracity of that text (believability)” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).

Components of the Critical Perspective include the ability to:

1. Examine a text from multiple perspectives.2. Critically evaluate text.3. Judge validity and/or veracity of text.4. Think deeply about a text.5. Understand the purpose the author had to write the text.

(Laureate Education, 2010e).

PART 4: LITERACY LESSON: CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE (CONTINUED)•This lesson was whole group instruction.

•The text was Elmer by David McKee. For the pre-assessment, the class and I made a web revolving

around the word friend. We talked “What it means to be a good friend?” “What do good friends do for each other?” “How are you a good friend?” The class turned and talk to their ‘turn and talk’ partner on the rug about being a good friend.

I informally assessed the students when they were talking to their turn and talk partner. I had the three boys orally tell me what a good friend is. To make sure their understanding is clear.

•Students had to answer three critical response questions. 1. How was Elmer different from the other elephants? Is it is good or bad to be different?

2. What does is mean to be a good friend? Was Elmer’s friends good friends. Why or why not.

3. Why do you think the author wrote this story? What is he trying to teach his readers?

Student’s written responses were graded according to a rubric.

REFERENCES

Afflerbach,P. (2007).Understanding and Using Reading Assessment, K-12. Newark,DE:

International Reading Association, Inc. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text [Webcast]. The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Critical perspective [Webcast]. The

Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Getting to know your students [Webcast]. The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Informational text in the early years

[Webcast]. The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Perspective on literacy learning [Webcast]. The beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author. Tompkins, G.E, (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanaced approach (5th ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon