Literate Environment Analysis

Cynthia K. Newman

Walden University

Dr. Abigayle Barton

The Beginning Reader, PreK-3, EDUC 6706

October 21, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Literacy

“Learning to read and write is critical to a child’s success in school and later in life. One of the best predictors of whether a child will function competently in school and go on to contribute actively in our increasingly literate society is the level to which the child progresses in reading and writing.”

(National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998, p.30)

Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3

• Teachers need to know their students as individuals.

• Teachers must identify where individual students are along the reading continuum in regards to both the affective and cognitive aspects of literacy learning.

• Assessment is mandatory. Allows the teacher to understand and appreciate the reading

challenges that students face Shows the diverse growth that students experience Must assess both the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of reading

(Afflerbach, 2012)

Cognitive Aspects

• Assessment of the cognitive aspects of literacy affords teachers the opportunity to make instructional decisions.

• Teachers: determine students’ reading

levels monitor student progress diagnose students’

strengths and weaknesses

• Cognitive Assessment Tools Include: Running records Observation Anecdotal Records Informal Reading Inventories Checklist

When asked to assess the cognitive aspects of reading with my small group of students, I chose to utilize Running Records. Running Records are effective because they are authentic. Students were asked to read aloud from a book they were already reading individually. Taking and then analyzing running records on my students allowed me to identify the strategies and skills these students use to decode words and construct meaning.

Non-cognitive Aspects

• There are 5 basic non-cognitive characteristics that contribute to reading success:

A student’s motivation towards reading

A reader’s self-concept A reader’s attitude A reader’s interest A reader’s attributions (Afflerbach, 2007)

Successful readers possess positive attitudes towards reading; they see reading as something worth doing. Students who learn to read but choose not to after they leave school have failed to realize the full value of reading. (Afflerbach, 2007)

• Non-cognitive assessments include: Elementary Reading Attitude Survey

(McKenna & Kear, 1990)

Conversational Interview

(Gambrell et al., 1996)

Motivation to Read Profile

Reading Self-Concept Scale

Reading Interest Inventory

(Afflerbach, 2007)

• When asked to assess the non-cognitive aspects of reading with my small group of students, I chose to utilize the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey and the Conversational Interview. Through these two assessments, I was able to gain an authentic understanding of my students’ attitudes toward reading. I gained an appreciation for their likes, dislikes, self-concept, and attitudes toward reading in addition to their preferences for texts.

Motivation is Important

Motivation contributes to increased reading which in turn contributes to increased reading achievement!

“Motivated readers are willing to persevere when reading is challenging, they choose to read in the face of attractive alternatives, and the positive motivation sets student readers up to do more reading.”

(Afflerbach, 2007, p.177)

Selecting Texts

• Text structures, types, genres, and difficulty levels should match each individual student along with the literacy goals and objectives.

• Teachers must expose students to a variety of texts and structures. The Literacy Matrix provides a visual aid to help teachers determine if they are offering a fair representation of text. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a)

Selecting Text continued

• Based on the cognitive and non-cognitive assessments given to my students, I chose to use the following texts: True or False Pets by Melvin and Gilda Berger Catastrophe by Kenn Nesbitt Dolphins on the Sand by Jim Arnosky

• The identified texts will be used to supplement the literacy program as they: are engaging meet the literacy goals established for my students provide intrinsic motivation for my students Offer a fair representation of text within the Literacy Matrix

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective

• Interactive Perspective: Teaching students to read and write accurately, fluently, and with comprehension Teaching students to be strategic and metacognitive readers and writers

• Ultimate goal: Teach children how to be literate learners who can navigate the textual world

independently

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b)

• Strategic processing involves students being metacognitive about strategy use students are aware of how they plan to attack a text choose the best and most efficient strategy setting purposes, making predictions, visualizing, and making sense of text being reflective and self-regulating

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b)

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective continued

• Help students develop language and literacy by: Reading aloud to students Providing fiction and non-fiction books Extending students’ vocabulary Engage in “extended discourse” with students Providing a print-rich environment Infusing literacy throughout the curriculum

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c)

• My goal through my Interactive Perspective literacy lesson was to promote students’ independent use of reading strategies and skills. Based on the assessments given, I chose to plan and implement a lesson on the use of visualization and phonics instruction. By teaching my students how to use visualization while reading, I have allowed my students to add that strategy to their list of choices of strategies when deciding on how to attack a text for comprehension. Through the Making Words activity, students were focused on phonics instruction and the importance of paying attention to every letter in a word when decoding. After teaching my students such strategies, they are then able to use deliberate, goal-directed attempts to control and modify their efforts to decode text, understand words, and construct meaning of text. (Afflerbach, Pearson & Paris, 2008)

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspectives

• Critical Perspective: Teaching students to judge, evaluate, and think critically about text Teaching students to examine texts from multiple perspectives, critically evaluate text,

and judge validity of text (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011d)

• Critical Literacy: Promotes reflection, transformation, and action Encourages readers to question and dispute Asks the reader to see underneath, behind, and beyond the text

(Molden, 2007)

• Response Perspective: Providing opportunities for students to read, react, and respond to text in meaningful ways Allowing students to personally and emotionally connect with texts Encouraging students to transact with the text allows students to learn to appreciate the

power of literature (Durand, Howell, Schumacher & Sutton, 2008)

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspectives continued

• Critical Perspective Strategies: Bookmark Strategy Story Mapping/ Story Reporting Connection Stems Juxtapositioning (Molden, 2007)

• Response Perspective Strategies: Interactive Read-Alouds Subtext Strategy Reader Response (Durand et al., 2008; Clyde, 2003)

• My goal through my Critical and Response Perspective literacy lessons was to help students foster a critical stance by teaching my students how to think critically about a text in addition to providing opportunities for students to read, react, and formulate a personal response to text. I utilized the bookmark technique (Molden, 2007) through an Interactive Read-Aloud lesson. Purpose was established for reading as students were expected to answer the four identified critical response questions on their bookmarks. Students were able to effectively analyze the text and think critically during and after the read-aloud. Students were then asked to participate in the Subtext Strategy (Clyde, 2003). This strategy invited students to feel the feelings of characters with life experiences different than their own. This strategy was effective in allowing my students to formulate a personal response to the text. Use of the Subtext Strategy in conjunction with a variety of texts sets up the possibility that students might become kinder, more compassionate adults who are able to empathize with and appreciate the perspectives of others.

(Clyde, 2003)

Implications for Instruction

A teacher’s goal is to provide quality literacy instruction so that all students may thrive and grow as readers and writers. The Framework for Literacy Instruction graphic organizer can be utilized while designing such literacy lessons for students. It can be used as a guidance tool to help ensure that teachers are in fact addressing the most important literacy components within classroom instruction. As teachers face questions that need answers and instructional problems that need solving, they may refer to the Framework for guidance. Collaboration among colleagues enhances literacy instruction for a greater number of students within a single school building. Collaboration provides the decision-making and problem-solving environment necessary to support long term change (Chou, 2011). Working together while utilizing the Framework guarantees teachers the best chance they have to critique their programs and instruction in order to provide literacy instruction that lasts a lifetime.

(Chou, 2011)

Framework for Literacy Instruction

LearnersAffective and cognitive aspects of literacy learning

TextsText structures, types, genres, and difficulty levels matched to literacy learners and literacy goals and objectives

Instructional PracticesDevelopmentally appropriate research-based practices used with appropriate texts to facilitate affective and cognitive aspects of literacy development in all learners

Interactive PerspectiveReading and writing accurately, fluently, and with comprehensionBeing strategic and metacognitive readers and writers

Use a variety of informal and formal assessments to determine areas of strength and need in literacy development.

Determine texts of the appropriate types and levels of difficulty to meet literacy goals and objectives for students.

Use instructional methods that address the cognitive and affective needs of students and the demands of the particular text.Promote students' independent use of reading strategies and skills.

Critical PerspectiveJudging, evaluating, and thinking critically about text

Find out about ideas, issues, and problems that matter to students.Understand the learner as a unique individual.

Select texts that provide opportunities for students to judge, evaluate, and think critically.

Foster a critical stance by teaching students how to judge, evaluate, and think critically about texts.

Response PerspectiveReading, reacting, and responding to text in a variety of meaningful ways

Find out about students' interests and identities.Understand what matters to students and who they are as individuals.

Select texts that connect to students' identities and/or interests and that have the potential to evoke an emotional or personal response.

Provide opportunities for students to read, react, and formulate a personal response to text.

References

Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12 (2nd ed). Newark, DE:

International Reading Association.

Afflerbach, P., Pearson, P. D., & Paris, S. G. (2008). Clarifying differences between reading skills and

reading strategies. Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364–373.

Chou, C. (2011). Teachers' professional development: Investigating teachers' learning to do action

research in a professional learning community. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher,

20(3), 421-437.

Durand, C., Howell, R., Schumacher, L. A., & Sutton, J. (2008). Using interactive read-alouds and

reader response to shape students' concept of care. Illinois Reading Council Journal,

36(1), 22–29.

Gambrell, L. B., Palmer, B. M., Codling, R. M., & Mazzoni, S. A. (1996). Assessing motivation to

read. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 518--533.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Analyzing and selecting text [Video webcast]. In The

Beginning Reader, Pre K-3. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/

default.learn?CourseID=6289720&Survey= 1&47=9870657&ClientNodeID=

984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). Interactive perspective: Strategic

processing [Webcast]. The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore: Author.

References continued

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c). Developing language and literacy [Webcast].

The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011d). Critical perspective [Media recording].

Los Angeles: Author.

McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool for

teachers. The Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626—639.

Molden, K. (2007). Critical literacy, the right answer for the reading classroom: Strategies to move

beyond comprehension for reading improvement. Reading Improvement, 44(1), 50– 56.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). Learning to read and write:

Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, DC: Author.