Creating a Literate Creating a Literate ClassroomClassroom

Creating a Literate Creating a Literate ClassroomClassroom

By: Nicole StoreyBy: Nicole Storey

Literacy in the Classroom

• The Framework for Literacy focused on three important perspectives for any literacy classroom (Walden, 2011):

• Critical Perspective• Response Perspective• Interactive Perspective

Perspectives at a Glance

• Critical Perspective: teaches the student how to think critically about a text and evaluate writing.

• Response Perspective: looks at different ways children can respond to a text

• Interactive Perspective: looks at strategies that help children to become part of the text through interaction

» Walden University, 2011

• By using the Framework for Literacy Instruction, I was able to take an in depth look at the way I was teaching to see where my strengths and weaknesses lie (Walden University, 2011).

• Knowing this information helped me to be more aware of what I was teaching in order to ensure I was utilizing all three literacy perspectives.

Literacy Assessments• Throughout this course I worked with

three different students: Kailyn, Jenna, and Bryn.

• During the second week of the course, I focused on the importance of assessments: cognitive and affective.

Affective Assessments• In order to find out how Kailyn, Jenna,

and Bryn felt about reading I administered the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey that Dennis J. Kear designed (McKenna & Kear, 1990).

• This assessment allowed me to see how each student felt about reading for fun, as well as for learning.

Cognitive Assessments• Cognitive assessments are a very

important of teaching literacy.

• In order to get a baseline assessment, I administered fluency assessments to each student.

• I used fluency passages from McGraw Hill (2001) and A-Z reading (2011).

If these students were in my classroom, I would continue to administer the fluency assessments on a weekly basis in order to keep up with the students changing needs (Laureate Education, 2010a).

Choosing Texts• Choosing the appropriate text to read to your

students is a large part of Framework for Literacy Instruction (2011).

• I took into consideration each students’ reading and writing level.

• Knowing how the students felt about reading, I also knew that I needed to find a topic of interest.

• In order to keep the students interest, I chose a topic of frogs in order to teach the required lessons.

• Next, I used the Literacy Matrix to ensure that I was giving these students an appropriate literacy instruction in a balanced environment (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).

Choosing Texts• Literacy Matrix- is an easy way to

choose a text that aligns with your goals (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).

• The matrix has four categories that a text can fall on: narrative, informational, linguistic, semiotic (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).

• The texts chosen this week would drive my instruction for the next two weeks and therefore I made sure that they varied on the literacy matrix, were relevant to the topic, as well as their developmental levels.

Word Knowledge and Comprehension Lesson• My goal was to create a lesson that

would increase Kailyn, Jenna, and Bryn’s vocabulary and build their comprehension.

• I created a lesson that utilized a plethora of strategies in order to accomplish this goal.

• Starting with a KWL chart and a Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light activity, I was able to assess both what the students already knew about frogs, as well as what their interests were within the subject.

• I also used a video on Discovery Education to ignite their curiosity and interest (www.discoveryeducation.com).

• Next, the students listened to an interactive read aloud on the topic, answering questions throughout to ensure comprehension.

• Since the three students vary within their reading and writing development, Kailyn and Jenna were in a guided reading group, and Bryn completed the reading on her own with me.

Kailyn and Jenna• In order to increase their

vocabulary, they completed a content vocabulary sort focusing on different species or frogs and their habitat (Tompkins, 2010).

• In order to build Kailyn and Jenna’s comprehension they were asked to complete a triple Venn Diagram to compare and contrast three different species of frogs.

• This task proved to be too difficult and next time should only use a regular Venn Diagram.

Bryn• To build vocabulary Bryn completed a

vocabulary sort of the frogs life cycle.

• In order to build her comprehension, she completed a sketch-to-stretch describing the frogs life cycle and how they survive in their habitat during each stage of life (Tompkins, 2010).

• As an extension activity, all three girls went on a field trip to a pond where we were able to observe frogs in their natural habitat.

Critical and Response Lesson

• The next step to ensuring I created a literate environment for Kailyn, Jenna, and Bryn involved planning a lesson that involved them having the opportunity to think critically about a text and then respond to it.

• For this lesson, I kept the students together with the hopes that Kailyn and Jenna would be motivated by Bryn.

• This task did not work out as well as I had hoped and Kailyn and Jenna wound up frustrated.

• I began by assessing their cognitive and noncognitive skills using a KWL chart and a thumbs up thumbs down activity.

• We reviewed their information from last week and began talking about the story “Frog and Toad” this week.

• The students completed activities such as creating a bookmark in order to think critically about the text and respond accordingly.

• The students also had discussions about the text, sat in the hot seat to become the characters and respond to questions from classmates, as well as Bryn completing a double journal entry.

• I wanted to provide multiple opportunities for the students to experience the text and respond to it.

• What I have learned is that utilizing the tools given, I can give each child the opportunity to learn in a literate environment.

Resources• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Reading inventories. [Webcast].The beginning reader.

Prek-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

• Laureate Education Inc. (2010b). Analyzing and selecting a text. [WebCast]. The Beginning Reader PreK- 3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

• McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (2001). Kit and rex. Retrieved fromhttp://treasures.macmillanmh.com/assets/extras0001/3028/G1U3_Kit_and_Rex_StudentPassage.pdf. Retrieved on June 8, 2011.

• McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool for teachers. The reading teacher, 43(9), 626-639.

• Reading a-z. (2011). Your reading resource center. Retrieved from http://www.readinga-z.com/fluency/index.html/. Retrieved on June 8, 2011. (Fluencypassages)

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

• Walden University. (2011). Framework for literacy instruction. Retrieved August 3, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/37910/CRSWUPSYC62053502436/Framework_for_Literacy_Instruction_03-10.doc.

• www.discoveryeducation.com