Elements of Creating

Literate EnvironmentBy Mugdha Wadivkar

Instructor Gina Pink

EDUC- 6706 The Beginning reader PreK-3

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Literate Environment in the class.

• Literate environment is created when students are successfully engaged , with

meaningful instructional strategies addressing the cognitive and non-

cognitive development of the students.

Ahead presented is the sequence of creating literate environment which begins with assessments

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Assessments before Instructional plan

• When we assess students, we generate information from which we want to

make inferences about students learnings and performance(Afflerbach,

2012). These inferences are used in designing Instructional plan

• Authentic assessment is one which is embedded in classroom routines of

instructions and learning is conducted in regular activities. Thus, it is

important to make continues assessments while we are teaching.

• Non- Cognitive assessment involves motivation, self efficacy, attitudes,

reading interest. It is related to students past experience and exposure.

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Analyzing Text

As mentioned by Dr.Douglas Hartman, the text can be analyzed in a matrix

which is divided in 4 main characteristics. The matrix is mentioned below:

Linguistic

Narrative Informative

Semiotic4

Contd 1… Analyzing Text

• Narrative is in the form of narration and story

• Informative is factual text which gives information information

• Semiotic are pictorial books, where the message or story is communicated through stories

• Linguistic is more word oriented

Thus, every book can be combination of the above mentioned characteristics and analyzed through matrix eg: A story book with lots of illustrations appropriate for Kindergartners will fall in the category of Narrative and Semiotic text

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Analyzing Text-Difficulty level

• The text also needs to be analyzed for its difficulty levels to see if is too easy

or difficult for the readers. The appropriate level of difficulty helps in

maximizing the learnings of a student.

• The difficulty level is analyzed by topic, age, cognitive and non-cognitive

needs of the students

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Inclusion of Meta-cognition and strategic

processing

• Meta Cognitive: Meta Cognitive is when the students are allowed to make

personal connections with the text. Schema is one such strategy where

students relate and make connections with their existing knowledge to the

text that they are learning and create more schema. This enhances their

learnings leading to increased self confidence (self-efficacy)

• Strategic Processing: In strategic processing we aim to make students Self

Regulated by making them independent is assessing and correcting their

cognitive skills.

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Developing perspective to the text

In order to make students life long learners and engage them better their are

three important perspectives that are to be developed.

• Interactive Perspective: This includes teaching students techniques and

skills to be literate (read and write). Which includes various engaging

activities like decoding, phonics awareness, mini lessons etc.

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Developing perspective to the text

• Critical perspective: This includes, developing an analytical ability towards reading the text. Helping the students ask right questions. eg: if the student is reading informative text on Panda, then asking them how did they understand that they are endangered? What are the statistics they can see? OR using KWL chart with early years students

• Responsive perspective: Creating a connect and response to the text. Eg: if students are read a story ‘Jack and the Bean stock’ then they can enact the story. By doing so the relive the characters, get in to the story and create a response by understanding the same.

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Conclusion

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• Creating an Literate environment is a balanced approach (Tompskin, 2010).

Thus, a balance of all the elements that are mentioned in the presentation

above will ensure literate environment in the class

Feedback and Thank you

• We are together in creating literate environment for our students. Thank you and looking forward for your valuable feedback

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References

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

Newark, DE: International Reading Association

• Clyde, J. A. (2003). Stepping inside the story world: The subtext strategy—a

tool for connecting and comprehending. The Reading Teacher, 57(2), 150–160.

• 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.

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Contd… References

• Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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

• Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Virtual field experience™: Strategic processing [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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

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