Creating a Literate Environment

1. The Learner2. Text Selection 3. Literacy Perspectives

• Interactive• Critical• Response

To Create a Literate Environment a Teacher Must Consider:

Getting to KnowLiteracy Learners

Literate Children:

1. Started reading very early in life2. Have had experiences with print and the world (prior

knowledge)3. Have developed oral language4. Are active participants in learning5. Were read to as small children6. Interact with responsive adults about text7. Talk about books with others

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Perspectives on early literacy [Video file]. Retrieved from [https://class.waldenu.edu]

Getting to Know Literacy Learners

Getting to Know Literacy LearnersTo begin understanding the whole learner, teachers should look at cognitive and noncognitive aspects of literacy development for each student

Cognitive Aspects

• Reading Level• Fluency• Comprehension• High Frequency Words• Spelling and Writing

Noncognitive Aspects

• Interests• Learning Styles• Values• Self- Concept• Attitudes

Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K-12. Newark, DE: International

Reading Association.

Getting to Know Literacy LearnersAssessing cognitive and noncognitive aspects helps the teacher determine the needs of each student and enables them to connect students with texts that will have an impact on their learning and desire to read. These are some assessments that can be used.

Cognitive Assessments• Reading Inventories• Sight Word Assessment• Running Record• Developmental Reading

Assessment (DRA)• Dynamic Indicators of

Basic Early Literacy (DIBELS

Noncognitive Assessments• Elementary Reading

Attitude Survey (ERAS)• Interest Survey• Literacy Biographies• Conferences

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

Getting to Know Literacy LearnersHow I Got to Know my Learners

Through a Reading Inventory (cognitive assessment) I was able to determine that some students were:

• Having trouble decoding words • Confusing short and long vowel sounds• Guessing unfamiliar and familiar words based on the first

letter of a word• Not fully comprehending the text

The assessment results demonstrated a need for more instruction in decoding strategies, reinforcement lessons of vowel sound identification strategies, and support in using comprehension strategies.

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

Getting to Know Literacy LearnersHow I Got to Know my Learners

Through the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (noncognitive assessment) I was able to determine how my students value reading and how they view themselves as readers. While many students indicated that they enjoy reading and view themselves as good readers, there were some students who indicated they:

• Do not like any kind of reading • Do not enjoy reading fiction• Do not like to read at home• Do not feel they are good readers

Further conversation was needed with some children to understand the reasons behind their answers. Through these conversations I was able to identify ways to increase motivation through text selection.

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

Selecting Text

Selecting TextOne important factor to consider when choosing text for instruction is genre or type. One tool that is useful in selecting text is the Literacy Matrix. By mapping text on the matrix, teachers can monitor the type of text they are using.

Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400-408.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Retrieved from [https://class.waldenu.edu]

Linguistic (word oriented)

Semiotic (picture oriented)

InformationalNarrative

Selecting TextAnother factor to consider when choosing text is the level of difficulty. Teachers should consider:

• Readability Sentence Length Number of Syllables Concept Density (some words related to subject may be too difficult)

• Text Length• Text Structure

Informational Descriptive Cause/Effect Problem/Solution Compare/Contrast Poetry

• Size of Print• Visual Support (pictures and diagrams)

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Retrieved from [https://class.waldenu.edu]

Selecting TextHow I Selected Text for my Students

I chose text based on the needs of students. From the reading inventory I gave to students I was able to determine what difficulty level text each student needed. Based on the student interest surveys I conducted I determined a high interest in informational texts with real photographs. Using the data from my assessments I selected the following texts to use with several students during guided reading for a unit on oceans:

Pebblego (http://www.pebblego.com) is an online informational

text for young children.

Informational and Narrative

Text

Informational and Semiotic Text

Semiotic and Narrative Text

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective

Interactive PerspectiveGOAL: To help students become independent strategic readers and writers

Instruction is threaded through the five pillars of

reading instruction and tied to writing:

1. Phonemic Awareness2. Phonics3. Fluency4. Comprehension5. Vocabulary6. Writing

Five Pillars + Writing

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Interactive perspective: Strategic Processing [Video file]. Retrieved from[https://class.waldenu.edu]

Interactive PerspectiveThrough the Interactive Perspective Students Learn to become Strategic and Metacognitive while Reading by:

• Choosing the best and most effective strategy for the text

• Using different strategies for narrative and informational text

• Setting a purpose for text• Reflecting• Self Regulating

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Interactive perspective: Strategic Processing [Video file]. Retrieved from[https://class.waldenu.edu]

Interactive PerspectiveHow I Taught the Interactive Perspective

• Through Reading Inventories and Sight Word Assessments students showed a need in reinforcement in discerning between short vowel sounds and long vowel combinations in words and reading comprehensions skills.

• Using words from the text Ocean Life, Students worked on sight word skills using short and long vowel words in a sorting activity.

• Using the text Ocean Life, students practiced the visual imagery strategy in which they create a mental image of a sentence and determined whether or not it made sense. They monitored their use of the strategy by placing a sticky note in the book at points where the strategy was used.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response

Perspectives

Critical and Response PerspectivesCritical Goals – Students will:

•: Examine text from multiple perspectives • Think critically about text• Evaluate text • Judge text validity • Judge text veracity

Response Goals – Students will:

• Learn from text in a personal and emotional way• Connect with text in a personal and emotional way

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Response perspective [Video file]. Retrieved from[https://class.waldenu.edu]

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Critical Perspective[Video file]. Retrieved from[https://class.waldenu.edu]

Critical and Response PerspectivesHow I Taught the Critical and Response Perspectives

• Students were taught how to use the subtext strategy in which the reader interprets the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story.

• Students used the strategy to infer the feelings and thoughts of the characters in the book Tough Boris. This book was chosen because it includes little text and very expressive pictures.

• Students recorded their reflections of the characters in their response journal

• This activity was effective because it allowed students to engage in an experience applicable to real life.

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.

Feedback:1. What insights did you gain about literacy and literacy

instruction from viewing this presentation?

2. How might the information presented change your literacy practices and/or your literacy interactions with students?

3. In what ways can I support you in the literacy development of your students or children? How might you support me in my work with students or your children?

4. What questions do you have?