LITERATE ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS

LYLA ABDALLAHWALDEN UNIVERSITY

EDUC 6706: THE BEGINNING READER, PREK–3INSTRUCTOR: DR. MARIA TEJEDA-DELGADO

AUGUST 17, 2014

Creating a Literate Environment: An instructor implements the following to support a literate

environment: It is essential to learn about the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of the

learner. An instructor will effectively incorporate the Interactive, Critical and

Response Perspectives in the literacy instruction. An environment rich with text, language and motivation. An environment where all students know that their thoughts and their

learning development is valued. Each student prefers their own learning method and the instructor learns which method is most appropriate for the learner.

The instructor implements effective assessments to learn more about students learning development and students as unique individuals. “Assessment is formative; it’s ongoing and provides immediate feedback to improve teaching and learning” (Tompkins 2010).

Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3 My hope as an educator is to captivate my students, to have their attention and motivate them

to reach their full potential. This can be done by engaging my students with rich texts and provide students with effective reading experiences.

Getting to know about literacy learners is a crucial part of my literacy instruction. Understanding literacy learners interests, and identities will provide valuable information to understand how to support, motivate, and encourage students. It will help to find texts I know students will be interested and engaged in.

“The student’s attitude toward reading is a central factor affecting reading performance” (McKenna & Kear 1990). Creating strong connections with the literacy learner and families of the literacy learner will help to learn more about the learner.

“Teachers have long recognized that motivation is at the heart of many of the pervasive problems we face in teaching young children to read” (Gambrell & Mazzoni 1996).

Implementing a variety of assessment strategies will provide valuable information about literacy learners. Effective assessments will help the instructor to better assist and guide students literacy development.

Guiding a literacy learner to be self-motivated will provide them with several learning opportunities.

Selecting Texts Enhancing young learners’ literacy development and helping students

to develop a lifelong love for reading involves providing learners with rich texts.

The three most important types of text factors include: Genres

“The three broad categories of literature are stories, informational books or nonfiction, and poetry” (Tompkins 2010).

Text Structures “Authors use text structures to organize texts and emphasize the most important

ideas” (Tompkins 2010).

Text Features “Authors use text features to achieve a particular effect in their writing” (Tompkins

2010).

Selecting Texts (Continued) “When students understand how authors organize and present

their ideas in text, the knowledge about text factors serves as a scaffold, making comprehension easier” (Tompkins 2010).

“When analyzing and selecting texts an educator should take the following into consideration:Size of Print Text Structure Text Length Visual Supports Readability” (Laureate Education Inc.).

Selecting Texts (continued) In taking the previous text factors into consideration, I am able to

select appropriate texts for individual students. Another resource that is useful in choosing appropriate texts is Dr.

Hartman's Literacy Matrix. The Literacy Matrix consists of four quadrants: The Linguistic, Semiotic, Narrative, and Informational.

With this in mind I find that exposing students to a variety of texts is essential.

With these factors, I am able to select texts that provide opportunities for students to judge, evaluate and think critically.

Being strategic supports literacy learners development. When students apply what they know about text factors, and use the following comprehension strategies: “Consider genre, recognize text structure, and attend to library devices; “They’re better able to understand what they’re reading” (Tompkins 2010).

Literacy Lesson: Interactive PerspectiveThe Interactive Perspective includes:“Teaching children to be strategic processors and thinkers” (Laureate

Education Inc.). Promote students independent practice of reading approaches. “Use instructional methods that address the cognitive and affective needs of

students and the demands of the particular text” (Walden)Guide students to be strategic and metacognitive readers.

Strategic processing includes:“Choosing the best and most efficient strategy” (Laureate

Education Inc.) “Setting purposes, making predictions, visualizing, making sense of

text” (Laureate Education Inc.). “Being reflective and self regulating” (Laureate Education Inc.).

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective (continued)

“The unstated premise is that children who actively engage in particular cognitive strategies (activating prior knowledge, predicting, organizing, questioning, summarizing, and creating a mental image) are likely to understand and recall more of what they read” (Stahl 2004).

The Interactive Perspective literacy lesson I created allows for students to be strategic and metacognitive readers and writers. In my lesson I have implemented read alouds, think alouds, as well as asked questions and made statements that furthered students thinking and comprehension. Using learning aides, visuals, and modeling reading, as well as using choral reading has promoted students’ independent reading skills.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspective

The critical perspective “teaches children how to critically examine text” (Laureate Education Inc.). In this perspective, my role as a literacy educator includes teaching learners who

created the text, what perspective the author has, and to “help children interpret texts in multiple ways” (Laureate Education Inc.)

The response perspective “allows children the opportunity to experience and respond” (Laureate Education Inc.). In this perspective “the reader’s lived experiences are of primary importance”

(Laureate Education Inc.) There are a variety of methods for learners to respond to texts, they include: “journaling, dramatic response, artistic interpretations, and multi-sensory experiences” (Laureate Education Inc.).

It is necessary to educate readers by implementing effective critical and response perspectives. Encouraging and challenging students to think critically of texts and to think beyond the literal comprehension of text to real-life implications and meanings is essential to their learning development.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspectives (continued)

In my classroom environment, I value promoting and honoring student’s personal responses to text and to challenge them to think critically about what they read. Providing these experiences for students will impact their self-esteem, motivation, character and their respect for individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences. Dr. Almasi mentions for readers to “examine the text from multiple perspectives, to critically evaluate the text, and to judge validity or veracity of text”.

The Critical and Response perspectives literacy lesson I implemented allowed for literacy learners to judge, evaluate and think critically about the text. Learners also were encourage to respond and react through the use of a variety of activities' and discussions. The lesson incorporated learning about languages and cultures found in different regions of the world. This lesson has helped literacy learners to think about their language and words they use every day, as well as provides them with skills to think critically about a text and making text to self connections. Children also learned from each others responses during the circle think aloud. Leaners were given the opportunity to respond to the text in an artistic way and were able to respond to the text in a variety of meaningful ways which furthered their learning.

Feedback from Colleagues and Family Members of Students

Q1:What insights did you gain about literacy and literacy instruction from viewing this presentation?

A1:”Literacy is key to children's educational development. It’s a major factor in learning. That it has to be age and curriculum appropriate in order to be a successful part of a child's learning”.

Q2:How might the information presented change your literacy practices and/or your literacy instructions with students?

A2:”The information reiterates that literacy practices are different for each child. Although it is important to incorporate it in social learning; to allow the children as a group to learn together and from each other. I believe learning is social, as is literacy learning”.

Q3: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?

A3:”Recommending texts and lessons to go along with those texts. Also different areas of literacy requirements for each child's age group”.

Q4: What questions do you have? A4:”What tools do you recommend to use for a child whose advanced in literacy skills for

their age group to help keep him/her interested. As well as recommendations for a child who may fall below required standards to help improve skills?

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

Reading Teacher, 49(7), 518.

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

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.)a. Critical perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Perspectives on Literacy Learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.)b. Response perspective. [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

References

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

Stahl, K. A. D. (2004). Proof, practice, and promise: Comprehension strategy instruction in the primary grades. Reading Teacher, 57(7),598–608.

Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon (p.75, 290-313)