Literate Environment Analysis

Sherry A. JohannesWalden UniversityEDU-6706 The Beginning Reader,PreK-3Dr. Davenna Williams

Getting To Know Literacy Learners PreK-3

This research based practice demonstrates how getting to know your students is the first step to creating a safe learning environment for students. Getting to know students is also a key component to how literacy instruction will develop and differentiate as the year goes on. The National Association for the Education of Young Children state that young children should be engaged in experiences that make learning meaningful, memorable, and create a basis of prior knowledge for future use (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998).

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, DC:

Author

Getting To Know Literacy Learners PreK-3

In order to create my lessons I got to know my students in formal and informal ways by using:

Non-CognitiveElementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna & Kear, 1990)Me Stew

CognitiveReading-Curriculum Based Measurements – Aimsweb DRA

McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring Attitude toward Reading: A New Tool for Teachers. Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626-39.

Selecting Texts

When selecting texts Dr. Hartman and Dr. Almasi demonstrate the literacy matrix and how it can be used to balance literacy texts used in the classroom (Laureate Education, 2010). It is important, as an educator, to seek out text that is appropriate and engaging for individual students (Laureate Education, 2010). It is also important to create a balance of various texts within our instruction.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Analyzing and selecting texts. [DVD]. The beginning reader, prek-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Selecting Texts

Characteristics of text difficulty when selecting texts Size of print Sentence length Word size- syllables Semiotic content Word difficulty (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010)

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Analyzing and selecting texts. [Videocast]. The beginning reader, prek-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Selecting Texts

Texts I used in creating my

lessons using the literacy matrix to create a diverse

selection.

“Phonemic awareness, phonics, sight word recognition, and fluency, as well as vocabulary knowledge and literal and inferential comprehension all contribute to reading success”

(Afflerbach, 2007)

Afflerbach, P. (2007) Understanding and using reading assessment, K-12. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011).

Interactive PerspectiveThe interactive perspective focuses on teaching reading strategies.

Interactive Perspective

Anderson, R. C., & Freebody, P. (1981). Vocabulary knowledge. Comprehension and teaching: Research reviews(pp. 77-117). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Bashir, A.S.& Hook, P.E. (2009). Fluency:A key link between word identification and comprehension. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 40, 196-200.

Fluency is defined as “the ability to read accurately, quickly, effortlessly, and with appropriate expression and meaning” (Griffith & Rasinki, 2004). Fluency is also referred to as “a bridge between word identification and comprehension” (Bashir & Hook, 2009, p.196).In order to be a fluent reader, a student requires the ability to focus on comprehension rather than decoding words they are not familiar with. If a child becomes more fluent in their reading they will be able to comprehend more of what they are reading and make connections to and with the text. They will be able to look for inferences and context clues within the reading. Word identification is also important to the ability to read fluently. The more words students are exposed to, the more fluent their reading will become since they are spending time struggling to decode the words.

Interactive Perspective

Research by Anderson and Freebody tells us that the knowledge of vocabulary is the most important factor that contributes to reading comprehension (1981). Also, knowing how to decode and discover the meaning of words is important to comprehension. One of the reasons why I chose to do this lesson was because we would be seeing the same vocabulary throughout the entire unit. In order for my group of students to comprehend what we were reading about, they needed to become familiar with the vocabulary they would see, not only throughout this book, but the books that were to follow. The students need to use their background knowledge and surrounding words to decode a word’s meaning. They were also required to translate the meaning into their own words, demonstrating that they understand the meaning of the word.

Anderson, R. C., & Freebody, P. (1981). Vocabulary knowledge. Comprehension and teaching: Research reviews (pp. 77-117). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Critical Perspective

Critical perspective allows students to examine, think critically and interpret text (Laureate Education, 2010).

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Critical perspective. [Videocast]. The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Somers, A.B., and Worthington, J.E. (1979) Response Guides for Teaching Children's Books. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 

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When we allow students to think critically we are encouraging and promoting

students to question, reflect and examine text. Somers and Worthington tells us

"literature offers children more opportunities than any other area of the curriculum to consider ideas, values, and

ethical questions" (1979). Books that engage students to look at these aspects can also help us to model inference and

conclusions of literature.

Critical Perspective

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Critical perspective. [Videocast]. The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Reading and writing connections. [Videocast]. In The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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Dr. Vacca tells us that students should make connections between their experiences and text (Laureate Education, 2011). Through inference, the students learn that through hard work and determination you can do anything you really want to do. As Dr. Almasi tells us, it is important that students learn strategies and decoding skills, however students must also learn how to explore text as critical thinkers (Laureate Education, 2011). First we teach the skills of how to read, and then we teach the skills that tell them what to do with what they have read.

Response Perspective

The response perspective allows students to interact, connect and respond to various texts (Laureate Education, 2010).

Ways to incorporate response perspective into the classroom:

JournalingGrand Conversations

Reading LogStory Writing

Literature CirclesReports

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Critical perspective. [Videocast]. The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author

Response Perspective

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Critical perspective. [Videocast]. The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author

Reading and writing allow students to make connections to what they are reading using what they know and combining it with what they have learned forming valuable connections.

ConnectionsText to SelfText to TextText to World

Feedback from Colleagues and Family Members of Students

Thank you!