Literate Environment Analysis

Using research based practices to create a literate environment for beginning readers

Mackenzie SvelmoeWalden UniversityDr. Pam FitzgeraldThe Beginning Reader pre K-3 6706R-2

Getting to know literacy learners

In order to create a literate environment, the first goal of the teacher is to get to know her students. This goes beyond an interest inventory. We need to talk to kids and really know who they are (Laureate Education, n.d.b)

Getting to know literacy learners, P-3:

Young children move through three stages as they learn to read and write: emergent, beginning, and fluent (Juel, 1991). I worked with three emergent students that are about to begin kindergarten. Their names are Ryan, Chase, and Nate. All three students are almost 5 years old.

Children gain an understanding of the communicative purpose of print and develop an interest in reading and writing during the emergent stage (Tompkins, 2010).

In order to know what motivates my student’s, I assessed their cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of literacy to understand the whole child by meeting with each student one-on-one. We discussed their interests and I observed how they interacted in the classroom. I also assessed their letter knowledge

Getting to know literacy learners, P-3:

Examples of cognitive assessments:

Reading inventories

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Letter Identification Assessments

Examples of non-cognitive assessments:

Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna & Kear, 1990)

Motivation to Read Profile (MRP; Gambrell, Codling, & Palmer, 1996)

Classroom observations Interviews with students

Getting to know literacy learners:Analysis

I used a letter identification resource provided by my district to assess each student’s level of letter identification. I observed that Nate and Ryan knew all of their letters. Chase still had 4 letters that he could not identify. I would like to include an intervention strategy to help Chase identify all 26 letters of the Alphabet.

I used the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (EARS) to assess each students motivation to read. I used this survey because I felt the images of Garfield would be easy for the students to relate with. The ERAS is used for students K-6, so there were questions on the survey that didn’t apply to pre-K emergent readers. I left out those questions during the survey. In future assessments, I may need to supplement a survey that better meets the needs of pre-K emergent learners.

Once I evaluated the developmental level of my students and understood what motivated them, I used this information to create individualized lessons to meet the needs to meet the needs of each student.

Getting to know literacy learners:Research

I used the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey to assess the students’ attitude toward reading.

Wixon and Lipson acknowledge that “the student’s attitude toward reading is a central factor affecting reading performance”.

Motivation can serve as a facilitator of students’ reading achievement and that increased motivation to read is an outcome of effective instruction and learning. Simply put, motivated readers are willing to persevere when reading is challenging (Afflerbach, 2012)

Selecting Text Choosing text that is

appropriate and interesting to the students is helpful in keeping the student motivated.

Using a literacy matrix allows us to look at how we can use text to help our students (Laureate Education, n.d.c)

Selecting Text Along with including fiction and informational text to

build up literacy programs, technology is an important addition to deepen understanding and interest. When we use the Internet in our classrooms for teaching and learning, we extend opportunities for all students to acquire these skills and strategies. New literacies build upon the foundational literacies we have always taught in school (Castek, Mangelson, & Goldstone, 2006).

The texts I selected for my students that are appealing and motivating include:

Non-fiction: Nelson, R. (2014). Baseball is fun! Minneapolis: Lerner Publications.

Fiction: Hill, S., & Grogan, J. (2010). Strike three, Marley! New York, NY: Harper.

Web Book: Baseball A B C. (1885). New York: McLoughlin Bros.

Selecting Text:Analysis I reviewed my initial interactions with each student to

determine what their interests were and if any of their similar interests overlapped with each other.

I noted that there was a great emphasis on including informational texts with daily literacy instruction. I wanted to select texts for my beginning readers that connected to their interests.

Their mothers had stated that they had all played t-ball. I decided to create a theme around baseball to include their interest in sports and to give them foundational information about the sport that could help them better understand the game better.

I selected texts to keep them engaged during instructional time.

A goal for this lesson was to have students be excited about reading informational, fiction, and online texts. By using their background knowledge, I wanted to pique their interest in using these different texts.

Selecting Text:Analysis These texts about baseball appeal to the

cognitive aspect to the group of learners by using a topic that they all have background knowledge in.

Using the ABC book, is a beginning level book that is easier for emergent readers. This will also increase their foundational knowledge of letter identification.

The non-cognitive aspect that appeals to this group of learners is using a topic that will be motivating and positive for these students because they have an interest in sports, and they have all played t-ball.

Selecting Text:Research

Using fiction and nonfiction trade books as twin texts in an elementary classroom is an authentic way of introducing content material into the curriculum. Twin texts are two books, one fiction and one nonfiction, on the same topic. Teachers who use fiction and nonfiction texts together may be rewarded with students who are excited about learning (Camp, 2000).

Realizing young children are naturally curious, primary-level teachers spend much of the school day answering their questions and reading books aloud in daily lessons as they connect to students background knowledge and enrich their vocabularies. Both of these practices can be improved by including informational texts, which can also provide teachers with valuable resources (McMath, King, & Smith, 1998).

In addition to exposing young students to informational texts, teachers must also teach them how to read it (Duke, N., 2004).

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective

Interactive perspective use instructional methods that address the cognitive and affective needs of students and the demands of the particular text.

Interactive perspective also promote students' independent use of reading strategies and skills (Framework for literacy instruction).

Instructional Practices for Interactive Perspective: Shared reading lesson Grand Conversations Interactive Read-Alouds Making Words Word Study Word Work

Literacy Lesson: Interactive PerspectiveAnalysis

I chose to teach a lesson to increase comprehension in a shared reading lesson. I also picked a word to study to increase their understanding of the text. Students develop a large stock of words that they recognize automatically because it’s impossible for them to analyze every word they encounter when reading or want to spell when writing; these recognizable words are called sight words (Tompkins, 2010, pg. 189,).

In order to have the three emergent readers get a head start for kindergarten I selected a high-frequency word that the students would encounter at the beginning of the year. I chose the word the because it is a word that is very common and also one of those words that cannot be phonetically sounded out.

I used a song to help the students with spelling the word the. The students were very involved with singing the song, and followed along as I pointed to the words.

The students were able to recall the song when writing the word independently.

Literacy Lesson: Interactive PerspectiveAnalysis Cont.

I introduced the book that we would be reading by activating students prior knowledge of super heroes, and I mentioned to them that the last time we all got together; each student revealed that they liked super heroes. That is why I chose the book Super Hero ABC by Bob McLeod. The boys seemed to be excited with the text.

We looked at the cover, and I asked what they thought the book would be about. Nate mentioned that it would be about superheroes and I praised him for participating. We talked about the author and I shared with them that I had a copy that was signed by the author. They thought that was pretty exciting!

I did a short picture walk to show them how the book was set up and that every letter had its own superhero.

I pointed to the text as I read, and the students were able to identify rhyming words. They would also stand up to point to the word the when they saw it in the book to give them deeper comprehension of the word.

After the book, we did word work with the word the. We wrote the word in a sentence and then cut it apart and put it back together.

This type of word work may have been a little too difficult for emergent readers. In the future, I may want to write the sentence for them or have a sentence for them to copy.

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective:Research

Teachers of the youngest readers can enhance comprehension instruction during teacher read-alouds using techniques like text talk (Stahl, 2004).

Teaching students to activate relevant background knowledge, to filter irrelevant background knowledge, and then use the text to make meaningful connections and to expand their existing knowledge base can be important steps leading to independent reading comprehension (Stahl, 2004).

Critical Response Critical response allows

teachers to select texts that provide opportunities for students to judge, evaluate, and think critically.

Instructional strategies foster a critical stance by teaching students how to judge, evaluate, and think critically about texts (Framework for literacy instruction).

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspective The texts I chose to use for my lesson

include: Candell, A., & Curto, R. (2005). Mind your

manners in school. Hauppauge, NY. Barron's Educational Series.

Hennessy, B.G. (1992). School Days. Scholastic books. New York. Puffin Books.

Howe, J., & Imershein, B. (1994). When you go to kindergarten (Revised/Expanded ed.). New York: Morrow Junior Books

Instructional Procedures for Critical Response: KWL Charts Language Experience Approach Learning Logs Question Answer Relationships Journaling Dramatic Response Quiet Time to Respond

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response PerspectiveAnalysis All three students are starting Kindergarten in the fall, so I selected

texts that would introduce them to the idea of starting school. I wanted to ease any apprehension they may have about starting school.

I chose to use an interactive read aloud to promote a respectful attitude toward routines in the classroom.

I began the lesson with a video that uses the alphabet to build self-confidence and positive attitudes called The ABC Song by positively kids (www.positivelykids.com). I chose this as an introduction to get them excited for learning, and I felt it built the student up in a positive way.

To introduce the topic of starting school and going to kindergarten, I read a book called When you go to kindergarten by Howe, J., & Imershein, B. (1994).

I had a piece of chart paper on the small whiteboard that had a KWL chart on it (Tomkins, 2010, p. 441). We used this to state what we knew about kindergarten, what we wanted to know about kindergarten and in the end, what we learned about kindergarten. KWL charts can be difficult to use in kindergarten because when you get to the what I want to know, students can have very random questions. However, KWL charts gives students the opportunity to ask questions that may not be addressed in the text. The KWL chart is useful in helping students activate their background knowledge (Tompkins, 2010).

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response PerspectiveAnalysis cont.

A book that I found that promoted reflection about students’ own habits and attitudes, as well as those of their friends is Mind Your Manners in School ( Candell, & Curto, 2005). Throughout the story I used key phrases that promoted meaning for the students (Durand, Howell, Schumacher, & Sutton, J., 2008). Some of the key phrases that I used included: think about what this could mean. What would you do? What might happen next? What story can you find in this picture? Why is this important to the story? (Durand, Howell, Schumacher, & Sutton, 2008).

After asking these key phrases, it is important to allow time for reader response. Reader response is a written or verbal response that encourages students to explore thoughts and feeling about text (Newton, Stegmemeier, & Padak, 1999 pg. 12).

We finished the lesson with drawing a picture of what the book meant to them. Each student was able to clearly draw a picture that presented a situation from the book. For example, Chase drew a picture of himself picking up blocks off the classroom floor when it was time to clean up. I dictated their response at the top of the paper.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspective:Research

Teachers use KWL charts to activate students’ background knowledge about a topic and to scaffold them as they ask questions and organize the information they are learning (Ogle, 1996).

The critical perspective (Tompkins,2010)is important in teaching students to examine the text from multiple perspectives. It helps readers to critically evaluate the text and make judgments about the validity or veracity of the text. This can be helpful for student’s 21st century skills and evaluating websites for credibility (Laureate Education, n.d.b).

Feedback from colleagues and family members of Students What insights did you gain about

literacy and literacy instruction? How might the information presented

change your literacy practices and /or your literacy interactions with students?

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?

What questions do you have?

References: Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading

assessment, K-12 (2nd ed.) Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Candell, A., & Curto, R. (2005). Mind your manners in school. Hauppauge, NY. Barron's Educational Series.

Castek, J., Bevans-Mangelson, J., & Goldstone, B. (2006). Reading adventures online: Five ways to introduce the new literacies of the Internet through children's literature. Reading Teacher, 59(7), 714–728.

Gambrell, L.B., Codling, R.M., & Palmer, B.M. (1996). Elementary students’ motivation to read (Reading Research Report No. 25) Athens, GA: National Reading Research Center.

Howe, J., & Imershein, B. (1994). When you go to kindergarten (Revised/Expanded ed.). New York: Morrow Junior Books.

Hennessy, B.G. (1992). School Days. Scholastic books. New York. Puffin Books.

References:

Juel, C. (1991). Beginning Reading. In R. Barr, M.L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, & P.D. Persons (Eds.), Handbook for reading research (Vol. 2, pp. 759-788). New York: Longman

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

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.b). Getting to know your students. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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

McLeod, B. (n.d.). Super Hero ABC's McMath, J.S., King, M.A., & Smith, W.E. (1998). Young Children,

questions and nonfiction books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(1), 19-27.

Nelson, R. (2014). Baseball is fun! Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Ogle, D.M. (1986). K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active

reading of expository text. The Reading Teacher, 39, 564-570. Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced

approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Wixon, K.K., & Lipson, M.Y. (in press). Reading diagnosis and

remediation. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.