Literate Environment Analysis Jessica Thomas

Dr. Martha MooreThe Beginning Reader, Pre K-3, EDUC-6706G-4

August 17, 2014

Literacy« Literacy is the ability to use reading and writing for a variety of tasks at school and outside of school (Tompkins, 2010). »

« The goal of literacy instruction is to ensure that all students achieve their full literacy potential…. (Tompkins, 2010). »

« Understanding how students learn, and particularly how they learn to read and write, influences the instructional approaches that teachers use (Tompkins, 2010). »

Getting to Know My Literacy Learners

Using a variety of assessments ensures that teachers have the information they need to guide their instruction so that students will reach their full potential. Types of assessment that work with my preschool students are (Afflerbach, 2012):• Reading Inventories (modified)• Teacher questioning • « Other » (noncognitive) assessments

– Observations– Surveys– Self-concepts

What I Have Learned….

• Getting to know my readers is just as important as teaching my students to read and write. When I know them, I can build on their strengths and guide them through their struggles.

• Engaging students in conversation about literacy and their experiences with it is an assessment just as a paper and pencil test is.

Selecting Text

narrative

linquistic

Semiotic

informational

When choosing texts it is important to incorporate variety into the selections, not just genres, but medium and text factors. Examples of text factors (Tompkins, 2010) are:• Formats of stories (shown below)• Genres – folklore, realistic fiction, biographies, alphabet• Elements of story structure – plot, character, setting, theme• Narrative devices – dialogue, flashback, imagery, suspense, tone• Expository text structures – descriptions, sequence, comparison, cause and

effect, problem and solution

Texts chosen needs to be at the appropriate level for the students reading it and still challenge their understanding of the vocabulary and comprehension (Laureate Education, n.d.a.).

Texts ChosenIn a lesson created for third graders on twins the texts were chosen keeping in mind the text factors and the reading development of the students. • About Twins (The Kurious Kid Education series for ages 3-9) Awesome

Amazing Super Spectacular Fact & Photo book on Twins for Kids by Brian Cliette (2014) – Non-fiction– Informational but have a balance between linguistic and semiotic

• Take Two by Jennifer Roy and Julia DeVillers (2011)– Fiction– Narrative– Linguistic leaning towards semiotic

• Beast Quest Special Edition #2: Vedra and Krimon the Twin Dragons by Adam Blade (n.d.) – Electronic– Narrative– This version has an increase of photos placing it in the middle of

linquistic and semiotic

This lesson included a writing component that through research increases knowledge, vocabulary, understanding, and different medians of texts.

Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective

The interactive perspective in a lesson increases vocabulary and promotes fluency and comprehension («Framework,» 2014). Students become independent readers using strategies and skills they have seen modeled (Laureate Education, n.d.b.).

A lesson created for preschool and kindergarten students incorporated the interactive perspective through the use of KWL chart, teacher questioning, prediction, art work and sequencing showing comprehension.

What I Have Learned About the Interactive Perspective

• Students need time, time to interact with the text and make connections to their lives.

• I need to model strategies I want my students to know. Just because I tell them does not mean that they know how to do it.

• Assessment is a component of the interactive perspective. Assessment results determine teacher questioning through out the lesson, text choices, and strategies and skills needed.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspective

Critical perspective expects students to be able to look at a piece of text critically by questioning and evaluating the text to determine if the text is a good choice for the purpose they are reading it for (Laureate Education, n.d.c). Once students can determine if the text will work for their purpose they will be able to respond to the text.

Literacy Lesson: Critical and Response Perspective Continued

The response perspective is when students can respond verbally or non-verbally to a text connecting it to their personal experiences (Laureate Education, n.d.d).

The response perspective goes hand in hand with the critical perspective in that students have to questions, evaluate and understand the text in order to make the connection needed to respond.

What I Have Learned About the Critical and Response Perspective

Questioning the text is how a person looks at it critically. Students have to have questioning model so that they know what kinds of questions to ask. This does not come naturally for most students. • Why? Why did the author write ____? Why is _____ important? • If? If the author was the opposite sex would the story be

different? If the author left _____ out of the story would the story be different?

• Is this real? Imaginary? • How do you know ______?Responding to these questions guides students understanding and helps them make the connections needed to comprehend the text.

Questions to Ask Yourself

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

• 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?

ReferencesAfflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K-12 (2nd ed). Newark,DE: International Reading Association. Blade, A. (n.d.). Beast quest special edition #2: Vedra and krimon the twin dragons [eBooks version]. Retrieved from http:// www.scholastic.comCliette, B. (2014). About twins (the kurious kid education series for ages 3-9) awesome amazing super spectacular fact & photo book on twins for kids. Durham, NC: Bull City Publishing.Framework for literacy instruction [Lecture notes]. (2014). Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu.webappsportalframeset.jsptab_tab_group_id=_2_1 &url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype %3DCourse%26id%3D_541393_1%26url%3DLaureate Education (Producer). (n.d.a.). Analyzing and selecting text. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

References ContinuedLaureate Education (Producer). (n.d.c.). Critical perspective.

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

Strategic processing. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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

Roy, J. & DeVillers, J. (2011). Take two. New York, NY: Aladdin. Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced

approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.