A literate environment was created for three students. This presentation analyzes this process.

1. THE KEYS TO
CREATING A
LITERATE
ENVIRONMENT
DANIELLE EVANS
EDUC 6706: THE BEGINNING
READER, PREK–3
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
AUGUST 2013

2. THIS PRESENTATION WILL……
• Discuss the importance of a balanced literacy
approach.
• Identify and evaluate the use of cognitive and
non-cognitive assessments used to get to know
literacy learners.
• Examine the implications of authentic literature
selections.
• Define instruction based on three instructional
approaches: interactive, critical, and response
instructional perspectives.

3. A BALANCED APPROACH TO LITERACY
Expectations for 21st century students have shifted tremendously over the years.
Elementary teachers across America are now preparing their students for the
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
assessment (PARCC) assessment. The vision of this assessment is to
support teachers in preparing students for college and careers by examining
student learning gaps through a variety of modalities and critical thinking
applications (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
Careers, 2013). As an educator, I must be able to effectively assess student
literacy and provide supports that will meet the demands of the future.
Three students were chosen for a non-cognitive and cognitive
assessment process. Best teaching practices were
researched, applied, and analyzed in order to create a
literate environment for these students.

4. KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Getting to know literacy
learners
• Selecting Text
• Instruction- Interactive
Perspective, Critical
Perspective, Response
Perspective

5. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY
LEARNERS

6. The goal of literacy
instruction is to ensure
that all students
achieve their full
literacy potential.
Gail Tompkins-
Literacy for the 21st
Century, 2010

7. IMPLEMENTATION
Teachers must channel assessment activities that provide non-cognitive and
cognitive data regarding the student and support activities that will tailor to
their individual needs and quality literacy instruction should have a balance
of teacher-centered and student-centered activities (Tompkins, 2010).
Dibels Next and Reading 3D assess student’s cognitive abilities across the five
pillars of literacy in a systematic, individualized, and engaging fashion in
order to develop appropriate student centered activities. Reading
inventories are fundamental approaches to assessing student’s frustration,
instructional, and independent reading levels (Afflerbach, 2012). Moreover,
reading inventories also assess student attitude.
To assess the non-cognitive abilities of students such as their attitude,
motivation, interests, or creativity, the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey
(ERAS) was administered. McKenna and Keer (1990) suggest that this
survey appeals to students because of its pictorial aspect and it also
provides teachers with beneficial information regarding student attitudes
towards reading.

8. STUDENT PROFILES
Student A- 7 years old, female, low-income family,
enjoys playing with friends, low interest in
recreational and academic reading, basic abilities
in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, word identification,
and comprehension low exposure to text at home,
reading level B.
Student B- 7 years old, male, low-income family, low
interest in recreational and academic reading, basic
abilities in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, word
identification, and comprehension low exposure to
text at home, enjoys sports and animals, reading
level B.
Student C- 7 years old, female, low-income family, high
interest in recreational and academic reading,
frequently visits library, proficient across all five
pillars, high exposure to text at home, reading level
J.
Data gathered from
ERAS, Dibels Next,
and parent feedback.

9. 1. Administer pre-
assessments, both
cognitive and non-
cognitive.
2. Analyze data to
determine needs of
learners before
organizing
instruction.
KEY STEPS TO GET TO KNOW LITERACY
LEARNERS

10. SELECTING TEXT

11. HOW?The Literacy Matrix
There are multiple dimensions to consider when analyzing text. Text fits
along a continuum ranging from narrative to informational continuum,
linguistic to semiotic. Semiotic text communicates messages through
something other than words. Complexity of text is also considered on a
continuum of easy to hard. Once a set of text is selected it is located
along the quadrant of the continuum that matches that type of text.
Mapping text along the curriculum allows for a visual of the distribution
of text used and is their a true balance of text (Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010a) Hard Informational
Linguistic
SemioticNarrative
Easy

12. IMPLEMENTATION
• When selecting text for these students I had to keep in mind it had to be
something that they could relate to and have fun learning in order to
promote future positive reading experiences. In addition the text must
meet their needs for instruction and independence. Websites offer
opportunities for students to engage in their learning in a fun way as
well as access content outside of school. When organizing for literacy
instruction the purpose, components, theory, applications, strengths,
and limitations must be identified and effectively addressed to promote
student success (Tompkins, 2010)
• Students are engaged with authentic and carefully selected text.
Students are able to build literacy skills and content knowledge based
on their interaction with text on their frustration, instructional, and
independent level in an engaging way.

13. A BALANCED APPROACH
Text Selected for 3 student participants.
Animal Olympics: Lexile Level 451-500, Fountas and Pinnell Level-J,
narrative, balance of semiotic and linguistic
What is at the zoo?: Lexile Level BR-70, Fountas and Pinnell Level C-
informational, semiotic
Online Resource: What’s Wild about African Wild Dogs?, located at
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/african-
wild-dogs/ - informational- linguistic

15. GIVE ME A FISH AND I EAT FOR A
DAY. TEACH ME TO FISH AND I
EAT FOR A LIFETIME.
---CHINESE PROVERB

16. After becoming familiar with student needs and text that will
engage them appropriately, instruction is then organized.
Objectives and instructional activities are selected that provide
students structured and meaningful opportunities for learning
(Tompkins, 2010). To help students become more strategic and
metacognitive learners, instruction was organized based on the
interactive, critical, and response literacy perspectives. Quality
literacy instruction should have a balance of teacher-centered
and student-centered activities (Tompkins (2010).

17. Framework for Literacy Instruction

18. INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE

19. • Activate prior
knowledge
• Modeling
• Semantic
Mapping
• Read-aloud
• Think-aloud
• Questioning
• Word skills
• Partner-
reading
• Interactive
games
• journals
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES USED TO
ADDRESS INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE

20. INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
• Used to promote student strategic processing and metacognition each component
of the lesson was modeled. The questions and graphic organizer was used to
make what was abstract in their minds concrete.
• During the pre-reading stage I set the tone by reading the objective to students
and discussing the expectations for the lesson. The students were immediately
engaged by the topic. We briefly went through the prior knowledge questions (see
appendix) and this served as a great motivation for students. They were very
excited to discuss their pets and animals that they have encountered. This was a
great opportunity for me to remind them that when people find interest in a
subject, books can be very helpful. Two of the students asked if they could borrow
a book about animals before the lesson began. The discussion was captured on
my anecdotal records.
• This process of monitoring is a metacognitive strategy that good readers acquire
in order to avoid confusion (Tompkins, 2010).
• According to Tompkins, (2010) students use comprehension strategies not only to
understand what they are reading, but also to understand when they are confused.
I believe this was a beneficial demonstration of how to take action to solve a
problem of confusion. In addition, an effective reading lessons utilizes a
culmination of reading skills even though the focus is on one (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2010b)

21. CRITICAL AND RESPONSE
PERSPECTIVES

22. • Modeling
• Making
connections
• Drawing
inferences
• Interactive
writing
• Questioning
• Peer
collaboration
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES USED TO
ADDRESS CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE

23. CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVES ANALYSIS
• According to Dr. Almasi, critical readers and writers focus on the
author’s purpose while reading (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).
Students must also understand that the author’s meanings are not
always directly stated in the text.
• Students were able to respond critically to the group of texts by using
the modeled reading strategies and skills. By including these
perspectives in literacy instruction teachers are able to nurture student
motivation and engagement in literacy activities. Students will be
equipped with the skills that they need to seek out information in their
everyday lives. More importantly, students will understand how to
provide emotional responses to life circumstances in ways that they are
comfortable because the teacher of the comfortable space and
opportunity provided to them. The response perspective allows
students to be affected on personal and emotional levels (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010d). Subsequently, my biggest take away is that a
culmination of text that provides students with transformative power is
best suited in a literate environment.

24. TO SUM IT UP, THIS PRESENTATION...
• Discussed the importance of a balanced literacy
approach.
• Identified and evaluated the use of cognitive
and non-cognitive assessments used to get to
know literacy learners.
• Examined the implications of authentic
literature selections.
• Defined instruction based on three instructional
approaches: interactive, critical, and response
instructional perspectives.

25. 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?

26. REFERENCES
Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12 (2nd
ed). Newark, DE: International Reading Association
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and
Selecting Text [Webcast]. In The beginning reader, pre-k-3. Baltimore:
Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Interactive Perspective
[Webcast]. In The beginning reader, pre-k-3. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Critical Perspective
[Webcast]. In The beginning reader, pre-k-3. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Response Perspective
[Webcast]. In The beginning reader, pre-k-3. Baltimore: Author.
McKenna, M. C., & Keer, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new
tool for teachers. The Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626--639.
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th
ed.). Boston:Allyn & Bacon.