This document summarizes key aspects of creating a literate environment for early readers: getting to know literacy learners through formal and informal assessments, selecting appropriate texts using tools like the Literacy Matrix, and using a framework for literacy instruction focusing on interactive, critical, and response perspectives. The summary provides analysis of applying these concepts when teaching a kindergarten group, highlighting selection of informational texts to build vocabulary and comprehension, and engaging lessons allowing students to think strategically and make personal connections to texts.

1. Literate Environment Analysis
Created by Lisa Speed
Walden University
EDUC 6706 The Beginning Reader, PreK-3
Professor Donna Bialach

2. Creating a Literate Environment
T h r e e E s s e n t ia l A s p e c t s o f
a
L it e r a t e E n v ir o n m e n t
• Getting to know your literacy learners
• Selecting appropriate texts
• Literacy instruction:
Interactive Perspective
Critical Perspective
Response Perspective

3. Getting to Know Your Literacy
Learners
It is not what we are teaching, but rather who we are
teaching (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a)

4. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
G e t t in g t o k n o w o u r lit e r a c y
le a r n e r s is a c r u c ia l f ir s t s t e p
t o w a r d s h e lp in g t h e m b e c o m e a
lif e lo n g lit e r a t e s t u d e n t .
Understanding literacy learners includes the use of
cognitive and non-cognitive assessments.
Cognitive Assessments Non-Cognitive Assessments
Running Records Reading Survey
Reading Inventory Student Interest Interview
Spelling Inventory Anecdotal Notes
Phonemic awareness Journal
Phonics Conversation

5. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
Analysis
Getting to know my students is a priority for me as an educator. In
order to meet the needs of my diverse literacy learners, utilizing
cognitive and non-cognitive assessments provided me with
valuable insight into my kindergarten students’ interests and
literacy levels. Engaging in meaningful informal observation by
having lunch with my small group of learners, I was able to gain
insight into my students’ interests. Spending purposeful time
with my students, whether formally or informally, resulted in a
clear and better understanding of who my literacy learners are
as individuals. Using gathered data, instructional levels were
determined. Based on the needs of my students, instruction was
adjusted and enhanced to meet the learning goals of all my
literacy learners.

6. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
Research
Tompkins (2010) suggests, “Understanding how
students learn, and particularly how they learn to
read and write, influences the instructional
approaches teachers use” (p.5).
Afflerbach (2007) reminds us that learners “have life
interests that can be founded and extended through
reading, with interests that can influence a reader’s
stance toward a reading task” (p. 156).

7. Selecting Appropriate Texts
When selecting engaging texts, Tompkins (2010)
suggests that students are, “more likely to become
engaged with reading and writing when they expect
to be successful, when they work collaboratively with
classmates, when they’re competent readers and
writers, and when they have opportunities to make
choices and develop ownership of their work” (p.
278).

8. Selecting Appropriate Texts
Utilizing the Literacy Matrix (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008c)
assists in choosing texts that meet learning goals and the
individual needs of literacy learners.
Analyzing text to determine which quadrant the text falls, (narrative/
semiotic, informative/semiotic, narrative/linguistic,
informative/linguistic) provides educators with useful information
when selecting text to meet student needs (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2008c).
Being mindful of where each text falls on the continuum helps
educators find a balance in the types of texts being chosen.

9. Selecting Appropriate Texts
Difficulty Considerations
When selecting text, several considerations must be made to
ensure the text is appropriate for the
literacy learner.
• Read Ability
• Text Length
• Text Structure
• Size of Print
• Visual Supports

10. Selecting Appropriate Texts
Analysis
Understanding the crucial significance of selecting appropriate texts for my
students, utilizing gained knowledge along with the Literacy Matrix, I
was able to select meaningful texts for my literacy learners. With my
students in mind, selecting texts that fell in the informative/ semiotic
quadrant provided picture support to help my young learners build
content vocabulary and construct meaning within the text (Tompkins,
2010). Being mindful of the difficulty considerations and using the
valuable literacy tool guided my decisions when selecting texts to meet
my students’ needs and promote learning.
Providing my young literacy learners with engaging informational texts,
opportunities to make choices, and time to write collaboratively with
others, promoted learning, met learning goals, and stimulated
motivation(Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).
Research
Dr. Hartman reminds educators that using the Literacy Matrix provides an
opportunity to find a balance when choosing texts as well as checking if
the text fits the learning goals (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008c).

11. Framework for Literacy Instruction
Utilizing the Literacy Framework provides educators
with a guideline to help our students become literate
learners by creating effective lessons with
appropriately selected texts
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2008c).
We must know: We can then use:
• Learners Interactive Perspective
• Texts Critical Perspective
• Instructional Response Perspective
Practices

12. Literacy Instruction
Interactive Perspective
The interactive perspective focuses on teaching our literacy
learners how to read. In addition, we want our learners to be
strategic and metacognitive readers and writers.
Learners
Educators need to use a variety of assessments both cognitive and non-
cognitive to determine areas of strength and need.
Texts
Select texts that are of appropriate types and levels of difficulty to meet
students’ literacy goals and needs.
Instructional Practices
Educators must use instructional practices to promote students’
independent use of reading strategies and skills.
(Walden, 2011)

13. Literacy Instruction
Interactive Perspective
Analysis
Working with a small group of literacy learners, I was able to implement an
effective literacy lesson focusing on the interactive perspective.
Utilizing a variety of informative assessments, gained understanding of
my young literacy learners’ strengths and needs became apparent.
Determining the appropriate instructional level as well as my students’
interest in non-fiction material, I was able to select appropriate texts
that met literacy goals and needs. Using instructional methods to meet
my kindergarteners’ beginning reading level, foundational reading and
comprehension strategies along with content vocabulary, were
successfully practiced and reinforced. Incorporating strategic
processing within the lesson afforded my students with the opportunity
to think on their own. The interactive perspective allowed me to create
an effective lesson that focused on teaching my students how to read
and think strategically, thus it ultimately promoted student
independence.

14. Literacy Instruction
Interactive Perspective
Research
Dr. Almasi reminds educators that we are not only teaching our
students how to read, but how to become strategic thinkers.
The strategic process is threaded through the five pillars.
Furthermore, Almasi suggests that the ultimate goal of the
interactive perspective is to teach children how to become
literate learners who can work their way through the world of
text independently (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008d).

15. Literacy Instruction
Critical Perspective
The critical perspective focuses on teaching our literacy
learners how to think critically about the text. It also
involves evaluating and making judgments about the
validity of a text (Laureate Education, 2008e).
Learners
Educators need to know what matters to students. It is important to
understand the learner as a unique individual.
Texts
Texts must be selected that provide opportunities for students to
think critically, evaluate, and judge the text.
Instructional Practices
Educators need to foster a critical stance by teaching students how
to think critically, evaluate, and judge the text.
(Walden, 2011)

16. Literacy Instruction
Critical Perspective
Analysis
Creating a lesson for my group of literacy learners that included the critical
perspective, positive results were observed. Implementing a lesson
focused on citizenship, the appropriate selected text about how we
speak to others, provided several opportunities to identify with the text
and think critically about personal choices. Students discussed the
impact their words make on others around home, school, and the
community abroad. Providing guidance, students learned how to
evaluate the author’s writing and analyze the author’s intent for writing
the book. Successfully, students gained a deeper understanding of the
choices they make by engaging in the critical thinking process.
Research
Dr. Almasi suggests that, engaging in the critical perspective students can
examine the text critically then think more deeply about that text
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2008e).

17. Literacy Instruction
Response Perspective
The response perspective focuses on teaching our
literacy learners how to read, react, connect, and
respond to text in meaningful ways (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2008f).
Learners
Educators need to know students’ interests and identities.
Furthermore, we need to understand what matters to them.
Texts
Select texts that connect to students’ identities and may provoke
an emotional or personal response.
Instructional Practices
Students need to be provided with many opportunities to read,
connect personally, and respond to texts.
(Walden, 2011)

18. Literacy Instruction
Response Perspective
Analysis
Teaching a lesson about citizenship to my young literacy learners provided
many opportunities to engage in the response perspective.
Kindergarten students are aware and sensitive to the types of words
used towards them personally. Choosing a citizenship book focused on
the types of words that are helpful and hurtful, students made personal
connections which ignited a meaningful discussion. They identified with
this selected text. My students successfully connected to the content
and responded to open-ended questions with personal relevant
information. Furthermore, students wrote in their response journals with
personal experiences that were moving and touching to the reader.
Research
Dr. Almasi states that educators can provide literacy experiences that allow
students to connect to a text on a personal level. It is not enough to just
know their interests, in order to help them become literate learners we
must know what types of texts move our students.
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2008f).

19. Literate Environment Analysis
Feedback from Colleagues and Parents
• 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?

20. References
Afflerbach, P. (2007). Understanding and using reading assessment. Newark, DE:
International Reading Association.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008a). Reading inventories. [Video Webcast].The beginning reader,
pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008b). Assessing writing development. [Video Webcast].
The beginning reader, pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008c). Analyzing and selecting texts. [Video
Webcast].The beginning reader, pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008d). Interactive perspective: Strategic Processing.
[Video Webcast]. The beginning reader, pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008e). Critical Perspective. [Video Webcast]. The beginning reader,
pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc., (2008f). Response Perspective. [Video Webcast]. The beginning
reader, pre-K-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.