EDUC 6706R-12

1. Literate Environment
Analysis Presentation
Kimberley Rosales
Walden University
EDUC 6706R-12

2. Getting to know literacy learners
Students in our
classrooms possess a
variety of learning
styles and needs
that require a
knowledgeable
literacy teacher.

3. Aspects of literacy development
Cognitive Aspects: Non cognitive
Aspects:
Phonemic
awareness Motivation
Phonics Attitude
Vocabulary Beliefs
Fluency Interests
Comprehension

4. “Assessment has become a priority in 21st century
schools” (Tompkins, 2010, p. 75). Teachers are
required to collect more data and to assess more
frequently than ever before. Assessments not only
consist of summative district-driven multiple choice
exams. Although important, they are not as affective
as formative assessments that provide “ongoing,
immediate feedback to improve teaching and
learning” (Tompkins, 2010, p. 75).
Resource:
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A
balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

5. Reflection:
I question what is being done in the classroom with
struggling students. I am clearly aware that we deal
with the issues of overcrowded classrooms, lack of
resources, time and parental involvement. Even with
these burdening issues, what can be done at this early
age to decrease the number of students that come to
me in middle school reading two to three grade levels
below normal? Is there a link that is missing that
could shorten the gap? “All learners have a right to
instruction that builds on their strengths and
addresses their needs” (IRA, 2010).
Resource: International Reading Association

6. Analysis
Getting to know the group of students I chose to
work with made me more aware of their motives,
and needs as a learner.
I was able to differentiate my instruction to meet
their personal interests and motivate them to read.
Focusing on both the cognitive and noncognitive
aspects of each learner made it an incredible
learning experience for all.
All of this helped me create a literate environment
for my students.

7. Selecting Texts
When considering a good literacy program,
for your classroom it is a good idea to keep
the Literacy Matrix in mind. The Literacy
Matrix is a tool teachers can use to ensure
they are choosing books that fall in the
linguistic, narrative, informational, and
semiotic areas, because there is a need for
balance in all four areas (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010).

8. According to the Literacy Matrix a book is
considered linguistic if it is word oriented,
a narrative if it tells a story, informational if
it gives us information to seek a purpose,
and semiotic if it communicates a message
through pictures (Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010).
Resource: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer).
(2010). Analyzing and selecting text. [Webcast]. The
beginning reader, preK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

9. Selecting Texts
The dimension of
difficulty is
important when
choosing books, as
well. We want to
make sure we are
choosing books
that our students
can enjoy and have
success with.

10. Dimension of difficulty
A few areas to consider are:
Readability
Text length, as it can lead to
motivation problems.
Size of print
Text Structure
Visual supports

11. Informational Text
It is important to expose our students to
informational text because “success in
school, the workplace, and society depends
on our ability to comprehend this material”
(Duke, 2004, p.1).
Even young students need to learn about
the various purposes that text can serve,
and read alouds are a great way to
incorporate this form of text into the
classroom.

12. “Incorporating informational text in the
curriculum in the early years of school has
the potential to increase motivation, build
important comprehension skills, and lay
the groundwork for students to grow into
confident, purposeful readers” (Duke,
2004, p.5).
Resource: Duke, N. (2004). What research
says about reading. Educational Leadership,
61, 40-44.

13. Books on the Internet
The internet is such a huge part of literacy
today, and students are excited when they
get the opportunity to use it.
Online stories are a great motivational
component that will get students interested
in reading.
Students who show no interest in an actual
paperback book often find internet stories
intriguing.

14. Writing
Student writing is another key
component in literacy development.
Since “the process of learning to write
begins very early for many children,
(Reading Rockets, 2008, p.1) we need
to look at ways to support student
writing.
Resource: Reading Rockets. (2008). Questions about
writing instruction. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/3478

15. Selecting Texts
All students, whether
struggling readers or
not can find books that
motivate and honor
their interests in
reading. As the
classroom teacher, it is
our duty to provide
the best well-rounded
literacy program as
possible so we can
ensure success for our
students.

16. Analysis
Realizing the important role that text plays in
one’s reading journey was eye-opening.
Understanding the Literacy Matrix and that text
must be equally distributed amongst all four areas
made for a complete and comprehensive reading
program. It gave my students exposure to a
variety of text.
Incorporating the use of the Internet is a key
component in literacy development today. My
struggling and unmotivated readers were
exceptionally thrilled about their internet
experience.
All of this helped me create a literate environment
for my students.

17. Three perspectives on literacy
learning
Interactive: teaches students how to
become strategic and critical thinkers.
Critical: teaches students how to
examine the text.
Response: teaches students how to
respond to the text according to their
lived experiences.

18. The Interactive Perspective
The ultimate goal of the interactive
perspective is to teach students how to be
literate learners who can navigate the
textual world independently without
teachers as a constant support.
Responding and sharing their thoughts
with others is an important aspect students
must attain if they expect to become
lifelong learners.
Reference: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive
Producer). (2010b). Strategic processing.[Webcast].
The beginning reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD:
author.

19. Analysis of Interactive
Perspective
Engaging in an interactive lesson allowed
me to teach the students how to be
strategic and critical thinkers.
I was able to read aloud to them and ask
questions to build upon their background
knowledge.
We were able to interact in conversation,
which helped me create a literate
environment for my students.

20. The Critical Perspective
Helps students see texts in multiple ways.
Connecting to text can be a powerful tool that
enhances ones experience with reading.
“Critical literacy has the potential to give students
the opportunity to read the word, so that they can
read the world” (Molden, 2007, p.7).
Reference: Molden, K. (2007). Critical literacy, the
right answer for the reading classroom: Strategies
to move beyond comprehension for reading
improvement. Reading Improvement, 44(1), 50–56.

21. Response Perspective
Students share with others how they
feel about the text.
Forms of responding:
Journal writing
Artistic or dramatic response
Multi-sensory experiences
Quiet time response

22. Strategic Processing
Including critical and response perspectives in
your literacy instruction requires a teacher to
support students as they engage in the text and
ensure each student feels safe in responding
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).
Promoting risk-taking and creating a safe
environment is critical.
Reference: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer).
(2010). Response perspective. [Webcast]. The beginning reader,
preK-5. Baltimore, MD: Author

23. Analysis of Critical and Response
Perspectives
The lesson delivered for this task was
the most challenging. My goal was to
get the students to take a critical
stance. Their thoughts were
expressed as they discussed and
argued about what they believed.
I realized that even the youngest of
children can take a stance!