2. CREATING A LITERATE
ENVIRONMENT
“Literacy is a process that begins in infancy and
continues into adulthood, if not throughout life”
(Tompkins, 2010, p.111)
•GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY LEARNERS
•SELECTING TEXTS
•LITERACY LESSON: INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE
•LITERACY
LESSON; CRITICAL AND RESPONSE
PERSPECTIVE
3. PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW
LITERACY LEARNERS
The more you know about your students, the better you
will be able to connect to them with test that can have a
profound impact upon them (Laureate Education, 2010b).
With this being know, I gave the three boys I had
selected two reading motivation assessments. I gave them
the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERA), and the
Motivation to Read Profile (MRP). The students were also
given the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to
determine their reading level. This was done to develop a
better understanding of them.
4. PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW
LITERACY LEARNERS (CONTINUED)
Through non-cognitive assessments, teachers can learn about
a student‟s motivations, self concept, interest, and attitudes
(Afflerbach, 2007).
Non-Cognitive Assessments
1. Interest Surveys: Elementary Reading Attitudes (McKenna
&Kear 1990).
2. Student interviews
3. Teacher observations
5. PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW
LITERACY LEARNERS (CONTINUED)
Cognitive assessments focus on the skills and strategies
used by a student as they develop and grow as a reader
(Afflerbach, 2007).
Cognitive Assessments
1. Reading Inventories
2. Developmental Reading Assessments (DRA)
3. Running Record
6. PART 1. GETTING TO KNOW LITERACY
LEARNERS (CONTINUED)
The cognitive and non-cognitive assessments I gave were very beneficial. I was
able to see a personal side of the students selected through the Elementary
Reading Attitude Survey (ERA), and the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP). I was
also able to determine the reading level of the boys through the Developmental
Reading Assessment (DRA) and areas in need of growth through administering
running records. In addition, the tests I gave also gave me insight to their
comprehension, decoding skills, fluency, their ability to read with expression, and
phonological awareness. With all of this new knowledge I am able to create a
better learning environment for my students based on their needs and strengths.
I also learned that being an educator means knowing your students
on a personal level. Through this course I learned a new way to educate myself
about my students. This is called “Me Stew” (Laureate Education, 2010b). I plan
on using “Me Stew” next year. If I do this early on in the school year, I will be
able to select books that are of high interest for them.
As an educator, it is important that I create a literate environment for
my students and I believe I did just that.
7. PART 2: SELECTING TEXT
Narrative- Fictional and nonfictional
stories/read a louds Linguistic
Informational- Non fiction texts with
it‟s own features and format
Semiotic-Text communicates Narrative
messages without/less words
Linguistic-word oriented Informational
(Laureate Education, Inc,. 2010a)
Semiotic
The Literacy Matrix is used to make sure that teachers
have a balance of text in their classroom. (Laureate
Education, 2010c).
8. PART 2: SELECTING TEXT
(CONTINUED)
The Literacy Matrix is a wonderful tool to help keep track of
what kind of text is being used in class. It is also a wonderful
tool to see what type of text children are selecting. I selected
three different types of text for the boys.
Narrative Text
•Today is Monday (Carle 1993)
•From Head to Toe (Carle 1997)
• The Very Quiet Cricket (Carle 1990)
•Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Martin & Carle 1992) Online
•Elmer (David McKee)
InformationalBook About Insects (Berger
•Buzz! A Text 2000)
9. PART 2: SELECTING TEXT
(CONTINUED)
According to the continuum given by Dr. Douglas
Hartman (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010c.). The Eric Carle
books: Today is Monday, From Head to Toe, and Brown
Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? fall low on the semiotic level
and in the narrative section according to the continuum. The
books I have selected do not have many words. I would say that
these books are more appropriate for kindergarteners but all three
boys are reading on the kindergarten level.
The book Buzz! A Book about Insects by Melvin Berger
is on the informational level and higher on the scale of the
semiotic level then the books listed above.
Lastly,Elmer, falls right in the middle of the semiotic level
and the linguistic level. This book is also a narrative. This book
was read to the boys and was used for critical response questions
10. PART 3: LITERACY LESSON:
INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE
Interactive perspective teaches students how to read
and be strategic processors and thinkers (Laureate
Education Inc., 2010e)
The primary goal of the Interactive Perspective is to
teach children how to be literate learners who can
independently navigate through the textual world
(Laureate Education Inc., 2010d).
“The word metacognition is often defined as “thinking
about your own thinking,” but more accurately, it refers
to a sophisticated level of thinking that students use to
actively control their thinking (Tompkins, 2010 p. 12)
11. PART 3: LITERACY LESSON:
INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE
(CONTINUED)
I worked with a group of three boys in a guided reading group. To reinforce the
interactive perspective, I created a lesson that focused on reading with fluency
and expression. The text selected for this lesson was Brown Bear, Brown Bear
What Do You See? By Eric Carle.
Before the boys read the book, I model reading the book and had
them listen to how I read with expression and was fluent. In addition, I
introduced reading strategies they should apply while reading, word
recognition, comprehension and decoding words.
In order to increase comprehension, I built up the boys background
knowledge. First, I asked the boys if they have ever been to a zoo before, and
I asked them what might they see at a zoo. We did a picture walk and talked
about each animal we saw on the pages and if those animals could be at an
actually zoon.
During the lesson I had to boys monitor their reading. “Readers
also monitor their reading, and monitoring is a metacognitive strategy”
(Tompkins 2010 p. 12).
During this lesson I gave the boys an assessment. I had each boy
read the book while I administered a running record. From my data, I found
that one child is able to move up to the next reading level.
12. PART 4: LITERACY LESSON: CRITICAL AND
RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE
“Being able to look at the text and examine it from multiple
perspective enables one to think critically about it, to be able
to evaluate that text and also be able to make judgments
about the validity or veracity of that text (believability)”
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).
Components of the Critical Perspective include the ability to:
1. Examine a text from multiple perspectives.
2. Critically evaluate text.
3. Judge validity and/or veracity of text.
4. Think deeply about a text.
5. Understand the purpose the author had to write the text.
(Laureate Education, 2010e).
13. PART 4: LITERACY LESSON: CRITICAL AND
RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE (CONTINUED)
•This lesson was whole group instruction.
•The text was Elmer by David McKee.
For the pre-assessment, the class and I made a web revolving around the word
friend. We talked “What it means to be a good friend?” “What do good friends do for
each other?” “How are you a good friend?” The class turned and talk to their „turn and
talk‟ partner on the rug about being a good friend.
I informally assessed the students when they were talking to their turn and talk
partner. I had the three boys orally tell me what a good friend is. To make sure their
understanding is clear.
•Students had to answer three critical response questions.
1. How was Elmer different from the other elephants? Is it is good or bad to be
different?
2. What does is mean to be a good friend? Was Elmer‟s friends good friends.
Why or why not.
3. Why do you think the author wrote this story? What is he trying to teach his
readers?
Student‟s written responses were graded according to a rubric.
14. REFERENCES
Afflerbach,P. (2007).Understanding and Using Reading Assessment, K-12. Newark,DE: International
Reading Association, Inc.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text [Webcast]. The
Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Critical perspective [Webcast]. The
Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Getting to know your students [Webcast].
The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Informational text in the early years
[Webcast]. The Beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Perspective on literacy learning [Webcast].
The beginning Reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Tompkins, G.E, (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanaced approach (5thed). Boston: Allyn&
Bacon
