2. Why is creating a literate environment important? A literate environment is important in order to create a classroom of successful and motivated readers and writers.
3. How did I create a literate environment? Want to know more? Read on! Got to know my students Assessed students to determine strengths and weaknesses Selected engaging and challenging texts Created engaging lessons based on student needs Elicited critical thinking Allowed for reflection and response
4. Framework for Literacy Instruction This framework helped me in creating a literate environment. It is a great tool for planning literacy lessons.
5. Getting to Know Literacy Learners In order to plan lessons and activities to support student learning, I must have an understanding of my students. I need to determine students’ interests and background knowledge I must be aware of their cultural and linguistic background too. Taking the time to learn about my students is the first step in creating a literate environment. Activities to Use: Conversations Observations Information from parents Literacy Autobiographies Elementary Reading Attitude Survey Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) DIBELs Oral Reading Fluency Assessment Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 Running records DIBELs Fluency Assessment
6. Selecting Engaging Texts "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney As a teacher, I must help my students discover this treasure. In order to do this, I must select engaging texts. Taking the time to find interesting, relevant, and developmentally appropriate texts is crucial. If texts are too difficult or too easy, it could cause a student to become disengaged or even worse, dislike reading. In my classroom, I spend a great deal of time selecting texts. I try to use “twin texts,” which is combining nonfiction and fiction texts (Camp, 2000).
7. Considerations for Selecting Texts Difficulty Considerations Readability Concept density Singletons Text length Text structure Size of print Visual support Use a variety of genres Use online resources The literacy matrix above can help teachers in balancing their book selection. It is important to have a wide range of materials available to students.
8. Stars, Constellations, and Planets Oh My! To integrate our science unit on space into my reading lessons, I carefully selected texts based on my students’ interests, needs, and reading ability. These texts were selected for Ruth*. Ruth is one of my lowest student. Day and Night Sky is great because if she is unsure of a word, there is a glossary at the end. This text will help her to learn the science content and help her to learn new vocabulary.Ruth really loves animals. Therefore, I thought Space Dog Jack would catch her interest. This is a book that Ruth can read independently. This fiction text has some rhyme in it. Ruth enjoys rhyming stories. * Name changed
9. The books on the right I chose for Lance*. These books will challenge Lance. He really enjoys being challenged and loves to practice his reading skills. The text is a bit longer than others he has read, which adds a level of difficulty . I chooseStarry, Starry Night for Lance to read, because I feel he will enjoy reading about the moon and astronauts. He is interested in becoming an astronaut one day. This text is a little less challenging for Lance, but provides him with a quiz at the end. This will engage him in thinking about the text after reading. I could have him answer the questions orally or in written format. * Name changed
10. I specifically chose Starry Sky because Chance* is interested in constellations and Greek mythology. Since many constellations are named after Greek figures, I knew he would be motivated to read this text. It is also challenging do to the vocabulary. I chose the fiction text, Midnight on the Moonbecause Chance loves the Magic Tree House series. Therefore, I decided this text would engage him and help him to learn new vocabulary. This story is at level 24 according to the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Chance’s instructional level is 24. Therefore, I felt this was a good choice since it fit with our space theme as well as his instructional level. This text is also on the Accelerated Reader List (AR). Chance loves taking AR tests and is even more motivated to read books in which he can take a test. Both of these texts include multisyllabic words, in which Chance needs more exposure to. *Name changed
14. FASTT MathOnline Learning Students today are immersed in the digital world. Even at the young age of six and seven my students have access to cell phones, iPods, iPads, Kindles, and much more. I believe by integrating technology with literacy, I can engage more students and create more successful readers and writers. Ways I Used Technology:
15. Online Texts I have chosen two online texts for my three students to listen and read along with on BookFlix. BookFlix is a great resource that uses “twin texts” (Camp, 2000). There are multiple categories. The books I chose are in the Earth and Sky category. The students are able to watch a story and there is a read along option so the students can see the words and read along. The stories are fiction. Then students can read a nonfiction book that correlates with the story. While reading the story, the students can click on highlighted vocabulary and it will provide the definition of the word. Along with both texts, the students can learn about the author of the texts and play games. The games correlate with the texts. They have word match games, fact or fiction games, and more. Shrinking Violet by Cari Best and Pluto: Dwarf Planet by Christine Taylor-Butler. I picked these because not only does it connect with our science unit on space, but all three students are interested in learning about planets, especially Lance. Stars, Stars, Stars by Bob Barner and Looking Through a Telescope by Linda Bullock: These texts connect to our science standard in which students need to identify objects in the nighttime sky.
34. Group 2 (Whales)- Lance and 4 other students 1. Reread familiar text from the previous week to warm up. 2. Review words: planet, rotation, telescope 3. Introduce new vocabulary: bounce, curve, rays, center 4. Introduce new book: The Sky. Have students activate their schema. Have students complete a picture walk. 5. Tell students: Today we are going to continue working on the strategy of asking questions. Begin by having students share questions before reading. 6. Tell students they will quietly read page 2 through 5 and they may use sticky notes to record their questions. 7. After the first four pages are read, discuss questions the students had. Have any of our questions been answered? If so, discuss how answers can be found in text. 8. Repeat with pages 6-9. If time, continue with pages 10-15. 9. After reading, discuss answers to the questions. Does anyone have new questions now that we are done reading? Not all the questions will be answered. How do you think we can find the answers to the questions we still have? Interactive Perspective Lesson Plan
35. Critical & Response Perspectives The critical and response perspectives are both necessary components of literacy instruction. I believe that getting students to read is just the initial step. However, teaching students to critically examine and respond to a text is necessary to create successful readers and writers. Ways to engage students in critical thinking and reflecting: Discussions Subtext Strategy Analyzing Characters Questioning the Author Interactive Read-Alouds Bookmark Strategy (Molden, 2007) Story Reporting (Molden, 2007) Connection Stems (Molden, 2007) Response Journals Dramatic Response or quiet time See the next slide for my Memorial Day Lesson using this book!
37. References Berger, B. (1996). Grandfather Twilight. London: Puffin. Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400–408. Cooper, W. (2009). Starry, Starry Night. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. Hayden, K. (2006). Starry Sky. New York, NY: DK Readers. Molden, K. (2007). Critical literacy, the right answer for the reading classroom: Strategies to move beyond comprehension for reading improvement. Reading Improvement, 44(1), 50–5 Murray, R. (n.d). Day and Night Sky. Glenview, IL: Pearson. Oram, L. (n.d). The Sky. Glenview, IL: Pearson. Osborne, M.P. (1996). Midnight on the Moon. New York, NY: Random House. Schade, S. (2001). Space Dog Jack and the Haunted Spaceship. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. Scillian, D. (2006). H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet Book. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press. Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon
