1. By: Jennifer Gemberling
Walden University
Cassandra Bosier
The Beginning Reader, Pre K-3 - Educ 6706G-10
October 23, 2011
2. Literacy is the
ability to use
reading and writing
for a variety of tasks.
As teachers, we must get to know our students in a
variety of aspects to help them become successful
readers and writers. We must identify their
interests, their previous literacy experiences and
their ability levels. We must implement this
information to create an effective literate
environment where all students are successful.
3. To create a successful literate environment, you must
first get to know your students. It is important as
teachers that we know our students' literacy
autobiographies. We must know what type of reading
experiences they have, what their interests are, and what
their abilities are. These questions can be answered
through various cognitive and non-cognitive
assessments.
4. Directed Reading Assessment (DRA)
DIBELS
Letter-Sound Assessment
Letter-Name Assessment
Non-Cognitive Assessments Given to My
Students
Elementary Reading Attitude Survey
Student learning autobiographies
5. By evaluating our students both cognitively, such as
where they are in the five pillars, and non-
cognitively, such as their motivations, attitudes and
interests, we can plan effective lessons to keep our
students motivated while giving them the skills they
need to become successful readers. “By linking
assessment and instruction, teachers improve students’
learning and their teaching” (Tompkins, 2010, p.75).
These assessments improved my teaching and their
learning, which creates a more successful literate
environment, because I am better able to plan for my
students’ needs and interests.
6. After assessing students using cognitive and non-
cognitive measures, I evaluated the information and
selected texts based on that information. This process
helped me to create a literate environment by choosing
texts based on my students’ abilities and interests using
the Literacy Matrix (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a).
7. Dr. Douglas Hartman described four points on the
literacy matrix which texts can fall between. Depending
on how the text is communicating its message, the text
can be categorized as linguistic or semiotic. Linguistic
text is more word oriented with no pictures. Semiotic
texts communicate their message through things other
then words, such as still or moving pictures. Then, the
text can either be a narrative or an information piece.
However, it is very possible for a text to fall in between
categories (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a).
8. After examining the assessment results of their interests
and abilities, I chose books based on an animal theme
and alphabet theme with a combination of narrative and
information books. Several books chosen were more
semiotic, which were used during shared reading,
guided reading and independent reading. I also chose a
few linguistic books which were used during read-
alouds. I felt that a combination of these types of books
would be the most beneficial for emergent readers and
creating a successful literate environment within my
classroom.
9. Alphabet Theme : Animal Theme:
to introduce letters to spark student
and sounds interest of animals
10. Once the texts were selected, I planned
lessons according to the three perspectives in
the framework for literacy instruction. The
interactive perspective is based on students
reading and writing accurately and with
comprehension. The ultimate goal in this
perspective is for students to be strategic and
metacognitive readers and writers.
11. I focused on teaching
students how to use pictures
and clues to help them make
predictions in their reading.
I also wanted students to
think about the text and
answer questions to be sure
they fully comprehended the
story.
12. Then focusing on teaching students to read, I created a
word sort game to help students identify initial sounds.
Find the animal
that begins with
the /c/ sound.
13. This perspective helped me to create a literate
environment by constructing a lesson based on
teaching students to be metacognitive with their
reading. When students are metacognitive about
strategy use, they are aware of how they are going to
read the text, they can choose the best and most
efficient strategies, they set purposes, make
predictions, visualize and make sense of text
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2010e).
14. Although teaching children to read is very important, it is
also crucial that students can think critically about text,
respond to text and reach higher levels of thinking. The next
level of thinking comes out of the critical and response
perspectives. The critical perspective is based on the ability
to think critically about text. Within the critical perspective,
students should be able to examine the text from multiple
perspectives, critically evaluate text, and judge the validity of
the text (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). Basically we want
students to think more deeply about text, determine the
believability within the text, and examine the author’s
perspective. The response perspective focuses on the
transaction with the text and how it effects or even changes
the reader (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).
15. The goals for my
students were to
identify the author’s
purpose and make text-
to-self connections. We
used strategies such as
“talk and turn” where
they had deep
discussions with other
classmates about the
text (Durand, 2008).
16. I felt that by having the students
write as the Rainbow Fish, they
were able to make a connection to
a character that had very strong
feelings. Reading and writing in
response to a story helps students
understand what they already
know, understand what they don’t
think they know but actually do,
and construct new knowledge
which was very evident in their
illustrations and sentences
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2010d).
17. The critical and response perspective allowed my
students to examine a text more deeply, determine the
author’s purpose and make personal connections with
the characters. The goals for my students were to
identify the author’s purpose, make text-to-self
connections, and respond to text by relating to a
character. These activities were very successful in
allowing my students to make deeper, more meaningful
connections to a text and create a more literate
environment.
18. Creating a literate classroom is a step by step
process. Beginning with assessing student
abilities and student interests, I planned
successful lessons based on the five pillars of
literacy instruction. Looking at the three
perspectives within the framework for literacy
instruction I implemented the interactive
perspective, the critical perspective and the
response perspective. In doing so, my students
were exposed to a variety of reading and writing
experiences within a literate classroom. “The
goal of literacy instruction is to ensure that all
students reach their full potential”
(Tompkins, 2010, p.5).
19. Running Head: Literate Environment Analysis 1
References
Durand, C., Howell, R., Schumacher, L. A., & Sutton, J. (2008). Using interactive read-alouds
and reader response to shape students’ concept of care. Illinois Reading Council Journal,
36(1), 22–29.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text. Baltimore,
MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Critical perspective. Baltimore, MD:
Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Response perspective. Baltimore, MD:
Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Response perspective: Reading and
writing connection. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Strategic processing. Baltimore, MD:
Author.
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.