1. LiterateEnvironment Analysis Tammy Williams June 19, 2011 Instructor:Donna Bialach EDUC 6706 The Beginning Reader PreK-3

2. What is Literacy?

According to Tompkins (2010), literacy is the competence a student acquires in both reading and writing.

3. Analysis of Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3

This research based practice afforded me with the insight as to why it is important for the teacher to get to know their students and their interests.Also, it allows for the teacher to understand the motivation or lack of motivation a student possesses toward reading.This is possible through both formal and informal assessments.

4.

As the literacy educator, I must differentiate my literacy lessons to ensure that all of the literacy needs of my students are meet.

5.

Through the research, I have expanded my teaching techniques to enhance my ability to get to know the learners within my classroom.

Two assessments to use when getting to know the learners are MRP (Motivation to Read Profile) and SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory).

The MRP is a non-cognitive assessment that is divided into two parts.The first part is a survey to assess the readers self concept and value of reading.The second part is an interview that supplies the teacher with the individual students reading motivation.

The SRI is a cognitive assessment.It is an assessment that measures a students reading comprehension.

6.

It is the educators responsibility to ensure that the literacy environment fosters a students growth in their literacy skills (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).

Research for Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3 7. Analysis of Selecting Texts LiteracyMatrix Linguistic Semiotic N A R R A T I V E I N F O R M A T I O N A l

Students must be exposed to varied texts including printed and digital.These texts will be informational, narrative, linguistic, or semiotic.After conducting the above assessments, I determined what text or texts best supported the learning styles of my students.I considered their literacy levels, their interests, and their family backgrounds when selecting such texts.Also, the readability level of the text was taken into consideration as well.

8.

According to research, students who are exposed to a variety of texts at an early age tend to show growth at a quicker rate in obtaining needed literacy skills (Tompkins, 2010).

Research for Selecting Texts 9. Literacy Lesson:Interactive Perspective Use instructional methods that address the cognitive and affective needs of students and the demands of the particular text. Promote students independent use of reading strategies and skills.Determine texts of the appropriate types and levels of difficulty to meet literacygoals and objectives for students.Use a variety of informal and formal assessments to determine areas of strength and need in literacy development . Interactive Perspective Reading and writing accurately, fluently, and with comprehension. Being strategic and metacognitive readers and writers. Instructional Practices Developmentally appropriate research-based practices used with appropriate texts to facilitate affective and cognitive aspects of literacy development in all learners Texts Text structures, types, genres, and difficulty levels matched to literacy learners and literacy goals and objectives Learners Affective and cognitive aspects of literacy learning 10. Analysis of Interactive Perspective Reading is to the mindwhat exercise is to the body. Joseph Addison

As I analyzed the interactive perspective, I come to realize that this

perspective deals mainly the teaching of the strategies to read and

write.As my students become more familiar with these strategies,

it will enhance their ability to better comprehend the text or texts

they are reading.My goal for my students is for them to self-monitor their reading.Some strategies I used with the interactive perspective are read alouds, stories read aloud on the computer, interactive word splashes, word wall with new vocabulary, visualizing thought processes and skills.

11. Research for Interactive Perspective

According to Dr. Almasi, while we are teaching students to read, it is also important to teach them to be strategic thinkers and processors of the text (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010d).

According to Barton and Sawyer (2003), guiding students to reflect on the strategiesthat allowed them to get to the place they are now; students will be more apt to independently replicate those outcomes in their reading.

12. Literacy Lesson:Critical and Response Perspectives Provide opportunities for students to read, react, and formulate a personal response to text.Select texts that connect to students identities and/or interests and that have the potential to evoke an emotional or personal response.Find out about student interests and identities. Understand what matters to students and who they are asindividuals.Response Perspective Reading, reacting, and responding to text in a variety of meaningful ways. Foster a critical stance by teaching students how to judge, evaluate, and think critically about texts. Select texts that provide opportunities for students to judge, evaluate, and think critically. Find out about ideas, issues, and problems that matter to students.Understand the learner as a unique individual. Critical Perspective Judging, evaluating, and thinking critically about text.Instructional Practices Developmentally appropriate research-based practices used with appropriate texts to facilitate affective and cognitive aspects of literacy development in all learners Texts Text structures, types, genres, and difficulty levels matched to literacy learners and literacy goals and objectives Learners Affective and cognitive aspects of literacy learning 13. Analysis of Literacy Lesson:Critical and Response Perspectives

Students use the critical perspective when they evaluate and critically judge the information contained within a text or texts.

During the response perspective, the students respond to the text or texts they are reading.

14.

Some activities I found to work with my students were visualizing and predicting about the story.Then, the students would go back to their predictions and confirm or revise them after reading the story.

After the completing the story, my students responded in their literature journals as to how the water cycle affected their lives.

Reading is a means of thinking with another persons mind;it forces you to stretch your own.Charles Scribner, Jr. 15. Research for Critical and Response Perspectives

With students being exposed to both digital and printed text(s), literacy educators must provide their students with the ability to critically assess the text they encounter in both the classroom, as well as in the real world (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).

According to Dr. Almasi, it is vital to integrate the response perspective into our literacy lessons affording our students the chance to connect to the text or texts they read (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010e).

16. References

Barton, J., & Sawyer, D. (2003). Our students are ready for this: Comprehension instruction in

the elementary school.The Reading Teacher ,54 (4), 334-347.).

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting text. [Webcast].The beginning reader, PreK-3.Baltimore: author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Changes in Literacy Education. [Webcast].The beginning reader, PreK-3.Baltimore: author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Critical Perspective. [Webcast].The beginning reader, preK-3.Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Interactive Perspective: Strategic

Processing. [Webcast].The beginning reader, PreK-3.Baltimore: author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Response Perspective. [WebCast].The

beginning reader, preK-3 . Baltimore, MD: Author.

Tompkins, G. E. (2010).Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach(5th ed.). Boston:Allyn & Bacon.

17. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss