1. Creating a Literate
Environment:
Analysis
Sara Castiglia
The Beginning Reader, Pre K-3
(EDUC - 6706G - 10)
Dr. Cassandra Bosier
October 23rd, 2011

2. **Emergent Literacy is a child’s earliest reading
and writing development before conventional
reading and writing** (Tompkins, 2010).

3. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
P-3
• In order to successfully learn about our literacy
learners, it is important to gather data through
both cognitive and non-cognitive assessments.
• A cognitive assessment will help to gain insight
into the student’s skills, strategies, and
development across the five pillars.
• Non-cognitive or affective assessments help to
discover information about students motivation,
attitude, beliefs, and interests.
*My cognitive assessment was our
school district’s evaluation that is
For the non-cognitive assessment, I chose to create my own
given to each Kindergartener at the Emergent Literacy Reading Survey. This could be considered a
beginning of the school year. This teacher questioning assessment or reading inventory. This type
assessment tests for letter and of survey helps teachers to understand students basic
sound identification and understanding of text along with outside things that make them
phonological awareness; rhyme interested in reading (Afflerbach, 2007). The questions used in
recognition, sound sorting- this survey were effective because they gave the students a
chance to show how they felt regarding literacy rather than
beginning sound, phoneme
whether or not they could read.
blending, and print concepts.

4. Selecting Texts:
Being able to critically analyze texts is very helpful for our students (Laureate
Education Inc., 2011 a).
• As educators of early literacy, it is crucial that we broaden our thinking concerning the
texts we choose to use with our students. We need to include a wider range of texts in
our repertoire that vary in regards to the linguistic, semiotic, narrative, and
informational needs and interests of our students. We must go beyond the literacy
programs enforced within districts in order to enhance our students’ not only our
student’s literacy learning but also hopefully a lifetime of loving literacy.
• Educators of early literacy have an important job, to find and utilize appropriate
and engaging texts for all students, regardless of their abilities. One resource to
consider, that will help this job be successful, is the Literacy Matrix described on
the next slide. This resource will help us to successfully choose appropriate books
as well enhance our ability to critically analyze our texts (Laureate Education, Inc,
2011 a).

5. The Literacy Matrix
The literacy matrix is a phenomenal tool to use when analyzing texts. The literacy matrix has you think of texts
along two different continuums; narrative-informational, and linguistic-semiotic. Semiotic which happened to
be a new term for myself, means that a text communicates its message through something other than words;
pictures, moving pictures, icons, etc. Depending on the type of text, you will be able to follow the matrix and
locate the text in the correct quadrant. This will help to show how two of the same types of books differ. Once
you start plotting your books on the matrix, you can see any patterns that may be developing in the types of
books you choose. (Laureate Education Inc., 2011 a)
Linguistic Continuum
Narrative Continuum Informational Continuum
Semiotic Continuum

6. Literacy Lesson:
Interactive Perspective
• It is extremely important for students learn and retain specific
literacy skills and strategies that they are given but it is just as
important for students to take control over their learning. They do
this by learning to be strategic and metacognitive while reading
• The goal of the interactive perspective is to be able to have your
students become not only strategic readers but writers as well. This
is known as strategic processors. We have to support our students
independent strategic use of the reading and writing strategies that
we have taught them in order for them to become strategic thinkers
(Laureate Inc., 2010b).

7. More from the Interactive Perspective

I was able to activate their schema, Shared reading is an invaluable strategy
or prior knowledge regarding pets. for emergent reading for many reasons.
Schema is a great strategy that It helps you to promote your students
allows students to make connections literacy development across the five
to things around them (Laureate Inc., pillars. In addition, with shared reading
2010a). Having a discussion and in the emergent level, big books are used
activating schema helps students to which allow your students to be able to
understand the text while reading. have their own eyes on the actual text.
While reading our big book text, my
students remained focused on the words
that I was reading and highlighting. This
shared reading became a valuable
community reading experience for my
small group (Laureate Inc., 2010b).
This lesson was meant to enhance the
literary strategies that are being introduced
in this Kindergarten classroom. Students
must learn to be able to take control of their
literacy learning and use skills and strategies
independently. The students within my group
were able to take the skills and strategies
taught throughout the read aloud and create
their own sentence stories

8. Lesson Plan:
Critical and Response Perspectives
The Responsive
Our students need to be Perspective allows our
able to think critically students to read, react, and
about the texts they are respond to text in a variety
reading while also of meaningful ways (Walden
responding and reacting to University, 2001).
the text (Laureate Inc.,
2011). The Critical
Perspective of the
Literacy Matrix enforces
the ability of our students
to judging, evaluate, and
think critically about text.
**It is our responsibility as educators to
provide opportunities for our student to
enhance their critical and responsive
thinking to ensure future success.

9. More from the
Critical and Response Perspectives 
• The instructional practice used within this lesson was guided reading. Guided
reading is a small group of students that work with their teacher to read a
book at their instructional level. There are many components to guided
reading. The ones used in this lesson were the teacher supports the students’
reading in an appropriate instructional level and literacy strategies and skills
are taught (Tompkins, 2010).
• Including both the critical and response perspectives in literary instruction is
extremely powerful for the success of our students. When our students use an
open mind and respond properly when reading and analyzing texts, they will
learn about things that they may not have had the opportunity to learn. This
includes different cultures, religions, and racial differences.

10. Viewer Feedback is Always Appreciated

1. What new insights about emergent literacy instruction did
you gain after viewing this presentation?
2. Did the information presented change or enhance your own
literacy practices and/or interactions with students?
3. Are there any ways where I can further support your
literacy development of your students? Are there any ways
in which you feel you could support me?
4. Any questions?
Thank you!

11. References
• Afflerbach, P. (2007). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12. Newark, DE:
International Reading Association.
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Analyzing and Selecting Text. [Webcast]. The
beginning reader PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). Virtual field experience: Strategic processing.
[Webcast]. The Beginning Reader PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c).Critical 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