This document provides an overview of literacy instruction for early readers. It discusses the importance of knowing literacy learners through assessments to understand their reading abilities and motivation. Effective literacy environments include selecting texts at an appropriate level using a literacy matrix, as well as lessons incorporating interactive, critical, and response perspectives. The interactive perspective teaches strategic reading, while the critical perspective examines multiple viewpoints and the response perspective allows personal reactions. Overall, the presentation emphasizes using a variety of assessments and instructional strategies to engage students as developing readers.

1. Literate Environment
Analysis Presentation
By: Katlyn Bardo
Walden University
Dr. Amy Summers
The Beginning Reader, Pre K-3
EDUC 6706

2. Importance of Knowing YourImportance of Knowing Your
Literacy LearnersLiteracy Learners
 Getting to know a set of students as
literacy learners means understanding
what makes them motivated to learn
reading and writing. Children are
naturally curious and constantly want to
know more (Afflerbach, 2012).
 Negative experiences can make certain
areas, like reading, a frustrating and
fearful subject that some students
attempt to avoid or learn ways to adapt
that may make learning how to read a
challenge (Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010a).
 As a teacher, it is important to find out
each student’s level of literacy
development and what types of texts and
topics encourage reading and their
personal interests.
 In order to pursue this, teachers must
develop effective literacy assessments
that will allow the teacher to get to know
the students’ cognitively and personally.

3. Essential Parts of a Literate
Environment
 Getting to know literacy learners
 Selecting texts
 Literacy instruction
 Interactive Perspective
 Critical Perspective
 Response Perspective

4. Getting to Know Literacy Learners,Getting to Know Literacy Learners,
P-3P-3
 AnAlysis:
These are the types of assessments that were used with my set of
students. These are used to understand students’ complex range
of reading skills and strategies.
 Cognitive assessment:
 Reading Inventory- get to know the student’s individual reading
abilities (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b)
 Other examples of cognitive assessments that may be
implemented:
 Dynamic Learners of Basic Early Literacy Skills Test (DIBELS)
(Dynamic Measurement Group, 2013)
 SRA Reading Mastery Direct Instruction Skills Test (Taken from our
school’s curriculum) (McGraw-Hill School Education, 2013)
 Affective (non-cognitive) assessment:
 Motivation to Read Profile- understand each student’s motivation
to read and aspects of engagement (Afflerbach, 2012)

5. Getting to Know Literacy Learners,Getting to Know Literacy Learners,
P-3P-3
 ReseARch:
 Reading inventories are great to use for students that
vary in ability. Using a reading inventory allows
teachers to better understand each student’s reading
development (Afflerbach, 2012).
 Reading inventories are a part of instruction that
include listening to students read, assessing oral
reading, note miscues, and asking literal and
inferential comprehension questions (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010b). These types of assessments
can be used formally or informally.

6. Getting to Know Literacy Learners,Getting to Know Literacy Learners,
P-3P-3
 RESEARCH
 Provides summative and formative assessment
information
 Help to understand students’ complex mix of
motivations, self-concepts, attitudes, interests,
and attributions which aids in developing effective
instructional strategies
(Afflerbach, 2012)

7. Selecting Texts
 The Literacy Matrix
(Framework for Literacy
Instruction, 2009):
 Used as a tool to
analyze and select texts
that will be meaningful
to the students’ literacy
needs (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010a).
 The literacy matrix can
help select texts from a
range of printed books
to digital media. Any
type of text can help
students reach their
literacy goals (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010a).
Linguistic (words)
Narrative
Semiotic (pictures)
Informational
 There are some things to consider
when selecting a text (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010a):
 Length of text
 Size of Print
 Number of sentences
 Text structure

8. Selecting Texts (Continued)
 Text chosen for Early Fluent Readers
 The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System written by
Joanna Cole
 National Geographic for Kids: Planets written by Elizabeth
Carney
 “Solar Storm Hits Earth” written by Stephanie Kraus (
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/solar-storm-hits-earth/27666)

9. Selecting Text Analysis
 “Teachers who use fiction and nonfiction trade books together may be rewarded
with students who are excited about learning” (Camp, 2000, p. 400). Young
students need a variety of books that foster and support their learning
throughout their educational career. There are many aspects to reflect on when
considering a text that is appropriate for a group of students. When analyzing
and selecting texts, it should be done by using the literacy matrix presented by
Dr. Hartman and Dr. Almasi in the video, “Analyzing and Selecting Text”
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). By looking at this matrix it can help determine
if the text is narrative or informational and having a good balance between the
two is necessary. Also, it helps to decipher if it uses more linguistics or semiotics
that fit properly with the group of students that are being considered.
Understanding how to select texts that have an appropriate balance across the
four areas will ensure the students are getting adequate structure and support in
their literacy.
 The students I worked with are early fluent readers. They are able to read more
pages on their own with more text per page. They can also decode richer
vocabulary and engage in more descriptive and formal language. They spend
more time using the text than referring to the pictures (A-Z Reading, 2013).

10. Literacy Lesson:
Interactive Perspective
 The interactive perspective teaches students how to be strategic
processors and thinkers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).
 Teachers need to show students how to properly use strategies when
reading. The ultimate goal is to promote students’ strategic processing
and metacognition.
 Worked with a small group of students in third grade reading on an end
of the year second grade level.
 Text used:
 National Geographic for Kids: Planets by Elizabeth Carney
 The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
 A K-W-L chart was use to access the students’ prior knowledge
 The lesson focused on their level of confidence in using reading
strategies (vocabulary, word recognition, comprehension, and fluency).
 The assessments consisted of observations of the students’ use of word
recognition and word decoding skills.

11. Literacy Lesson:
Interactive Perspective
 The students used the K-W-L chart throughout the
lesson to first access prior knowledge, then to add
any new information learned throughout the lesson.
 Students pointed out new vocabulary and it was
reviewed as a class prior to reading the texts.
 Students used a reading journal to record new
vocabulary, main ideas, and details about the text.
 Lesson extension: The students may create a
model of a planet(s) using new vocabulary to label
each part or aspect of space. The students will then
create a short report of space using their notes from
their reading journals to provide information to
others viewing their model.

12. Literacy Lesson:
Interactive Perspective
 Analysis:
 Using the interactive perspective I was able to learn ways of
addressing the needs of my learners. I was able to model and
allow them to practice appropriate skills and strategies in
reading.
 “Developing comprehension strategies through reading aloud
requires planning and setting up an environment of thinking,
listening, and discussion” (Gold & Gibson, 2012, par. 46). The
students had many opportunities of thinking aloud and listening
to others. There was an allotted time for discussions with sharing
ideas, asking questions, and responding. This skills practiced in
today’s lesson are skills that are required to be successful in any
future situation whether it is in education or in a career. Students
need to acquire these skills starting at an early age and continue
to practiced throughout their educational career.

13. Literacy Lesson:
Critical and Response
Perspectives
 The critical perspective teaches children how to examine text from
multiple perspectives.
 The response perspective involves a transaction with the text where
the reader is transformed by the text (Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010d). It allows children the opportunity to experience and respond
through texts.
 The whole class was included in this lesson which included the
small group of students used in the interactive perspective lesson.

14. Literacy Lesson:
Critical and Response
Perspectives
 The goal of this lesson was to determine the main idea, supporting
details, and the central message from the text. The students
needed to identify the author’s purpose of writing the article.
 Text used: “Solar Storm Hits Earth” written by Stephanie Kraus (
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/solar-storm-hits-earth/27666)
 The student referred to the K-W-L chart made from the small group
in the previous lesson. This was used to help access prior
knowledge.
 The students did a vocabulary preview to highlight any words they
were unfamiliar with. This was done by the teaching reading
through the article once.
 The students then read through the article a second time for
comprehension, author’s perspective, and the purpose of the text.
 The lesson ended by the students using their reading journals to
record new vocabulary and their thoughts about the text.
 Lesson extension: The students may search for a new article about
space and present the article to the class. The students will
present new and interesting vocabulary to the class along with the
article. The students can go through and discuss what they felt
was the meaning of the article and determine the author’s point of
view.

15. Literacy Lesson:
Critical and Response
Perspectives
 Analysis:
 Overall, the critical and response perspectives allow
students to become their own critics and philosophers
about what they read and how they read it. The response
perspective allows students to learn techniques that help
them recognize the ways in which their own arguments
are formed, and become better equipped to examine the
arguments of others (Milena, 2008). “A critical response
means understanding the text in a context” (Landay,
2000, par. 4). Students are able to understand what the
text is portraying and what the author actually wants the
reader to understand. In order to become successful
citizens of society, they need to be able to understand
other ideas and perspectives and how it relates to them
as an individual. Creating these types of literate
opportunities open all types of new doors for the literacy
world around the students and engage them to become
more avid and critical readers and become their own
thinkers.

16. Feedback
 What insights did you gain about literacy and literacy
instruction from viewing this presentation?
 How might the information presented change your
literacy practices and/or your literacy interactions
with students?
 In what ways can I support you in the literacy
development of your students or children? How
might you support me in my work with students or
your children?
 What questions do you have?

17. References
Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12 (2nd ed). Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
Dynamic Measurement Group. (2013). The authors of dibels. Retrieved from http://dibels.org/index.html
Framework for Literacy Instruction [Graphic Organizer]. (2009). Walden University. Retrieved from:
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps
%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3395942_1%26url%3D
Gold, J., & Gibson, A. (2012). Reading aloud to build comprehension. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/343/
Kraus, S. (2012, January 30). Solar storm hits earth. Retrieved from http://www.timeforkids.com/news/solar-
storm-hits-earth/27666
Landay, L. (2000). Critical response: A critical response results from interacting with ideas. Retrieved from
http://classes.berklee.edu/llanday/resources/criticalresp.html
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and selecting texts. [Webcast]. Baltimore.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Reading Inventories [Webcast]. Baltimore: Afflerbach
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Perspectives on literacy learning. [Webcast].
Baltimore: Dr. Alamsi.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Response perspective. [Video webcast] Baltimore:
Almasi. Milena. (2008).
McGraw-Hill School Education. (2013). Reading mastery. Retrieved from
https://www.mheonline.com/programMHID/view/0076181936
Reading A-Z. (2013). Stages of development. Retrieved from http://www.readinga-z.com/readinga-z-
levels/stages-of-development/