Understanding emergent and beginning literacy learners.

1. Jocelyn Caswell
Walden University
READ 6706

2. Getting to Know Emergent
and Beginning Learners
“Teach students, not the text.”
-Dr. Janice Almasi
Laureate Education (2014k)
Knowing our students in regards to interests, background
knowledge and cognitive measures aids teachers in teaching
to the student, rather than to the content. Non-cognitive and
cognitive assessments give teachers valuable information
regarding literacy learners.

3. Assessments
Non-cognitive assessments
such as interest inventories,
interviews and observations,
measure student interest for
motivational purposes, as well
as, give information
concerning student history
and background knowledge.
Cognitive assessments
measure a student’s
developmental progress in
literacy such as phonemic
awareness, concepts of print,
decoding, fluency, or
comprehension.
“Finding independent, instructional and hard text levels is the first step in
motivating a struggling reader and finding interests.”
-Arleen Mariotti
Mariotti, A. P. (n.d.)

4. Selecting Texts
Literacy Matrix-
Dr. Douglas Hartman (2014a) uses
a matrix that spans semiotic to
linguistic and narrative to
informational. This matrix can be
used in evaluating text to
determine how a text fits with
literacy goals and student goals.
Words
Pictures or Icons-
Communicating without
words.
ê
é

5. Selecting Texts
Text Complexity
Janice Almasi (2014a) discusses
using difficulty considerations
when selecting a text.
• Readability
• Sentence length, number of syllables, density.
• Text Length
• Text Structure
• Informational, descriptive, compare/contrast.
• Size of Print
• Text Features

6. Selecting Texts-Multiple Genres
Non-Fiction Text
Dr. Susan Neuman
(2014m) discusses the need
to provide more
informational text in the
early years of literacy
instruction.
Twin Texts-
Camp (2000) discusses how
books of different genres
surrounding the same topic can
be utilized to build student
understanding. For example,
a fiction and non-fiction text
on fishing.

7. Emergent Literacy Learner
Oral Language Development Strategies
Rule of Five-Students are taught to use five words in each sentence
using a precut hand scaffold. The strategy can also feed into writing
as students write five words per sentence (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).
Concepts About Print Strategies
Masking or Highlighting Print-Focus can include any concept of
print. Using the focus, the teacher masks or highlights the
corresponding feature. While reading aloud, as the concept is
approached, students work to identify the masked feature (Reutzel
and Cooter, 2016).
Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetic Principle Strategies
Picture Box Sound Counting-Use picture cards to pronounce
words slowly, placing a chip in a box for each sound (Reutzel
and Cooter, 2016).

8. Emergent Literacy Lesson
Reading Instruction-Identifying repetition in a variety of texts using a
teacher read-aloud. The lesson began with a picture walk for students
to build background knowledge and then the read-aloud commenced.
During this time, oral repetition of the text was modeled and
scaffolded by the teacher.
Writing-The students responded to the reading by creating a choice
writing about the text, conveying message through scribbling or
pictures.
Reflection-To increase student oral language development, I could
have added more opportunities for student to student interaction
using the “Rule of Five” strategy. In addition, I should have allowed
students to share their writing with other students using the same
strategy for oral language development.

9. Beginning Literacy Learner
Phonics Strategies
Button Sounds-Using phonics focus, create buttons that show
the sound/symbol relationship (Reutzel and Cooter,
2016).
Letter/Sound Mnemonics-Pictures used to connect picture to letter
(Ruetzel and Cooter, 2016).
Letter-Sound Cards-Using cards to remember key letter and
sound combinations. Once side contains the sound and the
other side contains a word that utilized the sound. (Reutzel and
Cooter, 2016).
OA
ROAD

10. Beginning Literacy Learner
Decoding and Segmenting
Sequential Segmenting Strategy-Explicit instruction with
modeling and guided practice for reading and writing. Orally
stretch out a word to hear and write each sound.(Reutzel and
Cooter, 2016).
Reading Fluency
Repeated Readings-Rereading a text and expanding on the
number of words read per minute, as well as, increased
comprehension and expression (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

11. Beginning Literacy Lesson
Reading Instruction (Fluency)-Students model fluent reading by
focusing on phrase and repetition in text. The teacher models the
strategy “Rhythm Walks”—working with “Just Right” texts and
partner, students use movement and repeated readings for fluency
(Peebles, 2007).
Writing Instruction-The students model how fluent reading aids in
text comprehension by writing a sequenced narrative post reading.
Students share narratives with a partner, modeling fluent reading.
Reflection-The movement enhanced student understanding of
fluency by providing a visual. In addition, the repeated reading
increased fluency. Next steps for instruction include using Rog’s
(2007) “Adding On At the End” strategy for writing. Using this
strategy, students revise writing to include additional details.

12. Reflection On Language and
Literacy Development
Reading Horizons (n.d) explains the five pillars of reading
instruction beginning with the foundation of oral language
development. Next, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary and comprehension are instructed. These pillars support
communication, receptive and expressive.
Language development is crucial for literacy development. Dr.
Lesley Morrow (2014m) discusses how language development has a
direct correlation with reading success, especially in the later years.

13. Reflection On Emergent and
Beginning Learners
Emergent readers are building precursor skills to reading such as oral
language, concepts of print, and phonemic awareness. Beginning readers
have mastered these skills and are working on reading skills such as phonics,
decoding and segmenting, oral reading fluency, and comprehension.
Emergent literacy learners are heavily reliant on teacher modeling and
scaffolding while beginning learners are building independence from
scaffolded instruction. Both learners benefit from a print-rich environments
and exposure to a variety of genres.
Emergent writers scribble and begin to form letters or rely on pictures to
convey meaning while beginning readers begin using inventive spelling to
communicate.
Reading and writing are interrelated processes and should be taught together
(Anderson and Briggs, 2011).

14. Reflection Continued
As a result of this course, I have learned the difference between an
emergent and beginning literacy learner. Emergent literacy learners
are building the foundational work for literacy while beginning
learners are building reading skills. I have also learned various
instructional strategies and assessments to provide improved
differentiation for learners.
This literacy presentation can be used to educate colleagues and
other professionals on the differences between emergent and
beginning literacy learners, as well as, strategies and assessments.
Knowing and understanding how to teach the subjects we teach is
vitally important for student achievement.

15. References
Anderson, N. L., & Briggs, C. (2011). Reciprocity between reading and writing: Strategic processing as
common ground. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), pp. 546-549. Doi:10.1598/RT.64.7.11
Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400–408.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014a). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014k). Getting to know your students [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014m). Informational text in the early years [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.
Mariotti, A. P. (n. d.). Using interest inventories with struggling and unmotivated readers. Retrieved July 21,
2015, from http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415802093/news-updates/Interest-
Inventories.pdf
Peebles, L. J. (2007). Incorporating movement with fluency instruction: A motivation for struggling readers.
Reading Teacher 60, no.6: 568-581. Doi:10.1598/RT.60.6.9
Reading Horizons. (n.d.). Five pillars of reading instruction. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://
www.readinghorizons.com/research/five-pillars-of-reading-instruction-strategies
Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B. (2016). Strategies for reading assessment and instruction: Helping every child succeed
(5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Rog, L. J. (2007). Marvelous minilessons for teaching beginning writing, K–3. Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.