READ 6706 Literate Environment Analysis

1. LITERATE ENVIRONMENT
ANALYSIS
Created by: Kelsey Rice
Walden University
READ 6706: Literacy Development PreK-3

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
•Getting to Know Learners
•Selecting Texts
•Emergent Literacy Learners
•Beginning Literacy Learners
•Comparing and Contrasting Emergent vs.
Beginning
•Literacy Environments

3. GETTING TO KNOW EMERGENT AND
BEGINNING LITERACY LEARNERS
• Emergent Literacy Learners
• Noncognitive characteristics – Understanding students’ feelings towards literacy
practices
• Writing Attitude Assessment (WAS) – identifies students’ feelings towards writing and
converts it into a percentile score
• Enables educators to make informed decisions about engaging writing opportunities based
upon student interest
• Beginning Literacy Learners
• Fluency and Phonics Assessment – Understanding students’ current phoneme
segmentation and oral reading fluency
• DIBELS Benchmark Assessments – Series of minute Nonsense Word Fluency and oral reading
passages to determine whether students are At Benchmark, Below Benchmark, or Well Below
Benchmark at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year
• Enables educators to provide enrichment or intervention opportunities for advanced and
struggling learners

4. SELECTING TEXTS FOR EMERGENT AND
BEGINNING LITERACY LEARNERS
• Variety of texts focusing on one topic including:
• Informational text – Equips students with knowledge of graphic features like
maps, captions, headings, diagrams, labels, etcetera
• Narrative text – Strengthens students knowledge of story structure,
particularly characters, setting, and plot
• Digital text – Engages students in interactive, literacy based technology
• Text variety meets multiple Common Core Standards
• Text variety ranges from linguistic to semiotic and provides varying levels
of difficulty

5. INSTRUCTION FOR EMERGENT
LITERACY LEARNERS
• Teacher Read Alouds
• Models appropriate, effective close reading process
• Engages students in higher order thinking skills through using
complex texts beyond their current reading level
• Graphic Organizers
• Differentiates instruction for learners with a variety of needs
• Provides concrete visual representations
• Example:
• Venn Diagrams - Used to compare and contrast informational and narrative texts easily

6. INSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNING
LITERACY LEARNERS
• Choral Reading
• Teacher models appropriate rate, pace, expression, pausing, and volume for oral reading
• Students build confidence while reading texts multiple times
• Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (FORI)
• Collaborative Group Work
• Teaches appropriate social skills necessary for success
• Engages students
• Examples:
• Paired partners – Allows for a lower achieving student to
learn from a higher achieving student
• Small group – Students independently contribute ideas to create
a group project, activity, or assignment

7. EMERGENT VS. BEGINNING LITERACY
LEARNER INSTRUCTION
• Emergent Literacy Learner instruction
• Uses teacher-led strategies creating a safe, comfortable environment for Pre-K to
Kindergarten students
• Beginning Literacy Learner instruction
• Allows for more student autonomy and collaboration among first and second grade peers
• Both stages of literacy instruction provide students for learning opportunities including:
• Noncognitive characteristics
• Phonics
• Comprehension
• Fluency
• Writing

8. POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
• Print Rich Classrooms
• Colorful posters
• Word Walls
• Alphabet
• Student work samples
• Teacher read alouds
• Both narrative and informational
• Teacher modeling of reading and writing strategies
• Building students’ strategic processing and metacognition
• Writing extension activities
• Most engaging at the conclusion of a craft/art project

9. REFERENCES
• Burkins, J. (2016). Teacher read-aloud that models reading for deep understanding.
Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-
development/strategy-guides/teacher-read-aloud-that-30799.html
• Kear, D. J., Coffman, G. A., McKenna, M. C., & Ambrosio, A. L. (2000). Measuring
attitude toward writing: A new tool for teachers. Reading Teacher, 54(1), 10– 23.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Laureate Education (Producer). (2014). Analyzing and selecting texts [Video file].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
• NCTE. (2016). On reading, learning to read, and effective reading instruction: An
overview of what we know and how we know it. Retrieved from
http://www.ncte.org/positions/ statements/onreading
• Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B., Jr. (2016). Strategies for reading assessment and instruction:
Helping every child succeed (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
• Scholastic. (2016). Common core: Close reading. Retrieved from http://www.
scholastic.com/teachers/article/common-core-close-reading-0