1. Creating a Classroom Environment Rich in Meaningful Print in context. 2. Review some key elements that contribute to an environment rich in meaningful text and identify ways they can apply this to their teaching space.

1. Literacy:
Creating a Classroom
Environment Rich in
Meaningful Print in Context
Mark Barratt

2. What do you know?
In your tables:
Write down as many facts as you can about bananas…...

3. Outcome (WALT):
• Review some key elements that contribute to an environment rich in
meaningful text and identify ways they can apply this to their
teaching space
Success Criteria:
• Teachers will be able to state why text rich environments are
important
• Teachers will be able to name 3 ways to make a classroom
environment rich in meaningful text
• Teachers will apply these elements to their classroom environment

4. Text rich classrooms are important!!
As we all know, the classroom environment is a second teacher for any student.
A large amount of the student’s time is spent in a school classroom. We therefore need
to maximise the learning teach to capitalise on this by providing many and varied
opportunities for language acquisition.
93% of our students learn English as an additional language. We therefore need to
surround the language learner with correct models of language. This is especially so for
EAL in upper primary and CALP
These opportunities should be both passive and active for the learner. The classroom is
one variable in teaching that we have a lot of control over. We need to maximise what
we have control over.
Manzarno amongst others argues that vocabulary and conceptual comprehension
improves significantly if words are learnt that are important to students i.e. what they are
learning.

5. Print Rich Environments
Teacher and students create:
• Labels
• Anchor Charts
• Signs
• Lists
• Timetables
• Word Banks
• Explanations
• Writing examples
• Instructions
• Topic Displays
Jot Thoughts:
How else might you promote print rich
classroom environments??

6. Anchor Charts:
Anchor charts are created during the instruction of the lesson. As the teacher
models the lesson or strategy, the lesson reinforcement or strategy tool in written
up on chart paper.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/genia-connell/12-steps-creating-language-rich-environment/
Examples:

7. Word Banks
• Word banks that grow over time eg. “Instead of Said” - students ad
• “stick it” notes for different dialogue tags
• Word banks that relate to the current learning eg. transition words
fiction writing
• Word banks related to topics
• Students need to have ownership of the word bank.
• It needs to be a living list
• It may not look pretty

8. Vocabulary Building
• Word of the Week chart
• Word Maps

9. Using students’ predictions,
questions and ideas
• At the start of the lesson
What I know, What I want to find out…
• Add text to the artwork
that provides transcripts of students
conversation. This shows students that
their ideas are important and
provides an opportunity
to model language

10. Praxis - thinking in action
Decide upon one activity that you are going to do to make the classroom
environment more rich in print.
By next Tuesday morning send Dayana a photo of what you’ve added to the
classroom.