Literate Environment Analysis Presentation

1. Literate Environment
Analysis Presentation
Taylor Siegel
Walden University
Linda Holcomb, Ph. D.
READ 6706: Literacy Development PreK-3

2. Getting to Know An Emergent Literacy
Learner
 Through various assessments, teachers can gain insight into areas of literacy
instruction that need to be addressed in order to better get to know an
emergent literacy learner.
Assessments to Use:
 To assess for knowledge of concepts of print use the Metalinguistic Interview
(Reutzel & Cooter, 2016)
 To assess listening comprehension use the Story Retelling Evaluation Guide
(Reutzel & Cooter, 2016)
 To assess a student’s oral language abilities use the Teacher Rating of Oral
Language and Literacy (Reutzel & Cooter, 2016)

3. Emergent Literacy Learners
 From assessments like the ones mentioned, teachers can then provide
support, intervention, or extension based on the results.
These can include:
 Audio Books
Students need to hear what good reading sounds like in an effort to become
more engaged in the reading process (Mariotti, n.d.).
 Adding a Writing Component
Illustrations help to enhance visual literacy abilities that lead to enhanced
comprehension skills (O’Neil, 2011).
 Writing Attitude Survey
A quick way to gauge attitude towards writing in order to find ways to improve
this attitude for the future .

4. Getting to Know A Beginning Literacy
Learner
 After gaining basic literacy skills, students begin working their ways towards
becoming beginning literacy learners in which they are becoming more
independent in their reading and writing abilities. Again, there are many
assessments to help in discovering methods for improvement and
enhancement for these learners.
Assessments:
 To assess attitude towards reading: Elementary Reading Attitude Survey
(McKenna & Kear, 1990)
 To assess reading comprehension and fluency: Oral Reading Fluency Test
(Reutzel & Cooter, 2016)
 To assess phonics skills: Starpoint Phonics Assessment (Reutzel & Cooter,
2016)

5. Beginning Literacy Learners
 As with emergent literacy learners, it is important to use the results of
assessments and surveys in order to find the next steps for progression of
literacy instruction.
Next Steps Can Include:
 Reader’s Theatre
This is excellent for improving confidence in students as they are reading out
loud (Reutzel & Cooter, 2016).
 Creating Nonsense Words
This can be beneficial for both phonics skills and incorporating writing strategies
for building that connection (Reutzel & Cooter, 2016).

6. Selecting Texts
 Progress in literacy skills decline as students progress through each grade
level. Therefore, text selection is crucial for closing this gap in achievement
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2014a).
 Creating a print-rich learning environment is also vital to student success
(Yopp & Yopp, 2012).
 Selecting texts on the same topic helps to enhance students literacy skills.
 For example, selecting an informational text, narrative text, and digital story
all around the topic of bats helps to enhance student knowledge of that topic
while exposing them to various forms of text.

7. Supporting Emergent Literacy Learners
 There is a need for pre-discussion of texts with emergent literacy
learners such as using picture walks before beginning a shared reading
experience (Laureate Education, Inc., 2014b).
 Encouraging writing after the reading process is important and
therefore there must be writing materials available (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2014b).
 In addition, incorporation of technology can help to engage the
students in literacy instruction (Davidson, 2009). Hence, there is a
need for technology use in the literacy environment for emergent
literacy learners.

8. Supporting Beginning Literacy Learners
 Not all students have the same preference for traditional
books versus digital texts (Taylor, 2012). Therefore, it is
important to ensure that a combination of text types are
being used in order to engage and motivate all students.
 Furthermore, providing writing materials and options is
imperative as writing is a skill necessary for survival in our
print-rich society (National Writing Project, 2010).

9. References
 Davidson, C. (2009). Children’s engagement with digital texts and literacies in the
home: Pressing matters for the teaching of English in early years of schooling. English
Teaching: Practice and Critique, 8(3), 36–54. Retrieved
from http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/files/2009v8n3art3.pdf
 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.
 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2014a). Informational text in the early
years [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_9725286_1&content_id=_27229820_1
 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2014b). Interactive perspective: Shared reading
[Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: author. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_9725286_1&content_id=_27229806_1
 Mariotti, A. P. (n. d.). Using interest inventories with struggling and unmotivated
readers. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from
http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415802093/news-updates/Interest-
Inventories.pdf

10. References Continued
 McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A
new tool for teachers. Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626–639. Retrieved from
http://www.bwgriffin.com/gsu/courses/edur9131/content/Reading_Attitude
s_McKenna_Kear_1990.pdf
 National Writing Project. (2010, April 14). New report finds that writing can
be powerful driver for improving reading skills. Retrieved
from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3126
 O’Neil, K. E. (2011). Reading pictures: Developing visual literacy for greater
comprehension. Reading Teacher, 65(3), 214–223.
 Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B. (2016). Strategies for reading assessment and
instruction: Helping every child succeed (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
 Taylor, M. F. (2012). Digital reading: A look at a second grade class. School
Library Monthly, 29(2), 11–14.
 Yopp, R. H., & Yopp, H. K. (2012). Young children’s limited and narrow
exposure to informational text. Reading Teacher, 65(7), 480–490.