This document discusses strategies for developing literacy in students. It emphasizes the importance of creating a print-rich environment and getting to know students' interests to engage them. The author discusses administering assessments, selecting texts, and creating lesson plans incorporating critical and response perspectives to improve comprehension. Interactive activities like playing a space song and using a KWL chart to explore concepts are recommended.

1. By: Sharday Taylor
Walden University

2. A literate environment
is a print-rich
environment that
reinforces student’s
awareness of text.
Literacy is the
competence of a
student that acquires
in both writing and
reading (Tompkins,
2010).

3.  Administrating pre and post
assessments
 Selecting appropriate and interesting
texts
 Learning students interests
 Creating effective lesson plans
 Encourage classroom participation
 Giving opportunity to allow students to
express themselves

4. Learning students  Ways to get to
interest and know students
planning include:
accordingly  Conversations
creates an  Observations
atmosphere full of  Parent Surveys
intriguing students  Collaborating with
yearning to gain former teachers
knowledge.  Assessments
 Literacy
Autobiographies

5. Getting to know my students cont.
 I used different routes to learn my students interest.
Teaching pre-kindergarten I found that the best atmosphere
to truly learn students is when they are in there natural
character, such places as lunch, recess, and center time. I
provided parents with a survey before school starts so I can
began to learn about my students. “Me Stew” is another way
I can get to know my students. It requires students to bring
in items that fit into a brown lunch paper bag that represent
who they are and what they like(Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010).

6. Parent survey
 *Describe your child's strength. (Do not limit to
academic ability, please include physical and
social strengths too.)
*What does your child enjoy doing?
*What do you want your child to achieve pre-
kindergarten?
*Describe any concerns you would like addressed
this school year?
*Please list any additional information about your
child, which would be helpful for me to know (Pro
Teacher, 2007).

7. SELECTING TEXTS
 Effective teachers systematically and carefully plan for productive use of
instructional time. While planning teachers take into considerations what
their students may enjoy learning and still meeting the grade standards.
Finding texts that fit the needs of my students takes time and dedication. I
have to find texts that are developmentally appropriate, aligned with the
curriculum and interesting. Choosing developmentally appropriate text is
vital. If texts were too difficult it could cause student’s self esteem to
decrease and it will build an ineffective reader. Choosing texts that address
students background, culture, and family traditions will help develop
diverse readers.

8. Selecting Text Cont.
The texts selected were
 The Solar System by Alexander Gordon Smith (non-fiction)
Our Nine Planets by Franklyn D. Branley
Narrative
Online Text (Article)
 The Solar System by B. Reigot

9. Interactive Perspective
 The goal of the interactive
perspective is to help develop
strategic readers and
writers(Laureate Education, Inc.,
2010). Creating and implementing
lesson plans that incorporate
interactive perspectives helps
merge students from learning to
read to reading to learn (Laureate
Education, Inc 2010). The lesson
plan subject was “Our Solar
System”, a subject that students
found interesting.

10. Interactive Perspective
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
 To open the lesson I played a space action song where students pretended
to be astronauts exploring the classroom as if it was space. Following the
song we created a Know, Wants to Know, and Learned (KWL) chart.
Students shared what they already knew about our solar system, anything
they may have wanted to know about our solar system, and once the lesson
was completed we reviewed the lesson and added what we have learned.
We explored the book, The Planets in Our Solar System, taking a picture
walk to help add to the KWL chart. Students who are emergent readers
were encouraged to notice any words they may recognize to help reinforce
sight words they have been learning. We explored a non-fiction book The
Solar System in order to compare and contrast. I read facts from the non-
fiction story to the students and asked students if the previous book stated
different or similar facts. Following the comparison and contrast students
were directed to share what they have learned and asked to draw a
corresponding picture. Some students wrote words using invented spelling
to describe their pictures, some students wrote the beginning sounds of
their picture, and other students had their picture dictated.

11. Critical and Response Perspectives
 The critical perspective teaches
students how to examine a text,
think critically about it and judge
that text (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2010). This course has shown
me the importance of activating
students ability to think critically.
As a pre-kindergarten teacher I
tend to stay focus on the basics,
identifying and writing letters,
letter-sound relationships, and
etc. Promoting critical thinking is
just as important because it helps
embrace students individuality.
They examine text from different
perspectives, as the author and
various characters.

12. Critical and Response Perspectives
Cont.
 The response perspective gives students space to
experience the text, and to respond to the text (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2010b).
 Initially, I thought that critical and response perspectives
were the same which was wrong. I have learned that they
coincide with each other and are equally important. I
learned that critical perspectives is viewing a text from
other points of view and response perspectives is viewing
text from within. Comprehension is better developed when
students are exposed to viewing perspectives. Including
critical and response perspectives in literacy will help
develop confidence within themselves and learn about
their own abilities, interests, and needs (Burke, 2001).

13. Methods used to implement critical
and responsive perspectives
 Interactive read aloud
 provide students with enough support to construct their
own meaning and transact with the text in a way that
made sense and gave purpose to them individually
(Durand, Howell, & Schumacher)
 Q & A Session
 I asked students questions that requires them to think
critically. Such questions as
 What do you think the author wanted the reader to know
 How would you feel if…

14. Literacy develops over time as students progress from emerging
to skilled readers who can comprehend and analyze complex
text. Strategies for increasing literacy development focus not
only on improving reading skills, but also on developing the
higher-order thinking skills that enable students to
comprehend, analyze, and communicate about ideas (Focus on
Effectiveness, 2005). Developing critical and response
perspective will help mold students into strong readers.

15. References
 Burke S.J., (2001). A national curriculum defines what children learn
schools. Seychelles National Curriculum. Retrieved from:
http://www.education.gov.sc/menu_files/CurriFramework.PDF
 Focus on effectiveness. (2005). Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory. Retrieved from:
http://www.netc.org/focus/challenges/literacy.php
 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The Beginning Reader
[Video webcast]. Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6071936
&Survey=1&47=
7099940&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
 Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced
approach. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon