This document discusses creating a literacy-rich environment for PreK-3 students. It describes key components of an effective literacy environment including getting to know students' needs, selecting developmentally appropriate texts, and using assessments to guide instruction. Specific strategies are provided for teaching emergent and beginning literacy learners, such as interactive read-alouds, shared reading, and modeling metacognition. The document emphasizes using a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts paired through twin texts, digital media, and writing activities to increase motivation and build critical literacy skills.

1. Creating PreK-3 Literacy
Environments
Channellle Deley
Read 6706:
LIteracy Development
Walden University
2016

2. Presentation Topics:
What does a literacy environment look like?
How do I get to know my students and their needs?
How do I select appropriate texts to address the needs of my
students?
How can I teach an emergent literacy learner?
How can I teach a beginning literacy learner?
What have I been learning?

3. What is a Literacy Environment:
● A literacy rich classroom has the best interest of the child in mind.
● Providing students an opportunity to think critically and engage using
reading, writing, speaking and listening strategies will develop skills
necessary for the 21st century learner.
● Building upon the background knowledge and experiences of
students, they learn to become active participants within their
environments (Reutzel and Cooter, 2015)
● Teachers can gain information about their students by interacting
with families, engaging with students, and using noncognitive and
cognitive assessments.

4. What Does A Literacy Environment Look Like:
Texts are selected using the Literacy Matrix and
specifically target the developmentally levels of the students
Instruction reflects aspects of the Framework of Literacy
Teacher is responsive to students’ needs, interests and
considers motivational factors when planning instruction
Instruction incorporates “The Five Pillars” (Laureate
Education, 2014a) - phonemic awareness
- fluency
- comprehension
- phonics
- vocabulary

5. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
Effective literacy instruction begins by the teacher gathering
important information about each student in the literacy classroom.
Noncognitive assessments are used to measure the motivation,
engagement, self-concept, agency, interest, and attitude of students
Cognitive assessments measure the literacy skills
and strategies mastered by students (Afflerbach, 2012).

6. Assessments used for the Emergent Learner:
Noncognitive:
● My Feelings About Reading (Mariotti, n.d). & parts of the Writing Attitude Survey (Kear,
Coffman, McKenna & Ambrosio, 2000).
Cognitive:
● Teacher Rated Oral Language Literacy (Reutzel and Cooter, 2015)
● Metalinguistic Interview (Reutzel and Cooter, 2015)
Assessments used for the Beginning Learner:
Noncognitive:
● Me and My Reading Profile (Marinak, Malloy, Gambrell, Mazzoni, 2015).
Cognitive:
● Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment (2014) - Running Record
● Starpoint Phonics Assessment (Reutzel and Cooter, 2015)

7. How Do I Select Texts
Using Hartman’s Literacy Matrix tool, as well
Janice Almasi’s level of Text Difficulty I was able to select
developmentally appropriate texts. (Laureate Education, 2014b)
Informational Text Narrative Text:
Informational with Semiotic properties with semiotic features
* visuals
* diagrams * illustrations
READ - ALOUD
INSTRUCTIONAL READ
Informational and Narrative
Digital Text:
*factual information
* illustrations *illustrations
Narrative with semiotic
SHARED READ properties
INDEPENDENT LISTEN

8. Selecting Texts
The Literacy Matrix tool should be used to analyze and evaluate the appropriateness of texts used in a literate
environment. I used this tool designed by Hartman (Laureate Education, 2014b) to ensure that I used a variety of
texts that provided a variation of factors
Using “twin texts” (Camp, 2000) I was able to pair fiction and nonfiction books on the same topic to boost
students understanding and enjoyment. Through read alouds, shared reading, guided reading and interactive
listening using digital texts (Shanahan, 2013), students were learning critical reading and thinking skills necessary
for 21st century learners.
Linguistic
Informational Narrative
Easy
Hard
Semiotic

9. Emergent Literacy Learner Lesson:
● Promoting strategic thinking and metacognition in reading and writing was the foundation of the lesson and I
developed this through interactive read alouds and shared reading experiences, using high-quality children's
literature.
● When I considered the reading material to support higher level literacy development for my emergent learner, I
searched for texts with complex ideas worthy of discussion, well developed stories that offered rich and
complex language use, and integration of visuals that warranted deeper levels of processing skills.
Using the data from the noncognitive pre-assessment of my emergent learner, it was critical to stimulate the students’
interests and activate his prior knowledge. The power of using twin texts, read alouds, interactive shared reading and
student interaction elicited meaningful literacy instruction in both whole class and small group learning
environments.
● Through modeled expectations and effective questioning, students were encouraged to become active learners,
critical thinkers and analytical processors. The emergent learner in which I have been working with
demonstrated that through small group instruction and interaction with other students, he was able to activate
his prior knowledge, analyze text features, generate rhyme, summarize information from both a narrative and
informative text and expressive himself orally, while listening attentively to those around him.

10. Beginning Learner Literacy Lesson:
Data from the Fountas and Pinnell cognitive assessment indicated that comprehension needed to be strengthened if
the beginning learner was to become a successful reader and writer. Making predictions, accessing prior knowledge,
developing questions associated to a particular topic, using text structure and rereading texts were strategies that
were explicitly taught during the small group instruction through the use of informational and narrative texts. In order
to stimulate the students’ interests and activate her prior knowledge, it was imperative that I start with a whole class
read aloud using the story Bear Snores On
To promote literacy learners' strategic thinking and metacognition in the reading process, I had students organize
supplementary data by comparing information from text to text after reading the informational text Hibernation. This
instructional read encouraged students to activate their prior knowledge, make connections, ask questions and search
for new information.
By using effective writing strategies, the students discovered, refined ideas
composed and revised with confidence while increasing their skills (Rog, 2007).
With an emphasis on interactive read alouds and small group shared reading
experiences, students collaborated with each other, gained insightful information
regarding the topic of study, and used interactive dialogue to share their knowledge

11. Beginning Literacy Learner
- whole class discussion
- small group instruction
- intentional modeling
- interactive read aloud
- shared interactive reading
- guided reading
- graphic organizers
- Running Records:
comprehension analysis
- guided writing
- interactive writing
Emergent Literacy Learner
- whole class discussion
- small group instruction
- intentional modeling
- interactive read aloud
- shared interactive
reading
- graphic organizers
- interactive writing
Research -Based
Practices

12. REFLECTION
With an understanding that children have far less exposure to informational text than narrative text both in the classroom and
at home, pairing two pieces of literature while focusing on the needs of students can be achieved through cognitive and
noncognitive assessments. With an emphasis on interactive read alouds, small group instruction and shared reading
experiences, students can collaborate with each other, gain insightful information and use interactive dialogue to share their
knowledge.
Through digital media and writing activities, students transfer their knowledge into meaningful contexts which increases
student motivation (Laureate Education, 2014c). Exposing students to valuable resources and selecting texts that increase
student motivation, build important literacy skills, and lay the groundwork for students to grow into confident, purposeful
readers is critical in the literacy learning environment.
Using the Literacy Framework as a planning tool ensures that literacy instruction prepares students
with 21st-century literacy skills and provides educators with a focus on the essential literacy
components including oral language, phonological awareness, concept of print, phonics, fluency, vocabulary,
and comprehension.
Designing a literacy plan that incorporates all components using The Five Pillars would ensure that the
classroom learning environment provides new ways of making the learning journey accessible for all learners.

13. REFERENCES
Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment: K–12 (2nd ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association
Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400–408.
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 (Producer). (2014a). The beginning reader [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014b). Analyzing and selecting texts [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014c). Thinking critically about text [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Mariotti, A. P. (n. d.). Using interest inventories with struggling and unmotivated readers. Retrieved from
http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415802093/newsupdates/Interest-Inventories.pdf
Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B., Jr. (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.
Shanahan, T. (2013). The Common Core ate my baby and other urban legends. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 8 of 8 leadership/dec12/vol70/num04/The-Common-Core-Ate-My-Baby-and-OtherUrban-Legends.aspx