A literate environment provides meaningful learning experiences that meet students' developmental and academic needs through a variety of rich texts, instruction, and activities. It requires a deep understanding of students gained through assessments, appropriate text selection using tools like the literacy matrix, and literacy instruction addressing interactive, critical, and response perspectives to increase literacy learning for all.

1. LITERATE ENVIRONMENT
ANALYSIS
MEGAN CHARCHALIS
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
EDUC 6706G -10: BEGINNING READER PREK -3
INSTRUCTOR: DR. CASSANDRA BOSIER

2. WHAT IS A LITERATE
ENVIRONMENT?
A literate environment is engaging classroom
atmosphere that provides meaningful learning
experiences while meeting the developmental and
academic needs of all learners. A variety of rich
texts, instruction, and activities are provided to
increase the levels of literacy learning and
understanding for all students.

3. ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A
LITERATE ENVIRONMENT
• A deep understanding of
students
• Appropriate Text Selection
• Literacy Instruction :
• Interactive
• Critical
• Response

4. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS
Gaining an understanding of student academic ability, as well as
personal experiences and interests are a key component of a
literate environment. Using cognitive and non-cognitive
assessments can help you to build a deep understanding of your
learners and you can apply this insight to your instructional and
text decisions.
Examples of assessments used in my classroom:
• Cognitive: letter recognition, phoneme, and sight word
checklists that align to state and district standards
• Non-cognitive: “All About Me” posters
(posters students create that include facts or pictures
about their family, likes, dislikes, pets, strengths, and
hobbies )
These assessments helped me to create effective instructional practices while adhering to
students' ability levels and personal interests, all of which align to the Framework for Literacy
Insruction (Walden University, 2011).

5. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS
CONTINUED
As Almasi (2011) suggests throughout her research, it is necessary to
talk with your students about their world, interests, and cultural
background in order to see how they think and learn most effectively
(Laureate Education, Inc.). Using a variety of assessments will help you
to gain insight into a child's academic ability and personal experiences.
This knowledge will help you to provide them with the most beneficial
instruction to challenge them as they become lifelong learners.
Resources I used to support this research-based practice in my
classroom:
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c). Getting to know your learners.
[DVD]. The beginning reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Walden University (2011). Framework for literacy instruction. Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700120&Survey=1&477729
097&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

6. SELECTING TEXTS
Text selection is a vital component of any literate environment.
Incorporating a variety of texts that meet students developmental and
academic needs, while adhering to their interests will help to foster a
strong foundation of literacy skills.
When beginning text selection, some important things to consider are:
• Using a variety of texts (such as narrative, informative, and online)
• Dimensions of difficulty
• Literacy Matrix (a tool used to analyze text according to linguistic,
versus semiotic and narrative versus informative)

7. SELECTING TEXTS
CONTINUED
Literacy Matrix
Dimensions of
Difficulty Semiotic
(pictures)
• Readability
• text length Narrative Informative
• text structure
• size of print,
• visual support Linguistic
(words)
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011)

8. SELECTING TEXTS
CONTINUED
As Stephens (2008) suggests throughout his research, ―[Students] need
to experience a variety of texts in order to progress successfully as
readers and writers‖ (p. 488). Using resources such as the literacy
matrix and dimensions of difficulty as presented by Dr. Hartman and Dr.
Alamasi (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) will aid in text selection. A
variety of appropriate texts will increase the levels of literacy learning in
our classrooms.
Resources I used to support this research-based practice in my classroom:
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Analyzing and selecting
text. [DVD]. The beginning reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Stephens, K. E. (2008). A quick guide to selecting great informational books for
young children. Reading teacher, 61(6), 488–490. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.

9. LITERACY
INSTRUCTION
The Framework for Literacy Instruction suggests that teacher
strive to address three perspectives of learning. Incorporating
these three perspectives will allow students to make deeper
connections to text, while increasing their literacy learning.
Interactive Response
Perspective Perspective
Critical
Perspective

10. LITERACY INSTRUCTION:
INTERACTIVE PERSPECTIVE
When creating a literate environment we must promote students'
strategic processing while addressing the cognitive and metacognitive
needs of our students through the interactive perspective.
Activities that you can use in your classroom to address this perspective:
Guided Reading Groups, Read-Alouds, Modeling, Word Walls,
K-W-L Charts
During the above activities I am able to help my students build phonemic awareness, phonics,
comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills; all of which will lead to their success in reading
and writing. Through this learning perspective, I taught my student various reading strategies,
increased their metacognition, and provided meaningful opportunities to develop their literacy
skills.

11. INTERACTIVE INSTRUCTION
CONTINUED
Incorporating the interactive perspective will help enhance
student learning, while reinforcing the importance of literacy
strategies. We must remember that, ―…as children practice
these strategies in a group setting, they will habituate them
and will transfer them to other appropriate settings
independently‖ (Stahl, 2004, p. 598). Providing students with
continuous opportunities to use the skills and strategies
introduced will lead to a stronger, solid literacy foundation.
Resources I used to support this research-based practice in my classroom:
• Stahl, K. (2004). Proof, practice, and promise: Comprehension strategy
instruction in the primary grades. Reading teacher, 57(7), 598-609. Retrieved
from EBSCOhost.
• Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th
ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

12. LITERACY INSTRUCTION:
CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVES
To build a successful literate environment, it is imperative
that students are provided with opportunities to think
critically and to explore their own thoughts and feelings about
classroom texts. Using these perspectives will allow students
to connect more deeply to the text, while increasing literacy
skills.
• Critical Perspective: evaluate, judge, and
examine texts
• Response Perspective: discuss, interpret, and
connect

13. CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
An example of an activity used in my classroom
to incorporate these perspectives of learning:
Text: Little Red Hen by Amanda Wheeler
Setting: Whole Group read-aloud
Activity:
• Critical: After reading, students critically examine the intentions
of the characters and author. Students share their opinion of
the hen’s actions through a classroom graph.
• Response: After reading, students share their opinions of the
story through journaling or ―think-pair-share‖.

14. CRITICAL AND RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE
CONTINUED
As suggested, ―reading instruction needs to empower students
so they can comprehend real life situations‖ (Clyde, 2003, p.
159). Incorporating these perpectives through activities that
include guided reading, read-aloud, and journaling can not only
lead to deeper thinking, but will also lead to well-rounded
readers who can read effectively and are excited to read.
Resources I used to support this research-based practice in my classroom:
• Clyde, J. A. (2003). Stepping inside the story world: The subtext strategy—a tool for
connecting and comprehending. The Reading Teacher, 57(2), 150–160. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Critical perspective. [DVD].
The beginning reader, PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.

15. A LITERATE ENVIRONMENT
Getting to
know your
students
Successful
Literacy
text
Instruction
selection