This document discusses literacy assessment and instructional strategies for elementary students. It covers: 1) Standardized and non-cognitive assessments to understand students' reading abilities and interests. 2) Selecting texts that align with Hartman's literacy matrix to engage different skills. 3) Implementing interactive lessons that develop metacognition and strategic reading. 4) Eliciting feedback to strengthen instruction and support students' literacy development.

1. Kathryn Bretz
Walden University
Dr. Davenna Williams
EDUC 6706
February 19, 2012

2. Getting to Know Literacy
Learners
O Cognitive Assessment
tandardized
O S.T.A.R. Assessment
O Determines students’ reading esting for the
strategies, skills, and ssessment of
development.
O Provides students’ percentile eading
ranking, grade equivalent (Renaissance
score, oral reading Learning, 2012)
fluency, scaled
score, independent reading
level, and zone of proximal
development.
O Data is used to drive
instruction, tailor reading
lessons to suit students’ needs
and academic levels, and to
select appropriate materials.

3. Getting to Know Literacy
Learners
O Noncognitive Assessment
O Me Stew activity
O Uncover students’ (Laureate Education,
attitudes, interests and 2011a).
motivations regarding
reading.
O Creative Arts
O Helps teachers effectively
O Action Sports
select reading materials and
O Femininity
implement reading situations
that might have a
constructive impact on future
student achievement
(Afflerbach, 2007).

4. Selecting Texts
O Text Selection
O Making thoughtful and meaningful
decisions when choosing reading
material for learners. Narrative Semiotic
O Closely considering texts and the
purpose for those texts can be a
comprehensive practice for
classroom teachers
(Friese, Alvermann, Parkes, & Linguistic Informationa
Rezak, 2008). l
O Selected texts should cover
Hartman’s (2009) literacy matrix
various quadrants of the literacy
matrix (Laureate
Education, 2009).

5. Selecting Texts
o Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, by Doreen Cronin
(Narrative, Linguistic, Semiotic)
o Rock-a-Bye Cows, by Sam Curtis
(Informational, Linguistic)
o Oh, Crumps, by Lee Bock
(Narrative, Linguistic, Semiotic)

6. Interactive Perspective
 Teaching students how to read (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2011b).
 Training students to become metacognitive
thinkers and strategic processors.
 Reading and the strategies that students use to
read is a “deliberate, conscious, metacognitive act”
(Afflerbach, Pearson, and Paris, 2008, p. 368).
pond
Making Words (Tompkins
2010)

7. Critical and Response
Perspectives
O Critical Perspective O Response Perspective
O Allowing time for students to O Helping students make
activate their critical thinking personal connections to texts
skills helps them analyze texts
strengthens their
(Laureate Education, Inc.,
2011b). comprehension and has an
impact on their being
O My students are able to
analyze aspects of a text: (Laureate
author’s purpose, background, Education, Inc., 2011b).
ethnicity and more. O My students can better
understand how character feel
based on their own
experiences.
(Tompkins 2010)

8. In Conclusion…
Literacy educators must become far more involved
and deliberate in the lesson planning process. By
making time to know and appreciate their
learners, selecting texts that strengthen lessons and
engage the students, and implementing lessons that
address all three learning perspectives, these
educators create a literate environment. This
environment supports students with instruction that
will improve their foundational reading skills and
reading experiences that hold meaning.
“When children see reading as valuable, when they do it
regularly and successfully and for reasons that are authentic, it
becomes part of their lives” (Strickland & Walker, 2004, p.
415).

9. Feedback from Colleagues
and Family Members of
Students literacy
O What insights did you gain about
instruction from viewing this presentation?
O How might the information presented change
in your literacy practices and/or your literacy
interactions with students?
O In what ways can I support you in the literacy
development of your students or children?
O How might you support me in my work with
students or your children?
O What questions do you have?

10. References
Afflerbach, P. (2007). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
Afflerbach, P., Pearson, P. D., & Paris, S. G. (2008). Clarifying differences between reading skills and
reading strategies. Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364–373.
Friese, E. E., Alvermann, D. E., Parkes, A., & Rezak, A. T. (2008). Selecting texts for English
Language Arts classrooms: When assessment is not enough. English Teaching: Practice & Critique
, 74-99.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Analyzing and selecting text [Webcast].
The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Getting to know your students [Webcast]. In
The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). Perspectives on literacy learning. [Webcast].
The beginning reader PreK-3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Renaissance Learning. (2012). STAR Enterprise. Retrieved January 12, 2012, from STAR Reading
Enterprise : http://www.renlearn.com/sr/default.aspx
Strickland, K., & Walker, A. (2004). "Re-Valuing" Reading: Assessing Attitude and Providing
Appropriate Reading Support. Reading and Writing Quarterly , 401-418.
Tompkins, G.E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century. Laureate Education. Pearson Education Inc.
Published by Allyn & Bacon. Boston MA.