This document summarizes key aspects of literacy instruction for early readers. It discusses the importance of understanding students' interests, knowledge, and cognitive needs to create an engaging literacy environment. The document also outlines methods for assessing students, selecting appropriate narrative and informational texts, and teaching from interactive, critical, and response perspectives to develop well-rounded readers. A variety of literacy strategies are presented to address the different perspectives.

1. Caroline Stubbs
EDUC 6706: The Beginning Reader –PreK-3
Dr. Martha Moore
June 16, 2014

2. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
 To create a literate environment, it is important to
understand what interests and motivates our students
(Laureate Education, n.d.a). This includes what they love,
as well as, what knowledge they bring to the classroom. In
addition, we must understand their cognitive needs.
Teachers must assess students’ literacy development and
use assessment results to guide instruction (McKenna &
Kear, 1990). By understanding the affective and cognitive
needs of our students, we can plan appropriate lessons and
choose “just right” books (Tompkins, 2010). If we want to
motivate our students to become lifelong learners and
readers, we must make reading activities enjoyable (Scott,
1996).

3. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
Cognitive Assessment Affective Assessment
 Leveled Reading Passages
Assessment Kit (Houghton
Mifflin, n.d.).
This assessment provided
information about each
student’s instructional
reading level; phonics and
decoding skills; reading rate,
accuracy, and fluency;
reading comprehension
skills; and use of reading
strategies.
 Elementary Reading Attitude
Survey (ERAS; McKenna &
Kear, 1990).
This assessment provided
valuable insight into my
students’ attitudes toward
academic and recreational
reading. The information
helped me choose books that
appeal to their interests.

4. Selecting Texts
After determining the reading level of our students and understanding what
motivates them, we can begin to choose appropriate texts for our literacy
instruction.
 Teachers should select a balance of narrative and informational texts (Laureate
Education, n.d.b). Informational texts are especially important because they build
background knowledge and introduce vocabulary that students will need in order to
comprehend what they are reading (Laureate Education, n.d.c). The increase in use of
informational texts will serve to prevent the “4th grade slump.” This is the age when
students begin reading more informational text in school. If they have not had enough
exposure to informational text, they can’t keep up with increased text difficulty. They
lack content knowledge. In addition, we must teach text structures and skills for reading
informational text.
 In addition to ensuring a balance of narrative and informational text, we must balance
the use of linguistic texts, those that communicate with words, and semiotic texts,
those that communicate with pictures and icons (Laureate Education, n.d.b).
 The integration of digital texts will expose students to more semiotic texts and build
their skills in using technology tools, a necessary skill in the 21st century (Laureate
Education, n.d.b).

5. Selecting Texts
(Laureate Education, n.d.b)
Narrative
Linguistic:
communicates with
words
Semiotic:
communicates with
pictures and icons
Informational

6. Selecting Texts
For my literacy unit on chicks, I selected the following
texts:
Narrative: The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra
Ginsburg; Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones by Ruth
Heller
Informational: See How They Grow: Chick by Angela
Royston
Digital: A Chick Grows Up by Pam Zolman; Rosie’s Walk
by Pat Hutchins

7. Perspectives on Literacy Learning
(“Framework,” n.d.)
Interactive
Perspective
Response
Perspective
Critical
Perspective

8. Interactive Perspective
 The goal of the interactive
perspective is to teach
students to be reflective
and self-regulating readers
and writers. We must teach
students different
strategies for reading
informational and
narrative texts then give
them the experience and
confidence to choose
which strategy to use
(Laureate Education,
n.d.d).
Teaching strategies include:
 Activating prior knowledge
 Think aloud
 Read aloud
 Guided reading
 Shared reading

9. Critical Perspective
 The goal of the critical
perspective is to teach
students to judge, evaluate,
and think critically about a
text (“Framework,” n.d.).
Students may evaluate the
credibility of online
sources of information or
examine the author’s
purpose for writing the
text (Laureate Education,
n.d.e).
Teaching strategies include:
 connection stems
 switching
 alternative texts
 mind and alternate mind
portraits
(Molden, 2007).

10. Response Perspective
 The goal of the response
perspective is to provide
students with the
opportunity to connect
personally and
emotionally to a text
(Laureate Education,
n.d. f).
 Teaching strategies
include:
 Response journals
 Artistic interpretations
 Character journals

11. Balanced Literacy Instruction
 To create well-rounded, lifelong learners, it is not
enough to teach students how to read. We must teach
them how to critically examine texts and respond to
texts in meaningful ways. We must address all three
perspectives in order to accomplish this goal.

12. Questions to Consider:
 What insights did you gain about literacy instruction
from viewing this presentation?
 How might the information presented change your
literacy practices and/or your literacy interactions with
students?
 In what ways can I support you in the literacy
development of your students or children? How might
you support me in my work with students or your
children?
 What questions do you have?

13. References
 Houghton Mifflin. (n.d.). Leveled reading passages assessment kit. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.a). Getting to Know Your Students. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.b). Analyzing and selecting text. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.c). Informational text in the early years. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.d). Interactive perspective: strategic processing.
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.e). Critical perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
 Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.f). Response perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://class.waldenu.edu

14. References
 McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new
tool for teachers. The Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626--639.
 Molden, K. (2007). Critical literacy, the right answer for the reading classroom:
Strategies to move beyond comprehension for reading improvement.
Reading Improvement, 44(1), 50–56.
 Scott, J. E. (1996). Self-efficacy: A key to life-long learning. Reading Horizons, 36(3),
195-213.
 Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.