The document summarizes Kim Thomas's presentation on analyzing a literacy environment. It discusses using comprehension questions and retellings to assess students' understanding of texts. It also discusses selecting linguistic and informational texts that are word-oriented and factual to build students' knowledge. The presentation covered using picture walks before reading to activate background knowledge and set purposes. It also discussed incorporating metacognition to help students critically analyze texts and express themselves. Feedback from a parent and colleague found the information insightful and thought strategies discussed could benefit students' literacy development.

1. Literate Environment Analysis Presentation
By: Kim Thomas
EDUC 6706: The Beginning Reader, PreK–3

2. Getting to know literacy learners
• Cognitive assessment
• Re- telling and comprehension questions were utilized for this unit.- Following each
oral reading passage, students are expected to demonstrate their comprehension of
the text. The reading process information that we collect during oral reading is thus
complemented by product information: students’ understanding of the reading
passages, as determined by student’ comprehension- question responses and
retellings (Afflerbach, 2012).
• Reading inventories, in one form or another, have existed for as long as teachers
have been interested in better understanding their students’ reading development.
Teachers who carefully analyze their students’ oral reading, check their students’
fluency, encourage their students to retell what they have read, and ask a series of
comprehension questions gather useful assessment information that helps inventory
student reading behaviors and achievement (Afflerbach, 2012).

3. Selecting Texts
• Linguistic and Informational texts- Non- fiction books, or
informational texts, are a pertinent way to get students to acquire
knowledge through it’s validity. Linguistic texts are word oriented and
allows students to gain schema through their content.
• On the Literacy Matrix for selecting texts (Hartman, 2010), the book I
chose would be under linguistic and informational. It is very word
oriented, although simple words, which are age appropriate for
kindergarten students. It is also informational in that it is non- fiction
and states only facts for the students to carry on with them.

4. Interactive Perspective
• Strategic processing- Developing student’s schema by questioning
their knowledge on a certain topic using picture walks.
• In the stage of pre-reading, students prepare to read by setting
purposes, thinking about the topic and genre of the text, and
planning for the reading experience. This allows the students to
activate background knowledge, predict, question, and set a purpose
(Tompkins, 2010) which is the way in which I utilized this technique.

5. Critical and Response Perspective
• Metacognition- By incorporating metacognition in my lesson, it heightened
the student’s ability to critically view and analyze the text. It also allows
them to express their individuality.
• Including the critical and response perspectives in literacy instruction can
prepare students to think critically about important issues in their lives,
become productive and contributing members of society and respect
individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences by allowing them to
personally and emotionally connect to the text. The critical perspective
allows students to think more deeply about a text, critically view multiple
perspectives, think analytically about a text, and to question everything.
The response perspective allows the students to respond personally to a
text, reflect on the text, and ensure that they are taking risks when they are
responding to the text (Laureate Education Producer, n.d.).

6. Colleague and Parent Feedback
Parent: The insights that I gained were that teachers use many different strategies, (some of which I was unaware of) to make
it easier for children to comprehend reading. The information in the presentation may change my practices by giving me
different ways to help my son comprehend his reading. If one practice is not working well for him, I can try another.
You can support me by being consistent with my child and remembering that what works for one child, may not work for
another. I can support you by staying consistent with the strategy that you are using in your classroom. Being consistent in
the classroom and also at home makes it easier for the child and also keeps the teacher and parents on the same page.
Colleague: I found the entire presentation to be very enlightening as well as insightful, especially as it pertains to linguistic
and informational texts and their practices. It was interesting to learn that students can utilize such texts in order to gain and
build upon knowledge. Additionally, I feel that most educators naturally practice the critical and response perspective, but
through this presentation, I was reminded, as well as learned more about the varying reasons as to why and how this
perspective is beneficial to all students. Through this presentation, I have now acquired a newfound knowledge of linguistic
and informational texts, and I am eager to introduce this literary practice with my students. On most occasions I personally
have chosen to present fictional texts, with the idea that this type of literature helped to engage and peak the interest of my
students; however having now learned more about linguistic and informational texts, I feel as though this practice is one that
would greatly benefit my students, as well as drive my literacy instruction. Collaboration amongst teachers is an extremely
important aspect within the education field. I believe Kim could support the literacy development of my students by
informing me of the many research based practices that she has learned and continues to learn throughout her graduate
education. Likewise, I plan to support Kim in her work with students by informing her of such practices that I know have been
successful in the field through my experiences. Supporting and collaborating with other educators in regards to ideas and
techniques can be immensely profitable for all. After viewing this presentation, I would like to learn more about the Literacy
Matrix. As a teacher of Special Education, I feel it would be helpful to gain more knowledge in regards to this topic, as it could
possibly help to better differentiate my literary instruction for students with disabilities who are developing early literacy
skills.
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