2. Getting to Know Literacy
Learners
All people have a literacy autobiography! This
defines them as literate beings.
The better you know your students the better
you can connect with them with texts that can
affect them in profound ways.
There are 2 methods teachers use to learn about
their students. They are Cognitive and Non-
Cognitive Assessments.
3. Getting to Know Literacy
Learners
Cognitive Assessments
Examine the five essential of effective reading
instruction. They are phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
When working with my first grade students, I used the
Kaufman Test of Academic Achievement. The test is
used to “measure for specific learning disabilities in
basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematics
calculation, mathematics reasoning, oral expression,
listening comprehension and written expression”
(Robinson, 2014)
4. Getting to Know Literacy
Learners
Non-Cognitive Assessments
These assessments are “important factors that are both
contributors to and outcomes of reading success. These
factors include readers motivation and engagement, self-
concepts, agency, interests, and attitudes” (Afflerbach, 2012,
p. 171).
It was very important for me to speak with each individual
before preforming any type of cognitive assessment
because they do not know me.
I had each student bring in 5 items that describe them. By
doing this I learn a lot about the individual student.
5. Selecting Texts
Determining a students reading level is essential to
their reading success. There are 3 reading levels:
Independent – Students can read the material on their
own, recognize almost all words, and comprehend what
they are reading (Tompkins, 2010, p . 76).
Instructional – Students can read these books with
support, but not on their own. Their reading may be
fluent and they comprehend what they are reading with
support from the teacher (Tompkins, 2010, p . 76).
Frustration – Students can not read books at this level.
The books are too difficult to read, even with assistance
(Tompkins, 2010, p . 76).
6. Literacy Lesson:
Interactive Perspective
The goal is to help students become strategic
readers and writers.
As teachers we should teach our students how to
be literate learners who can navigate the textual
world independently.
In my lesson, I had the students do a K-W-L
chart, picture walks, they made predictions, and I
introduced new vocabulary words.
While reading, the students were using their
schema to help them comprehend the information.
7. Critical and Response
Perspectives
The Critical Perspective
Causes the students to think more deeply about a text.
The goal of the critical perspective is for the students
to judge and evaluate a text.
Questions to help the students think more critically
about a text include:
How do you think the character is feeling?
Why do you think that?
Why do you think the author wrote this text?
Why do you think this character acted in this manner?
8. Critical and Response
Perspectives
The Response Perspective
Supports students as they engage with the text in life-
changing ways.
The goal of the response perspective is for the students
to connect to the text on a personal or emotional level.
Questions to help the students make a personal
connection include:
What would you do if you were the character?
How would you feel if something like this happened to you?
How would you respond to the character is they asked you about
it?
9. References:
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d. A). Critical perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Getting to know your students. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Interactive perspective: Strategic processing. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Literacy autobiographies. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d. B). Response perspective. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Robinson, P. (2014). Strengths & Weaknesses of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement.
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
