Literacy in the Early Grades Literacy in the Early Grades by Gail Tompkinsby Gail Tompkins

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Becoming an Effective Teacher of Becoming an Effective Teacher of ReadingReading

Principle 1: Effective Teachers Principle 1: Effective Teachers Understand How Children LearnUnderstand How Children Learn

Traditional Idea Based on the Traditional Idea Based on the

Behavioral TheoryBehavioral Theoryo That is… Children learn to read by That is… Children learn to read by

learning a series of discrete, sequenced learning a series of discrete, sequenced skills.skills.

o For example, children must begin For example, children must begin learning to read by first knowing the learning to read by first knowing the alphabet, then the sounds, then how alphabet, then the sounds, then how the sounds combine, then words, then the sounds combine, then words, then sentences, then comprehension, etc….sentences, then comprehension, etc….

BehaviorismBehaviorism

Teachers provide direct instructionTeachers provide direct instruction Teachers motivate students and Teachers motivate students and

control their behavior.control their behavior. CHILDREN ARE PASSIVE LEARNERSCHILDREN ARE PASSIVE LEARNERS Teachers have ALL of the Teachers have ALL of the

knowledge and it is up to them to knowledge and it is up to them to transport that to the students.transport that to the students.

Effective Teachers Effective Teachers Recognize the Five other Recognize the Five other

Learning TheoriesLearning Theories

Constructivist Learning TheoryConstructivist Learning Theory

Sociolinguistic Learning TheorySociolinguistic Learning Theory

Information Processing Information Processing

Constructivist Learning Constructivist Learning TheoryTheory

Children are active, engaged learners.Children are active, engaged learners. Schema Theory - Children relate new Schema Theory - Children relate new

information to prior knowledge.information to prior knowledge. Children organize and relate information Children organize and relate information

in schemata.in schemata. Inquiry Learning – Collaboration is more Inquiry Learning – Collaboration is more

conducive to learning than is conducive to learning than is competition. Asking questions, seeking competition. Asking questions, seeking answers, creating new knowledge. answers, creating new knowledge.

Sociolinguistic Learning Sociolinguistic Learning TheoryTheory

Thought and language are related.Thought and language are related. Focus on the zone of proximal development Focus on the zone of proximal development

and scaffold instruction.and scaffold instruction. Sociocultural Theory – Reading and writing Sociocultural Theory – Reading and writing

are social activities that reflect the are social activities that reflect the community and culture.community and culture.

Situated Learning Theory – Learning as you Situated Learning Theory – Learning as you do; becoming an apprentice. do; becoming an apprentice.

Critical Literacy – Language is a means for Critical Literacy – Language is a means for social action and students become agents social action and students become agents for social change (see pg. 8) for social change (see pg. 8)

Information Processing Information Processing

Interactive Models – Reading and writing Interactive Models – Reading and writing are interactive, meaning-making are interactive, meaning-making processes. processes.

Transactive Theory – Comprehension is Transactive Theory – Comprehension is seen as an interpretation of the interaction seen as an interpretation of the interaction between the reader and the text. between the reader and the text.

Strategic Behaviors – Goals that direct Strategic Behaviors – Goals that direct thinking such as visualizing, organizing, thinking such as visualizing, organizing, and revising as well as metacognitive and revising as well as metacognitive strategies such as monitoring and revising strategies such as monitoring and revising (fix-up strategies). (fix-up strategies).

Quick Write:Quick Write: How did you learn to read? How did you learn to read? Think back about your first experiences Think back about your first experiences in school…. Which one of these models in school…. Which one of these models (behaviorism, constructivism, interactive, (behaviorism, constructivism, interactive, sociolinguistics, reader response, or sociolinguistics, reader response, or critical literacy) were used? There may critical literacy) were used? There may have been a few models used.have been a few models used.

Now Share….Now Share….

Principle 2: Effective Teachers Principle 2: Effective Teachers Support Children’s Use of the Support Children’s Use of the

Four Cueing SystemsFour Cueing Systems

Phonological or sound system (aka Phonological or sound system (aka graphophonic) graphophonic)

Syntactic or structural systemSyntactic or structural system Semantic or meaning systemSemantic or meaning system Pragmatic or social/cultural use Pragmatic or social/cultural use

systemsystem

We’ll go over these cueing systems later We’ll go over these cueing systems later in more depth, but look at p. 10 in your in more depth, but look at p. 10 in your text.text.

Principle 3: Effective Teachers Principle 3: Effective Teachers Create a Community of Create a Community of

LearnersLearners

Think about how traditional Think about how traditional classrooms looked? classrooms looked?

How did they look? How did they look?

What did this mean or say to the What did this mean or say to the learners in those communities?learners in those communities?

Characteristics of a Characteristics of a Community of LearnersCommunity of Learners

1.1. Safety – promotes in-depth learning and nurtures Safety – promotes in-depth learning and nurtures physical and emotional well-beingphysical and emotional well-being

2.2. Respect – mutual respect, zero tolerance, non-Respect – mutual respect, zero tolerance, non-threatening environment where children feel free to threatening environment where children feel free to take riskstake risks

3.3. High Expectations – all children can be successfulHigh Expectations – all children can be successful

4.4. Risk-Taking – explore new topics, try different things, Risk-Taking – explore new topics, try different things, develop higher-level thinking skills develop higher-level thinking skills

5.5. Collaboration – working together Collaboration – working together

6.6. Choice – children make choices within the parameters Choice – children make choices within the parameters set by the teacher. Choice = motivation! set by the teacher. Choice = motivation!

7.7. Family Involvement – involve parents early on and Family Involvement – involve parents early on and create a home-school connection create a home-school connection

Principle 4: Effective Teachers Principle 4: Effective Teachers Adopt a Balanced Approach to Adopt a Balanced Approach to

Literacy InstructionLiteracy Instruction Literacy – viewed comprehensively, Literacy – viewed comprehensively,

involving both reading and writinginvolving both reading and writing Explicit Instruction – on grade level as well Explicit Instruction – on grade level as well

as differentiated and assessment driven as differentiated and assessment driven Authentic Application – lots of opportunities Authentic Application – lots of opportunities

to practice newly learned skills to practice newly learned skills Reading and Writing Strategies – applying Reading and Writing Strategies – applying

cognitive and metacognitive strategies cognitive and metacognitive strategies Oral Language – opportunities to talk and Oral Language – opportunities to talk and

listen listen Tools for learning – reading, talking, and Tools for learning – reading, talking, and

writing are tools for content-area learning writing are tools for content-area learning

Components of a Balanced Components of a Balanced Literacy ProgramLiteracy Program

ReadingReading-students participate in a variety of opportunities -students participate in a variety of opportunities to read and be read to.to read and be read to.

Phonemic Awareness & PhonicsPhonemic Awareness & Phonics-students are taught to -students are taught to manipulate sounds and apply the alphabetic principle to manipulate sounds and apply the alphabetic principle to decode new words .decode new words .

Strategies & SkillsStrategies & Skills-students are taught and shown -students are taught and shown multiple ways of understanding what they are reading multiple ways of understanding what they are reading through problem solving, monitoring, and automatic through problem solving, monitoring, and automatic actions. actions.

VocabularyVocabulary-students are given opportunities to use and -students are given opportunities to use and understand words they come across in their reading and understand words they come across in their reading and through listening to books being read aloud to them. through listening to books being read aloud to them.

ComprehensionComprehension-students use reader factors -students use reader factors (comprehension strategies) and text factors (text (comprehension strategies) and text factors (text structures) to understand what they’re reading. structures) to understand what they’re reading.

Components of a Balanced Components of a Balanced Literacy Program continuedLiteracy Program continued

LiteratureLiterature-real children’s literature, as well as textbooks -real children’s literature, as well as textbooks are used in the classroom. Students have access to a are used in the classroom. Students have access to a variety of texts, written on various levels.variety of texts, written on various levels.

Content-Area StudyContent-Area Study-students use reading and writing to -students use reading and writing to learn about other subject areas, such as social studies, learn about other subject areas, such as social studies, math, science, etc… Reading and writing are used in math, science, etc… Reading and writing are used in REAL situations for students.REAL situations for students.

Oral LanguageOral Language-students are given opportunities to work -students are given opportunities to work with their classmates and teachers while using with their classmates and teachers while using discussions and conversations to deepen their discussions and conversations to deepen their knowledge about what they are studying.knowledge about what they are studying.

WritingWriting-journaling, writing process, poems, reports and -journaling, writing process, poems, reports and papers, etc.. are used in REAL ways.papers, etc.. are used in REAL ways.

SpellingSpelling-apply what they know about spelling and -apply what they know about spelling and progress along a developmental continuum until they progress along a developmental continuum until they become conventional spellers. become conventional spellers.

Principle 5: Effective Teachers Principle 5: Effective Teachers Scaffold Children’s Reading Scaffold Children’s Reading

and Writingand Writing ModelModel reading and writing. reading and writing. SharedShared reading and writing-this is a class activity reading and writing-this is a class activity

in which the teacher demonstrates productive in which the teacher demonstrates productive reading and students follow what is modeled.reading and students follow what is modeled.

Interactive Interactive reading and writing-teachers scaffold reading and writing-teachers scaffold students during this process, teachers interact students during this process, teachers interact with students and then students interact with with students and then students interact with each other, sharing what they are reading and each other, sharing what they are reading and writing.writing.

Guided Guided reading and writing-this is mainly small reading and writing-this is mainly small group instruction, based on needs and strengths group instruction, based on needs and strengths of students..of students..

IndependentIndependent reading and writing. reading and writing.

Principle 6: Effective Teachers Principle 6: Effective Teachers Organize Literacy Instruction in Organize Literacy Instruction in

Four WaysFour Ways

Literature focus unitsLiterature focus units Literature circles.Literature circles. Reading and writing workshop.Reading and writing workshop. Basal reading programs.Basal reading programs.

Principle 7: Effective Teachers Principle 7: Effective Teachers Differentiate InstructionDifferentiate Instruction

Differentiate Content Differentiate Content Differentiate Process Differentiate Process Differentiate Products Differentiate Products

At your table groups, talk about what At your table groups, talk about what this might look like and how you, as this might look like and how you, as the teacher, can make this a reality in the teacher, can make this a reality in your classroom. your classroom.

Partner with Parents Partner with Parents Interventions Interventions

Principle 8: Effective Teachers Principle 8: Effective Teachers Link Instruction and Link Instruction and

AssessmentAssessment Determine Reading Levels – plan Determine Reading Levels – plan

instruction based on each student’s need instruction based on each student’s need Monitor Progress – assessment should be Monitor Progress – assessment should be

an ongoing process, adjusting instruction an ongoing process, adjusting instruction as necessary as necessary

Diagnose strengths and weaknesses – Diagnose strengths and weaknesses – assess and plan instruction based on both assess and plan instruction based on both

Document Learning – formal and informal Document Learning – formal and informal assessments, portfolios, anecdotal notes, assessments, portfolios, anecdotal notes, observation…observation…

Does what you have learned Does what you have learned from Ch. 1 differ from your from Ch. 1 differ from your

experience in the experience in the classroom?classroom?

How so?How so?

What might you do What might you do differently in your own differently in your own

classroom now? classroom now?