Valerie ReeseInstructor: Martha Moore

EDUC 6706The Beginning Reader PreK-3

Three Fundamental Parts of a Literate Environment

• Getting to Know Literacy Learners• Selecting Texts• Perspectives: Interactive, Critical, and

Response

Getting to Know Literacy Learners

Understanding your literacy learners from cognitive and noncognitive aspects is crucial to providing effective literacy instruction. The more you know about your students, the better you will be able to connect to them (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.a). As educators, we must assess regularly to gain knowledge regarding students’ reading levels, strategies, background knowledge, and skill competencies in order to plan appropriate instruction (Tompkins, 2010).

Getting to Know Literacy Learner Cognitive Assessment

• In order to develop a general understanding of the student’s basic reading skills, I issued the DIBELS Next assessment (Afflerbach, 2012). The results from the assessment portrayed all three students at benchmark level. Student A scored the highest percentage of accuracy; student B scored next to the highest percentage of accuracy, and student C scored the lowest percentage regarding accuracy, however, he remained within benchmark range. The data suggested all three students were ready to begin a 2.1 reading level literacy lesson.

Getting to Know Literacy Learner Noncognitive Assessment

• Research states that this aspect of reading proficiency has been overlooked in the process of literacy (McKenna & Kear, 1990).

• Noncognitive aspects of a reader include “the other” characteristics besides basic reading skills (cognitive). There are five noncognitive reader characteristics that contribute to reading success: motivation, self-concept, attitudes, interest, attributions (Afflerbach, 2012). Therefore, a student’s attitude and perception towards reading can affect his or her performance (McKenna & Kear, 1990).

• I administered the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) to my students (McKenna & Kear, 1990). The results were beneficial in providing me with additional information that helped create a learning environment that was differentiated to compliment the varying abilities and interests.

Selecting Texts

“What readers know and do during reading has a tremendous impact on how well they comprehend, but comprehension involves more than just reader factors: It involves text factors” (Tompkins, 2010, pg. 290). These text factors include genre, text structures, and text features (Tompkins, 2010). Selecting developmentally appropriate texts from all genres is imperative.

Selecting Texts

“What readers know and do during reading has a tremendous impact on how well they comprehend, but comprehension involves more than just reader factors: It involves text factors” (Tompkins, 2010, pg. 290). These text factors include genre, text structures, and text features (Tompkins, 2010). Selecting developmentally appropriate texts from all genres is imperative.