2. Non-cognitive aspects of reading:
reader motivation and engagement
self-concept
interests
attitudes
Cognitive aspects are academic abilities of the reader, such as:
reading level
reading strategies
comprehension
fluency
phonological/phonemic awareness
sight word recognition
“A reader’s motivation, self-concept, attitude, interests and attributions are enmeshed with their reading
development. They encourage the student’s ongoing growth and development as a reader” (Afflerbach,
2012 p. 175). Assessment provides teachers with pertinent information that guides and modifies their
instruction in reading. What is important to remember is both the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects help
to shape a student’s literacy development, and these aspects must be strategically incorporated into our
planning and instruction on a daily basis.
Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3
Research
3. Assessments of Non-Cognitive Aspects of Reading:
Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS)
Motivation to Read Profile (MRP)
Conversations
Assessments of Cognitive Aspects of Reading:
Reading Records
Sight Word Assessments
Conversations
Observations
―The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey provides a quick indication of student attitudes toward reading. It
consists of 20 items and can be administered to an entire classroom in about 10 minutes. Each item presents a
brief, simply worded statement about reading, followed by four pictures of Garfield. Each pose is designed to depict a
different emotional state, ranging from very positive to very negative‖ (McKenna & Kear, 1990 p. 636)
―The Motivation to Read consists of two basic instruments: the Reading Survey and the Conversational Interview.
The survey assesses two specific dimensions of reading motivation, self-concept as a reader and value of reading; the
interview provides information about the individual nature of students’ reading motivation‖
(Gambrell, Palmer, Codling & Mazzoni, 1996 p. 519)
Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3
Research continued…
4. I used the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) to assess the affective aspects of my
students’ reading attitudes. I gained insight of how they feel about reading for recreational and
academic purposes, as well as how they feel about reading overall.
To assess my students’ academic ability in reading, I administered reading records and sight word
assessments from the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Kit 1. From these assessments, I
learned the students’ current reading levels, comprehension level and sight word bank. From their
reading records I also learned what miscue patterns were occurring throughout their reading, as
well as what strategies they were currently using and what ones should be focused on next during
instruction.
The information I have gathered from administering assessments to three of my students proves to
me that the importance lies not only in cognitive assessments of reading ability, but in the non-
cognitive aspects as well. These work together to create the entire picture of a student’s performance
in reading.
Getting to Know Literacy Learners, P-3
Analysis
5. Providing purposeful, effective instruction to help students build strategies and understand what they
are reading is only useful when a teacher provides a balanced selection of texts. Texts must always
be engaging and of interest to the student, and balanced in the sense that the texts offer a range of
genres such as narrative and informational, difficulty considerations such as the length, structure and
concept density, and linguistic and semiotic features (Laureate Education Inc., 2010a).
Hard
Linguistic Informational
Narrative Semiotic
Easy
Using a tool such as the literacy matrix suggested by Dr. Douglas Hartman helps teachers to see the
distribution of text types that are being used with students (Laureate Education Inc., 2010a).
Knowing the kinds of texts we are choosing for our students not only allows for us to maintain a
balance of what texts we engage our students in, but also helps us keep our literacy goals for them
ever present in our minds to make sure we are providing instruction that helps students achieve those
goals and move forward (Laureate Education Inc., 2010a).
Selecting Texts - Research
6. Based on the interests of my students and using Dr. Douglas Hartman’s Literacy Matrix, I chose three
texts to use for the purpose of guided instruction. The three texts I chose are:
To the Rescue by Alicia Martell
Tools Can Help Us See by Sarah Dawson
And the Caboose Said by Simone Cooper
Each provide a range of difficulty level from easy to medium, and fall into the narrative/linguistic,
narrative/semiotic and informational/semiotic quadrant of the literacy matrix, offering a range of
distribution of the kinds of texts I used for instructional purposes with my students
I am now much more aware of what texts I am selecting for my students as well as why I am
selecting them. When choosing texts for my students I now take into consideration their interests,
what instructional aspects the book offers in terms of the needs of the student, what background
knowledge a student brings to the text, as well as difficulty considerations.
Selecting Texts - Analysis
7. The interactive perspective centers on teaching students to read and write
in an accurate, fluent manner and with comprehension (Framework for
Literacy Instruction). Teachers must use a variety of assessment techniques
to determine the level of ability of their students in order to understand the
direction they must take to progress their students learning. The
assessment must apply to not only the cognitive ability of the students, but
also the affective needs of the students, such as their interests and attitude
about reading.
Through various instructional practices and methods, the interactive
perspective teaches students how to read using skills and strategies, and
how to become strategic and metacognitive in their use of these skills and
strategies (Laureate Education Inc., 2010d). The teacher must model and
teach children to process text in a way that uses appropriate strategies at
appropriate times, so students can begin to utilize the strategies they are
acquiring independently, becoming aware of how they will proceed with
particular texts.
Interactive Perspective - Research
8. Using what I learned about the interactive perspective, I designed a guided reading lesson
for three of my students who are in the beginning stages of reading development. The
lesson I designed was based on pre-assessments I administered prior to the lesson, in
which I gathered information on the affective aspects of their reading, such as their
interests related to topics they enjoy reading, and the cognitive aspects of their reading,
such as their ability and strategies they were currently using or not using. Guided reading
is an excellent setting in which to teach students specific strategies and skills, as teachers
can help students to orchestrate the reading process and all that goes along with it
(Laureate Education Inc., 2010c), as well as monitor student progress, assisting and
clarifying when needed. The point of the lesson was to teach the strategies and give the
students support in their initial use of them so they can begin to use them independently.
I will continue to teach word solving and comprehension strategies during shared reading
experiences with the entire class, as well as during small group instruction in order to
reinforce the use of the strategies and model how good readers use them internally.
―Comprehension strategies are thoughtful behaviors that students use to facilitate their
understanding as they read‖ (Tompkins, 2010 p. 260). These behaviors involve thinking,
such as predicting, or reflecting on thinking, such as monitoring or wondering. These
behaviors do not happen automatically, rather they must be taught through the use of
carefully designed lessons using selected texts so students can first learn the strategy, but
also to promote students’ independent and metacognitive use of the strategy (Framework
for Literacy Instruction).
Interactive Perspective - Analysis
9. The critical perspective teaches students to examine and evaluate texts in a
critical manner, viewing texts from multiple perspectives, judging the
believability and thinking about ideas, issues and problems in our world
(Laureate Education Inc., 2010b). Students must think deeply about what
they read, and the critical perspective provides opportunities for students to
think analytically and in a deeper manner about text (Laureate Education
Inc., 2010b).
The response perspective teaches students to react and respond to texts in a
variety of meaningful ways (Laureate Education Inc., 2010e). Responses to
literature can be formulated in ways such as discussion, drama, writing and
art. The response perspective allows teachers to select texts that will
connect with their students on a variety of levels, evoking an emotional
and/or personal connection or response to the text (Framework for Literacy
Instruction).
Critical and Response Perspective
Research
10. In continuing with the theme of trucks and machines I had chosen for my three
students I have been working with, I chose a text that focused on the many
forms of transportation over time, titled Let’s Go! The Story of Getting From
Here to There. Through pre-assessment, I know that my students are engaged
and enjoy texts that are about transportation, and I knew that this book would
appeal to them.
I chose to activate the critical perspective of the text through an interactive read
aloud, allowing me to ―create a climate for thinking deeply,‖ engaging my
students in ―purposeful questions, opportunities to think and share, prompts to
visualize or make connections, and thoughtful word choice to explicitly
facilitate the students bringing their own meaning to the text‖ (Durand et al.,
2008 p. 24). Through the use of the subtext strategy, I was able to teach the
response perspective by providing my students with the opportunity for students
―to walk around inside a story‖ (Clyde, 2003 p. 150), voicing what characters
are feeling, ―causing them to think deeply about characters’ emotions and
motives‖ (Clyde, 2003 p. 157).
Critical and Response Perspective
Analysis
11. ―Books can deceive, delude, and misrepresent, as readily as they can enlighten and expand our
knowledge‖ (Molden, 2007 p. 50). It is vital that students gain the ability to think critically
about what they read, and why they are reading it. In addition to the critical perspective of
texts, students must also be given the opportunity and time to respond to text, to transact with
text in a way that moves them (Laureate Education Inc., 2010e). Students need to discuss these
transactions they have with texts with their peers, their teachers, and others, as well as respond
in a variety of other forms such as writing, drama and art.
The critical and response perspective come together with the interactive perspective to give
students a whole experience with a text, moving them towards becoming a reader that can not
only read a text, but think deeply about what they read, helping them to be transformed by
what they have read.
I used what I have learned about various instructional practices and methods, as
well as the research in regards to the critical and response perspective to create a
lesson that teaches my students how to think about and respond to literature.
I will continue to create a balance of all three perspectives during my literacy instruction:
interactive, critical and response, teaching my students to become critical thinkers about the
texts they read, able to respond and connect to the topics presented.
Critical and Response Perspective
Analysis Cont’d
12. References
Afflerbach, P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12 (2nd ed). Newark, DE:
International Reading Association.
Clyde, J. A. (2003). Stepping inside the story world: The subtext strategy—a tool for connecting and
comprehending. The Reading Teacher, 57(2), 150–160.
Durand, C., Howell, R., Schumacher, L. A., & Sutton, J. (2008). Using interactive read-alouds and reader
response to shape students' concept of care. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 36(1), 22–29.
Framework for Literacy Instruction.
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Analyzing and Selecting Text [Video Webcast]. In The
Beginning Reader PreK-3.
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010b). Critical Perspective [Video Webcast]. In The Beginning
Reader PreK-3.
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010c). Interactive Perspective: Guided Reading [Video Webcast].
In The Beginning Reader PreK-3
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010d). Interactive Perspective: Strategic Processing [Video
Webcast]. In The Beginning Reader PreK-3.
13. References
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010c). Interactive Perspective: Guided Reading
[Video Webcast]. In The Beginning Reader PreK-3
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010d). Interactive Perspective: Strategic Processing
[Video Webcast]. In The Beginning Reader PreK-3.
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010e). Response Perspective [Video Webcast]. In
The Beginning Reader PreK-3.
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.
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
14. What insights did you gain about literacy and 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?
Feedback from Colleagues and Family
Members of Students
