1. Literate Environment Analysis
By Lisa Vines
EDUC 6706G- 4
Walden University
Instructor: Abigayle Barton
December 17, 2012

2. Getting to Know Literacy Learners
• “Commercial reading inventories typically contain graded word
lists, reading passages, and a series of comprehension questions and
requests to retell that are used to gauge students’ understanding of text”
(Afflerbach, 2012, p.29).
• Struggling readers need explicit instruction that will help make reading
skills and strategies clear to them. Teachers need to provide clear, precise
and intensive instructions to change struggling readers to successful
readers. (Laureate Education, 2010b).
• Young children begin reading by recognizing logos on fast-food
restaurants, department stores, grocery stores, and commonly used
household items within familiar contexts (Tompkins, 2010, p. 114).

3. Selecting Texts
Teachers often use various genres when reading to students. They frequently ask
questions and review various first grade reading skills. Teachers allow students to
select different books that they may find interesting. In early years we do not give
enough information text. When they get older they get a lot of informational text and
they struggle (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011d). Districts also utilizes basal readers as
part of their reading curriculum. “Commercial reading programs, commonly called
basal readers, have been a staple ns reading instruction for 150 years”
(Tompkins, 2010, p. 325). Teachers are forced to use the materials in the basal readers
and to only use supplemental materials with permission. Principal do not want teachers
to use other reading sources. At times it is very difficult to teach some of the reading
standards without the use of other resources. All students do not learn the same way. It
is important to use many resources to meet the needs of all students learning styles.
“Publishers of basal reading textbooks tout their programs as complete literacy
programs containing all the materials needed for students to become successful
readers” (Tompkins, 2010, p. 325). It is important to consider when selecting text
how linguistic or semiotic the choice is (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011d).

4. Selecting Appropriate Text
• Text should cover • When selecting appropriate
informational or nonfiction text for students you should
text, stories, narratives or consider readability, text
poetry (Tompkins, 2010) length, text structure, size
of print and visual support.

5. Literacy Lesson: Interactive Perspective
“Students’ knowledge is organized into cognitive structures called
schemas, and schema theory describes the processes students use to learn”
(Tompkins, 2010, p. 7). The visual aid she used in the video to show how the
brain stores information was very helpful (Laureate Education, 2011). My
students grasped the concept and were able to show their understanding by the
folder activities they produced. They were able to make a connection between
the text-self as were the students in the video presentation. “Teachers often
direct students toward the big ideas when they encourage them to make
predictions” (Tompkins, 2010, p. 263).

6. “Students learn to use a variety of
cognitive and metacognitive
strategies to ensure that they
comprehend what they’re reading”
(Tompkins, 2010, p. 261).

7. Responsive and Critical Perspectives
Responsive Perspective Critical Perspective
* discuss * examine
*interpret *evaluate
* connect *judge
• Students are able to • Students are provided the
respond to text. They have opportunity to think
the opportunity to discuss analytically about a text.
their prior knowledge and They are able to make
compare to text. connections to the text.

8. Critical Response Interactive
Perspective Perspective Perspective
Good Reader
All three perspectives are necessary to produce a
good reader who can read and think critically
(Laureate Education, 2010).

9. Resources
Afflerbach,P. (2012). Understanding and using reading assessment, k-12 (2nd ed.).
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Literacy Autobiographies.
[Webcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). Getting to Know Your
Students. {Webcast}. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c). Reading Inventories.
{Webcast}. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011d). Analyzing and Selecting Text.
[Webcast]. Action Research for Educators. Baltimore, MD: Author
Tompkins, G.E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.