Jocelyn Caswell Walden University READ 6706

Getting to Know Emergent and Beginning Learners

“Teach students, not the text.” -Dr. Janice Almasi Laureate Education (2014k)

Knowing our students in regards to interests, background knowledge and cognitive measures aids teachers in teaching to the student, rather than to the content. Non-cognitive and cognitive assessments give teachers valuable information regarding literacy learners.

Assessments

Non-cognitive assessments such as interest inventories, interviews and observations, measure student interest for motivational purposes, as well as, give information concerning student history and background knowledge.

Cognitive assessments measure a student’s developmental progress in literacy such as phonemic awareness, concepts of print, decoding, fluency, or comprehension.

“Finding independent, instructional and hard text levels is the first step in motivating a struggling reader and finding interests.”

-Arleen Mariotti Mariotti, A. P. (n.d.)

Selecting Texts

Literacy Matrix-

Dr. Douglas Hartman (2014a) uses a matrix that spans semiotic to linguistic and narrative to informational. This matrix can be used in evaluating text to determine how a text fits with literacy goals and student goals.

Words

Pictures or Icons- Communicating without

words.

ê

é

Selecting Texts

Text Complexity

Janice Almasi (2014a) discusses using difficulty considerations when selecting a text.

•  Readability •  Sentence length, number of syllables, density.

•  Text Length •  Text Structure •  Informational, descriptive, compare/contrast.

•  Size of Print •  Text Features

Selecting Texts-Multiple Genres

Non-Fiction Text

Dr. Susan Neuman

(2014m) discusses the need

to provide more

informational text in the

early years of literacy

instruction.

Twin Texts- Camp (2000) discusses how

books of different genres

surrounding the same topic can

be utilized to build student

understanding. For example,

a fiction and non-fiction text

on fishing.

Emergent Literacy Learner Oral Language Development Strategies

Rule of Five-Students are taught to use five words in each sentence using a precut hand scaffold. The strategy can also feed into writing as students write five words per sentence (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Concepts About Print Strategies

Masking or Highlighting Print-Focus can include any concept of print. Using the focus, the teacher masks or highlights the corresponding feature. While reading aloud, as the concept is approached, students work to identify the masked feature (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetic Principle Strategies

Picture Box Sound Counting-Use picture cards to pronounce words slowly, placing a chip in a box for each sound (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Emergent Literacy Lesson Reading Instruction-Identifying repetition in a variety of texts using a teacher read-aloud. The lesson began with a picture walk for students to build background knowledge and then the read-aloud commenced. During this time, oral repetition of the text was modeled and scaffolded by the teacher.

Writing-The students responded to the reading by creating a choice writing about the text, conveying message through scribbling or pictures.

Reflection-To increase student oral language development, I could have added more opportunities for student to student interaction using the “Rule of Five” strategy. In addition, I should have allowed students to share their writing with other students using the same strategy for oral language development.

Beginning Literacy Learner Phonics Strategies

Button Sounds-Using phonics focus, create buttons that show the sound/symbol relationship (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Letter/Sound Mnemonics-Pictures used to connect picture to letter (Ruetzel and Cooter, 2016).

Letter-Sound Cards-Using cards to remember key letter and sound combinations. Once side contains the sound and the other side contains a word that utilized the sound. (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

OA

ROAD

Beginning Literacy Learner

Decoding and Segmenting Sequential Segmenting Strategy-Explicit instruction with modeling and guided practice for reading and writing. Orally stretch out a word to hear and write each sound.(Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Reading Fluency

Repeated Readings-Rereading a text and expanding on the number of words read per minute, as well as, increased comprehension and expression (Reutzel and Cooter, 2016).

Beginning Literacy Lesson Reading Instruction (Fluency)-Students model fluent reading by focusing on phrase and repetition in text. The teacher models the strategy “Rhythm Walks”—working with “Just Right” texts and partner, students use movement and repeated readings for fluency (Peebles, 2007).

Writing Instruction-The students model how fluent reading aids in text comprehension by writing a sequenced narrative post reading. Students share narratives with a partner, modeling fluent reading.

Reflection-The movement enhanced student understanding of fluency by providing a visual. In addition, the repeated reading increased fluency. Next steps for instruction include using Rog’s (2007) “Adding On At the End” strategy for writing. Using this strategy, students revise writing to include additional details.

Reflection On Language and Literacy Development

  Reading Horizons (n.d) explains the five pillars of reading instruction beginning with the foundation of oral language development. Next, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension are instructed. These pillars support communication, receptive and expressive.

  Language development is crucial for literacy development. Dr. Lesley Morrow (2014m) discusses how language development has a direct correlation with reading success, especially in the later years.

Reflection On Emergent and Beginning Learners

  Emergent readers are building precursor skills to reading such as oral language, concepts of print, and phonemic awareness. Beginning readers have mastered these skills and are working on reading skills such as phonics, decoding and segmenting, oral reading fluency, and comprehension.

  Emergent literacy learners are heavily reliant on teacher modeling and scaffolding while beginning learners are building independence from scaffolded instruction. Both learners benefit from a print-rich environments and exposure to a variety of genres.

  Emergent writers scribble and begin to form letters or rely on pictures to convey meaning while beginning readers begin using inventive spelling to communicate.

  Reading and writing are interrelated processes and should be taught together (Anderson and Briggs, 2011).

Reflection Continued

  As a result of this course, I have learned the difference between an emergent and beginning literacy learner. Emergent literacy learners are building the foundational work for literacy while beginning learners are building reading skills. I have also learned various instructional strategies and assessments to provide improved differentiation for learners.

  This literacy presentation can be used to educate colleagues and other professionals on the differences between emergent and beginning literacy learners, as well as, strategies and assessments. Knowing and understanding how to teach the subjects we teach is vitally important for student achievement.

References Anderson, N. L., & Briggs, C. (2011). Reciprocity between reading and writing: Strategic processing as

common ground. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), pp. 546-549. Doi:10.1598/RT.64.7.11

Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400–408.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014a). Analyzing and selecting text [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014k). Getting to know your students [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014m). Informational text in the early years [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: author.

Mariotti, A. P. (n. d.). Using interest inventories with struggling and unmotivated readers. Retrieved July 21, 2015, from http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415802093/news-updates/Interest- Inventories.pdf

Peebles, L. J. (2007). Incorporating movement with fluency instruction: A motivation for struggling readers. Reading Teacher 60, no.6: 568-581. Doi:10.1598/RT.60.6.9

Reading Horizons. (n.d.). Five pillars of reading instruction. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http:// www.readinghorizons.com/research/five-pillars-of-reading-instruction-strategies

Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B. (2016). Strategies for reading assessment and instruction: Helping every child succeed (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Rog, L. J. (2007). Marvelous minilessons for teaching beginning writing, K–3. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.