Planning Literacy Instruction in Diverse Classrooms

Classroom environment 

A second grade workshop classroom should be made learning friendly for the children. These children are mostly between 7 and 8 years. Their level of concentration is still low and the classroom has to be attractive enough for learning. For the reading workshop classroom,I would make sure that the elements there support students learning and movements between schedules.

I would have a focus wall which will include the words containing our target sounds for a particular week. I would be renewing the contents of the focus wall every new week with the reading elements for the week. On one side of the classroom wall, I will hung charts that summarize what the students are learning. The charts will contain the letters, words and phrases that the learners have covered so far. Drawings that contain the items represented by the words will be alongside each word on the chart. This will be a reminder of their progress. 

An area where the students would meet to share their new discoveries is essential for a reading workshop classroom. This area will only have seats and no tables. I would locate the meeting area in one of the corners at the back of the classroom. The students’ desks will be arranged facing each other in groups of four. In between these desks, there will be space where partners can meet when one gets stuck during the learning process and the teacher is not in. On the opposite corner of the meeting area, I would have the classroom library. This will be a shelve that contains all the relevant books needed for our reading workshop. 

Connections between the Classroom Environment and Literacy Learning 

Our classroom layout will support literacy learning among the second grade students. The materials and library will be suitable forlearners in the emergent, early and transitional stages.All will have access to their relevant reading texts. 

Materials 

To support oral language development, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and writing development, I will put the necessary materials in the classroom. Rasinksi 2014 (p.2) suggests the use of technology for assisted reading among the learners who are struggling. I will have my own recorded assisted reading materials which I will give to any learner for personal practice. I will also encourage the learners to watch reading programs on television during time. To teach phonemic awareness, I will have videos in our classroom. Tompkins 2003 (p.106) argues that the videos will complement what we would have learnt in our reading sessions. I will also ensure that the learners have their appropriate writing materials with them every reading session of the workshop.

Phonemic awareness relates to language development and reading achievement since it provides the foundations of phonics and spelling. As Tompkins 2003 (p.104) states, ‘when a child acquires phonemic awareness, he or she can use sound-symbols communication to read and spell words’. When learners understand that a series of individual sounds make up speech, then they achieve reading competency by combining these sounds. The students will nurture their phonemic awareness through the vocabulary rich environment they inhabit.

Classroom Library 

The library will have books easy enough for the early readers. The content of these books will have features that the learners are already familiar with. These may be characters and stories they already are familiar with. To enhance comprehension of the author’s messages this group will also have wordless books, which only use pictures to tell a story. The learners at the emergent stage will have the picture story texts which will enable them to practice reading with understanding through the illustration in the books. This also promotes enjoyment of the reading process especially when they read them aloud. The picture concept books that have a few pictures and description of the pictures are also good for the emergent group of readers. Bringing in stories as Routman 2011, (p.17) argues, makes the reading lesson interesting; our classroom library will have stories of persons, pets and other animals that the learners are already aware of. This also include books of fairy tales and hymns suitable for learners in all reading stages. For the transitional readers, I will have informational and realistic texts for them. These are the books that have new information of topics on issues learners may encounter at their age. These topics may be on how to take care of a pet, visiting relatives, or playing with friends. Each group of leaders will have their own jokes and riddle books for fun, to tease their minds, and heighten resourcefulness.Big books, and simple poetry books,for all stages, will aid during group discussions and read aloud sessions, so I will also include them in the library.

Designing Reading Workshop to accommodate all Students

The components of our reading workshop would include Mini-lessons, independent reading, individual and small group work, and share time. I will give special attention to each of these components since it will support the learners in the early, transitional and emergent reading stages. The topics I would choose for the mini-lessons would cater for the three groups of learners. Independent reading will provide the students with an opportunity to find their book of choice from the library and read on their own. Share time would enable the learners to interact and converse about the techniques they learnt during the instruction period. The learners can improve their fluency and comprehension skills when these components are combined in the instruction. 

Whole Group Instruction

Demonstrating Proficient Reading 

Read aloud according to Routman2011, enables learners to hear a rich language of stories they have not experienced as well as develop vocabulary, grammar, new information and learn of how stories and written language works (p.42). I would select a story that is relevant and read to my class. I will then prompt questions that will lead to an interactive and enjoyable discussion. This discussion will strengthen their understanding of the story as well as develop their enthusiasm to read on their own.

Shared reading or cooperative reading is where I will do step by step reading with my students. We will interchangeably read bits of the story together. This will encourage bonding and interaction with the students.

Doake 1985, suggests the echo reading. This would be appropriate for my students. I would read a phrase or sentence of a selected passage as they repeat after me. This encourages the students to reproduce and participate in the reading (Daoke 1985 p.88).According to Rasinski 2014, (p.517), this is modeling fluent reading. The students hear from the teacher how fluent reading should be and repeat after the teacher in the same manner. “This will help the learners to comprehend the passage, build vast knowledge of vocabulary as well as develop enthusiasm to read more” (Taberski 2000, p.45). 

Completion reading strategy requires that the students follows keenly from their books as the teacher reads. I will use this strategy for my class by reading a sentence as I pause and allow the learners to complete the sentence. Doakeargues that the section that the learner is supposed to complete may be a single word or phrase. As a teacher, I would choose appropriate points to pause so as to capture the full attention of the students in the reading (Doake 1985p.86,87).

From the story that I select for my students, they will be able to enhance their comprehension skills. I will allow the students to do deep reading for better understanding. Watson argues that the teacher should seek the learners’ willingness to give ideas surrounding the passage from their off-page information (Watson n.d, p.117). The information and experience that the learners gather at home should not be underestimated. The student constructs meaning by combining the already existing ideas with the message of the author in the read text. “Interaction with books from early life of a student, builds a consistency in the love for books” (Taberski 2000, p.14).

Mini-lessons 

The mini-lessons I will teach are will take 20 minutes each. The topics will include, consonant blending, the long vowel pattern in a single syllable, and fiction and non-fiction literature, from Ganske 2006 (p.122). I will provide a list of words that have the consonant blending and vowel patterns in single syllables as well as literature texts suitable for each category of learners. We will then discuss each topic within the allocated time. 

Assessment

From my selected students, I will listen to their narrations and note how much they can remember, how they relate the events in the text with life issues, accuracy, and confidence in narration.

Extended Work time

Small group discussions 

Ganske 2006 (p.19) argue “that through discussions, the learners acquire greater knowledge about words while the teachers gets to fathom the students’ capabilities better”. I will have three different groups for my comprehension lesson. Ellie, Sophia and Maya will be in the first group, Benjamin, Jayden, Lubov and Roderick will be in the second group while Sebastian, Yang, Baxter and Zoe will be in the third group. The first group is still at the initial stages of comprehending a passage. They can only recount the events as they happened. The second group has average comprehension skills. They can only remember slight details of the text they read. The third group have a better understanding of the read texts, they can recount the events without hesitation. Miller 2002 (p.35) propose that the learners should get to know that reading and writing is a tool for gaining new knowledge and processing new knowledge. I will therefore let the students in each group to read a sample passage then narrate to group members in my hearing, what they understand from the text. 

For the fluency lesson, I will have only two groups, the first will include Ellie, Lubov, Roderick, Benjamin, and Jayden. The members of the second group will be Sebastian, Yang, Zoe, Baxter, Sophia, and Maya. The first group have not developed automaticity unlike the second group. Rasinski 2012, posit that for fluency to be achieved, then the learners need to exercise deep reading (p.518). I will select a text and read aloud to the class as they follow along. We will then discuss the nature of the passage together before each member of the group reads individually as the others listen and give support. Group one members may be slow because of their fluency level. Finally the individual groups will read the passage to the class as we pick three words from the passage to add to our word bank. Rasinski 2014 (p.26), postulates that the students take the passage home to practice reading with parents and siblings. Each will then reread the text aloud the following day in school, as the teacher checks for fluency, comprehension and accuracy.

Work Study 

I will use the word sort for initial and final consonants for Ellie. I will provide a list of ten CVC pattern words such as van, and VCC pattern words such as ant. I will ask Ellie to spell and pronounce each of the words then place them in distinct categories. Ellie is the best student to use for this sort because he still needs to achieve proficiency in the initial and final consonants. Ganske 2006 (p.112) state that “the group can read the words under each category and make corrections”. I will allow Ellie’s fluency group to make the necessary corrections to Ellie’s work as I guide them through. 

Independent Work

As I deal with each group, the other learners will be engaged reading selected stories from the big books in the library. As Doake 1985 (p.96) postulates, “big books should be provided for the students to create enthusiasm in reading.” The students will read paragraphs in turn as they note problematic words. When I am done with the groups I will ask the learners questions concerning the passage they read from the big book. I will always inspire my students to answer questions in full sentences. Watson (p.123) argues that teachers should avoid asking questions that require a single word reply from the learners.

Conferences 

For the conferences I would choose Ellie, Lubov, and Sophia. I will give Ellie a book on sea animals, easy enough for his reading. Since he loves sharks, he will be able to connect what he reads from the book with prior knowledge about sharks. Lubov being in the emergent stage, will get a picture story book whose illustration would aid in building a deeper understanding of the author’s message. This book will be having pictures of people merry-making and dancing. There would be explanations at the bottom of the pages. Since he is non-native English speaker, he will relate the pictures, wordings, and his background knowledge to form concrete meaning from the text. For Sophia, an informational book would be appropriate. This will help her familiarize with life events that she may encounter in life and how to deal with challenges that come with it. The book ‘How to Take Care of a Pet’, boost her enthusiasm to read since she has an interest in animals. Miller 2002 (p.29) suggests that “having regular conferences with my students helps in having more reliable and immediate feedback”. I will meet each student once in person and the second time in their respective groups.

I will employ the informal assessment by kids watching the students during the personal reading conferencing. Watson (p.121), argues that kid watching provides an avenue for the teacher to assess language in real use. I will check if the learner reads the passage accurately and automatically. Rasinski 2012, (p.517) argues that ‘accurate and automatic reading enables the readers to engage limited cognitive energy in text comprehension’. I will also note the speed that the different readers use in their reading as well as the kind of words that give them difficulties. 

Assessment 

In order to assess students’ comprehension, fluency, and phonics, I will use the steps suggested by Watson (p.120). I will set to know how:

The student brings background knowledge and linguistic information to the reading situation.

The student approaches the text. If he or she makes effort to appreciate the text and relate it with own life experiences.

The reader uses memory as a reading aid. This includes use of prior knowledge of tales, songs, stories, and riddles to predict and make inferences from the text. 

The reader corrects oneself when the flow of the reading process is interfered with.

Ludov, is flexible enough to handle new language system patterns, and can construct meaning from the symbols. 

The students can apply phonics concept to read up to three letter words, as suggested by Tompkins 2003 (p.125). 

Share Time/Reflection 

Towards the end of the reading workshop time, I will create time for the whole class to converse. This will be a reflection of the skills and strategies they will have learnt throughout the reading session. AS a way of synthesizing information, Miller 2002 (p.180), propose that the students retell what they have read during the workshop. From the literal meaning of the text, they can make inferences hence being grounded more in what they have learnt. I will allow the students to meet at the discussion corner where each will freely describe their experience. Sharing time is effective as Routman2011(p.13) posit that “every student will be encouraged through the interaction and enthusiasm of other children and they will feel the need to be part of the process by contributing to the sharing”. This fosters memory enrichment as well as create bonding among the students. 

Conclusion 

Attaining oral language development, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and writing development, the reading workshop components mentioned above have to be adhered to. Reading and writing proficiency are important for a child’s growth in language. In the delivery of lessons for these components, the teachers need to consider the fluency level and comprehension competencies of the learners. The reading components are interconnected and all contribute to students’ proficiency attainment. Being acquainted with phonic rules will lead to phonological awareness and encourage fluency in reading. Integrating reading and writing will enhance comprehension skills. The learners’ ability to engage memory is also effective in making inferences and deeper understanding of texts. 

References 

Doake, D.B. (1985). Reading like Behavior:Its Role in Learning to Read. Acadia University.

Ganske,K.(2006). Word Sorts and More. The Guilford Press, USA.

Miller,D. (2002). Reading with Meaning. Steinhouse Publishers

Rasisnki, T. V. (2012).Why Reading Fluency should be Hot. The Reading Teacher. Volume 65. Issue no 8 pp 516-522. 

Rasisnki,T. V.(2014). Delivering Supportive Fluency Instruction-Especially for Students Who Struggle. Teaching Literacy. Written May 14th 2014. Viewed April 21, 2018.

Routman, R. (2011). Bond with Your Students. The Guilford Press, USA. 

Taberski, S. (2000)On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching Reading. Heinemann, USA. 

Tompkins, G.(2003). Breaking the Alphabet Code. Chapter 4.Pearson 

Watson, D.(n.d). Watching and Listening to Children Read. University of Missouri Columbia