Uses active instructional strategies to support emergent and early literacy
Evidence 1: Word Wall
Description: We have a wall in our classroom dedicated to the alphabet. Each letter is represented, and as children discover a word and the sound that it begins with, we add it to our wall.
Analysis: Learning to read and write is an ongoing, emerging process. To encourage children throughout this process, a language-rich environment which contains many materials, opportunities, and experiences for planned and spontaneous interaction with language, both oral and written, is needed. Our Word Wall is used in both structured and unstructured ways. While participating in Morning Meeting each day, we choose a letter of the day and add words to our wall. We also add words to our wall at lunch time, during guided discovery time or while participating in a math game. Whenever children make a connection between a letter and a word, we add to our wall.
Evidence 2: Photograph
Description: A child points at a word he is reading on his sweatshirt using the left to right pattern.
Analysis: Children develop an understanding of reading and writing when surrounded with a supportive literacy-rich environment. Through this child's reading experience both at school and at home, he has learned that print goes from left to right. He has also learned that the articles of clothing or pieces of paper that have the letter M in a dark circle represent the college that his father works at. With this information, this child is able to read the word printed on his sweatshirt.
Evidence 3: J Reading
Description: This is a transcript of a child reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?"
Analysis: Children gradually learn that there is a connection between written and spoken words. When children are read books frequently, they become familiar with the story and learn which words correspond with each page. Experiences such as this contribute to making a connection between speech and print, and build upon emergent and early literacy skills. Such is the case with the book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?". J has heard this story many times, and because of this repetition has learned which words correspond with each page in the book.
