4th Grade Literacy Plan

We shouldnt teach great books; we should teach a love of reading. B. F. Skinner

Stephanie Wilmore Early Childhood Education

Table of Contents
I. II. III. IV. Letter to Interview Team Philosophy/Beliefs about Literacy Learning Range of Reading and Writing Behaviors The Role of the Teacher a. Assessment b. Concepts/Strategies c. Instruction V. VI. VII. VIII. Classroom Design Professional Development Plan Resources Appendix a. Rubric for a Book Review b. Anecdotal Class Grid for Guided Reading

I.

Letter to Interview Team

To: Interview Team From: Stephanie Wilmore Topic: My Comprehensive Instructional Literacy Plan for 4th Grade. Reading and Writing are very complex processes that are developed overtime and experience. I have enjoyed thinking of literacy as a braid which is interwoven with threads of Orthography, Oral Language, Reading, Stories, and Writing. For students, the braid becomes thicker over time as students understanding of literacy grows. In Chapter 18 of Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6, Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell noted that survey research indicates that children who are avid readers in fourth grade have a high chance of remaining avid readers throughout their lives; sadly, the opposite is also true (p. 303). Depending on the experiences students have in the classroom, they can learn to love, hate, or not understand why learning is important to become significant members of the society. This alone makes it vital for a 4th Grade teacher to have their own beliefs about literacy learning and must implement these beliefs in their classroom. In order to fulfill my beliefs in my own classroom, I have expanded my own thoughts with the knowledge of theorists. Lev Vygotskys Sociolinguists Theory supports my beliefs of children using language and social interaction to become engaged in the classroom. Jean Piagets Constructivism Theory also supports my beliefs of children developing and creating their own thoughts and knowledge with myself, the teacher, being a resource in guiding their knowledge with meaningful lessons. Brian Cambournes Model of Learning also supports my beliefs that literacy learning occurs when seven conditions are present. Lastly, the Equity and Social Justice theory supports my belief that literacy learning occurs when the class is about our students lives as well as about a particular subject. With this, students can write for actual audiences, read books and articles about concerns that actually matter, and think through big ideas with consideration and passion. Throughout my literacy plan you are able to see how scaffolding is essential for students to learn. You will see that reading, writing, and word study are critical in supporting students overall knowledge. Through my belief statements and my knowledge of how children grow and develop, you will obtain an understanding of how important literacy development is.

II.

Philosophy/Beliefs about Literacy Learning

Reading and writing are complex processeschildren do not learn how to do either over night! In no specific order, I believe literacy is learned best when: 1. Students are involved in a balanced literacy program. 2. Students are involved in a Three-Block Framework of Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Language and Word Study. 3. Students learn and implement the layers of English Orthography through Word Study, 4. Students are frequently assessed and given meaningful feedback to guide them to the next stage of their reading and writing development, 5. Students are immersed in different genres.

Lev Vygotskys Sociolinguistic Theory catches my attention because it is simple to follow and effective in the classroom. His theory focuses on the social interaction that takes place, the importance of language in learning, student Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and the use of scaffolding. His teacher-student/student-student approach creates a learning environment that allows students to always interact. Because the teacher is there to provide some level of support, students are creating their own knowledge and work at their own pace. Vygotskys theory for literacy includes a simple I doyou watch, I do-you help, you do-I help, you do-I watch format. Through this scaffolding technique, students are able to gradually accept more and more responsibility for their learning. Having students go from the unknown to the known is a processthrough Vygotskys theory, students are able learn literacy with confidence which is appropriate for every learner. When children are learning to read and write, they need to hear and visually see what strategies good readers and writers use. This fits into Vygotskys scaffolding theory of I do-you watch. Here students receive the highest level of support because what they are learning is unknown. Teachers scaffold these new reading and writing strategies by demonstrating her thought process. Since she is doing the work and the students are watching, they are able to clearly see and hear what good readers and writers do to fully understand what they are learning.

Once students reach the seen before and worked with part of their learning, they have entered into the Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky suggest, and I agree, that students learn little when they perform task that they can already do on their own, which is where the Zone of Proximal Development is so essential. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) are the range of tasks between students concrete developmental level and their prospective development. At this stage of literacy learning scaffolding takes place at two different levels. The first level is where students still need much support with the I do-you help approach. Students then become more independent and the teacher/student role is flipped. I help-you do becomes where students really practice the strategies they have learned. Once students reach their Zone of Proximal Development and have time to practice what they have learned, the students reach Vygotskys I watch-you do concept. Here the teacher still scaffolds students learning but it is minimal because the student is doing the work independently. Students are in control of their learning and implement the strategies they learned to become independent learners. At this time students are able to take the strategies you have demonstrated to them and have applied them to their own thinking. Vygotskys theory, however, is not a one time and then you are done and know everything approaches. This form of teaching is a continuous cycle for students to gain lasting knowledge and become confident in strategies they can use to become effective readers and writers. Vygotsky is known for his scaffolding approach which I plan on using as an effective teaching tool in all aspects of my teaching. Why use scaffolding techniques? There are numerous reasons why. Scaffolding helps students understand what they are doing, keeping them interested and in their zone without becoming too overwhelmed with the task. It is a way to incorporate assessment and feedback and challenges students to get to their next level and leads to independence. When students are learning something for the first time, they need you as a support to guide their learning. In the balanced literacy approach for teaching literacy, you set your teaching in a way that allows you to give less and less support as the students becomes the expert. It is your job to create a scaffold, or wall of support, around the student while he/she are working with something new. The teacher has to keep in mind that sometimes you have to waitdont always rush in with your words or actions, but instead ask different levels of questions and encourage the student to respond with words or actions. Through practice in shared reading/writing, guided reading/writing and word study, you are taking that

supportive wall down bit by bit so when you are not there; students are able to meet the standards independently.

I also find Jean Piagets Constructivism Theory very interesting. While in elementary school, my teacher communicated everything to me while I listened. I was not able to come up with my own thoughts and ideas because she told me everything to do. In the Constructivism Theory we look at students as the ones who construct their own knowledge. Instead of telling my students everything, I provide the students with authentic (Vygotsky) lessons where students are able to construct their own thoughts and knowledge. You will see reading and writing applied in Literature Focus Units, K-W-L Charts, Reading Logs, Thematic Units, and word sorts. Piaget describes the brain as a filing cabinet where each cabinet is a schema. When a student learns something for the first time they create a schema for this new idea. Once they create this new cabinet it becomes something called prior knowledge. This is very exciting because once students have prior knowledge in any area they are able to connect prior knowledge to new ideas and create new knowledge. The more students already know about a topic the easier it is to create new knowledge because they are able to connect ideas and construct meaning. Every person has their own schemas. This is where collaboration comes into play. When a group of learners come together they are all able to bring their own prior knowledge to the table and give their own opinions. The reason why I believe in this theory is because as a teacher I am able to collaborate alongside the students as they learn. Instead of telling the answer, I give the students the resources to ask questions, seek information, solve problems, reflect on their learning, and create new knowledge through authentic lessons. This is very powerful in creating motivated students. Once they realize they can learn anything, they become very motivated to learn. The more self-efficacy a learner has, the more they are able to succeed. Brian Cambournes Model of Literacy Learning is also vital in teaching literacy. In this theory, there are seven conditions of learning: Immersion, Demonstration, Expectations, Responsibility, Employment (Use), Approximations, and Response. The teacher must immerse students in many types of print such as newspaper, magazine, flyers, pamphlets, brochures, books, different genres, charts, and labels. When students are immersed in

different forms of prints and genres, they are able to obtain prior knowledge (Piaget) and will also be able to jot down if what they are looking at looks right. Students need to receive many demonstrations of how print is constructed and used. They obtain this through the balanced literacy approach of Modeled Reading/Writing. As a teacher, you must let them see you writing notes, letters, stories, recipes, and/or list. Make sure they notice you reading to yourself (for pleasure/information/directions/etc.). Expectations will also be held in my classroom. I am a firm believer that students achieve what we expect for them to achieve, and they fail if we expect them to fail. Expectations are shown throughout the year for academics and also for behavior in the classroom. In the 4th grade classroom, responsibility is also important. At this age, students must make their own decisions about when, how, and what to learn in any task. As their teacher, I must give students choices about books to read and what to write about. I have to set up their environment to promote selfdirection. This can be shown by providing easy access to books and literacy materials. However, I must also teach them how to take care of them and be responsible. Like with Vygotsky, Employment (Use) is fundamental to learning. Once students are shown a new concept, they must have time and opportunities to use, employ, and practice. I must create a climate for functional and meaningful uses of oral language. This can be done through encouraging students to read along, help write notes, letters/list, and engage in lots of conversation. Approximation, which is one of my favorite out of the seven, gives the students the ability to be free to approximate, also known as make mistakes. Accepting students mistakes when they are learning to talk, read, and write, and then figuring out how to correct it. You are then able to have the student look at their mistakes and scaffold them by asking different guiding questions to help guide their thoughts (Vygotsky). You may also be able to refer back to posters in the room that will give the students the chance to fix their mistakes on their own. Congratulate them on their accomplishments and also guide them gently into accuracy and soon they will begin to selfcorrect. Obtaining a risk-free environment is essential for learning to occur. Lastly, students must receive feedback (Response) from those who know the content better. This type of assessment needs to be relevant, appropriate, timely, readily available, and nonthreatening in order to help the student move forward. When taught through these conditions of learning, students become more engaged in what they are learning. This is because students are given the opportunity to see how something new is done (Interactive Read-Aloud/Shared Writing), they are able to then practice what they have been taught without the fear of being wrong because the teacher will be there to scaffold their practice (Shared Reading/Writing, Guided Reading/Writing). Students are also aware of the expectations, and over-time

will begin to have expectations for them to become better. Through feedback from the teacher and other students, they will also begin to understand the expectations and will soon be able to evaluate themselves. The Social Justice Theory is also very important throughout the elementary years and beyond. When creating a classroom for social justice, we offer students more insight on the real world and give them an even bigger purpose for reading and writing. The students, and teacher, are able to take on a perspective of the kind of culture we live in and what kind of society we could live in, and build towards making that vision a reality. We have to instill the fact that they are the ones who will change the world and give them the expectation that through academic achievement and understanding they can change our world. In this theory, students are able to develop deeper questioning skills because they are encouraged to think, offer criticism, and to question the world around them. They do this by reading about their world, past to present, and talking about things that are happening in their world. Students are able to learn about diversity of culture and race and gain an understanding and different viewpoints because having a deeper understanding from different viewpoints allow bias and discrimination to dwindle. This also helps students to stay committed to fight discrimination which goes back to believing they are the ones who change the world (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. xxiii). Like Cambourne, students are in a risk-free learning environment. This allows them to feel important and cared for. I want to give them the opportunity to make sense of the world, and that will lead to many mistakes and misinterpretations. Through literacy, students can read about heroes and make connections to their lives and find inspiration from their struggles. In writing, they understand that they are writing for real audiences. Through authentic projects, role plays, simulations, mock trials, and experiments, students will be able to work with a purpose and gain a deeper insight mentally and physically about their world (Creating classrooms for equity and social justice).

1. Children learn literacy best when they are involved in a balanced literacy program.

A balanced literacy program involves Reading, Writing and Word Study. Balanced literacy through reading involves reading aloud (Interactive Read-Aloud), Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Literature

Circles, and Independent Reading. Balanced writing includes Modeled Writing, Shared Writing, Guided Writing and Independent Writing. Word Study includes Phonics, Spelling, Decoding, and Vocabulary Development. I believe students learn literacy best when they are involved in a balanced literacy program of Reading, Writing, and Word Study because when balanced correctly and given the support needed through scaffolding, students will be able to move from dependent readers and writers to independent readers and writers with an understanding of how words work, while gaining confidence in their work.

2. Students are involved in a Three-Block Framework of Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Language and Word Study.

The Three-Block Framework (Fountas and Pinnell) is a tool I will use to organize my instruction. The Three Blocks consist of Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Language and Word Study. Reading Workshop consists of a 60 minute block during the day with mini-lessons, Independent and Guided Reading and Literature Study as the teaching/learning structure. Here the students will read a variety of books, both self-selected and teacher-selected. The goal of this block is for students to construct meaning (Piaget) and make personal and textual connections. While they are doing this they will be learning from and about reading. Through Reading Workshop students will learn a variety of comprehension strategies that they will be able to apply to fiction and nonfiction texts. Writing Workshop is also a 60 minute block of time done each day through teaching/learning structures of minilessons, Independent Writing and Guided Writing. Here the students will learn and develop writing strategies and skills. They will understand that writing is a tool for learning and communicating. Students will be able to write for longer periods of time as they explore different genres of writing, the purpose of writing, and how to write to different audiences. The students will understand that writing to different audiences is important. There will be different activities where students will be writing from different perspectives and for different reasons (Social Justice). Language and Word Study consists of a 30-60 minute block during the day. The goal of this block is to have the students explore the complexities of the English language through different genres. Through this time the will examine and make connections to the meaning and structure of words, and will also study the conventions and forms of written language. Language and Word Study consist of Interactive Read Aloud, Modeled and Shared Reading/Writing, Word Study, Interactive Edit, and Interactive Vocabulary. I believe students learn

literacy best when they are taught through these blocks because they are immersed (Cambourne) in different types of reading and writing and are taught in a scaffolded approach (Vygotsky) based on their prior knowledge (Piaget).

3. Students learn and implement the layers of English Orthography through Word Study.

Becoming fully literate is absolutely dependent on fast, accurate recognition of words and their meaning in texts and fast, accurate production of words in writing so that readers and writers can focus their attention on making meaning (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 3). Students are able to grow in their English Orthography through something called Word Study. It allows students to manipulate words and construct the understanding of how words work their way. In Word Study, students develop general knowledge of English spelling by learning the regularities, patterns, and conventions, along with understanding specific knowledge of words. English spelling grows when students develop the three layers of English Orthography: alphabet to pattern to meaning. These three layers build upon one another, but as students read and write, there will be collaboration between the layers. These three layers can also be known as the Cueing System. The Cueing System includes the Phonological System, Syntactic System, and the Semantic System. The Phonological System is the sound system. The Syntactic System is the structural system of English that governs how words are combined into sentences. The Semantic System is the meaning of the words. In relation to Vygotsky, these cueing systems are developed through the use of language. The students are able to develop language and get the grasp of how the English language is used through the teacher modeling and emerging the students in these cueing systems through authentic practice (Vygotsky and Cambourne). These cueing systems are vital for readers and writers. When taught well students are able to construct their own knowledge and make connections (Piaget). The students are able to ask themselves these questions 1) Does it sound right? 2) Does it look right? 3) Does it make sense? These are essential because these skills will benefit them in becoming strong readers and writers throughout their whole life. I believe in teaching students the English Orthography through Word Study because it allows students to be engaged in their learning and motivated to learn how words and the English language work.

4. Students are frequently assessed and given meaningful feedback to guide them to the next stage of their reading and writing development.

Students learn literacy best when they are frequently assessed and given feedback that helps them grow and develop to the next stage in their literacy development. Informal assessments are used as a tool to help teachers guide their future lessons. Through these daily self-assessments teachers are able to see where students are and where to teach next. Teachers are able to evaluate their teaching of the different balanced literacy lessons and the students understanding of the cueing systems. In the 4th Grade classroom, students are more in charge of their learning and do much more assessing of their own work. I would do this to teach students that I do not want them to impress me, but I want them to impress and better themselves. Related with Vygotsky, employing these assessments on the students and giving them meaningful feedback is a form of scaffolding that keeps students continuously growing and making sense of what they are learning.

5. Students are immersed in different genres.

There are a wide variety of texts in our world. Students in my 4th Grade classroom will be able to experience and be immersed (Cambourne) in the different types of text through something named Genre Study. In teaching the different genres, it is my goal to: 1) develop an appreciation for and an understanding of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction texts, 2) Broaden their world experience and increase their knowledge, 3) Enrich their knowledge of language, including but not limited to vocabulary, 4) develop informed tastes as readers, 5) form their own opinions about authors and illustrators, 6) become critical of what they read, 7) learn how to select texts for themselves, 8) develop skills in using the library and in making their own collections of books, 9) learn to read differently for different purposes (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 390). There are two types of textFiction and Nonfiction. Fiction Genres include Traditional Literature, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Realistic Fiction, and Historical Fiction. Nonfiction Genres include Informational, Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir. Knowing about genres allows students to: 1) learn the language with which to talk about texts, 2) helps them learn how information is organized and presented, a process that supports comprehension, 3) helps them use what they know about the characteristics of texts to write in various genres, 4) lets them anticipate the

for texts in a particular genre will take, 5) helps them identify the kinds of books they like and want to read more of, and 6) allows them to evaluate the breadth of their reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 392). Knowing about genres also allow the students to think about their writing and what context they want to write in. If they want to have a persuasive piece of writing, they wouldnt write it the same as a poem. I believe Genre Study is important because students are able to learn the literary elements of Fiction and Nonfiction.

III.

Range of Reading and Writing Behaviors

As a 4th Grade teacher, it is my responsibility to understand the range of readers and writers in my classroom. However, before this, I must be conscious of the learner as a whole. Not all students learn the same, but students as a whole work and learn in stages. Coming into 4th Grade, students have a wide range of what they know, what they dont know, what they have seen, and what they have done. It seems like an overwhelming task to teach to this wide variety of learners, but once the teacher knows the behaviors of the students, she is able to create an environment where all students are encouraged to read, write, and develop at their own levels. Through Vygotskys scaffolding and teaching to the students Zone of Proximal Development, the student is able to feel comfortable and confident in their learning pace. When students are taught through the seven conditions of learning (Cambourne) they are also able to work at their own pace. Each and every student is unique, but the teacher is able to teach to the whole group and then scaffold to groups of students as needed. Through the Immersion, Demonstration, Use, and Approximation part of the seen conditions students are able to gain more prior knowledge (Piaget) which will also lead to more learning and connections being made. Below you will see the Reading, Writing, and Spelling Continuums a teacher can expect to see in a 4th Grade classroom. The Reading Continuum and the Writing Continuum I will be explaining is from Chapter 1 of Guiding Readers and WritersGrades 3-6 (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, pp. 7-8) . The stages of Spelling Development are found in Chapter 1 of Words Their Way (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012). I will begin by explaining the Reading levels I can expect to see in my 4th Grade classroom. These reading levels are labeled as the following: Emergent Readers (Levels A-B), Early Readers (Levels B-H),

Transitional Readers (Levels H-M) Self-Extending Readers (Levels M-R), and Advanced Readers (Levels RY). I will begin by explaining what can be expected to see in Emergent Readers (Levels A-B). In the 4 grade classroom these students could be English Language students. Through this stage, students are becoming aware of print. They are able to read orally, matching word by word. They use meaning and language in simple texts. These students know the names of some alphabet letters and can also hear sounds in words and can recognize name and some letters. Pictures are very useful for them because they are able to gain information from those pictures. They also connect words with names. These students notice and use spaces between words and read orally. They are able to match one spoken word to one printed word while reading one of two lines of text. They use spaces and some visual information to check on their reading. They are able to read from left to right, and will also be able to recognize a few high frequency words. Emergent Readers will be able to read simple texts that have one to two lines per page. In the Early Readers stage (Levels B-H), students build from what they knew in the Emergent Readers Stage. These students know names of most alphabet letters and many letter-sound relationships. They use letter-sound information along with meaning and language to solve words. They are able to read without pointing, read orally, and begin to read silently. They are able to read fluently with phrasing on easy texts and use punctuation. Unlike the Emergent Readers, they recognize most easy, high frequency words, and instead of using picture for information, they use information from pictures as added information while reading print. This is an exciting stage because these students begin to use the cueing system to check to make sure reading makes sense, sounds right, and looks right. They also check one source of information against another to solve problems. Early Readers will use texts that are longer books with high frequency words and supportive illustrations in them. In the Transitional Readers stage (Levels H-M), students grow and develop the skills they mastered in the Emergent and Early Readers stage. Here students read silently most of the time. They have a large core of known words that are recognized automatically. They use multiple sources of information while reading for meaning. They integrate sources of information such as letter-sound relationships, meaning, and language structure. They are consistently checking to be sure all sources of information fit and do not rely on illustrations, but notice them to gain additional meaning. They understand, interpret, and use illustrations in informational texts. They know how to read differently in some different genres. Here they also have flexible ways of problem-solving words, including analysis of
th

letter-sound relationships and visual patters. Lastly, they are able to read with phrasing and fluency at appropriate levels. Texts that are read at this level are texts with many lines of print, books organized into short chapters, and more difficult picture books with a wide variety of genre. The last two stages, Self-Extending Readers and Advanced Readers, are approximately what you will see in most 3rd-6th Graders. In the Self-Extending Readers stage (Levels M-R) students continue to read silently and are also able to read fluently when reading aloud. They use all sources of information flexibly in a smoothly orchestrated way. They sustain reading over texts with man pages, which require reading over several days or weeks, and become absorbed in books. They enjoy illustrations and gain additional meaning from them as they interpret texts, as well as interpret and use information from a wide variety of visual aids in expository texts. They analyze words in flexible ways and make excellent attempts at new, multi-syllable words. They have systems for learning more about the reading process as they build skills simply by encountering many different kinds of texts with a variety of new words (this is why genre study is so important!). As Piaget theory describes, here students are in a continuous process of building background knowledge and realize that they need to bring their knowledge to their reading along with connecting texts with previous texts they read. They begin to identify with characters in books and see themselves in the events of the stories. The texts that are seen read in this stage are a wide variety of readings that include long and short texts with a variety of genres. Lastly, the Advanced Readers stage (Levels R-Y) can be expected to be seen in the 4th grade classroom. Here students also read silently and read fluently when reading aloud. They effectively use their understanding of how words work, and employ a wide range of word solving strategies, including analogy to known words, word roots, base words, and affixes, which they work on during Word Study. They also acquire new vocabulary through reading. Here reading is used as a tool for learning in content areas. They are constantly developing new strategies and new knowledge of texts as they encounter greater variety. They develop favorite topics and authors that form the basis of life-long reading preferences and they notice and comment on aspects of the writers craft. Readers actively work to connect texts for greater understanding and finer interpretations of text and consistently go beyond the text read to form their own interpretations and apply understandings in other areas. They sustain interest and understanding over long texts and read over extended periods of time. They notice and comment on aspects of the writers craft. Here, these students will read a wide variety of genres for a different range of purposes.

As a teacher in a rather diverse room of learners will be a challenge. I will have students that are reading more towards a first or second grade level, while I may also have a few students reading in a fifth or sixth grade level. It is my job to know and understand the continuum of reading. No one student will show me everything that is on one grade-level. The goal for every student is to have consistent progress, which I can give them through a balanced literacy program that includes time (Cambourne), materials (Cambourne), and explicit teaching (Cambourne, Vygotsky). Like the ranges of Readers, there will be a wide variety of ranges of Writers in my classroom. These include, like the reading ranges, Emergent Writers, Early Writers, Transitional Writers, SelfExtending Writers, and Advanced Writers. Emergent Writers are able to write their name from left to right. They are able to write alphabet letters with increasingly accurate letter formation. They can hear and represent some consonant sounds at beginning and ends of words and use some letter names in the construction of words. Sometimes, they use spaces to separate words or attempted words. You can find them labeling drawings and communicate meaning in drawings. They are able to establish a relationship between print and pictures. They remember message represented with letters or words, can write many words phonetically, and write a few easy words accurately. In the Early Writers stage, writers are able to write known words fluently. They are able to write left to right across several lines and write 20 to 30 words correctly. They use letter-sound and visual information to spell words. They also approximate spelling of words, usually with consonant framework and easy-to-hear vowel sounds. Here they also form almost all letters accurately and consistently use spacing. They are able to compose two or three sentences about a single idea, write about familiar topics and ideas, remember messages while spelling words, and reread their writing. They begin to notice the authors craft and use techniques in their own writing. They also relate drawings and writing to create a meaningful text. In the Transitional Writers stage, students will grow from what they were doing in the past two stages. They will be able to spell many words conventionally and make near-accurate attempts at many more and use the basic punctuation and capitalization skills. Here they are able to work on writing over several days to produce longer, more complex texts. They produce pieces of writing that have dialogue, beginnings, and endings and also develop ideas to some degree. They employ a flexible range of strategies to spell words and consciously work on their own spelling and writing skills. Writers

demonstrate ability to think about ideas while encoding written language. Here they also begin to write in a few different genres while they continue to incorporate new understandings about how authors use language to communicate meaning. As in the Reading stages, the last two stages, Self-Extending Writers and Advanced Writers, are approximately where you will see most 3rd-6th Graders. Self-Extending Writers spell most words quickly without conscious attention to the process. Here, these writers proofread to locate their own errors, recognize accurate parts of words, and use references of apply principles to correct words. They have way to expand their writing vocabularies and use what they know from reading text to develop their writing. They understand ways to organize informational writing such as compare/contrast, description, temporal sequence, and cause and effect, while recognizing and using many aspects of the writers craft to improve the quality of their writing. They develop a topic and extend a text over many pages while developing pieces of writing that have voice. They write for many different purposes, show a growing sense of audience for their writing, and critique own writing and offer suggestions to other writers. Lastly, in the Advanced Writers stage, writers understand the linguistic and social functions of conventional spelling and produce products that are carefully edited. They write almost all words quickly, accurately, and fluently while using a dictionary, thesaurus, computer spell check and other text resources when unsure of a word. They also understand organizational plans for these resources. These writers control a large body of known words that constantly expands. They demonstrate a large speaking and listening vocabulary as well as knowledge of vocabulary that is used often in written pieces. They notice many aspects of the writers craft in texts that they read and apply their knowledge to their own writing. They continue to critically analyze their own writing and that of others, write for a variety of functions (narrative, expressive, informative, and poetic), write in various persons and tenses, write for different audiences (from known to unknown), and write about a wide range of topics beyond the present time, known settings, and personal experiences. In both the Reading and Writing stages, you are able to see that students are able to read and spell words accurately. You are also able to see that they are expanding their vocabulary and figure out words based on the analogy to known words, word roots, base words, and affixes. This growth of development and understanding has to do with being immerged in a balanced literacy program and their understanding through Word Study. Teachers are able to help students grow in their word knowledge by understanding the stages of Spelling Development.

The stages of Spelling Development that may be found in the 4th Grade include the following: Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling (Early, Middle, and Late), Within Word Pattern Spelling, Syllables and Affixes Spelling, and Derivational Relations Spelling. These stages relate to the students Orthographic knowledge and will allow the teacher to know when to teach what. By understanding the stages of development for spelling, teachers are able to focus on the students Zone of Proximal Development by determining what the student uses but confuses (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 10). Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling is broken up into three stages: Early, Middle, and Late Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling. This is due to the fact that there is quick growth during this stage in the students spelling development. Overall in this stage, students learn to segment the sounds that are in words and are able to match the letter(s) to those sounds. In the Early Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling stage, begin by spelling the first and last sound of a single-syllable word. Here the middle sounds or vowels are not included in the spelling. They tend to mix up letters such as /b/ and /p/. This stage is harder to read because students only use some of the sound that they hear to represent the word. As students keep working, they move to the Middle to Late Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling stage. Through this stage you will see students showing mastery in most beginning and ending consonants. They are also able to spell many high frequency words. What stands these students apart from the earlier stage is the fact that this speller begins to use the vowels consistently, but confuse short vowels. Here, silent letters are not represented. In this stage students are starting to segment sounds in a consonant blend and write them correctly. This spelling is described as phonetic (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 12). The last stage in this spelling development is the Late Letter Name-Alphabetic Spellers. These spellers have full phonemic awareness. They are able to consistently represent most regular short vowel sounds, consonant blends, and digraphs. However, they are not able to write the nasal sounds that come before a consonant which are /n/ and /m/. By the end of the Letter Name-Alphabetic Spellers stage, these students have an understanding of the alphabetic layer of the English Orthographic knowledge and are working to learn the patterns of words. Longer than the previous stage, the next stage in a students spelling is named the Within Word Pattern Spelling. Here the students work extensively on vowel patterns because there are many vowel patterns to learn in the English Orthography. These students have an understanding of everything that was talked about in the above paragraph. They pull away from spelling sound-by-sound and begin to include patterns that are found in letter sequences. Here they study words by sound and pattern at the same time. They begin doing this by learning the vowel patterns found in single-syllable words such as

the common long vowel patterns, the less common patterns, and the ambiguous vowels. Students also begin to work on homophones which begin the students are considering the meaning layer in the English Orthography. The next stage in students spelling development is the Syllables and Affixes Spelling stage. This is where you will find many of your 4th graders. Students here have trouble with two-syllable words and where syllables and affixes meet. They have trouble with words stuck as stopped and hiking and spell them as stoped and hikeing. They work on learning the syllable juncture patterns which include open and closed syllables. The term open syllable refers to syllables that remain open because they end with a long vowel sound; the term closed syllable refers to syllables that are closed by a consonant or consonants, resulting in a short vowel sound (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 14). At the end of this stage, students become aware of the spelling patterns that involve affixes that affect the meaning of words. The last stage, Derivational Relations Spelling, is the final stage in the developmental model. There will not be many spellers in this area, but as a teacher, you should be prepared to teach if when a student is ready for it. Here students learn the Greek and Latin origin of words. They examine how many words come from base words and word roots. They are able to spell most words correctly, but when they do have errors it is usually on the final suffixes. They have trouble spelling words reduced vowel in derivationally related pairs such as spelling competition as computition or commpotition (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 14). They also may have trouble absorbed (assimilated) prefixes such as spelling immobile as immobile or correspond as corespond (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 15). This stage will last with students the rest of their life. With the understanding of where words are rooted from, students are able to make connections to their meaning as well as to their spelling of several words. As you see, the ranges in the 4th Grade classroom are very spread out. Even though all students will not be on the same level as their reading, writing, and spelling skills, they are still able to learn together in one classroom. You are able to see how all of these are connected processes. By knowing and understanding the different ranges for reading, writing, and spelling the teacher is able to assess her students and understand what to teach to get the students to their next level. The literacy program that is taught will provide skills and strategies that they will use daily, and will also allow them to develop rich backgrounds (Piaget) through the texts that are read. She is able to, while keeping in mind Vygotskys

theory of scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development, teach using the balanced literacy approach to support her students in their Effective Reading, Writing, and Spelling process.

IV.

The Role of the Teacher

Lucy Calkins stated, If we are going to teach reading and writing well, our classrooms must be filled with our students voices and their lives. We dont need to be Superteachers to teach children to write, but we need to love and respect our children and to help them love and respect each otherand themselves. When you create a community of learners, you create an expectation that all students will work hard and try their best. If a student is having a hard day, the other students will recognize it and try to cheer them up and engage them in what they are learning. The students will have an understanding that they are important and we are teaching them so they become important people in the society. It gives the students the sense of what they can expect in the worldwhich is not always flowers and butterflies, but that they can work through every situation that is thrown their way with skills that are learned and practiced in class (Social Justice). To create a community of learners in your classroom, it is vital for you to show students that teachers are learners too. Why? It removes the idea that you are better than them. It removes the uneasiness of being wrong. What can a teacher do to show students they are learners too? As a teacher, I plan on showing my students that I am a learner too by acknowledging mistakes that are made and model/think out loud what to do about them, admitting what I dont know, and model having a question and using resources to figure out the answer. I plan on sharing my own uses and experiences with literacy and showing them how I use the Language Arts in real life situations and bringing in real life connections to what students are learning. I will sit among the students, even more so when they are presenting, and explain to them when I learned something new. I will get to know my students, and will use them as a source of information if they know more about something than I do. I will have them teach about their culture and traditions because when it comes to that, they are the experts and they need to be proud of that. I plan on reading to myself during Silent Reading Time, at least for 5-10 minutes, so they see how important I believe reading is too. With this in place, it allows you to be real with your students, and when you are real with them, they will be real with you back. Creating a classroom community is so very important. Within the first few weeks of the school year, the teacher must implement the classroom environment and routines

(Reading/Writing Workshop and Word Study) in order to get the most learning out of the school year. To do this, the teacher has to explain and demonstrate what is expected in the classroom (Cambourne). It will take some time because it is new to the students, but once it is established students are able to feel comfortable, safe, and more willing to take risks in the classroom, and when students take risks, they learn. In the 4th Grade classroom, the teacher has criteria that she needs to teach to each of her students. These will be found in the state standards as well as the schools expectations. As a risk-free environment is being built, the teacher will begin to start teaching to the core state standards. Literacy learning is so important because no matter what subject you are teacher, we learn through literacy. My role as a teacher is to create a risk-free environment and, in Wisconsin Teaching Standard number two, address the diverse needs of all of my students. Through a balanced literacy approach, I will instruct on core standard concepts and strategies and will use assessment as a tool to know what to teach next and make sure I am and the students are meeting the standards they must know by the end of 4th Grade. In my next few sections I will explain my ways of assessing students, concepts and strategies that are developmentally appropriate, and how my instruction will facilitate the development of the literacy concepts, skills and strategies in reading, writing, and word study.

a. Assessment

Students learn literacy best when they are frequently assessed and given meaningful feedback that will guide them to the next stage of their reading and writing development. Assessing is a powerful way for teachers to scaffold their students. However, there is not just one perfect way to assess students. Teachers have multiple ways of assessing students learning and multiple purposes for the assessing. There are multiple forms of formative and summative assessments that teachers use to assess their students to determine students reading levels, to monitor students progress, to diagnose students strengths and areas that need improvement, and to document students learning. Summative Assessments are assessments that are given periodically. These include tests given at the end of a unit, benchmark assessments, and state assessments. Benchmark assessments are taken usually at the beginning of the year to see where students are at from the previous year, then there is an assessment mid-year to see the growth of the first 3 or so months, and lastly, there is an assessment given at the end of the year. These assessments allow the teacher to monitor her students learning and

their growth for the year. It allows her to see if state standards are met and allows her to assess the effectiveness of the program and make new goals for the next year. In literacy, I will use these assessments to see where my students knowledge of reading, writing, and vocabulary are at the beginning of the year and will see where I should begin teaching. This will be helpful because I will be able to see what students know and may allow me to simply review items that I had previously thought I would need to take many lessons to teach. For the students who still struggle in things most of the class understands at the beginning of the year, the review will be helpful, and I will be able to scaffold them in a guided reading/writing or independently if need be. Formative Assessments, or you may call it an evaluation, are assessments that I will use most often. These assessments happen daily and are not graded. This type of assessing guides my belief in the importance of assessment. An analogy I could use for this could be shown in an example of getting your drivers license. What if before you got your drivers license you were given a grade every time you practiced driving, and then your final grade was the average of all of those grades you received while practicing. Chances are, your first few practices you probably received a low grade which would make you unmotivated to keep trying and get better. Same is true for the readers and writers in my class. When we are at the I do/you watch, I do/you help, and I help/you do stage, we cant give student letter grades. This is the time when they are practicing the skills and concepts we are teaching them. Through different forms of scaffolding, we allow the students to get better and better so when it comes to the end of the unit, benchmark assessment, or state assessment, students are prepared for a graded test. This type of assessment informs both the teacher and the student of their understanding of the material. The teacher will use this to guide her following lessons and uses it to scaffold her learners by putting them in groups for guided instruction and similar word study groups. By the time students have entered 4th grade, they become aware of different forms of assessments. They have many skills in literacy and are able to work independently and are able to play a big role in their progress as learners. At this stage, it is important for the students to become involved in making and achieving goals and self-assessing their work. When students are part of the process, they are invested in success, inspired by their progress, and focus on their grades. They know what they have learned and where they need to go (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 485). To help students evaluate their work and also for me to evaluate their work, I will be using a variety of rubrics to assess students. Rubrics area a great tool to use to evaluate the quality of student work because the criteria is set at different levels and you figure out what level the student is at based

off of their work. Students will not simply fit into one section of the rubric. They may be at a level one in one area and excel in a level three in another area. This is great because you can see what students have trouble in and can create groups that may need a mini-lesson to support their understanding. Some rubrics may be created in a group setting while others may be given to the teacher as a schoolwide rubric. I also believe in formative assessments as one-on-one conferencing with a student, keeping written records, spelling inventories, and informal reading inventories. One-on-one conferencing is a great tool to use. You are able to understand your students on a deeper social, emotional, and educational level and create that personal relationship which leads to greater risk-taking and the student believing that their thoughts and opinions matter. This is also a great form of scaffolding because your teaching is direct with them and instead of generalizing what the class needs to do to become better readers, writers and spellers, you are able to motivate that student on what strategies they need to work on to become better readers, writers and spellers. Anecdotal notes allow you to write key things about your student during a lesson and then go back and refer to what happened during your lesson. It is so easy to tell yourself, as a teacher, that you will remember everything that happened, but by creating a system where you can jot down notes will greatly benefit your assessment of yourself and your lesson. You can take notes about students behavior during lessons, but you can also take them during workshop time. Appendix B will allow you to see what a Guided Reading Anecdotal Class Grid would look like in my classroom. Written records are another great tool for assessments. In my classroom students will be doing many kinds of writing. I will be able to look in their writers notebooks and see what strategies they are using and need more work on. I can also use this authentic writing to note what words students are misspelling and develop a plan on what words to include in their Word Study groups. For reading, I will be using running records to inform my teaching. Anecdotal Records will be very useful for assessing my students. Anecdotal records are brief note that teachers make (usually in a separate notebook) recording their observations and any events that they would like to keep a record on. This is very helpful in a classroom when you want to remember something about your students because you are able to write it down and move on without worrying about forgetting about it.

Lastly, Student Portfolio is a great informal assessment to use in the 4th Grade classroom. In these portfolios you will see students work that will contain writing examples, reading logs and records. It will also contain evidence in the form of day to day student work as well as student work collected

over a long period of time. What I like best about this form of assessment is that students can include pieces they believe are good and would like to show off. It is also a great tool to use come conference time to show their parents the growth of their child. By using this informal assessment, the teacher is able to assess students over time by comparing their work. There are many purposes for these classroom assessments. Determining the students reading levels as a whole classroom allows the teacher to determine appropriate plan instruction. It also allows teachers to monitor students progress in reading and writing and understanding of language, and see how much they are growing and if they are not they are able to evaluate their teaching strategies to get the students back on track. These assessments also allow the teacher to examine students progress in literacy components. These components include the ones mentioned in my second belief statement. Lastly, assessment is important because the teacher is allowed to collect the students work throughout the school year and is able to physically show the students accomplishments. Through these daily self-assessments teachers are able to see where students are and where to teach next. Teachers are able to evaluate their teaching of the different balanced literacy lessons and the students understanding of the cueing systems. Related with Vygotsky, employing these assessments on the students and giving them meaningful feedback is a form of scaffolding that keeps students continuously growing and making sense of what they are learning.

b. Concepts/Strategies

In the 4th Grade classroom, students have many new concepts and strategies to learn, and other concepts and strategies to continually build off of from previous years of learning. Once I have done the beginning benchmark assessments, I am able to see where students are and where I must begin instructing. I will ask myself what strategies they know and how I can teach them to make their reading even better. In 4th Grade, there will be a focus on genre which means students will take into consideration what strategies they can use for certain genres to increase their comprehension on certain text. There are many concepts and strategies that need to be taught and practiced in Reading, Writing, and Word Study which when all together allow the student to become a great reader and writer.

Reading: In the 4th Grade classroom, you will see many strategies being taught and used for reading. Through mini-lessons, you will teach students how to be good readers by: solving words, monitoring and correcting, gathering, predicting, maintaining fluency, and adjusting. These strategies will help students in sustaining their reading. Strategies such as connecting, inferring, summarizing, and synthesizing with help readers expand meaning and comprehension in text. It is very important for students to be aware, practice, and learn these strategies in order to become sustaining readers. In order to monitor and correct while they are reading, students must check on whether their reading sounds right, looks right, and make sensethe cueing systems. Teachers can teach students many different strategies to help them monitor and correct while they are reading. Teachers can help readers learn how to notice when they do not understand. Students can search for and use information that will increase understanding. They can also notice mismatches between their responses and the print and use multiple sources of information to check on and correct reading. Students can ask themselves questions after the get done reading a paragraph: 1) What just happened in this paragraph, 2) Does this sound right, and 3) Does this make sense. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) Im confused, 2) Thats not right, 3) Oh, thats what that means, and 4) I get this (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). In order for students to gather information while reading, they must identify and select information from print. Teachers can teach readers how to pick up and put together information from print. She can teach them how to locate important information in a text and recognize features that support reading and comprehending the text. This is very important when students are learning different genres. When students learn and recognize different print/graphic features such as italics, headings, diagrams, photographs, and illustrations, they are able to move throughout the text in a more effective way. They can also learn organizational features such as the index, glossary, and table of contents to also identify information. Knowing this strategy will help when students want to use books for projects and gain information faster. Instead of reading an entire book, they are able to use the book for their own purpose to find key ideas they want to use for a project or a paper. Example of thoughts could be: 1) I didnt know that, 2) Thats important, and 3) Thats interesting (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). Predicting is a concept that students begin learning right away in Kindergarten. This strategy is also important in 4th Grade. Readers need to anticipate what will happen next in the text. This helps them stay engaged while reading. Again with genre, is students pick up and fiction book, they can predict what the book will be about. This is an effective strategy in case they want a book that has facts.

If they can predict that a fiction book is not real and they want to know facts about sharks, they should pick up a nonfiction book or informational text instead. Teachers can also teach them to use knowledge of characters, plot, setting, or theme to predict what will happen next in a text. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) I wonder if, 2) I want to know, 3) What is going to happen, and 4) I know whats going to happen (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). Strategies to maintain fluency is also very important to the reader. Teachers can teach students to change voice tone and use pausing to create phrase units that create meaning in the text. Teaching the reader that when they see a comma they need to pause before reading the next word, and when they see a period they need to pause a little longer before reading the next sentence. Examples of thoughts could be This is easy reading. Adjusting is another strategy teachers need to teach students to sustain reading. When reading different genres, students need to understand the different purposes of that type of text. When they understand this, they can adjust their reading based off of what type of text it is. They are able to understand the purpose and the audience and vary their speed of reading to allow them more or less time to problem solve in their reading. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) I need to look for, and 2) How would this sound to the listener (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). Strategies for expanding meaning are very important to teach in the 4th Grade. Strategies for expanding meaning include: connecting, inferring, summarizing, synthesizing, analyzing, and critiquing. There are so many different perspective in books and by using these next strategies I will be talking about, students will create a deeper understanding of what they are reading, and use it to construct meaning that they can connect to their lives. Making connections while reading allow the reader to relate to the book. The student is able to take knowledge (Piaget) they have gained from personal, world, and text experiences, and create a deeper meaning. Teachers can help readers learn how to understand and develop purposes for reading texts, and how to connect knowledge of topic, plot, characters, or setting to personal experiences. Students understand and develop purposes for reading text. Students can learn how to make connections to other books in the same series, same genre, same author/illustrator, books in the same setting or historical period, same characters, same culture/ethnic group, same topic, same social issue, or children in the same age group (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 318). Making these connections also allow the student to become more involved in the book which deepens comprehension. These connections

motivates the reader to engage in other texts and also expands the readers language system both orally and written. In Literature circles, this strategy becomes very important because no two students will read the book the same way. It allows the students to view different perspectives and create an understanding of life and the world (Social Justice). Examples of thoughts could be: 1) That reminds me of, 2) I know somebody like that, 3) Ive felt what its like, 4) Ive read something like this before, and 5) Ive seen/heard/smelled that (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). Inferring takes place during reading and after reading. Instead of just reading the lines on the page, the students take it a step further and really think about what is implied in the text. This can include strategies such as thinking about each characters point of few and feelings. Students can also make judgments about why the setting is where it is and why the author is choosing to talk about something over another. Making these inferences allow the students to become a skillful reader who reflects on what the author is really trying to say. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) Why did ____ do that, 2) She must feel, and 3) How sad.or wonderful! (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 330). Summarizing is another strategy students must learn while reading. This does not mean just summing up everything you read, but continually organizing information after you are done reading. After reading a paragraph the student can think back on what happened in the text and the important information that was found. This could also happen after each chapter in a book. This will help students when they are trying to relate important ideas, events, and details to the whole text and create meaning. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) I get it, 2) The important things I learned are, and 3) Let me think about what I now understand (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 330). Synthesizing texts allows the student to make different connections. Readers can look at a text through different scopes. They look at the text through their personal knowledge, world knowledge and literary knowledge. They can ask questions such as: 1) What does the information in this text mean to me, 2) What information is useful to me and how does it fit (or not fit) with what I already know, and 3) What am I taking away with me? When synthesizing what they are reading, they are able to create new knowledge that connects with their previous knowledge (Piaget) and can also create a new point of few (Social Justice). Examples of thoughts could be: 1) I understand this in a new way, 2) These ideas are really interesting, and 3) That must be one of the reasons it (historical or political event) happened (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 330).

Analyzing while reading allows the student to closely examine elements of a text which will lead to a greater understanding of how it is constructed. We want students to understand how texts are organized and see how language is used to convey meaning. Teachers can helps readers by teaching them how to recognize plot development based on knowledge of text structure. By knowing different genres, students can recognize and use text characteristics to support the organization of the text. Students can analyze illustrations, maps, charts, and literary features of a text to expand understanding. By analyzing the text students can identify the meaning and then apply it to the real world (Social Justice). Examples of thoughts could be: 1) I like the way this author makes you feel as if you are there, 2) What a complex plot!, and 3) Thats the style of this writer (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 330). Lastly, critiquing the text allow the student to judge or evaluate the text based on personal, world, and/or text knowledge. By teaching the students strategies in critiquing text, they are able to assess whether or not the text is accurate, if there is bias, whether or not it is authentic in terms of plot or setting, and assess if the text is consistent with what they know through life experiences. We want them to look and see how characters are being portrayed and whose point of view the story is being told. For instance, if in all the books they read women are portrayed as house wives, will the student believe that women do not have jobs? They have to learn to critique and ask questions. They can also figure out if they liked the author, if the text was effective, and if stories were not told. This strategy works great with Social Studies and history and teaches myself that students shouldnt learn this subject from one book, but from many books so they can gain multiple perspectives. Examples of thoughts could be: 1) This is unlikely, 2) Should I keep reading this, 3) Some important information is missing here, and 4) This shows the attitude of the author (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 330). Writing: In the 4th Grade classroom there are also many concepts and strategies that are taught and practice to help the student become a better writer. By getting to known the different types of genres, students will be able to also write in certain genres. In 4th grade, I will have a focus on writing persuasive/opinion pieces, narrative pieces, and informative pieces. Most students know the writing process (pre-write, draft, revise, redraft, edit, and publish) by now, but we will still be working towards these because a paper is never at its best the first time around. They will also continue to work on having a main idea, organization, word choice, fluency, voice, and conventions. Word Study: In 4th Grade, students begin to really know and understand what words mean. By giving these students the opportunity to learn about words, they are able to create strategies to help them in spelling and while they are reading to discover what unknown words mean. We want students

to know about wordshow they look, how they sound, what they mean. Word study allows students to work independently to work on phonics, spelling, and vocabulary. This will allow them to understand why words are spelled the way they are, have good estimations when they are spelling an unknown word, and can figure out unknown words while they are reading. In order to solve words students need to use a range of problem-solving strategies to take words apart and understand word meaning while reading the entire text. Teachers help students with this strategy by teaching them a variety of approaches to use when unknown words arrive. These next few strategies will be taught during word study when students are able to manipulate words and find strategies that allow them to understand words they do not know. The teacher teaches students to use words they recognize to help them decode unknown words. Students can break the word up by recognize know words. They can also use letters and letter clusters at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Students can use syllables to break up words for analysis and also use parts and base words within the word to figure out unknown words. By learning root words and their meanings in Word Study, students can also find the root of the words in unknown words while they are reading in order to obtaining the meaning of the word so they can make sense of the text. Students can also use letter/sound relationships and visual information in connection with meaning and language knowledge. For example, a student comes to the sentence, Many things about Venus remain unknown. If the student is not sure of what the word unknown means, they are able to break it apart by the un and known. Students will most likely have an understanding that known (know) means something someone understands or recognizes. They can then think back to what un means which can also be the word not. When the student puts those two words together they get not knowing, not understanding, not recognizing. By using this strategy, students can then go back to the sentence and use their new version of the word and then understand the sentence. Example of thoughts could be: 1) That word looks familiar, 2) What does that word mean, and 3) How do you say that word (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 329). With these strategies in mind, students are able to become problem solvers when working alone. They are able to take literacy and use it to inform their lives and create new meaning. Through assessment of listening to them read/asking questions about what they are reading (comprehension) and evaluating their authentic pieces of writing, I am able to see what students are struggling with and put students into groups based off of like needs. I am able to scaffold the student to take their unknown

to known while giving them the opportunity to understand why learning all of these strategies allow them to make sense of their world and become a force to create change (Social Justice).

c. Instruction
As a teacher in 4th Grade, meeting the needs of all the learners in your classroom is your main objective. Developing an effective literacy learning environment and planning the most effective instructional experiences is the best start a teacher can have in reaching the diverse needs of the students. While using daily assessments, teaching literacy concepts, skills and strategies that are appropriate to the developmental level of the students, instructing these concepts/strategies through balanced literacy and employed Vygotskys scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development Theory alongside with Jean Piagets Constructivism Theory, the teacher is able to meet every student learning needs while giving them the opportunity to be learning for a purpose (Social Justice). In the 4th Grade classroom students will be learning a variety of literacy concepts, skills, and strategies that will give them a foundation for being productive readers and writers for the rest of their life. Since the students are coming into my classroom with a variety of backgrounds and what they have seen, done, or never seen or done, it is critical to assess them in the beginning of the year. Once I am able to see where my students are in the classroom I will be able to dig into teaching them the concepts and strategies of effective readers and writers. In order to learn these strategies to become better readers and writers, they must be given time to practice! The instruction of a balanced literacy program along with Three-Block Framework of Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Language and Word Study allow the students time to work on their reading and writing everyday which will allow them to meet standards. Since the workshop approach allows students to work in their zone (Vygotsky) and read and writer for a purpose (Social Justice), there is a higher chance that students will be engaged in their learning and become life-long readers and writers. How will this look in my classroom? In the mornings, students will be engaged in routines such as: interactive read aloud, shared reading/writing mini-lessons, guided reading/writing, literature circles, independent reading/writing, and word study. Through these different types of instruction students will learn and use concepts and strategies that will develop them into become better readers, writers, and spellers. Reading Workshop consists of a 60-minute block of time everyday where students learn how to become effective readers. Here students learn about reading by reading. Instead of lecturing for 60

minutes, I have an interactive read aloud or shared-reading mini-lesson based the needs of all the readers. Then students will break up into independent reading, guided reading groups, or literature study. Here readers learn how to work together, set goals and evaluate themselves, engage in communication about what they read and take in perspectives of other readers and the connections they made, and work at their own pace. In Independent Reading, students develop individual reading taste and interest and broaden their experience with a variety of texts. Students enjoy the reading because it is right around their reading level. They read silently in a comfortable spot and write reading responses in their reading notebooks. Students can write about things they like, dont understand, or if they want to know more. The teacher can look at this and write back to the reader. This form of scaffolding allows the teacher to see the students thought process as well as ask questions to further their comprehension of the text. In Guided Reading, students are pulled together in groups of 4-6 who have similar learning needs. The teacher provides explicit teaching through introduction of text, observing/conferring with students during reading, teaching points after reading, and may do word work. After a mini-lesson, students will read their books independently. While students are reading silently, I will ask students one by one to read aloud so I can take observational notes (which I will use as an assessment tool), and scaffold the student while they are reading. These texts are usually shorter (they are able to read them in one or two sessions) and are slightly above their reading level since they are getting more support in this group. These books are only read during guided reading and they work on skills that will transfer over when they are reading independently. Literature Study (book club) is a fantastic way for students to interact with one another, gain different perspectives, and enjoy more reading. This is a time where students will talk with one another about various kinds of literature and participate in a discussion about the meaning and inner workings of the text. When reading a book, students use strategies named in the previous section to gain a deeper meaning of the book. Students experience the book in their own way and have their own connections. By have a book club in the classroom, students can read book and discuss their meaning and gain different perspectives and point of views on the same book. Their understanding is of coarse much deeper than what it would have been if they would have just read the book by themselves and never talked about it.

Once students have participated in their groups or independent reading for 30-45 minutes, the class will come together. Here students are invited to share something about their reading and evaluate their work during that class period. It gives the students a chance to hear about books that they might like to read. Reading workshop is done every day which gives the students the opportunity to read many books throughout the year. Through this Reading Workshop approach, students are able to gain confidence in themselves as readers and gain much more prior knowledge (Piaget) about the world that they wouldnt have known if they hadnt opened the book. They are able to expand their world, make connections, think critically, and overall improve their lives. It also becomes something that is a satisfying and rewarding experience that can encounter for the rest of their lives. Writing Workshop consists of a 60-minute block of time everyday where students will learn and develop their skills in writing. This time will begin with a community meeting where all students will gather together. Here is where I will teach a shared writing mini-lesson on a topic of writing all students need to work on based on my assessment of their writing. This is where I spark the students interest, show them other writers work as an example to help them learn about the process, and offer specific teaching concepts and strategies. Once this 5-15 minute lesson is done, students will move into independent writing, guided writing, or investigate a piece of literature in depth. Students in Independent Writing work individually to explore topics, draft, revise, edit, and/or publish their writing. This writing may take place in their writers notebook or in the writing folders for ongoing projects. During this time, I may also conference with the students to provide feedback, answer questions help clarify meaning, and reinforce writers strengths. During this time students learn to write in different genres, develop writing skills and strategies, develop an understanding of the writing process, and it also helps students understand what writers do and how they can make a place for writing in their lives. Students in Guided Writing will be put in homogeneous groups (4-6 students) who have like needs or interest. These groups change based off my assessment of the students. In these groups, the teacher explicitly works with students to teach the writers craft, strategies, and skills. After I have done a minilesson with these students based on their needs, students will work independently on their writing. This is a higher form of scaffolding than in your one-on-one conferencing with students who are writing

independently. Students will take the mini-lesson you taught in their group and use it to guide their writing. Another group you will have during this time is an Investigation group. Students do research on works of literature, authors, and work in content areas to understand various formats for writing. They inquire about different written language and use it to make connections between reading and writing. This also may spark interest in students and give ideas on how and what they want to write about. Instead of you telling them the differences between writing, they are able to make the connections and see the likes and differences. Once this 35-50 minute block of time is done, students will group share and evaluate for 5-10 minutes. Here students may talk about what they did for the day that went along with the mini-lesson or they may ask for help. This gives the writers a chance to have an extra set of ears and by listening to other writers they have more to think about how it compares with their writing. Through this Writing Workshop approach, students become confident in their writing and view themselves as authors. They are aware of the different genres to write through and understand that writing is a tool they can use throughout their life so share experiences, or have their ideas known. Writing is a tool they can use to change the world, and through authentic writing assignments, they can gain access to writing for a purpose (Social Justice). Language/Word Study consist of 30-60 minutes for students to build the foundation of what students need in order to be engaged in independent work on spelling, word study, reading, and writing. This time allows students to because proficient talkers, readers, and writers. They are given opportunities to encounter and notice words in meaningful text and direct teaching about how words look sound, and mean. They are then also given opportunities to apply what they know about words as they read and writer for real purposes. This block also starts off with a community meeting. This is the time when I will instruct the readers and writers on a focused experience that expands their language and/or literacy skills by designing your block to include the options your students need. Students will go off to do a task such as interactive edit, word study, and participate in interactive read-aloud. In an interactive edit, the teacher explicitly demonstrates the process of editing. This process is done by looking through a few sentences, but gives the students the chance to hear how a writer thinks

while editing their writing. It also focuses on the concepts and skills that the students are practicing in writing workshop. In word study, students actively learn the rules and principles of phonics and spelling. Here students will work on particular spelling pattern, rule, or concepts for 5 sessions straight. During a mini-lesson, the teacher will present aspects of phonics or spelling and will have the students will practice on applying those concepts by manipulating letters and words. This allows the student to understand the word fully instead of writing the word five times on one line. They are actively engaged and make connection that will allow them to understand why words are spelled the way they are. By participating in an interactive read-aloud, students are able to hear how readers read fluently and expressively. The teacher and student get the chance to interact and have a conversation as they read and make understanding of the text together. It also gives students a chance to discuss highquality text that they would otherwise not be able to read on their own. You are reading the text, but the students are involved in engaging in the story, the characters, the plots, and so on. This also allows them to expand their vocabulary because during the discussion you can talk about words that they do not understand and demonstrate by thinking-aloud how to make meaning from context. Students will then come together to explain their discoveries. They will make connections that other students may not have seen and help students create their own understanding of how words work. This will allow students to develop skills that will support them in both reading and writing. The workshop approach for learning to read, write, and spell gives students many opportunities to learn and practice the skills they need to be successful. By understanding what concepts and strategies students need to know at the end of 4th grade and assessing students continuously so they are able to be engaged in their lessons and help move them forward, I am able to create different levels of support for each of my students. The Three-Block Framework allows students to practice their skills and obtain help when needed in a smooth transitioning routine.

V.

Classroom Design

Careful attention to how the classroom is set up can contribute to success in a 4th grade classroom. As you see in my classroom design there are many different areas set up in the room. The biggest space that is offered to the students is where lessons will take place. The student table area allows the students to sit and interactive with one another while lessons take place. In the classroom there are tables that are students desk. This allows enough space for students to work on their own as well as giving them a space to interact with their group members. At these tables, students will have a storage area of their own that will allow them to keep their things organized. I have sectioned my off by placing low and high bookshelves around the room. Not only does this give me more storage and organization, it allows students to have small enclosed spaces that encourage conversation with one another. In my classroom I will also have a reading corner. This corner of the room is very comfortable. If you think of the way you read, do you read at a table? In most cases, people read in a comfortable, relaxing spot that allows them to get into their book. This space will allow students to do this. The table in the far corner will be used for guided reading and writing. The bins of materials are right next to this area, the students are able to pick up materials and begin writing. This will give students to write down ideas they have or even write notes. Nonetheless, students will take what they have been

learning and use these concepts and skills to free write. This will increase their desire to write because the students are able to construct their own ideas and place them on the paper as they choose. This table will also function as a guided reading area where the teacher can meet with groups to work on their reading and also to work independently with students while other students are working independently. In my floor plan you also see a reading corner. This area of the room is very comfortable including multiple books. This area will also need to include book that have already been read to the class so students are able to reread the books. All of these books should be in reach and changed every so often so students do not get bored. This will without a doubt become one of the students favorite places in the room while also increasing their desire to read for fun. This layout will change throughout the school year to fit the needs of the students, but the ideas in each area will stay the same. Every aspect of the room will give students the outlet to practice and develop their reading and writing skills that they have been modeled and taught through the different literacy components. Students will also have a place to fall in love with their books comfortably. Planning and implementation of routines will be worked into the lessons taught also. Separate space allows the teacher to assess and evaluate all of her students, either as a large group or on guided reading and writing lessons. It also allows the teacher to utilize scaffolding (Vygotsky) by allowing opportunity to provide support and withdraw support as seen fit.

VI.

Professional Development Plan

Based on my plan and classroom design I understand that I have a good awareness of what students need in order to be good readers and writers. I understand that in the First Grade classroom it is up to me to lay the foundation of effective reading and writing strategies that will stick with these children throughout their lives. I am also aware of areas where I would like to further my development and my understanding of how to be an effective literacy teacher. I could develop myself as a teacher further in the following areas:

1. I will further develop my assessment strategies to effectively evaluate all areas of students work.

I want to further develop my assessment strategies because the better I can assess my students work the better I am able to scaffold them to move towards their next steps of literacy development. This relates to the Wisconsin Teacher Standard 8: Teachers know how to test for student progress. It is in this standard that the teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of their students. This is important in a 4th Grade classroom because students needs are so diverse and it is critical for them to have a deep understanding of strategies needed to be good readers and writers. I will further develop my assessing strategies by learning different assessment formats and implementing assessment every time I teach.

2. I will further develop my understanding of the concepts and strategies students must know by the end of 4th Grade.

I want to further develop my understanding of the concepts and strategies students should know and understand in reading and writing by the end of 4th Grade. Wisconsin Teacher Standard 1 states: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of disciplines she or he teachers and can create learning experiences that make these aspect of subject matter meaningful for pupils. By obtaining a deeper understanding of the concepts I am able to develop more strategies for my students to use so they are able to learn the concepts better. When you

know the subject matter, you are able to effectively use multiple representations and explanations of the concept and use different ways of knowing. This will also allow me to teach students the concepts of literacy through other forms of core curriculum. Practicing literacy skills are not only practiced in literacy, but are essential for every aspect in life. I want to be able to fully teach that concept to my students. 3. I will further develop my understanding of classroom design and how an effective classroom environment can influence authentic literacy development.

Related to Wisconsin Teaching Standards 5, teachers know how to manage a classroom, classroom design plays such a critical role in building a successful learning environment. In the classroom it is my job to create a learning environment that flows and gives students a chance to take risks and have authentic reading and writing experiences. In this standard the teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivations and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. I believe this all can be related to how the room is set up and how students can flow from one place in the room to another. I will communicate with other teachers to develop an understanding of what they have found valuable in the classroom. I will also assess how the students move in the room and how effective the design is. If something is not working I will be sure to change it up so it becomes an area for students to further develop and practice literacy skills.

VII.

Resources

Works Cited
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2012). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (5th edition). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Creating classrooms for equity and social justice. (n.d.). Rethinking Our Classrooms, 4-5. Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2001). Guiding readers and writers grades 3-6. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Tompkins, G. E. (2012). Literacy for the 21st century: A blanced approach (5th edition). Boston: Pearson Eduction, Inc. Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks: Children in the classroom ages 4-14 (3rd edition). Turners Falls: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

VIII.

Appendix

a. Rubric for Book Review IX. 1 2 Dull lead I read the book 3 A good lead but nothing special 4 Strong lead to capture readers interest

No lead

Main idea is often missing

Main idea is hinted at but leaves the reader with questions

Overview tells main idea of the book

Overview clearly tells main idea of the book

Few details

Too many unimportant details. May be repetitious

Important details are given for the most part

Important details are given

May fail to give opinion

Minimal support for opinion (Example: I love the book because I love pandas.)

Opinion is supported by a few reasons

Opinion is supported by convincing reasons

No conclusion

Weak conclusions (Example: If you want to know what happens, read the book.)

Has an ending sentence

Has an effective conclusion

Unconnected ideas

Not clear how ideas are related; jerky

Generally smooth connections between ideas

Nice flow of ideasone sentence leads to the next

Mechanical errors seriously interfere with communication, lack of attention to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing

Errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing are distracting

Reasonably competent spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing, and usage

Correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing

(Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 487 Figure 28-2. A Rubric for a Book Review)

b. Anecdotal Class Grid for Guided Reading

Reading Behaviors:
SM = Self-Monitor S = Searching for clues FP = Finger Pointing F = Fluent R = Re Read E = Engaged A = Appeals for Help

Discussion:
PR = Predicts MC = Makes Connections AL = Active Discusser U = Uses Book Clues

Guided Reading Anecdotal Class Grid

Date: Student: Book Title:

Date: Student: Book Title:

Date: Student: Book Title:

Date: Student: Book Title:

Date: Student: Book Title:

Date: Student: Book Title: