EPC 2901

Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

Task 3
Promoting
Literacy
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The Power and Pleasure of Literacy

The Literate Environment
Knowledge of Print
Literature Responses
Phonological Awareness

Task 3 Promoting Literacy

Objective:
To observe literacy in action over the 3 weeks.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

Procedure

This task is intended to be implemented over the three weeks.

For this task student should:
should record examples of practices and/or strategies that they observe
should aim to make notes from at least 3 activities/strategies for each area.
These may or may not be listed.
are encouraged to take photos and/or video recordings (if the school and the MST give
permission)

Before the Observation

Pre TP classes
Discuss/review relevant content from Learning to Read and Write,
Readers & Writers in the Making pp27-99

Section 2

In the school
Decide what time(s) each day you will conduct this observation. The length of time
needed will vary depending on the activities observed.

It is suggested that at least one hour per day be dedicated to this task over the
placement.

Choose the key areas that seem most relevant to the age of the children.

See if you can find out what the teacher plans to do each day by studying his/her plans,
and/or talking with them. Try to identify the relevant areas for each observed
activity/strategy.

Make sure you discuss this task with your supervising teacher.

During the Observation

Make notes about what is happening under the appropriate key area.

Take photos and collect any samples for your portfolio.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

After the Observation

In Post School Experience TP Classes
You will be presenting your experiences from this placement to your peers. Consider
these ideas for presenting your findings, using strategies for organizing and
remembering.
*Time will be given in TP classes post school experience to prepare for the presentation.
a. Mapping Place the key area in center then place information under extended
headings around the center. Graphics/photos can be used instead of/as well as text.
b. Photo Essay Use visuals to organise thinking. Photos should be organised in a
sequence that will support your presentation in class.
c. PowerPoint/ Prezi presentation

Reflection
Reflect on each section you have chosen as you comment and discuss your
observations and refer to your reading as much as possible.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

1: THE POWER AND PLEASURE OF LITERACY

Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when
possible.
Does the teacher read to the children? How often does she read?
What types of reading have you observed? Where do they sit?
Does the teacher rereads stories? Why?
Yes, the teacher choose one storybook then she sit in front of the class
to read it. The teacher chose shared reading to read the story and she
chose the library to sit in it.
Yes, the teacher rereads the stories for children to make sure all
children understand also, because to give children chance to memorize
it.

Who selects the story/text that is read? Do the children participate?

How does the teacher encourage participation? How do they
participate?

It depend to reading lesson, sometime the teacher choose the story if

it shared reading or guided reading, but if it independent reading
children have choose the story. The teacher asks children question
what the book also, she praise who participate in the class for example,
children after finishing reading the story they tell their friend what they
learn from the story.

Describe the reading area in the classroom.

In the reading area the teacher provide different storybook also, the
teacher put carpet in it to give children chance to sit and read also, she
put the rules for reading area in the display.

When do children choose a book to read for pleasure

When they have library period, the teacher give children chance to
choose any book they want to read it.

List any opportunities/activities that the children experience that

allow them to see how we use print in daily life experiences.

When the teacher taught them about the water she linked with water
storybook.
When the teacher taught them about animals she gave children chance
to read poster about it.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

To do: Take photos of the children reading and the literate environment
in the classroom.

2: THE LITERATE ENVIRONMENT

Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around the
school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you observe
and support with a photo and a reference to reading when possible.

What print has the teacher around the classroom ( labels, captions, flashcards,
headings, rules, instructions, timetable, statements etc) For each one you
mention insert pictures and state the purpose of each one.

1. Labels: to help the students to know the place of their materials.

2. Headings: to help the students to distinguish between the subjects.
3. Rules: to remind the students about the rules of each subject.
4. Instructions: to help the students to know what they do.
5. Timetable: to help the students to know what they will take in the
school.
6. Flashcards: to help the students to memorize the words.
7. Statements: to help the students to know what they must do in this
area.

What print materials and books are in the classroom? Is there a variety of books
and genres mention some examples.
I observed non-fiction and story picture book. Yes there are a variety of
books and print materials for example:

Print materials: Math, science,

vocabulary.
Books: story books

How are the books displayed? Can the children access them easily?

The books are organized on small library in the class and the
children can easily access them.

Are there any books referring to the UAE Culture? Are there books about other
cultures? Do you think this is important? Why? How can this develop schema?

No, I didnt see any books related to the UAE culture or other
culture, there is no history book in the class. Yes I think it every
important because the children must learned about their country
also, it good things to know another cultures. The children will

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

know a new information about the cultures when someone ask

them about culture and they will have background of it.

Where do the children read? Is there anywhere comfortable inside or outside the
classroom for them to relax and enjoy a book? Describe the area and add a
photo.
Children can read in the reading area in the class also, they can read in
library if they want different books they can choose what they like to
read it. Children can choose inside the classroom to read or they can
choose to go to the library to read.

Classroom: children have reading area in the class

also, they can choose any book they want and sit
in their chair to read
Library: its has a variety of book children can
choose also, children can sit in computer and
choose book from website

Does the teacher provide the children with opportunities and materials to write?
When? Give some examples.

Yes, the teacher before end the lesson for example, the lesson was
about writing letter for someone the teacher explained the lesson
then she gave each children to sheet to write letter for their
parents.

3: KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRINT

(suitable for very young learners)
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when
possible.

Does the teacher remind the children that we read English from left
to right / top to bottom? How? When? Does she do this in reading
and writing?

Yes, the teacher remind the children to read from the left to right
when they have text the children ask the teacher from where they
will read because that teacher before starting reading either
writing she remind the children to start from left to right.

What features of a book does she ask the children to identify when
reading?
(author, title, illustrator, index, table of contents, blurb etc.)

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

In shared reading the teacher ask children to say the title and
author, but if independent reading the teacher gives each
children sheet to write the title and author and number of the
pages.

When does the teacher point to words, labels, letters and does she
read or name them? How does she ask the children to recognize
these words? Does she have a word wall? Do the children learn HFW?

Teacher point the words when she gives them writing activity for
example, teacher asks them to write the vocabulary she point the
vocabulary words from the display. After children learned the
vocabulary the teacher ask them to put each word in sentences.
The teacher has word well related to vocabulary words and HFW.
In this grade children learn high frequency words and the teacher
support them when she put the words in the English display.

How does she support the childrens development in understanding

the use of uppercase and lowercase letters, punctuation, and other
print features?

Before the children writing the teacher remind them to use

capitals letter for the first word and the names also, the
teacher ask them to use full stop if they want to end the
sentences and comma if they want to complete the sentences.
Also, in reading section the teacher before reading the teacher
ask children if they see capitals letter that means it names.
Punctuation marks help children to read better for example,
when they see full stop that means the end of the sentence
and they will start a new sentence.

4: RESPONDING TO READING
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when
possible.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

How and when do the children have opportunities to retell stories

in their own words? Provide at least 3 examples.

Shared reading: the teacher gives children time after

reading the story to retell the story with their own words.
Independent reading: the teacher gives children chance to
read the story then the teacher ask them to stand in front
the class to retell the story for the class.
The teacher gives children time to discuss and tell their
friends the story who read it.

Do the children act out the stories? Do they role play any stories?
Do they take on the roles of different characters as they read?

I didnt see the children did role play for any story, just the teacher
read the story.

Does the teacher use story maps, puppets or any other props
when reading? Does she have any other tricks that motivate the
children and engage them?

No the teacher didnt used any puppets or story maps only she
used the boom to read the story, the teacher used intonation
to provide the attract children.

Do children predict and guess the events of a story? Give an

example?

Yes, during the shared reading the teacher ask them question
for example, she ask them what will happen next then the
children start to guess what will happen each children say
different answer then the teacher said if the answer was right
you will get one point the teacher encourage children to
participate in the class.

Does the teacher do any interesting activities that extend the

reading and allow children to respond to the story? Mention 3
examples and explain these clearly.
Yes

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

Find the meaning: the teacher gives children after reading

the story A3 paper and cards then she asks them to put the
words with the meaning. The words were in the story.
Order the events: the teacher gives children pictures and
the events card the she asks them to order the event of the
story.
Write your story: the teacher gives them sheet and asks
them to use the vocabulary of the story then write the story.
Ask your teacher about Book Character Day, Books Fairs, visiting
theatre productions, Extreme Reading competitions or other
such competitions that take place during the school year. Explain
each one.

Book Character Day: the teacher said in this she gives children
chance to choose any characters they want to wear the dress
of these characters.
Books Fairs: the teacher takes children to book fairs in each
years then children buy any books they want.
Visiting theatre productions: the teacher said in each semester
the school do one theater about some special cartoon.
The spelling competition: the teacher gives all children sheet
to memorize the words then she choose some student to enter
the competition of the school.

5: PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b

possible.

How does the teacher draw childrens attention to the sounds

they hear in words? When does she focus on sounds?

Children every week learn a new words and in each Wednesday

they have spelling test, flowing the plan of the week.

How does the teacher teach phonics and word attack skills to
children?

She used flashcards to provide a new words then the

teacher repeat each words and asks children to repeat with
her. Sometime the teacher used video sound to provide the
words.

Describe a typical phonics lesson that you have observed.

Mention how the children are scaffolded to recognize the word
and get the meaning? (Word identification and word recognition.
Refer to your work in EPR 2603)

I didnt observed any phonics lesson because the teacher finish

it before I observed.

What phonics did you see presented to the class? (CVC,

diphthongs, diagraphs etc )

As I said I didnt attend any phonics class.

What games or activities does she provide the children with the
develop phonics?

The teacher told me she used cards activity and matching

activity.

Does the teacher read stories that have predictable sound

patterns? Mention some you heard?

No, only they have independent reading and shared reading. I

observed one shared reading lesson but the teacher read
without use different sound.

Does the teacher encourage children to sound out the words they
meet? When?

Yes, when the children learn a new words the teacher ask them
to repeat the words together then she asks each group to say
the word.

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Teaching Practice Booklet 2b