Running head ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 1

English Language Arts Instruction

By

Megan Heathman

Master’s Portfolio ED 698

Dr. Katherine Spangler, Ph. D

July 3, 2017
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Abstract

English Language Arts instruction is a critical part to any learner's success in the classroom.

Literacy learning is integrated into every aspect of students’ learning throughout their

educational career. This paper will outline my approach to English Language Arts instruction in

my classroom, as well as the different strategies and successes that I have had in teaching

literacy to students. It addresses student differences in learning as well as how to successfully

manage those differences to make all students successful. I will discuss the different research

behind literacy learning as well as how that research is applied in the classroom to create

students who are life-long readers and writers.

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English Language Arts Instruction

Goal 4: A Teacher knows the teacher’s content area and how to teach it.

Reading, Writing and Oral Language

Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English Language arts and they

know, understand and use concepts from reading, language and child development to teach

reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening and thinking skills to help students successfully

apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials and ideas.

My Literacy Philosophy

Literacy is the exchange of meaning, through reading or writing, within the context of a

person’s schema or knowledge base. Reading is not simply about decoding words on a page, but

constructing meaning and responding to literature through genuine reflection (Weaver, 2009).

Students construct this meaning within situational and social contexts, making reading what

Weaver (2009) calls “a sociopsycholinguistic process” (p. 26). In this view, reading is a

combination of top-down and whole-to-part that supports the idea that readers construct meaning

rather then absorbing information from a page (Weaver, 2009). As Strickland, Ganske, and

Monroe (2002) state, “Critical thinking and the ability to personalize meanings to individual

experience and apply what is read or written in the real world, under many different

circumstances, and with many different types of text” is what it means to be literate in today’s

world (p. 2).

In my classroom, I approach literacy in a comprehensive format, emphasizing that

reading means constructing meaning, and using the different tools available to do so. Some

classrooms are based on more of a skills approach to reading, meaning that words are broken

into small pieces, or phonemes, and students’ skills are based on their abilities to accurately read
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text quickly and efficiently. However, I believe that this skills-based approach does not look at

the holistic aspects of reading. Just because students can decode a word and read accurately does

not mean that they are applying meaning to those words or constructing new knowledge based

on what they are reading. Those phonics-related skills can be addressed within the context of

meaningful literature, creating a highly engaging and meaningful experience for the learner

(Weaver, 2009).

The goal of a reading teacher is to create literate, life-long readers and writers out of all

students. According to Atwell (2015), this requires teachers to be aware of three things, “the

books, adolescent readers in general, and each reader in particular” (p. 23). No two readers or

writers are going to construct meaning the same way, so it is important for the teacher to be

aware of student differences, to teach strategies and comprehension skills that each individual

reader may utilize based on their understanding.

The Walk to Reading Model

In order to teach reading effectively, there must be a time in the day when students can

receive focused, ability-specific, instruction based on their strengths and needs as readers. An

effective model for this is through flexible grouping, where students are able to receive whole-

group, small-group, and one-to-one instruction in both heterogeneous and homogeneous

groupings (Strickland et al., 2002). As a third-grade team, we accomplish this through a Walk to

Reading model of instruction.

At the beginning of the year, we assess student reading based on both a comprehension

assessment as well as a reading fluency and decoding assessment. The reading specialists as

well as classroom teachers gather after the scores have been finalized and review the results

together. Based on where students’ reading abilities are, and what specific skills they seem to
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struggle with, they are separated into seven or eight different small groups. Each classroom

teacher as well as the reading specialists is assigned to one of these leveled groups for their Walk

to Reading time.

Every morning, for one hour, students leave their regular classroom and go to their

respective Walk to Reading group for specific reading instruction. Although each of our groups

follows the same guidelines for topics being covered, we are able to vary our instruction and

pace based on the ability of the group. During this time, students receive specific instruction on

strategies they can use and construct meaning together in a format and grouping that is

specialized to their ability.

It is very important that these groups are not stagnant, but ever changing based on

continued assessment and evaluation of students’ ability levels (Strickland et al., 2002). To

accomplish this, we continue to assess students at least every trimester, and also meet throughout

the year to discuss student progress and what shifting may need to occur. As students grow in

their reading abilities, their groups also grow, so that they are continually being met by

challenging and engaging material and instruction.

Guided Silent Reading

During our Walk to Reading instruction, one grouping strategy that I often use in my

class is that of guided silent reading (Whitehead, 1994). Guided silent reading works particularly

well during our Walk to Reading time, because students are already grouped by their ability level,

which is key for effective group instruction. Before students begin reading in this model, we

review a specific strategy or goal that they will be working on during their reading time.

Typically, I will introduce this strategy by giving an example during my own reading. For

instance, during one of our small-group reading times I had students gathered on the carpet in
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front of me, each with a copy of the book we were going to be reading that day, Under the

Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine (1999). During this reading, we were working on the strategy

of visualization and how authors use colorful language to paint a picture in our minds.

To begin the lesson, I have all the students close their eyes as I read the first page of the

book aloud to them:

Deep in the night, Rosalinda heard noises. Wss—Shhh—Snap! What is that? She

wondered, slipping from her bed. She peeked out past Mama’s garden with its Papa-

clothes scarecrow and past the wash line. Way back by the lemon tree, something was

moving (p. 2).

Following the reading, I ask students to open their eyes and tell me what they saw in their mind

when I was reading. “I saw a really dark night,” Riley responds. “I saw a bright moon shining

on the lemon tree and the branches were moving,” says Jack. “Yeah, I saw the branches on the

tree moving and leaves falling down off the tree,” adds Nicole. “Isn’t that interesting that a lot of

us had a very specific image of the tree in our minds. It’s also interesting that you were able to

see things that the author didn’t even write about in the text. Jack saw a moon, and Nicole saw

falling leaves, but neither of those things were mentioned by the author. We all just practiced

something that good readers do, it’s called visualization. It’s when we can see a picture in our

minds based on what the author is writing about. Today, you are going to get a chance to

practice visualization as you read through this book.”

Following this short minilesson, we review our goals for the reading that day, and I

release students to read and visualize the text. As students are reading, I check-in with

individuals to see how their visualization strategy is working. I ask them about what words the

author is using to paint pictures in their minds and what kinds of imagery they are seeing. After
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the reading, we come together again as a group and discuss our experiences together. I ask

students how it felt to visualize different things as they read. Did it help them to understand

more about what was happening in the story and what the characters were doing? How did the

illustrations in the book also help us to see a clear picture of what was happening throughout the

story? Did they find any examples where the author used a really great word that gave them a

clear picture in their head? All of these things are discussed and reviewed together through

whole group sharing as well as think-pair-share strategies, in order to get all students

participating and thinking about the reading.

This is just one example of how I use the guided silent reading model during my small

group instruction time. The key for me during these lessons is to work with students on specific

strategies that are going to build comprehension and understanding of what they are reading. It

is important to think about comprehension not just in terms of what facts students remember

from the reading, but that true comprehension comes when students are able to construct new

knowledge from their reading. They must be able to understand what they read and construct

meaning from it. That means that I must not solely rely on comprehension tests that simply ask

students to give written responses about what happened in a story, but I must try to move

students beyond just a surface understanding of the text, to a deep interaction with the text. As

Harvey and Goudvis (2007) state, “If students are to become thoughtful, insightful readers, they

must merge their thinking with the text and extend their thinking beyond a superficial

understanding” (p. 14).

Engaging Literature

All of my reading instruction begins with searching out different reading materials for

students to engage with. The books and materials that students use during whole group, small
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group, and independent practice are essential pieces to their growth as readers. The perfect book

can make all the difference in engaging students in the reading process (Miller, 2008). I do my

best to research and scour through my classroom collection, the school library, as well as the

local library to find a variety of books that will match whatever topic we may be studying at the

time. For instance, during a classroom study of Martin Luther King, Jr. our classroom was

working on an integrated unit around the topic of social activism and what we can do to help in

our own communities. We worked on several projects studying the life of Martin Luther King,

Jr. as well as other activists throughout history.

This study also happened to coincide with our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. I

visited the local library and looked for any books that I could find about Martin Luther King, Jr.

and his life. I found a dozen or so books that I then brought back to my classroom. These were

displayed prominently above our classroom library and I gathered the class together to give a

brief introduction of each one. For that week, students were free during their independent

reading time to choose one of those books to read through on their own. In this way, I was able

to insure that students were also engaging in the material being taught and practicing the

behaviors, skills, and strategies we had been working on through their own practice. They were

able to engage in literature that was applicable and meaningful to them, whether it was reading

the words or looking carefully at the photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and other textual

elements (Miller, 2008).

Choosing literature that is meaningful and engaging to students is critical to their interest

as readers. If students are able to have text that is interesting to them, they are going to be more

interested in reading as a whole, and so they will find reading more enjoyable and fulfilling

through their learning (Atwell, 2015). There is so much amazing literature out in the world to
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choose from, it seems a shame to not utilize the amazing resources that are available to us. It is

so rewarding to see the student who has always struggled with reading finally find a book that

they love and watch how they engage and get lost in the reading process. That is my goal with

each student in my classroom.

Supporting Struggling Readers

Identifying struggling readers in the classroom in an especially important task for me as

an educator. Reading comprehension is a foundational skill for any student to have academic

success as a lifelong learner. Helping students to become successful in all areas of their learning

experience comes from an emphasis on making meaning from their reading, turning reading into

a comprehensive process (Gibeault, 2015). For some students, their struggle as readers may

come from a lack of motivation or an emotional barrier associated with reading. Others may

have some kind of cognitive or learning disability, or they may come from disadvantaged

families or environments where literature is not emphasized, available, or valued. Still others

may be English Language Learners (ELL), or come from homes where the “standard” English

dialect is not used. No matter the root of their barrier to reading, each student needs

individualized attention that supports them towards becoming empowered, self-confident, and

capable readers (Strickland, 2002).

Supporting struggling readers, and all readers for that matter, in the classroom begins

with creating a literature-rich environment. There should be a wide variety of reading material

available that appeals to a wide range of interests as well as ability levels. Students should be

encouraged to engage with literature as both an individual and social experience, where they are

given time to reflect on their understanding and also share their thoughts with others. This type
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of environment can motivate students to develop interest, create a positive attitude, and engage

fully with what they are reading (Atwell, 2015).

A variety of specifically designed activities for students to engage and practice reading is

also essential for helping struggling readers build confidence and motivation. It is important to

be creative in how reading is practiced in the classroom, and also being sensitive to those who

may feel anxiety towards reading aloud in front of others. Readers theater, choral reading, paired

reading, and listening to others read are all great activities to help readers who may be self-

conscious or have low confidence in their reading abilities. Oral reading is an excellent way for

students to practice and monitor their own reading, and also helps to provide teachers with a way

to assess and support students’ reading. However, especially for struggling readers, it is essential

that oral reading is done in a way that is approachable and low-risk for students’ esteem and

anxiety (Opitz & Rasinski, 2008).

Small group reading strategies that are taught in leveled-groupings are a great way to

address and target specific issues that may be causing problems for struggling readers. Many of

these strategies can be addressed during the flexible grouping strategies discussed earlier in our

leveled Walk to Reading groups. Guided silent reading and literature circles are both great

strategies for struggling readers to interact with literature in a small-group setting that provides

targeted reading instruction as well as allowing for student choice and increasing comprehension

strategies (Strickland, 2002).

In addition to the small group reading setting, struggling readers may need individualized

instruction to target key areas of the reading process. These could be direct instruction times on

strategies such as prediction, making inferences, or using context in reading. Also, struggling

readers may need specific instruction to emphasize vocabulary, concept development, and
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building background knowledge so that they are able to best access the text (Strickland, 2002).

These individualized instructional times can happen during independent practice of reading,

when the teacher can meet one-on-one with students to assess and address specific strategies.

Particular attention should be paid to ELL students in the classroom when it comes to

reading comprehension. In addition to other thoughts addressed for struggling readers, special

attention should be made for ELL readers so that the material is applicable, relevant, and

engaging to students. ELL students may need additional support with vocabulary instruction or

background understanding for a specific topic. Choral reading and read aloud can be particularly

effective ways to allow ELL students to engage with literature in the classroom. In addition,

various means of accessibility to support their understanding of the content, such as picture

books, visual aids, and oral models can help them to better engage and understand the materials

(Colombo, 2012).

Writing Workshop

A well-rounded literacy classroom not only focuses on strategies to help students become

fluent readers, but engages in all aspects of becoming a literate person, including the writing

process. Students should be allowed time every day to engage in the writing process through

specific lessons on writing strategies as well as an abundance of time to do what every writer

needs: write. This time is flexibly structured in whole class, small group, and independent work

times.

Writing Mini-lessons

Most writing workshop times will begin with a mini-lesson of some sort to introduce the

topic or strategy that will be worked on during our writing time. Mini-lessons throughout the

year are based on student needs and techniques that should be addressed in the classroom at that
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time. These mini-lessons will also be integrated many times into what we are studying in other

areas of the day. For instance, during our lesson described earlier looking at colorful details as

we read Under the Lemon Moon, the mini-lesson that day focused on adding colorful details and

language to our writing. At the time, we were working on a piece of persuasive writing from the

perspective of a pumpkin. The goal of the writing was to convince the reader to not pick you to

make a Jack-O-Lantern. Therefore, students were developing several ideas about why they

would make a terrible Jack-O-Lantern. Our mini-lesson that day focused on adding some

colorful details and descriptive language to our writing. I used my own piece of writing as an

example for students and we looked at a specific paragraph to focus on.

“In this paragraph I wrote, ‘You should not choose me because I am covered with bumps.

You would not want to have a Jack-O-Lantern that is bumpy all over.’ How could I possibly add

some details or colorful language to these sentences to make them more descriptive and paint a

picture in the reader’s mind? Let’s start with describing the bumps. What do you think of when

you think of something bumpy?”

“I think of the back of a frog all covered in warts,” says Aaron.

“That is a perfect comparison that I could add to my writing!” I reply, “Let’s put that into

the first sentence so that we have more detail about what the bumps look like. Then we can think

of more colorful words we could use to describe my bumpy surface...”

This conversation continues with editing my writing until we are satisfied that there are

enough colorful details added to make the paragraph more descriptive. I then release the class to

work on their own writing, looking for ways to add colorful details and language to their writing

that would make it more descriptive and paint a picture for the reader. After students have some

time to work independently on this task, we come back together as a class and I ask for students
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to share any ideas for details that they have added to their writing. This way, I am able to give

positive and specific feedback on students’ writing, and they are able to share ideas with their

fellow classmates.

Throughout the year, our mini-lessons focus on different aspects of the writing process.

We practice and demonstrate examples of prewriting, rough drafting, revising, and editing skills,

before a final product is published for public view. Students practice these skills during both

independent work and partner/small group times, including the use of peer editing and revision

of each other’s work (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001).

Writing Conferences

During the writing workshop, I also make time to individually conference with students

for a quick check-in on their writing. I try to meet with each student at least once a week. These

conferences consist of a check-in about what the student is writing and how it is coming. I bring

along topics that were discussed during the mini-lesson and check in to see if the student is

applying those concepts in their writing. All of the feedback that I give to students is specific to

their writing and allows them an opportunity to improve on specific aspects, while also valuing

the effort that they have put in thus far. Some topics that I have addressed in student conferences

are: focusing on the most important part of the writing, noting when there is more than one story

happening, breaking a large topic into more manageable “chunks,” anticipating a readers’

questions, or creating a better lead (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001).

I also take this time to keep a record of student writing on a clipboard as I meet with them

individually. This way I am able to keep a record to show what students are working on at the

time and how they are progressing towards their goal. This is very important to show me student

progress and also to know what students should be working on next.

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Peer Revision

It is very important to demonstrate to students that writing is a process and not something

that happens quickly without feedback or evaluation. To demonstrate this writing process, I like

to use examples of my own writing to show students in the class. I demonstrate and give

examples of how I have gone through the different stages of pre-write, draft, revise, edit, and

publish. After seeing my examples, students work on revising and editing classmates’ pieces of

writing within the class.

These revisions always focus on those specific skills that have been addressed previously

in the mini-lessons. For example, some skills could be that they are using complete sentences in

their writing. Students will be able to fill out a revision checklist based on the specific skill that

is being focused on. These checklists can be assessed by students themselves, by their

classmates, and/or by me as the teacher. Using this model of peer revision, students are able to

be exposed to each other’s writing and are also able to build on the skills that we are working on

by looking for revisions in their peer’s writing. This reinforces the concepts already being taught,

and also allows for added practice with a specific skill (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001).

Spelling

Each week, the class is given a spelling list that consists of 18-19 words. Those words

are chosen based on the topic being studied in our literature studies for that week. For example,

we have a unit studying the changes in earth through different natural phenomenon and the

spelling words over those weeks focus on vocabulary connected to those changes. Students see

words such as erupt, volcanic, and vibration. This way, all of the spelling words for the week

are applicable within the context of what is being read, not simply words in isolation that do not

relate to previous knowledge. In addition to words applying to the material being studied, the list
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of words also follows a specific spelling pattern for each week. One week all of the words may

focus on the long e spelling, for instance. This helps to guide students’ study of the words and

help them to place understand the words in the greater context of English phonics, rather than

just rote memorization of spellings (Freeman & Freeman, 2014).

As a class, we participate in spelling investigations, which allow students to group words

by spelling patterns and construct different spelling rules that could apply to a group of words.

By performing these investigations, students are able to take a problem-solving approach to

spelling and look for patterns, rather than just memorizing the correct spellings (Freeman &

Freeman, 2014). Every Friday, we have a spelling test in class. The test consists of the 18-19

words that we have investigated and students have been able to practice over the week, both in

class as well as at home through their homework.

Home/School Communication

Classroom procedures and strategies for literacy instruction are clearly laid out to parents

at the beginning of the year during the open house. Information goes home specifically outlining

the different processes used in class for literacy learning. I always encourage parents to ask

questions and develop clear communication channels with me if there are any concerns about

their student.

A weekly newsletter is sent home to parents describing what we have been working on in

class and including reminders or upcoming events that they should be aware of. There are also

suggested activities that parents can complete at home with their students related to the subjects

being covered in our literacy studies. Students also have a weekly homework packet, which

includes a daily reading log (20 minutes of reading a night) as well as spelling work to be
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completed at home. I also provide parents with additional information about ways that they can

participate and help their child’s literacy instruction at home and in the classroom.

Conclusion

Teaching literacy involves so much more than just reading and writing skills, but must be

taught with the needs of the whole student in mind and also integrated into other content areas

whenever possible. The goal of my literacy program is to create a literacy-rich environment in

which students are inspired to become lifelong readers and writers. This is done not through the

isolated study of words and conventions, but through a comprehensive framework that involves

constructing meaning and applying knew knowledge to all areas of study. Every student is a

reader, and though some may need more support and practice along the way, I approach my

teaching with the understanding that each individual simply needs the instruction to support their

desires and interests as learners.

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References

Atwell, N. (2015). In the middle: A lifetime of learning about writing, reading, and adolescents.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Colombo, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners: 43 strategies for successful K-8

classrooms. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Fine, E. H. (1999). Under the Lemon Moon. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc.

Freeman, D. E., & Freeman, Y. S. (2014). Essential Linguistics: What teachers need to know to

teach ESL, reading, spelling, grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gibeault, J. 2015. Notes from UAS cource lecture, October 22, 2015.

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension for

understanding and engagement (2nd ed.). Portland, MN: Stenhouse Publishers.

Miller, D. (2008). Teaching with intention: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking action.

Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Opitz, M. F., & Rasinski, T. V. (2008). Good-bye round robin: 25 effective oral reading

strategies. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Strickland, D. S., Granske, K., & Monroe, J.K. (2002). Supporting struggling readers and

writers: Strategies for classroom intervention 3-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Weaver, C. (2009). Reading process: Brief edition of reading process and practice (3rd ed.).

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Whitehead, D. (1994). Teaching literacy and learning strategies through a modified guided silent

reading procedure. Journal of Reading. 38(1), 24-30.