RUNNING HEAD: Literacy Learner Analysis Project

Melissa Koroleff
TE 846: Literacy Learner Analysis Project
Michigan State University

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Brief Background and Reason for Project Focus

As a teacher of English and Spanish at the secondary level, working with students to develop
literacy is a long-term process that requires the utmost dedication. It is both a day to day job and
a lifelong journey that is extremely challenging, important, and rewarding for both teacher and
student. Literacy allows us to connect with and make meaning from the world around us. Just as
our world is changing to catch up to the current trends of 2014, our varying types of literacies are
the avenues that lead us to prosper in ever advancing societies. According to authors Gambrell,
Malloy, and Mazzoni of Evidence-Based Best Practices in Comprehensive Literacy Instruction
in Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, Becoming fully literate in the 21st century has come to
mean, among many things, using strategies independently to construct meaning from traditional
as well as electronic texts, using text information to build conceptual understanding, effectively
communicating ideas orally in and in writing, and developing the intrinsic desire to read and
write (p. 16, 2011).
I was inspired by that statement to make more of a conscious effort to make my students
stronger readers and self-advocates. Additionally, the above quotation sparked another interest
of mine: to motivate my students to desire to read and write rather than fear or dread it. As a
language teacher, I have seen secondary students struggle with reading comprehension in both
English and Spanish (as their world language elective class). This is a personal passion of mine
and one of the many reasons I wanted to teach more than one subject. I really believe that so
much of a students success is influenced by his ability to interact with information and interpret
it in meaningful ways to create something new and unique. So often I see students wrongfully
equating comprehension with mindless busywork. This dulls their motivation to read and
becomes detrimental to their overall self-advocacy as a lifelong learner. They perceive reading

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

as a passive, one and done worksheet that has no authentic meaning outside of the physical
confines of that paper. Rather than reading to learn and using the text as a vehicle to achieve
deeper connections between content areas, themes, or skills, students tend to think reading
comprehension stops once the superficial plot questions have been answered.
Therefore, in response to a combination of such common observations I have made thus far
in my teaching career, I am using this case study project as an opportunity to gain firsthand
experience about teaching reading strategies one on one to develop deeper level critical thinking
skills in a selected student. For the purpose of this study, we will refer to this student by the
pseudonym of Jay. After having Jay in class for nearly a quarter now (almost 10 weeks) in my
ninth grade English class, I have been given ample opportunities to informally assess his
strengths and weaknesses within the realm of reading comprehension, among other important
areas.
Jay is not a weak reader at all. His grades are mostly As and Bs, which is fantastic.
Although some might think his grades speak for themselves, there is much more at stake here
below surface level. His biggest challenge is moving beyond the literal confines of the text and
engaging in critical thinking skills that push him beyond right there answers. Jay has
mentioned to me that Its hard for me to sometimes figure out what the story is really trying to
say. Sometimes Im afraid I got the questions wrong because I didnt know the story for sure.
He performs best when there is a conversation taking place about the text at hand. He benefits
from the stimulation of dialogic interaction. This projects focus will be to teach Jay what
reading strategies are and how to use them as active, mental tools to help construct meaning on a
deeper level. In doing so, he will hopefully feel more confident in his individual abilities which
will boost his overall motivation to continue the good work.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Here is a rough timeline of the necessary activities to occur. A follow-up interview about
Jays literacy history as well as pre-lesson reading assessments will take place during the week
of October 13-17. The lesson meeting itself, the post-assessments, and reflections/discussions
will take place the following week of October 20-24.

Home and Family

In terms of some contextual background knowledge, Jay is a 14 year old male. He currently
is a ninth grader at an all-male private Catholic school in Chicago, IL. He came from a K-8
Catholic grammar school in the Chicago suburbs. He is the middle child of three boys, ranging
from ages 12 to 17. His older brother is a junior and attends the same high school as Jay. His
father is a physical therapist and his mother works in early childhood care. He reads at about an
8th or 9th grade level. Jay is Caucasian, specifically of Irish, French, and Belgian decent. English
is his first language. None of his family members speak any other language than English;
however, Jay is currently enrolled in Spanish 1 as one of his electives this year. He does not
receive any special services nor does he have any disability statues to report.
Our high school services a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. The spectrum includes
many working class families with parents in the police or firefighting forces and mechanical
work. Some are even single parent homes with parents who work multiple jobs. Some students
who live outside of a few mile radius from our school get bused in, or else they rely on public
transportation to get to school. A substantial amount of students receive financial aid in the form
of tuition assistance. Spanish and Polish are the most common second languages spoken at
home. However, at the other end of the spectrum, some students come from wealthy families
who own businesses or whose parents work at high-end companies in the Loops financial

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

district downtown. A growing number of our students are being awarded merit scholarships for
testing in the 97th percentile rank and above.
Jay happens to be in more of a fortunate and stable home environment. He carpools with his
older brother to and from school. He lives in the more suburban northwest side of Chicago. His
parents come home from work around dinner time, so the three boys are home alone for a few
hours after school, playing videogames and helping each other with homework. Jays literacy
practices at home seem to be fairly self-regulated and mature for his age.
On days he doesnt have to stay after school for a student council or tech crew meeting, he
goes home and takes about a half hour break. He usually eats a snack and plays some
videogames on his iPad. After that, he starts with the lighter or easier assignment for homework.
He likes to finish each assignment or each subject area separately and move on from one to the
next. He tends to take a ten minute or so break in between each subject. After dinner, he says he
prefers to tackle the most difficult assignments, which for him are English and U.S. history, due
to the amount of reading given.
When asked about his sibling and parental involvement, he said he likes to try to solve the
problem first and only ask for help when he is really stuck. The first person he goes to for help is
his older brother because he knows the school environment, teachers, etc. If he cant help
definitively, he goes to his parents. He explained to me that the bulk of his parental involvement
comes down to encouragement to keep all As and Bs and the occasional quizzing before an
exam the next school day. He has given his younger brother help before, especially with math.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Emotional Climate
Jay is a wonderful student to have in class. He is polite, respectful, and has a great sense of
humor. He enjoys the company of his peers, just as his peers feel comfortable around him. Jay
seems to be a bit more mature than some freshmen tend to be at this early stage in the year. On
an academic level, it is easy to see that he has established some helpful routines at home that
lend themselves to his overall preparedness in class. I was pleasantly surprised when he
explained his usual homework habits. Many ninth graders struggle greatly with time
management. Of course he has a long way to go in terms of effective study skills, but he has an
impressive lead over his fellow peers when it comes to how he approaches work at home.
In class, he works well independently and in groups. Hes a cooperative student who follows
directions and is not afraid to take a leadership role when he feels interested in the topic and/or
comfortable with those around him. He feels challenged in class, but a good kind of
challenged he told me, although he realizes the difficulty level will pick up by second semester.
He did express a bit of nerves about going through his very first round of final exams come
December. He really likes all of his teachers and feels that they care about us as kids too.
On a social level, he seems to be adjusting to high school life very well so far. He is active
on student council with other freshmen representatives as well as upperclassmen. He also
became a part of the technical crew for our schools theater productions, just like his older
brother. Jay went to the homecoming dance and looks forward to attending weekend football
games. All of these social factors will certainly contribute to his overall enjoyment of the high
school experience, as he is aware. Im looking forward to seeing Jay succeed throughout his four
years at school!

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Literacy History
Through informal conversations and somewhat formal interviews, I have begun to learn
more about Jay, my literacy learner. His family, school, and educational literacies seem to be
relatively stable and solid in comparison to other ninth graders at our school. As I wrote about in
my first update, Jay has a very supportive family that creates a healthy and productive
atmosphere of learning for him and his siblings both at home and in school. The family attitudes
are heavily centered on productivity, positivity, and motivation to try your best. Jay explains
how his parents are always interested in what he and his brothers are learning and doing in class.
His parents always come to conferences, interact with teachers whether in person or via email,
and monitor grades through our schools electronic grading site, for example. They assist their
children with reading at home and overlook their preparation for tests and quizzes.
As the middle child, Jay has benefited from both receiving and giving help. His older
brother has been a great role model for Jay. They can often times be seen together after school
participating in some of the same extracurricular activities such as theater and technical crew.
This parallelism in interests and hobbies certainly continues to strengthen their bond. In terms of
academics, Jay has some of the same teachers and classes that his older brother did when he was
a freshman. Again, those similarities have helped ease and guide Jay into the hectic four years
we call high school.
Having grown from these beneficial models and experiences, Jay is now beginning to
help his younger brother more than ever. He enjoys playing the part of a mentor. In a
conversation we had one day after school, Jay mentioned an insightful point. He stated that
When my brothers and I are working on homework before dinner, its cool to be able to help
them with something I know. If I can explain a topic were covering in class, it makes me feel

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

better about what Im learning too. Jay seems to be aware of his learning process and what it
takes for him to connect with material in more of a meaningful way.
In terms of instructional challenges Jay has faced and continues to in ninth grade, I
started by learning more about his past schooling experiences. As a former Catholic K-8
grammar school student, Jay was in a graduating class of only twenty students. This number
seems shockingly small, especially compared to public students experiences of adapting to new
teachers and classmates each year during K-5 and on a semester basis for grades 6-12. Jay
formed immensely close relationships with a handful of students; however, only one of those
friends decided to attend the same high school as Jay. Additionally, there were so few teachers
at that grammar school that Jay knew each teachers style and expectations extremely fast.
Here, with 700 other male students from over 200 Catholic feeder schools, Jay must learn
to adjust accordingly to new surroundings, curriculum, and norms. However, in terms of a ninth
grade English class, Jay has identified some reading challenges to which many freshmen can
relate. He explained to me how it is hard for him to feel interested and engaged in the reading if
it is a topic that he has never learned about before or has limited background knowledge of. He
expressed that he could become frustrated or lose interest quickly if he feels alienated from the
text. Contextual vocabulary terms are challenging for him. He explained that it is his personal
goal to use his iPad in class to look up any words that he cannot understand based on inferences
made.
These understandable and realistic challenges of developing readers brought to mind a
point from Assessing Adolescents Motivation to Read. Authors Pitcher, Albright, DeLaney,
Walker, Seunarinesingh, Mogge, Headley, Ridgeway, Peck, Hunt, and Dunston address the

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

consequences of not providing authentic and genuine ways for students to progress with their
reading. The authors state that When some students judge reading and literacy activities to be
unrewarding, too difficult, or not worth the effort because they are peripheral to their interests
and needs, they can become nonreaders or aliterate adolescents (p. 379, 2007). Hopefully this
individual attention with Jay will prove to be productive in that he will learn ways of forming
positive habits rather than nonreader habits.
In terms of reading done at home that is later discussed in class the next day, he says it is
tough for students to not become discouraged if they dont get the summary right. He talked
about the pressure students feel to answer correctly. Sometimes he feels too shy to volunteer a
summary of or opinion on the reading. However, once he hears a peers perspective on a piece
of reading, he realizes that he was not that far off and that he had something valuable to
contribute all along.
According to Kathleen Strickland in Whats After Assessment? our instruction should
give struggling readers time to try new strategies while they are engaged in meaningful reading
time to think and talk about how those strategies worked (p. 12, 2005). Using this point as a
foundational basis for our work together, Jay and I will be working on various reading strategies
he can implement to improve his comprehension and overall enjoyment of reading. I would like
to focus on the pre-reading strategy of activating his prior knowledge surrounding the topic of
the text. While he reads, I would like to focus on making inferences of unknown words and
using words he is familiar with to boost his confidence. For post-reading strategies, I would like
to focus on making connections with the text in meaningful ways to Jay, whether it the
connection is with himself, another text, or a more global perspective.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Tests Given and Summary of Test Results

The pre-assessment that I administered was the Motivation to Read Profile (Gambrell,
Palmer, Codling, & Mazzoni, 1996). I administered the reading section and the conversational
interview. The purpose of this pre-assessment was to learn in a different way more about Jays
attitudes toward reading, his perceptions of himself as a reader, and how I can continue to help
him develop further. I decided to give this particular assessment because it was a friendly, nonthreatening test that would allow me to learn more about his feelings surrounding reading so that
we would then be able to better pinpoint strengths and weaknesses of his skills. I wanted to
begin with something that Jay automatically felt he could do: talk about himself, his likes, and
dislikes. This survey and the interview we had after (which turned into more of an enthusiastic
conversation) would serve as foundational blocks to how Jay approaches reading and all of its
facets and opportunities it presents.
The results of the pre-assessment showed that Jay has a high value of self-concept as a
reader. His raw score of self-concept was 34/40 points, yielding 85%. His value of reading in
general was a bit lower with a raw score of 29/40, yielding 72.5% for that category. It was
interesting to compare the two side by side. Jay answered more assertively about questions that
placed him in charge of his reading, work, and learning. He typically scored 4/4 points on
questions that used language like independent, reading alone, quietly, I find answers, I try, etc.
While his value of reading score was not alarming, by any means, he tended to receive scores of
2 or 3 points out of 4 in this category. The language that was used for these answer selections
included words and phrases such as seldom, sometimes, its an OK place, its an OK way to
spend time, its an OK thing to read, etc. Overall, these were very positive scores and shed
some insightful light as to how Jay has a strong sense of self.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

10

The post-assessment that I administered was the San Diego Quick Assessment of
Reading Ability (M. LaPray & R. Ramon, 1969). The purpose of this test was to measure word
recognition. Specifically, these words were read out of context so the reader had no surrounding
support. The reason I selected this assessment was to see, in isolation, what Jay was capable of
in terms of cold reading with no contextual support, thematic connection, etc. I also selected
this assessment because it is so fundamentally different from what we do in class. So much of
what we practice in class is active reading strategies to bridge gaps between unknown words.
Not leaning on those techniques for this assessment may provide a different glimpse into Jays
reading self.
The results of the post-assessment showed that Jay reads at a ninth grade level. I began
administering the assessment from the sixth grade level. No errors were made in that column,
making him an independent reader at the sixth grade level. Jay moved to the seventh grade
column. One error was made in the pronunciation of the word impetuous. This puts Jay at the
independent level for seventh grade as well. In the eighth grade level, he stumbled with the word
capacious, again putting him at one error in the independent level. In the ninth grade column,
he made two errors with the words conscientious and conservatism. These two errors put
him at the instructional level. He started the tenth grade level and missed three out of the ten
words. This means that the last level he was able to perform at least eighth out of ten words
correctly at the independent level was the ninth grade level, a rough estimate of his current
reading level (and actual grade level as well).
It was interesting to see a bit of a pattern emerge in terms of the words that tended to
interrupt his fluency and rhythm more than others. Those words tended to be adjectives,
specifically those with the ous suffix. All in all, Jay did a very nice job with this task and

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

11

handled the errors maturely. He himself knew which ones were tough for him. This further
emphasizes his strong and still growing self-concept as a learner and reader, as alluded to and
consistent with the initial MRP assessment.
Finally, I used the results from each assessment to inform the following differentiated
lesson plan for Jay. I wanted to give him time and space to express what he knows, what he
wishes to know, and what he did learn as a result of the informational reading and the thematic
connections he would make between the non-fiction piece and our mythology studies in class. I
wanted to provide a more thematically sound context for Jay to observe what reading strategies
he would use in situations of unknown words or uncertainty. This scenario would give me more
of a realistic and authentic manner of assessing his true meaning making at hand. Lastly, I
wanted to provide him with a critical thinking opportunity to make connections between
seemingly archaic material and modern day society. In using an informational text that easily
pairs with our anchor text of The Odyssey, I wanted to implement a lesson that would involve
relevancy, real-world materials, and connections to a thematic unit, which are some of the best
practices of motivating students to read as outlined by author John T. Guthrie in Chapter 7 of
Best Practices in Literacy Instruction (2011).

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

12

Lesson Plan Matrix

Focus & Date: Activating Prior Knowledge on Ancient Greek Culture/Mythology on
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Objectives Connected to Common Core State Standards:
The student will:

identify and describe information that he already knows about ancient Greek culture
and/or mythology
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.
express what he wishes to learn about that topic
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.
read a sample of non-fiction, informational text related to the specific genre of mythology
o CCSS RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or
events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced
and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
use activated prior knowledge during reading processes
o CCSS RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development
over the course of the text.
make inferences about unknown words in the text as well as overall big picture meaning
of the text
o CCSS RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
o CCSS RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings
o CCSS RI.9-10.5 Analyze in detail how an authors ideas or claims are developed
and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text
o CCSS L.9-10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases
explain what new concepts and information he did learn after the reading activity
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.

Instructional Materials:

KWL graphic organizer

Informational text: Greeks Discover Odysseus palace in Ithaca, proving Homers hero
was real. (See works cited page for full citation.)

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

13

Pencil and paper

Different colored pens or highlighters for annotating
iPad (for online access to dictionary)

Lesson Activity & Ongoing Assessment:

The student will be presented with a KWL graphic organizer handout. Jay will complete
the first column entitled What I already know with any prior knowledge he may have
about mythology, Greek mythology, or ancient Greek culture.
After writing this down, he will verbally describe what he wrote and further elaborate
with any texts or previous lessons he may remember.
We will scan the text together, pointing out the title, images and captions, looking for any
confusing words, etc.
The student will make a prediction as to what he believes the text will be about
The student will read the selection, highlighting important details and areas of support,
also circling words that he does not entirely know.
After reading, Jay will verbally summarize the piece, as I ask him to elaborate on pieces
he enjoyed/felt more confident about.
Together, we will return to his main areas of detail and support and discuss how this
information contributed to the overall development of the main ideas.
Together, we will return to the words he identified as difficult and use surrounding
context clues to reach working definitions. If we cannot, based on the surrounding clues,
the student will look up the definition online and assess how those words are being used
in the text.
Consider how this piece relates to our current study of The Odyssey and Greek mythology
in general by comparing and contrasting, making connections from the reading.
The student will then complete the What I Learned column of his KWL chart. We will
discuss how these new findings fit in his overall concept of mythology and compare what
he learned with any previous predictions he made.
To end the lesson, the student will write a two paragraph personal response to the
following prompt: Why do you believe students across the world still study an ancient
topic such as mythology even in modern day 2014? What does the genre of mythology
still have to do with human nature?
Ongoing assessment: I will challenge the student to use several of those words from the
reading identified as difficult in his own work (be it classwork, homework, journal
entries, etc.)

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

14

Reflections on the Differentiated Lesson

I have been extremely pleased with Jays performance both in class regularly and with
the extra dedication he has put forth for this particular case study. What is very encouraging to
see is a willing and intrinsically motivated student who is genuinely eager to be active in his
learning. Even in the beginning stages of this case study, for the pre-assessments, Jay scored
high in terms of how he perceives himself as a reader (Appendices B -C). It is evident day in
and day out that he takes immense pride in doing his personal best. I believe that this three part
case study has validated his energetic work ethic and provided him with individualized
instruction that he can use cross-curricularly to further develop himself as a conscientious reader.
According to Rasinski (2009) in his piece entitled Effective Teaching of Reading: From
Phonics to Fluency, there are three steps that encompass the metaphorical bridge between
phonics and fluency. The first is accuracy in word recognition (p. 2). Based on the
Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile pre-assessment (Appendices B-C), differentiated lesson
plan (Appendix A), and San Diego Quick Assessment post-assessment (Appendix D)
administered to Jay, I can say that Jay is operating at a ninth grade level, which is not different
from what I had anticipated. Jays word decoding is strong for the ninth grade level. He has a
fairly varied vocabulary for a ninth grader and often strives to look up terms he isnt
automatically familiar with. He also makes it a personal goal to at least attempt to use assigned
vocabulary terms in his day to day writingall promising signs and practices!
The second step outlined by Rasinski (2009) is automaticity in word recognition (p. 2).
He sets parameters for this stage of literacy development in explaining that: Readers not only
are accurate in word recognition, they are effortless or automatic in recognizing the words they

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

15

encounter. The significance of achieving automaticity is that readers can devote their limited
cognitive resources to the important task of comprehending the text (Rasinski, 2009, p. 2).
While this is only step two, it is a tall order for most students. Acquiring and achieving
automaticity in order to free up cognitive space is a lifelong practice.
Jay certainly has a solid start. However, the real work starts here. I designed my
differentiated lesson plan (Appendix A) with this automaticity step in mind. This step essentially
correlates with pre-reading exercises and strategies that students should habitually implement
when reading any genre of text. Jay began by activating his prior knowledge on ancient Greek
culture and mythology, which was the thematic topic of the non-fiction piece. Graphic
organizers such as a KWL chart can make students thinking visual and can help categorize what
stage of competency they are at in terms of the comprehension of the content (Appendix E).
Integrating these types of exercises that free up working memory and space for students is useful
in many regards because the students can then be cognizant of the transition into focusing on
constructing meaning, which correlates with step three.
According to Rasinski (2009), the third stage of bridging the gap between phonics and
fluency is interpretive and meaningful reading (p. 2). Readers use their new-found cognitive
energy to interpret the passage they are reading. In oral reading this is done through an
expressive and appropriately phrased rendering of a written passage at an appropriately fluent
speed. It is assumed that this type of interpretive reading is also reflected in silent reading
(Rasinski, 2009, p. 2). Based on this evidence, I planned for my lessons objectives to push Jay
toward level three type thinking, so to speak. The strategies he implemented before and during
reading gave him more creative space to consider what the text was saying implicitly. On the
article itself, Jay became interactive with the text as he annotated key ideas, paraphrased

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

16

important summary points, highlighted vocabulary terms, made predictions, etc. (Appendix F).
Essentially, he was facilitating his automaticity (step 2) so that he could have greater chances of
being able to connect with the significance of the text in an interpretive and meaningful way
(step 3).
Moreover, in order to provide Jay with an opportunity that would lend itself to engaging
in the third step of sought-after interpretive fluency, I designed an open-ended and personalized
short answer prompt. After the lesson, Jay addressed reasons why he thought an ancient topic
such as mythology, rooted in fiction, is still taught in modern day classrooms in 2014 (Appendix
F). Being relevant to both the reading and our course studies, paired with the pre-reading
exercises and stimulation of prior knowledge, Jay was equipped with the structural support and
freed up thinking/working space to appropriately consider such a question. Ultimately, it is with
these types of quality questions, thematic ideas, and opportunities for interpretive and critical
thinking that we want our students to have authentic experiences.
All in all, I would say that my experiences working with Jay one-on-one in literacy
support were worthwhile, and I bet he would say the same. I believe that he took away some
crucial strategies and mindsets to better approach reading and lifelong literacy for the future.
The evidence gained from this study, be it verbal, written, from an assessment, dialogic
instruction, discussion, or reflection, shows Jays improvement in the transitional shift from
fluency to interactive meaning making. I would certainly teach this lesson again, especially to an
entire class. However, it did prove to work well at the differentiated and individualized level.
The nature and objectives of the lesson can certainly cater to many types of students with varying
strengths and weaknesses. The lesson, which really is a vehicle to activate and practice skill-

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

17

based learning, can be easily modified to meet more demanding needs for those who may
struggle more than others and need intervention-like assistance.
Recommendations to Teachers and Parents
Jay is a wonderfully mature, hardworking, and bright young man. I have enjoyed having
him in class greatly throughout the semester and look forward to another semester with him.
Within the past fourteen weeks, I have been able to observe Jays steady growth and
development in both social and academic manners. It is clear that his nurturing home
environment and home literacy practices have contributed immensely in establishing his sound
foundational blocks of literacy development. With that impressive foundation already in place,
he feels confident in his nightly homework and studying routines, freeing up early afternoons for
extra-curricular enrichment as well. Jay has illustrated that he can maintain a healthy balance
between both academic and social worlds.
To begin, I would recommend continuing the same approach to the family literacy habits
that Jay has already engrained into his daily routines. Because he, as a freshman, already has a
consistent and clear routine set when he comes home from school, he has roots for one of the
most important steps to ensure success acquired. The study skills he independently exhibits at
home with few parental reminders needed is impressive and indicative of the quality work ethic
he is building and will undoubtedly continue to strengthen.
In terms of his literacy development specifically in the context of English class, Jay
should certainly keep up the positive attitude and the intrinsic motivation he has to read well and
for multiple purposes. Based on the assessments we have done together, he values reading more
so than other teenagers of his age. He values the action and practice on both independent and

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

18

social levels. The assessments also indicate that Jay does not read below level. However, what
he can benefit from doing more of is activating his prior knowledge and engaging in pre-reading
exercises to make the upcoming text more meaningful. Jay, like most students, does best when
they see connections and relevancy between topics, texts, units, etc. Ultimately, it is these sorts
of critical thinking skills that will push Jay from being a good reader to a great reader.
Challenging him with college prep and potentially honors courses in the future would be a great
way to continue giving Jay opportunities to nurture his self-efficacy.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

19

References
LaPray, M., & Ramon, R. (1969). The graded word list: Quick gauge of reading ability. Journal
of Reading, 12(4), 305-307.
Mandel-Morrow, L. & Gambrell L., Eds. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction (4th
edition). New York: Guilford Press.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School
Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in
history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC. Retrieved from
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
Pitcher, M., Albright, L., DeLaney, C., Walker, N., Seunarinesingh, K., Mogge, S., Headley, K.,
Ridgeway, V., Peck, S., Hunt, R., &Dunston, P. (2007). Assessing Adolescents
Motivation to Read. International Reading Association, 50:5, 378-396.
doi:10.1598/JAAL.50.5.5
Rasinski, T. (2009). Effective teaching of reading: From phonics to fluency. Kent State
University. Teacher Created Materials Publishing. Retrieved from
https://d2l.msu.edu/d2l/le/content/132838/viewContent/1088660/View?ou=132838
Strickland, Kathleen. (2005). Whats after assessment? Follow-up Instruction for Phonics,
Fluency, and Comprehension. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Squires, Nick. (2010, August 24). Greeks Discover Odysseus palace in Ithaca, proving

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

Homers hero was real. The Telegraph. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/7962445/Greeks-discoverOdysseus-palace-in-Ithaca-proving-Homers-hero-was-real.html

20

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

21

Appendix A
Lesson Plan
Focus & Date: Activating Prior Knowledge on Ancient Greek Culture/Mythology on
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Objectives Connected to Common Core State Standards:
The student will:

identify and describe information that he already knows about ancient Greek culture
and/or mythology
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.
express what he wishes to learn about that topic
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.
read a sample of non-fiction, informational text related to the specific genre of mythology
o CCSS RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or
events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced
and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
use activated prior knowledge during reading processes
o CCSS RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development
over the course of the text.
make inferences about unknown words in the text as well as overall big picture meaning
of the text
o CCSS RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
o CCSS RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings
o CCSS RI.9-10.5 Analyze in detail how an authors ideas or claims are developed
and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text
o CCSS L.9-10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases
explain what new concepts and information he did learn after the reading activity
o CCSS W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task.

Instructional Materials:

KWL graphic organizer

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

22

Informational text: Greeks Discover Odysseus palace in Ithaca, proving Homers hero
was real.
o Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/7962445/Greeksdiscover-Odysseus-palace-in-Ithaca-proving-Homers-hero-was-real.html
o Citation provided at end of document with lesson materials
Pencil and paper
Different colored pens or highlighters for annotating
iPad (for online access to dictionary)

Lesson Activity & Ongoing Assessment:

The student will be presented with a KWL graphic organizer handout. Jay will complete
the first column entitled What I already know with any prior knowledge he may have
about mythology, Greek mythology, or ancient Greek culture.
After writing this down, he will verbally describe what he wrote and further elaborate
with any texts or previous lessons he may remember.
We will scan the text together, pointing out the title, images and captions, looking for any
confusing words, etc.
The student will make a prediction as to what he believes the text will be about
The student will read the selection, highlighting important details and areas of support,
also circling words that he does not entirely know.
After reading, Jay will verbally summarize the piece, as I ask him to elaborate on pieces
he enjoyed/felt more confident about.
Together, we will return to his main areas of detail and support and discuss how this
information contributed to the overall development of the main ideas.
Together, we will return to the words he identified as difficult and use surrounding
context clues to reach working definitions. If we cannot, based on the surrounding clues,
the student will look up the definition online and assess how those words are being used
in the text.
Consider how this piece relates to our current study of The Odyssey and Greek mythology
in general by comparing and contrasting, making connections from the reading.
The student will then complete the What I Learned column of his KWL chart. We will
discuss how these new findings fit in his overall concept of mythology and compare what
he learned with any previous predictions he made.
To end the lesson, the student will write a two paragraph personal response to the
following prompt: Why do you believe students across the world still study an ancient
topic such as mythology even in modern day 2014? What does the genre of mythology
still have to do with human nature?

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

23

Ongoing assessment: I will challenge the student to use several of those words from the
reading identified as difficult in his own work (be it classwork, homework, journal
entries, etc.)
See blow for materials associated with lesson.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

24

Activating Prior Knowledge about

Ancient Greece with KWL Chart!
What I already know

What I Want to Learn

What I did Learn

(K)

(W)

(L)

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

25

Greeks 'discover Odysseus' palace in Ithaca, proving

Homer's hero was real'
An 8th BC century palace which Greek archaeologists claim was the home of Odysseus
has been discovered in Ithaca, fuelling theories that the hero of Homer's epic poem was
real.

Odysseus is tempted by the Sirens on his journey back to Ithaca Photo: CORBIS

By Nick Squires
9:00PM BST 24 Aug 2010
8 Comments

Odysseus known to the ancient Romans as Ulysses famously took 10 years to return home to
Ithaca after the fall of Troy.
On his journey, he was twice shipwrecked and encountered a cyclops, the spirit of his mother and
tempting Sirens before returning to Ithaca, where he found his wife, Penelope, under pressure to
remarry from a host of suitors who had invaded the royal palace.
With the help of his father, Laertes, and his son, Telemachus, he slaughtered his rivals and reestablished his rule.
But despite the fantastical details in the Greek epic, a team of archaeologists has claimed the tale is
anchored in truth - and that they have discovered his home on the island of Ithaca, in the Ionian sea
off the north-west coast of Greece.
Nearly 3,000 years after Odysseus returned from his journey, the team from the University of
Ioannina said they found the remains of an extensive three-storey building, with steps carved out of
rock and fragments of pottery. The complex also features and a well from the 8th century BC,
roughly the period in which Odysseus is believed to have been king of Ithaca.
Related Articles

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

26

No wonder Odysseus dallied here

12 Sep 1998

History sleuth's odyssey to Homer's island in the sunHomer's Odyssey 9.19-26Homer's Odyssey 9.19-26

10 Jan 2007

The location "fits like a glove" with Homer's description of the view from the fabled palace, the
archaeologists claim.
The layout of the complex, where Professor Thanassis Papadopoulos and his team have been
digging for 16 years, is very similar to palaces discovered at Mycenae, Pylos and other ancient sites.
The claim will be greeted with scepticism by the many scholars who believe that Odysseus, along
with other key characters from the Homer's epic such as Hector and Achilles, were purely fictional.
"Whether this find has a connection with Ulysses or not is interesting up to a certain point, but more
important is the discovery of the royal palace," said Adriano La Regina, an Italian archaeologist.
Further complicating the identification of the site is the doubt over whether the ancient kingdom of
Ithaca was located on its modern day namesake, Ithaki.
A British researcher, Robert Bittlestone, has said Homer's descriptions bear little resemblance to the
island and that ancient Ithaca was in fact located on the Paliki peninsula, on the island of
Cephalonia.
He believes that Paliki was once an island, separated from the rest of Cephalonia by a marine
channel that has since been filled in by rock falls triggered by earthquakes.
Enlisting the help of geologists and ancient historians, he documented the controversial theory in a
2005 book, Odysseus Unbound The Search for Homer's Ithaca.

LITERACY LEARNER ANALYSIS PROJECT

27

Additional Materials
Appendix A = Differentiated Lesson Plan (already included within this document)
Appendix B = Pre-assessment: Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile Reading Survey (two
pages)
Appendix C = Pre-assessment: MRP Reading Survey Scoring Sheet (one page)
Appendix D = Post-assessment: San Diego Quick Assessment Record Form (one page)
Appendix E = Student Sample #1 Activating Prior Knowledge KWL Chart with open-ended
student response (one page)
Appendix F = Student Sample #2 Annotated Article (two pages)