December 1st, 2014

Dear Interview Committee,

I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me regarding the open K-5 teaching position
at your school. Through my knowledge, dedication, and the care and compassion I have for
children, I feel I have what it takes to be a valuable teacher at your school.
Enclosed is my comprehensive instructional literacy plan I developed for your K-5 kindergarten
classroom. My literacy plan outlines my beliefs of how children learn literacy best, the range of
reading and writing behaviors I expect to see in a K-5 classroom, what I feel my role as a teacher
is, the literacy concepts, skills, and strategies that are appropriate for a kindergarten classroom,
and the components of balanced literacy instruction that will help develop these concepts, skills,
and strategies. Additionally, I have included a floor plan design for a K-5 classroom along with
an explanation.
I would love the opportunity for a second interview to share more of my beliefs and knowledge
to how I feel children learn literacy best. Please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Karla Usinger

I believe children learn literacy best through

Modeling and Demonstrations

Immersion
Practice
Specific Feedback
Setting Expectations

Responsibility
Engagement
Scaffolding
Social Interaction
Imaginative Play

My beliefs I developed on how children learn literacy best are derived from my
understanding of Brian Cambournes Conditions of Learning Theory and Lev Vygotskys
Sociolinguistics Theory. Cambourne developed a model of learning as it applies to literacy. His
conditions of learning consists of immersion, demonstration, expectation, responsibility,
employment, approximations, and response (Cambourne, 1995). When all of these conditions
are present, then engagement in learning occurs. He believed each of these conditions can
promote literacy learning in schools.
Reading and writing are considered social activities. Lev Vygotskys theory focused on how
important social interactions and social relationships formed with others are to learners. He
theorized that learners use language to organize their thoughts (Thompkins, 2014). Vygotsky
developed what is called the zone of proximal development because he realized children can
accomplish more challenging tasks working with a more experienced person than on their own
(Thompkins, 2014). The zone of proximal development is the level between their actual
development and their potential development (Thompkins, 2014). With the proper support from
a more experienced person, and many opportunities for children to engage in social interaction,
children can develop the literacy skills needed to be strong readers and writers.

Modeling and Demonstrations

I believe children learn literacy by seeing teachers model and demonstrate what they need
to do when reading and writing. Students need to hear and see how to interact with text and how
to search for meaning. When teachers think aloud, they are modeling what students need to do
while they are reading. This is how students develop early reader strategies. My belief on
modeling and demonstrations relate to Cambournes Conditions of Learning Theory. Cambourne
(1995) referred to demonstration as the ability to observe (see, hear, witness, experience, feel,
study, explore) actions and artifacts. All learning begins with a demonstration, and its important
for students to receive many demonstrations when it comes learning literacy.
Immersion
I believe children need to be totally immersed in an environment filled with print when it
comes to learning literacy. A print rich environment should consist of a classroom that is filled
with books, posters, charts, signs, and word walls. However, its important not to clutter the
walls of the classroom, and to make sure the print displayed has a purpose and is meaningful to
students. These print materials also need to be easily accessible to students. This gives children
the opportunity to constantly see print and respond to language. A print rich environment will
also encourage and motivate children to read and write. Cambourne (1995) referred to
immersion as a condition of being saturated by, enveloped in, or immersed in what needs to be
learned. He believed young language learners are immersed in the medium they are expected to
learn, therefore, a necessary condition when it comes to teaching literacy (Cambourne, 1995).
Being immersed in a print rich environment will help develop childrens reading and writing
skills.

Practice
I believe children learn literacy by doing and practicing. They need to actually practice
reading and writing in order to learn it. Two of Cambournes conditions of learning is
approximation and use. He referred to approximation as an attempt to emulate what is being
demonstrated (Cambourne, 1995). Children need to have a go at reading and writing. I am a
firm believer that we learn from our mistakes. Children will make mistakes when reading and
writing and that is essential for learning to occur. Another condition of Cambourne is use, also
known as employment. He referred to this condition as the opportunity for use and practice
(Cambourne, 1995). Children need time and an opportunity develop their language skills
(Cambourne, 1995). They need two kinds of opportunities to practice their language skills and
that is done through social interactions with others and done independently.
Specific Feedback
I believe in order for children to learn literacy they need to receive specific feedback
from a more experienced person throughout the learning process. If they do not receive specific
feedback, they will not know if they are doing something right or wrong. I believe the feedback
should also be positive. Giving specific, positive feedback to children will help build their
confidence in learning how to read and write. My belief on feedback relates to one of
Cambournes conditions of learning, response. He referred to response as feedback or
information that learners receive from the world as a consequence of using their developing
language knowledge and skills (Cambourne, 1995). Cambourne (1995) also explained how
feedback given by a more knowledgeable other supplies the missing bits of the childs

approximation. The response should be relevant, appropriate, timely, readily available, and
nonthreatening, with no strings attached (Cambourne, 1995). Once children receive specific
feedback, they will know what changes to make when practicing reading and writing.
Setting Expectations and Responsibility
Students need to know exactly what they are expected to do when they are learning to
read and write. This is where setting expectations come in. Cambourne described expectations
as subtle and powerful coercers of behavior (Cambourne, 1995). Teachers need to communicate
expectations all throughout the day during literacy instruction. Once teachers set expectations,
then the students are left with some responsibility in how much they will be engaged in the
activity and what they decide to ignore. Students will take responsibility when strong
expectations are set while providing deep immersion with meaningful demonstration
(Cambourne, 1995).
Engagement
Engagement in learning must occur in order to be effective in teaching literacy concepts,
skills, and strategies. Cambourne indicated that all conditions, which is immersion,
demonstration, expectation, responsibility, approximation, use, and response, must be present in
order for engagement in learning to occur (Cambourne, 1995). Learners must first engage with
the demonstrations that immersion provides (Cambourne, 1995). Once students are engaged
then learning will occur.
Scaffolding
I believe scaffolding is an important aspect of how children learn literacy. Scaffolding
was developed by Lev Vygotsky, and refers to a gradual release of support for students by

teachers during the learning process. This level of support teachers give help students so they
can be successful. Teachers scaffold students reading and writing as they demonstrate, guide,
and teach, while varying the amount of support they provide according to the instructional
purpose and students need (Thompkins, 2014). As students learn, teachers should gradually
withdraw their support so they can eventually perform the task independently (Thompkins,
2014). Vygotsky describes the different levels of scaffolding as, I doYou watch I doYou
help I helpYou do and I watchYou do (Gleason, 2014). This process of scaffolding
helps students learn reading and writing strategies so that they are able to apply these strategies
when working independently.
Social Interaction
Children need to talk and interact with one another in order to learn and develop. I
believe social interaction is an important aspect of how children learn literacy. Vygotsky
recommended teachers incorporate opportunities into their instruction for students to talk about
what they are learning (Thompkins, 2014). I believe children should have many opportunities to
talk and interact with one another throughout the day. This will help students develop their
language and build their vocabulary. All children are unique in their own way, and social
interaction is another way for children to learn about one another and embrace those differences.
Imaginative Play
Imaginative play is important in developing childrens literacy skills. Vygotsky theorized
that imaginative play develops abstract thought, which is an important precursor to reading (Rog,
2011). Developing the concept of symbolism is important in a world of print where ideas are
symbolized by letters and words (Rog, 2011). A dramatic play area is essential in a kindergarten

classroom. Teachers can rotate a variety of items and toys for different play scenarios. Writing
supplies and print materials can also be incorporated into the play center. For example, if you
have a restaurant center in the play area then students can practice making menus or taking
orders. Imaginative play is an important aspect in developing literacy skills.
To sum up, I feel children learn literacy best through modeling and demonstrations,
immersion, practice, specific feedback, setting expectations, responsibility, engagement,
scaffolding, social interaction, and imaginative play. All of these play an important role in how
children learn to read and write. My beliefs connect to important theories that have been proven
to be successful in classrooms. I will be incorporating all of these components into my lesson
plans when teaching literacy. I believe they are not only important but all work together when
helping children learn and develop reading and writing skills.
In order to begin to teach children how to read and write, one must first understand the
ranges of reading and writing behaviors that can be seen in a classroom. According to the
NAEYC, there could be a range of five years in reading and writing development in a classroom.
The next two charts lists specific behaviors of both reading and writing that can be seen in a
kindergarten classroom.

Below is a chart showing the range of reading behaviors of students in a kindergarten classroom:

Emergent
Show an interest in books
Become aware of print
Pretend reading-read
familiar books from
memory using the pictures
on each page to cue their
recitation of the text
Read orally, matching
word by word
Read left to right
Hear sounds in words
Can recognize their name
Know some alphabet
letters
Notice and use spaces
between words
Connect words with
names
Use information from
pictures when reading
Use meaning and
language in simple text
Know some letter-sound
relationships
Recognize some high
frequency words

Early
Initial reading and
decoding stage
Match spoken words to
written words
Read aloud, word by
word, finger point reading
Begin to read silently
Read without pausing
Read fluently with
phrasing on easy text
Know names of most
alphabet letters
Know many letter-sound
relationships
Recognize most high
frequency words
Check to make sure
reading makes sense,
sounds right, and looks
right
Use information from
pictures as added
information while reading
print

Transitional
Read silently most of the
time
Read speed increases
Read with phrasing and
fluency
Some expressions in oral
reading
Have a large core of
known words that are
recognized automatically
Use multiple sources of
information while
reading for meaning
Integrate sources of
information such as
letter-sound
relationships, meaning,
and language structure
Consistently check to be
sure all sources of
information fit
Do not rely on
illustrations
Understand, interpret,
and use illustrations in
informational text
Have ways of problemsolving words, including
analysis of letter-sound
relationships and visual
patterns

Chart adapted from: Fountas, I. & Pnnell, G. (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, p. 8

Below is a chart showing the range of writing behaviors of students in a kindergarten classroom:

Emergent
Show an interest in
writing
Pretend write
Early part of this
stage, a child may
write with scribbles
Begin to write letters
Develop an
understanding of
directionality
Distinguish between
writing and drawing
Accuracy with writing
alphabet letters begin
to increase
As children move
through this stage
they write their first
and last name
Hear and represent
some consonant
sounds at the
beginning and ends of
words
Use some letter names
in the construction of
words
Sometimes use spaces
to separate words
Write many words
phonetically
Write a few easy
words accurately
Communicate
meaning in drawings

Early
Write known words
fluently
Form almost all letters
accurately
Write up to 20 words
correctly
Write from left to
right
Print uppercase and
lowercase letters
Use spacing
Writing moves from a
few words to several
lines
Use letter-sound and
visual information to
spell words
Approximate spelling
of words, usually with
consonant framework
and easy-to-hear
vowel sounds
Begin to notice
authors craft and use
of techniques in their
own writing
Write about familiar
topics and ideas
Remember messages
while spelling words
Relate drawings and
writing to create a
meaningful text.
Reread their writing

Transitional
Spell many words
conventionally and
make near-accurate
attempts at many
more
Writing is more
organized
Work on writing over
several days to
produce longer, more
complex text
Produce pieces of
writing that have
dialogue, beginnings,
and endings
Develop some ideas
Use a range of
strategies to spell
words
Consciously work on
their own spelling and
writing skills
Write in different
genres
Demonstrate ability to
think about ideas
while encoding
written language
Use punctuation skills
Continue to
incorporate new
understanding about
how authors use
language to
communicate
meaning

Chart adapted from: Fountas, I. & Pnnell, G. (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, p. 8

The Role of the Teacher

Teachers play a crucial role in fostering childrens emerging literacy and language skills.
As I mentioned earlier, there could be a range of five years in reading and writing development
in a classroom. As teachers, we need to carefully assess students literacy skills in the beginning
of the year so we can design a specific plan to fit the needs of each individual learner.
Throughout the year, it is our job to observe and reassess each student and modify or expand
instruction if needed.
Another key role in teaching children literacy is to teach a variety of concepts, skills, and
strategies to help children learn how to construct meaning in both reading and writing. These
concepts, skills, and strategies include oral language and vocabulary development, phonological
and phonemic awareness, phonics, concepts about print, letter names, the alphabetic principle,
name writing, early good reader strategies, comprehension strategies, the writing process, and
types of writing. Once we assess our students, we can start to teach them the skills and strategies
needed to be able to construct meaning.
Teachers need to also have a balanced approach when it comes to teaching literacy.
Components of balanced literacy instruction include interactive read aloud, shared reading,
guided reading, independent reading, modeled writing, shared writing, interactive writing,
guided writing, independent writing, and word study. All of these components provides the
opportunity to reach a wide range of students in a classroom. These components are also varied
levels of scaffolding that are necessary in literacy instruction.

Assessments
Assessing students is crucial to monitoring students development and planning
instruction in order to meet their individual needs. There are a variety of assessments that can be
used to assess students reading and writing. Assessments should not be limited to formal;
informal assessments should also be done frequently throughout the day. Informal assessments
can include observations, one-on-one conferences, using checklists and anecdotal note sheets.
To be an effective teacher, you must directly and informally observe what your students do when
they read and write (Thompkins, 2014). Observations should be planned, and teachers should
select a specific group of students each day so that over a course of a week, they watch everyone
in the class (Thompkins, 2014). Anecdotal note sheets are also a useful tool when informally
assessing students. Teachers can make notes about students reading and writing activities, the
questions they ask, strategies and skills students use fluently and those they dont understand
(Thompkins, 2014). Anecdotal notes help document students growth and help teachers plan
future lessons.
Oral language and vocabulary can be assessed informally using a checklist. This
checklist can include: use of appropriate volume and tone of voice, takes turns when speaking,
stays on topic and asks questions, uses language to solve problems or get help, names colors,
numbers, and familiar objects, uses vocabulary appropriately, retells stories, gives and follows
directions, speaks in complete sentences and with grammatical correctness, and speaks clearly
and fluently (Rog, 2011). The Yopp-Singer Test of Phonemic Segmentation can be used
informally to assess students ability to segment common words into their constituent sounds
(Rog, 2011). An anecdotal grid can be used during guided reading to assess students reading
behaviors and comprehension. Students understanding and application of the alphabetic

principle can also be assessed informally through analyzing reading miscues or invented spelling
(Rog, 2011). You can also easily assess name writing by simply having a morning sign-in sheet.
This allows teachers to look for use of correct letters in sequence, upper- and lowercase letters,
letter formation, and directionality (Rog, 2011).
There are also a variety of formal assessments that can be used to assess students reading
and writing. The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a formal assessment
used by the state of Wisconsin to identify students at risk of developing reading difficulties,
diagnose students knowledge of literacy fundamentals, and monitor progress (PALS Wisconsin
Resource Center, 2013). PALS testing allows teachers to plan instruction that targets students
needs. Another formal assessment that can be used is the 6-Trait Assessment for Beginning
Writers. This assessment is a scale to determine how students use voice, word choice, ideas,
organization, sentence fluency, and conventions within their writing. Teachers can collect
writing samples from students throughout the year and use this scale to assess their writing.
Marie Clay developed a variety of more formal assessments that can also be used to assess
students reading and writing. Some of her assessments include Letter Identification, Concepts
about Print, a Word Test to assess students knowledge of high frequency words, Hearing Sounds
in Words (HSIW) test, Writing Vocabulary, and Running Records for assessing reading. Running
records are great assessment tools because students demonstrate how they read using their
regular reading materials as teachers make detailed notes of their ability to read a book.
(Thompkins, 2014). These are all great assessments that can be used when assessing young
childrens literacy.
Another great way to assess students reading and writing is through portfolios.
Portfolios can be folders or boxes that hold students work throughout the year. Students usually

are involved in choosing the items to go into their portfolios based on guidelines the teacher
provides (Thompkins, 2014). These portfolios can be used to evaluate students progress and
showcase their best work (Thompkins, 2014). Portfolios can also be used in parent conferences
and to supplement the information provided on report cards (Thompkins, 2014).
Students should also be assessed regularly to determine their reading levels. Its
important for teachers to know their students reading levels so they can match students with
books at appropriate levels of difficulty. Students are more successful when they read books that
are neither too easy nor too difficult; books should provide enough challenge, but not be
frustrating for students (Thompkins, 2014). Researchers have identified three reading levels that
take into account students ability to read fluently, recognize words automatically, and
comprehend the message: Independent Reading Level, Instructional Reading Level, and
Frustration Reading Level (Thompkins, 2014). At the Independent Reading Level students
recognize almost all of the words and their accuracy is 95-100% (Thompkins, 2014). At the
Instructional Reading Level students recognize most of the words and their accuracy is 90-94%;
their reading may or may not be fluent at this level (Thompkins, 2014). At the Frustration
Reading Level student dont recognize enough words automatically and their accuracy is less
than 90% (Thompkins, 2014). Its important to know students reading level when planning
lessons. Students read independent-level books when theyre reading for pleasure and
instructional-level books when theyre participating in guided reading and other instructional
lessons (Thompkins, 2014, p. 79). Students should not be expected to read books at their
frustration level.
Assessment is especially important for students who are learning to speak English at the
same time theyre learning to read and write in English (Thompkins, 2014, p. 90). Since

assessing English learners can be difficult, teachers need to consider alternative assessments that
involve different language and literacy tasks and ways of demonstrating proficiency (Thompkins,
2014). Teachers should use more authentic assessment tools, including oral performances,
retelling stories, oral interviews with students, writing samples, illustrations, diagrams, posters,
and projects (Thompkins, 2014). These authentic assessments help measure students growth,
particularly English learners.
Based on the assessments, teachers can begin to plan instruction to meet the individual
needs of each student. This is where teachers begin to teach them the concepts, skills, and
strategies needed to construct meaning in both reading and writing. Now that the levels of each
student are known, instruction on these different concepts, skills, and strategies can be tailored to
each student.

Concepts, Skills, and Strategies

Oral Language and Vocabulary Development

A strong oral-language base is the foundation for learning to read (Rog, 2011, p. 16).
In order for children to decode and spell words they must understand how language works and
how letters are strung together (Rog, 2011). Children begin their oral language development at
birth. As they grow, childrens oral language develops by listening to and participating in
conversations, and by asking questions and hearing answers (Rog, 2011). Having a rich
vocabulary is essential to literacy development. When learning new words, children need many
exposures to it in a variety of different contexts (Rog, 2011). Schools help children build their
vocabulary as well as develop an understanding of the sounds and structures of English (Rog,
2011). This relates back to Vygotskys Sociolinguists Theory and that children need to have

many opportunities to talk and interact with each other in order to build their oral language and
vocabulary and become strong readers and writers.
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Phonological awareness is the understanding that words are made up of sounds. The
English language has three basic phonological (sound) units: syllables, rimes, and phonemes
(Rog, 2011, p. 17). Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in words, therefore, phonemic
awareness refers to the ability to hear and manipulate phonemes (Rog, 2011). In order for
children to be successful at reading and writing they need to be able to hear sounds within words
and to segment, blend, and manipulate those sounds (Rog, 2011). Phonemic awareness can be
developed by language play and sociodramatic play which relates to my beliefs on how
imaginative play helps children learn literacy.
Concepts about Print
Eventually, children learn that print corresponds to speech, word by word. Concepts
about print is the understanding of how print is organized and include the following: 1)
Constancy: understanding that print says the same thing every time you read it, 2) One-to-one
match: recognition of the match between individual spoken words and written words, 3)
Directionality: understanding that English print is read top to bottom and left to right, the
difference between print and pictures, words and spaces, uppercase and lowercase, and
punctuation marks, 4) Parts of a book: identification of title, author, cover, front, and back of a
book, 5) concepts of first and last or beginning and ending (Rog, 2011). Concepts about
print is essential to the development of reading proficiency (Rog, 2011).

Letter Names
Letter names is the knowledge of letters and provides a foundation for the alphabetic
principle (Rog, 2011). Children who can name letters automatically will have an easier time
making the connections to sounds and patterns in reading and spelling than those who still
struggle to remember which letter is which (Rog, 2011). Teachers need to provide children with
a variety of literacy experiences in order for them to use their letter-naming knowledge.
The Alphabetic Principle (Phonics)
The Alphabetic Principle refers to the understanding that there are predictable and
consistent relations between written letters and spoken sounds, which is the combination of letter
knowledge and phonological awareness (Rog, 2011). Phonics is name for the set of rules that
determine how letters go together in words (Rog, 2011). There are four stages of development in
a childs ability to use the alphabetic principle to read words: 1) The prealphabetic stage is when
a child recalls whole words as pictographs or logographs without identifying component parts, 2)
The partial alphabetic stage is when a child knows some letter-sound correspondences, and is
likely to guess words from context, illustration, and some letter information, 3) The full
alphabetic stage is when a child has mastered letters and their corresponding sounds and can
decode words by blending sounds, 4) The consolidated alphabet is when a child recognizes
common letter sequences as patterns and chunks and uses this information for decoding (Rog,
2011).
Name Writing
The most important word in any childs vocabulary is their name. For most children,
their name is the first word they are exposed to as both spoken word and in print (Rog, 2011).
Name writing teaches students to explore print, use symbols to represent ideas, connect those

symbols to sounds, combine letters into words, and see words as separate entities (Rog, 2011, p.
22). A childs name is a powerful tool that teachers can use when teaching literacy because it is
so meaningful to them.
Early Good Reader Strategies
Reading is a complex process that involves use of strategies and skills. In order for
children to learn to read, they must integrate multiple cueing systems to analyze print effectively,
become fluent, and to construct meaning (Gleason, 2014). The three reading cueing systems are
the Semantic Cue System, the Syntactic Cue System, and the Graphophonic Cue System. The
Semantic Cue System focuses on prior knowledge and experiences, vocabulary, and illustrations.
When children use this cueing system they are asking themselves, Does it make sense?
(Gleason, 2014). The Syntactic Cue System focuses on natural language, word order, syntax,
and knowledge of English. When children use this cueing system they are asking themselves,
Does it sound right? (Gleason, 2014). The Graphophonic Cue System focuses on phonemic
awareness, phonics, analogies, word chunks, and print conventions. When children use this
cueing system they are asking themselves, Does it look right? (Gleason, 2014). Children need
to be taught how to use all three cueing systems in order to construct meaning when reading.
There are a variety of early good reader strategies that children need to learn how to do.
These strategies include, operations on print, self-monitoring, searching for cues by looking at
illustrations, patterns, and rereading, cross checking between reading cues, and self-correcting
(Gleason, 2014).
Comprehension Strategies
Comprehension strategies are also good reading strategies to teach students to help
construct meaning. These strategies include predicting, drawing inferences, and visualizing to

understand what they are reading (Thompkins, 2014). Students should learn to ask themselves
questions while reading such as, Whats going to happen next? How does this relate to what I
know about? and Does this make sense? (Thompkins, 2014). Once students learn how to use
these strategies while reading, they will be able to construct meaning.
The Writing Process
The writing process consists of five stages that describe what students do and think about
as they write; the stages are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing (Thompkins,
2014). Prewriting consists of choosing a topic, considering the purpose, identifying the genre,
and gathering and organizing ideas. Drafting is where students actually write a rough draft.
Students should skip every other line when writing to leave room for revisions (Thompkins,
2014). Next, is the revising stage where students reread their rough draft and make revisions.
During this stage, students should meet in revising groups to share their compositions with
classmates. This gives students the opportunity to hear suggestions about possible revisions
from other classmates. Revising groups provide a scaffold in which teachers and students talk
about strategies and a plan for writing and revising (Thompkins, 2014). This relates to my belief
on how important scaffolding is during the process of learning literacy. Editing is the next stage
where students proofread and make final corrections. Last, is the publishing stage where
students write a final copy and share them with an appropriate audience (Thompkins, 2014). A
great way for students to publish their writing is to make a book. In order for students to become
strong writers they must understand the writing process and have many opportunities to practice
this process.

Types of Writing
There are three main types of writing that children need to learn and they are opinion or
persuasive, informational, and narrative writing. When students are preparing to write, they need
to think about their purpose for writing: Are they writing to inform? to persuade? to entertain?
(Thompkins, 2014). The purpose of their writing will influence the decision they make about
genre. Through reading and writing, students become knowledgeable about different genres and
how they are constructed (Thompkins, 2014).

Balanced Literacy Components

The following are the components of balanced literacy instruction that will help with
developing the concepts, skills, and strategies needed to become strong readers and writers as
previously discussed.
Interactive Read Aloud
During interactive read alouds, the teacher reads books to the class that contain rich
literature. Usually, the students are gathered on the floor in close proximity to the teacher. The
teacher models fluent and expressive reading, stops during reading to ask questions, and
demonstrates the thinking process that occurs during reading. Interactive read alouds can teach
concepts such as making predictions and connections, story sequencing, and develop childrens
vocabulary. Its also important for teachers to reread those texts because that helps develop
comprehension and vocabulary and is particularly beneficial for children at risk (Rog, 2011).
The students role during interactive read aloud is to observe the teacher reading and be active
participants. Students should turn and talk with their partner during this process and think about
the text and respond to it. This is great opportunity for students to talk and interact with one

another as discussed in my beliefs. Interactive read alouds is an example of the highest level of
scaffolding and described by Vygotsky as I doYou watch. Through sensitive scaffolding of
students questions and conversations, we can bridge even the youngest students to higher levels
of thinking, communicating, and responding to text (Rog, 2011, p. 72).
Shared Reading
During shared reading, the teacher uses big books or enlarged text that are
developmentally appropriate. The large text allows teachers to draw childrens attention to
concepts of print and letter knowledge that they would not get from listening to a story read
aloud (Rog, 2011). Teachers can teach a variety of techniques such as tracking the print, pointing
out spaces between words, or focusing on graphophonic elements like initial sounds or letter
patterns (Rog, 2011). Similar to an interactive read aloud, the teacher is still modeling fluent and
expressive reading and thinking aloud. The students role is to observe and then gradually
participate through multiple readings of the text (Rog, 2011). Teachers should consider books
that contain rhythm, repetition, and rhyme for a shared reading experience. Shared readings can
also be done in whole group and should be fast-paced and interactive. This is an example of I
doYou help level of scaffolding. Shared readings are a great way to get children to engage
with books and focus on print.
Guided Reading
In guided reading, the teacher works with a small group of students, that is changed
frequently, no more than six. The teachers role is to introduce the text, prompt during reading,
reinforce strategies and skills, and focus and extend discussion (Rog, 2011). The books selected
should be at students reading level. This is where students do the actual reading while the
teacher supports, which is an example of I helpYou do level of scaffolding. Guided reading

gives teachers the opportunity to differentiate instruction and focus on the individual needs of
each student. Teachers should encourage students to approximate during their reading so their
individual needs can be addressed. Allowing students to approximate relates back to
Cambournes Conditions of Learning Theory. Mistakes are essential in learning literacy. The
variety of literacy strategies and skills that are taught during guided reading will help students
decode and comprehend books.
Independent Reading
Finally, during independent reading, the students are reading and comprehending the text
on their own. It is important teachers model appropriate behaviors and create anchor charts that
describes what independent reading looks like and sounds like (Rog, 2011). The classroom
should contain a wide range of styles and genres of books and other print materials (Rog, 2011).
Students should have previously selected independent-leveled books that are in their book boxes
to choose from. The students are responsible for choosing the book they want to read and
finding their own reading spot in the classroom. The classroom environment should be quiet and
comfortable. Independent reading is the lowest level of scaffolding which is I watchYou do.
This is a great time for teachers to make their way around the room and do one-on-one
conferences as a means of assessing.
Modeled Writing
In modeled writing, teachers demonstrate how to write a composition for students,
creating the text, doing the writing, and thinking aloud about their use of strategies and skills
(Thompkins, 2014, p. 23). The students are observers during this process and not active
participants. A modeled writing is usually done on chart paper or an interactive whiteboard so
everyone can see what the teacher is doing while writing. During this process, the teacher could

describe the mechanics of writing, such as stretching out words to hear all the sounds, or putting
spaghetti spaces between letters and meatball spaces between words, discussing uppercase and
lowercase letters, and punctuation (Rog, 2011). Modeled writing relates to Cambournes
Conditions of Learning Theory where children should see many demonstrations throughout the
day in order to learn literacy. Modeled writing is also the highest level of support as described
by Vygotsky which is I doYou watch. A morning message, is a great example of a modeled
writing. This is a daily literacy routine that teachers could do in the morning where they could
write about what day it is, the weather, and/or what will happen at school that day.
Shared Writing and Interactive Writing
The main difference in interactive writing and shared writing is who is holding the pen.
Interactive writing involves a sharing of the pen between the teacher and the students; it is a
jointly written piece. In shared writing the teacher is doing the writing. He/she is writing the
words dictated by the students and using that for instruction (Rog, 2011). Both involve use of a
large white chart, experience and interactive charts, so that all students can see the print. In
interactive writing, the teacher is selecting the individuals to write parts of the message based on
his/her knowledge of each students capabilities (Rog, 2011). The teacher should be correcting
students writing during interactive writing. In shared writing, all the students are sharing their
ideas for the teacher to write. Its important to note that in shared writing the teacher writes
exactly what children say and does not correct it. The teacher is still modeling the writing
process. Both teach print concepts, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation skills. In both
interactive and shared writing, the writings are also revisited for rereading and future learning.
There is a greater level of support during shared writing than interactive writing. Interactive
writing is an example of I doYou help level of scaffolding. Through both interactive and

shared writing, the students are active participants in transforming their ideas and spoken words
into print (Rog, 2011).
Guided Writing
Guided writing is similar to guided reading where students are in small groups working
on writing. The students are doing the writing while the teacher offers intervention or extension
to students with common needs (Rog, 2011). Usually, the teacher does a mini lesson first based
on the needs of the small group. Teachers can focus on a variety of things such as, generating
ideas, spelling words, punctuation and spacing (Rog, 2011). This level of scaffolding is I
helpYou do. Students should also be encouraged to approximate during guided writing
which is one of Brian Cambournes conditions of learning. This is a great time for teachers to
observe and take anecdotal notes to assess each student.
Independent Writing
During independent writing, students choose their own topics and move at their own pace
as they write (Thompkins, 2014). Students apply the strategies and skills learned in modeled,
shared, interactive, and guided writing. Independent writing could happen while the teacher is
working with a small group of students in guided writing. Writing workshops are another great
way for students to practice these strategies and skills. The greatest strength of the writing
workshop is that it combines explicit instruction and guided practice, specifically focused on
learning goals in writing. Instruction is purposeful, differentiated, and developmentally
appropriate (Rog, 2011, p. 125). During writing workshop, teachers can make their way around
the room and hold one-on-one conferences with students to assess and offer support to help
develop concepts and skills. Independent writing is an example of I watchYou do level of

scaffolding. Students are able to take risks and approximate during independent writing and
develop the strategies and skills needed to become strong writers.
Word Study
The word study component ties into all of the other components of balanced literacy
instruction. Word study focuses on phonics, spelling, and vocabulary development which is
done with all of the components of balanced literacy. A great way to focus on word study is
having a name wall in the class. As I mentioned earlier, a childs name is the most important
word in their vocabulary. A childs name is a powerful tool teachers have for providing
systematic instruction in alphabet letters and sounds, and how those sounds are combined to
form words (Rog, 2011). A name wall should be large enough for all children to see and should
display all the letters of the alphabet in uppercase and lowercase. Each day a childs name can
be added to the wall. Once all the names are on the wall, you can start to add high frequency
words. A name wall routine generally takes no more than 5-10 minutes and is a whole group
activity (Rog, 2011). Name walls are a great way to provide instruction that is meaningful and
purposeful.
These components of balanced literacy instruction all work together to help develop
strong readers and writers. They work together because they provide varied levels of support for
students during the learning process. Literacy instruction should not be limited to reading and
writing activities, but should also be incorporated all throughout the day during other subjects.
For example, you could easily incorporate a modeled writing during a math lesson or science
lesson. Finding ways to teach literacy all throughout the day across every subject will help build
the foundation children need in order to develop the concepts, skills, and strategies needed to be
strong readers and writers.

Kindergarten Classroom Design

My floor plan design reflects my beliefs on how children learn literacy, and supports a
balanced literacy teaching approach. I have designated areas for work and play, and also supply

shelves that are conveniently located to allow for an easy flow within the classroom. I sectioned
off and have designated areas to maintain structure in the classroom.
As you enter the classroom, to the right you will see the students cubbies where they can
keep their jackets and backpacks. Having the cubbies near the door is convenient and will help
keep these items out of the classroom space. Next to the cubbies is the classroom bathroom. I
feel its important to have a bathroom in a kindergarten classroom. This allows children to have
access to it throughout the day, and not take too much time being gone from learning
experiences.
Next to the bathroom is the dramatic play area. I created a play area because I feel
children learn literacy through imaginative play, which is also supported by Vygotsky. Shelves
are located in the dramatic play area to hold a variety items and toys that will be rotated
throughout the year. The rotation of these items are necessary in order to create different types
of play scenarios. Different play scenarios can include, but are not limited to, a house or kitchen
center, a restaurant, a hospital, a veterinary center, and a grocery store. There will also be writing
supplies located in the center such as, paper, pencils, crayons, markers, scissors and other writing
supplies in order for students to create things in the play center using their literacy skills. Things
they can create are recipe cards for the house or kitchen center, menus for a restaurant center,
hospital records or pet records, and grocery lists.
Next to the dramatic play area is the writing workshop area. Students will use this area
during their independent writing time to make books. In this area you will see shelves that will
hold all of the supplies needed for the writing workshop. These supplies include paper stapled
together in the form of books, other types of paper, pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, scissors,
glue, etc. All of the supplies will be within students reach. There is also a table in the writing

workshop area where students can sit at, or they can sit at other open areas in the classroom. I
also have bins in the writing workshop area to hold students work. Students can keep their work
in these bins to revisit and continue working on. Above the bins in the writing workshop area I
have a name wall. All of the students name will eventually be displayed on the wall along with
high frequency words for students to reference while they are working on their writing.
Moving to the left side of the room you will see the large carpet area. This area will be
used for large group instruction such as interactive read alouds, shared reading and writing,
modeled writing, and interactive writing. The students will gather on the carpet and face the
teachers chair. I created this area because modeling and demonstrations are essential to teaching
literacy which is also indicated by Cambourne and Vygotsky. There is also a blackboard/smart
board located in front of the carpet to assist in teaching a variety of literacy concepts, skills, and
strategies. I also placed a calendar and a bulletin board on each side of the blackboard/smart
board to use as a teaching tool. In a half moon surrounding the carpet are the students work
tables and chairs.
The top right corner you will see the classroom library. There will be a variety of
developmentally appropriate books displayed for students to choose from when selecting books
to go into their book boxes. Students can easily move from the class library to their book boxes
located on shelves to the left of the library. I also have a quiet reading corner in this area along
with comfortable bean bags for students to sit in during independent reading.
The top left corner is the teachers desk with shelves behind the desk to store supplies.
Materials needed for instruction, guidelines, records, and assessments can all be stored behind
the teachers desk. The computer area is also located next to the teachers desk. I wanted to put
the computer area in quieter space in the room to allow students to concentrate when working on

the computers. Next to the teachers desk there is also a cabinet for additional storage to be used
for storing items needed for the dramatic play area. The way I have designed this floor plan
allows for the teacher to easily move around the room to the designated areas and provide that
appropriate level of support to meet each of the students needs.

Self-Reflection and Goal Setting

Based on my literacy plan and classroom design, the areas I feel I need to further develop
to strengthen myself as a teacher are:
1) Develop a better understanding of ways I can accommodate and differentiate instruction
based upon the needs of each individual student.
As discussed in my plan, there could be a range of five years in reading and writing development
in classrooms. Its crucial for teachers to identify these levels and teach to the needs of each
individual student. Many classrooms are now inclusive classrooms where they contain students
with and without disabilities. I would like to broaden my knowledge of how I can differentiate
instruction of the different components of balanced literacy in order to meet all of my students
needs and help them become strong readers and writers.
2) Become more efficient at assessing students, and deepen my understanding of ways to
assess students informally and formally.
Assessing students regularly informally and formally is essential to planning instruction to meet
the individual needs of each student. Accurate assessments also help me provide the correct
level of support the students need in order to develop their literacy skills. Im finding
assessments can be difficult, therefore, I would like to do more research on appropriate literacy
assessments to deepen my understanding and be more effective.

3) Deepen my understanding of how a classroom design has a major impact on learning

experiences.
There are many things teachers need to take into consideration when setting up their classrooms.
The design of a classroom has a major impact on how effective the learning experiences will be
and how smoothly the class flows. Students need to feel comfortable in the classroom where
they feel they can take risks and approximate. I would like to spend more time learning about
different classroom designs that have been proven to be successful. I would also like to spend
time visiting other kindergarten classrooms and consulting with other teachers on what works
and what doesnt. I will also focus on monitoring my current set up to see how the students are
working in the classroom design and make changes if needed.

References
Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: twenty
years of inquiry. The Reading Teacher, 49 (3), 182-190.
Fountas, I. & Pnnell, G. (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, p. 8
Gleason, R. (2014). What do kindergartners literacy learners need to know and be able to do?
Concepts, Skills, and Strategies. ED 225: Milwaukee, WI: Alverno College.
PALS Wisconsin Resource Center. (2013, September 30). Retrieved from
http://www.palswisconsin.info/teachers_overview.shtml
Rog, L. J. (2011). Read, write, play, learn: Literacy instruction in todays kindergarten.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Thompkins, G. E. (2014). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (6th ed).
Columbus, OH: Pearson.