December 07, 2015

Dear Interview Team,

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for providing me with opportunity for an interview. I

am so grateful that I was able to spend time with you to learn more about the qualities that a K-5

elementary school teacher needs to possess. In response, I have written this comprehensive

instructional literacy plan with the hope that I will be given another opportunity for a second

interview.

I am so happy that I have attained an Early Childhood Education Degree from Alverno College. I

am also grateful for being under the guidance of Alverno professors and instructors, who have

provided me great experiences to prepare me for the role of a teacher who needs to be

knowledgeable and responsible for her teaching and her students learning. To be well informed,

I have committed myself to be an ongoing learner, and to keep learning new knowledge and

skills that will help me become a better teacher and benefit my students. I believe that a teacher

is responsible for modeling and supporting her learners in order to meet their diverse needs. With

my passion for teaching young children, I am committed to being extremely responsible and to

always providing the best learning environment and instruction for my students.

The following writing is my comprehensive literacy plan of how to provide children with the

best instruction to help them become successful literacy learners. I hope to have an opportunity

for a second interview with you.

Sincerely, with gratitude,

Sr. Tuyet Nguyen

In this comprehensive literacy plan, you will find the following items:

First is my written literacy plan which includes my philosophy about literacy learning and the

connection between my beliefs and the theory. You will also find the range of reading and

writing development and oral language considerations. Another item included in my written plan

is the role of the teacher, which includes assessment, concepts/skills/strategies, and instruction.

The second item is my classroom design which includes a floor plan and a description of how

and why I designed it in that specific way. My classroom design reflects who I am as a teacher.

The last item is my self-reflection and my goal setting; I believe that my self-reflection and goal

setting will demonstrate that I am a great choice to meet the requirements of a K-5 teacher at

your school, and to be an excellent asset to your faculty and your school.

Comprehensive Literacy Plan

A. Philosophy and Beliefs about Literacy Learning

Literacy learning involves continuous sequences and various methods of teaching and

learning. Learners are introduced to easier concepts and then move on to more difficult ones. In

the meantime, teachers not only employ a variety of teaching and learning methods, but also

provide learners with continuous assistance so they can meet learning expectations and help

them strive for success. Throughout the journey of students' literacy learning at any level,

students need the best resources of knowledge and assistance. In order to meet students' needs,

teachers accompany and assist them through instructional scaffolding. Because of this, I believe

that students learn best when teachers utilize a scaffolding strategy to guide and encourage them

to strive for excellence. According to Puntambekar, "Instructional scaffolding is a process that

enables a child or a novice to solve problems, carry out a task or achieve goals that he or she

cannot accomplish on his or her own" (p. 2). The following examples and factors demonstrate
that students learn best through scaffolding (The Key Aspects of Socio-Linguistic Theory,

Alverno Ed 225 Class handout, Fall 2015).

My

belief about this is inspired from my own experiences; however, it is also based on the

Key Aspects of Socio-Linguistic Theory by Vygotsky: scaffolding is useful to support learning

(The Key Aspects of Socio-Linguistic Theory, Alverno Ed 225 Class handout, Fall 2015). The

levels of support are different; for example, a high level of support is necessary when the

learning is new. As for kindergarteners, when they start learning literacy, they definitely need a

high level of assistance, so scaffolding is the best strategy that meets their needs. As teachers

demonstrate, guide, and teach, they use different levels of support according to the instructional

purpose and students needs (Tompkins, p. 23). Particularly, when students are unfamiliar with

the topic, it is important for teachers to provide a high level of modeling, as described in the

socio-linguistic theory: I do, you watch. This means that, as teachers introduce a new skill or

topic, the best approach is for them to model and encourage learners to observe. Gradually,

teachers get students engaged in the activity so that learners become more involved and begin to

take more responsibility. As teachers provide them with instruction and assistance, the level of

support is gradually removed. At the end of the sequences, teachers guide students to become

more independent. According to Ankrum (2013), the "Ultimate goal is to reduce the scaffolding

provided to foster independence" (p. 40).

For reading and writing activities in particular, teachers use five levels of support

modeled, shared, interactive, guided, and independent activities. In the modeled reading, as the

teachers read, they model how to read fluently with expression and to think aloud; this is very

helpful because when young readers are not with them, the language cues will still be in their
minds. As for writing, when children needs a high level of support, teachers can demonstrate

how to write, by showing them how to create the text, think aloud, and do the writing; children

learn by this use of strategies and demonstration of skills (Tompkins, p. 23).

In addition to providing an appropriate level of support, teachers use various forms of

scaffolding to meet students needs and contribute to positive outcomes for young children; these

techniques include verbal scaffolding, peer modeling, discussions and learning tools. Ankrum

declares: Scaffolding is a learner-centered construct; as such, instructional scaffolds may take

various forms, depending on the needs and strength of learners (p. 40). In the classroom,

particularly in kindergarten, verbal scaffolding is critical. According to Ankrum, "Verbal

scaffolding that teachers offer to support student learning is an essential ingredient in

differentiated lessons" (p. 41). While teachers are demonstrating specific skills, such as thinking

or writing, they need to use appropriate verbal language and talk aloud so that children are able

to understand.

I believe that verbal scaffolding is not only valuable for students at the same level, but it

also benefits those who are learning English when teachers demonstrate verbal scaffolding.

English learners have opportunities to hear and repeat the sounds of letters and words; this is the

best way for them to learn English and improve in literacy learning as well. In addition to teacher

modeling and peer modeling, discussions are used to encourage every student to participate in

learning activities. It might be challenging for English learners to participate in discussions so

teachers do not always expect their contribution. However, they are always encouraged to

contribute their ideas when they are ready to do so. Through peer modeling and discussions,

students have opportunities to improve their literacy learning in different ways.

 These facts connect to one aspect of the Socio-Linguistic Theory by Vygotsky of the

"more expert other." I believe that when children are learning, they not only learn from the

teacher, but they also learn from one another. Through helping and learning from each other, they

also become experts and then take turns to assist others in becoming proficient too. Believe in

this, I will provide opportunities to those who can demonstrate their ability as experts and also to

those who are learning to become experts as well. This idea of the "more expert other" relates

closely to scaffolding since they both emphasize that, through communicating, students learn

much better with support and with a more knowledgeable person.

My philosophy is also demonstrated in the classroom environment, where children have

learned best through scaffolding. In my field classroom, the teachers provided students with

different levels of support and employed a variety of forms. Particularly, when a new objective

was introduced in a reading section, the teachers modeled it by thinking aloud and even writing

down key words for learners to see. Gradually, the students were invited to engage in activities

by turning and talking to their elbow partner. While they were talking, the teachers observed

them and provided them with assistance instead of modeling. For example, when the students

were sharing ideas in a meaningful way, the teacher walked around to listen and offer needed

support. As the students moved to independent reading and writing, supporting their

independence became a priority for teachers. They were encouraged to choose a book, read it on

their own and write about it independently as well; however, the teachers continued to monitor

students to check on their progress.

In addition to scaffolding, students learn best through using language. Language is used

to learn and children come to class to learn language as well. When children first arrive in class,

they use language to communicate with their teacher and peers. Even though they have not
officially learned or know the function of language or how it is formed, they are already using it.

When they start learning, even learning a language, it helps them to organize their thoughts and

express their ideas as well. Vygotsky states that language is a tool for learning and it is a means

to help organize our thoughts (The Key Aspects of Socio-Linguistic Theory, Alverno Ed 225

Class handout, Fall 2015). I believe that as children grow in their ability to use language better,

they also learn better generally because their vital means to learn is language. In other words,

without language, it is extremely challenging to express our thoughts to everyone and it is also

true for learning.

Based on Vygotsky's theory, I also believe that it is really important for teachers to

determine students' distance between their actual development and potential development;

Vygotsky calls this the " Zone of Proximal Development"(ZPD). ZPD means that, with support

from others, learners actually do much better than they can do on their own. ZPD also means that

when the learners accomplish the task with others' help, they gradually understand what it takes

to do so and become an expert (Gleason, Power Point Presentation, 2015). I believe that when

teachers create their lessons, it is essential for them to take this zone into consideration in order

to meet diverse student needs. As students learn, they are actually not able to do everything

independently or they may be struggling in the performance of their learning tasks; however,

with support, their demonstration of learning greatly improves.

Learning from my own experiences, learning theory, and observations in the classroom, I

believe that students learn best through effective scaffolding, which relates to Vygotsky's theory.

In order to put my belief into practice, I am trying to learn more fully about various strategies of

scaffolding presented in class or in books so I will have a better understanding about it. I plan to

utilize it in my lessons; particularly, when I have my own class, I will strive to provide my
students with appropriate scaffolding strategies in order to guide them and set them up for

success.

B. Range of Reading and Writing Development and Oral Language Considerations

When children enter kindergarten, they come in with a variety of literacy experiences;

their reading and writing range is very diverse from one another because each child has had

his/her own experience at home. It is important for teachers to be aware that all children have

their own unique understanding of literacy. To understand this diverse range, Fountas and Pinnell

divide the range of readers into five stages, from emergent to advanced levels. These levels are

pretty reliable; however, it is important for teachers to know that they are approximated grade

levels.

When children are at the first level, as emergent readers, they can match one spoken word

to one printed word while reading one or two lines of text. They also recognize a few high-

frequency words. As they move to the early stage, of the second level, they are able to read

without pointing and recognize most easy high frequency words. They are also able to check to

be sure that their reading makes sense, sounds right, and looks right. At the transitional stage,

learners can read with phrasing and fluency at appropriate levels. They also know how to read

differently in some different genres. In addition, the readers at self-extending and advanced

stages know how to connect the reading with previous texts. They begin to identify with the

characters in books and see themselves in the events of the stories (Building an Effective

Reading Process Over Time, Alverno Ed225 Class handout, Fall 2015).

As for the range of writing, children in the kindergarten classroom can be placed at any of

the four stages and each stage includes different steps; this range moves from picture writing to

independent writing. The first stage is called Prewriter; at this level, children experience four
steps, such as picture writing, scribble writing, mock, and random letter writing. The next stage

is entitled Emergent Writers, where students experience three more steps: writing awareness,

stylized sentences, and conventional writing. Moving on to a higher level, students reach the

Developing Writer Stage. Developing students are considered to be early, mid, or late transitional

writers. The last stage of writing range is Independent Writer. At this level, students can write

independently, their writing has a strong sense of voice and the message creates an impact

response from the readers (K-5 Developmental Writing Scale, Alverno Ed225 Class handout,

Fall 2015).

As I work with students through these stages in reading and writing, I believe that they

will be at the Emergent and perhaps at the Early Reader, Prewriter or Emergent Writer stages. At

the beginning, like other children, my students might start becoming aware of print around them

and then pretend to read. When teachers read to children, they observe and develop the concept

of print about how writing flows, such as from left to right and from top to bottom (Tompkins

p.115). They also show their interest in books; sometimes they pretend to read as if they are

actually reading and understanding texts. As they are taught, they can soon recognize their name

and some alphabet letters. At the same time, they begin to develop phonetic awareness and are

able to connect the letters they know to the sounds they hear to create some letter-sound

relationships.

As they progress by learning the alphabet and blending sounds into easy words, children

connect words with names and the names help them learn the letters better. They also start to

notice and use rhyming words. In addition, children use information from pictures to create

meaning and language in simple texts. Toward the end of this stage some children can read

orally, match word by word and read from left to right. They also demonstrate their notice and
use of spaces between words as they are reading. Some children might recognize a few high

frequency words, and match one spoken word to one printed word while reading a line or two of

text (Fountas, I. and Pinnell, G., 2001)

At the same time, young children at the early emergent stage, as they start learning to

read, also begin to write, usually making scribbles in an attempt at writing (Tompkins, p.115). As

they learn to write, children start to write their name from left to right and can use some letter

names in the construction of words. At the beginning, not every letter is correct, but later on they

are able to write alphabet letters with increasingly accurate letter formation. At about the time

children are able to blend some letter sounds into words, they can also hear and represent some

consonant sounds at the beginnings and ends of words. At this point, children are interested in

drawing, they know how to label drawings and establish a relationship between print and

pictures, communicating meaning in their drawings. At the end of the emergent stage and the

beginning of the early stage, as children start first grade, they are able to write a few easy words

accurately and decode many words phonetically. In addition, sometimes children can use spaces

by putting their finger after a word to separate written words (Fountas, I. and Pinnell, G., 2001).

On the path of developing reading and writing, oral language experiences and written

language are important because, according to Rog, a strong oral-language base is the foundation

for learning to read (p. 16). Experiences with oral language forms and patterns in the early years

motivate children to move forward in learning to read and to write. As for the possible range of

oral language development in kindergarten, particularly for five-year olds, by the time they enter

kindergarten, most children have learned an average of 13,000 words (Bear. 102). At this time,

they can use 2,200 words in their speaking. Through conversations with adults and social

interaction, children make increasingly rapid progress in building their vocabulary. At this level,
they are also be able to use all phonemes r, s, z, sh, j, zh and blends. Their average sentence

length is about six words and they can use questions and negations as well. In addition, children

can use plural, past tense, and possessive markers (Class Handout, 2015).

This is the general scale of oral language development at the emergent stage; however,

when children enter kindergarten, their language levels are so different. Bear confirms this:

"Children come to school with widely varying language experiences" (p. 102). Children who

grow up in a family with a higher economic level usually have more opportunities to participate

in activities, conversations and social interactions, so they seem to be more articulate in oral

language than those who are raised at a lower economic level. These differences of language

development impact performance on tests of vocabulary and other language-related assessment;

however, it might not impact their future learning (Class Handout, 2015).

In order for children to succeed in school, teachers need to remember that a well-

developed vocabulary and clear vocabulary instructions for students at all ages are an essential

part of school success (Bear, 2012). At the same time, Bear also introduces several strategies that

help children improve their language. For example, teachers can select books from a variety of

genres and themes to develop children's vocabularies through interactive read-aloud activities.

Engaging in conversations is also important because it not only helps children add new and more

complex vocabularies, but it also benefits children with lower language skills and English

learners (Bear, 2012).

As for English learners, certainly their language levels are far different; some children

might speak a few English words at home while others are not familiar with any sounds of

English at all. In order to help them succeed in learning and improving language, Bear points out

five important things that teachers need to consider. First, combining reading aloud to children
with real life experiences or opportunities for verbal interactions through practical experiences

with cooking, science experiments, special visitors, classroom pets, and field trips are beneficial.

The second focus is that when teachers teach read aloud lessons, it is better to stop and talk about

the names of more common objects, such as soups, shirts, T-shirts, etc. The third idea is when

students learn phonemic awareness, English learners may not understand rhyming in English

because they experience different sounds of language at home. The fourth thing to consider is

letter-sound knowledge because students primary language might not have English sounds or

the alphabet letters may represent different sounds for them. For example, Spanish speakers may

use the letter v to represent the /b/ sound. Last but not least, as students are learning to develop

COW in text, through teachers' demonstration, they will benefit from practicing finger pointing,

using materials in their primary language.

Whether young learners are native English speakers or not, it is important for teachers to

understand children's language development in order to integrate their knowledge into practice

by providing children with appropriate opportunities and effective instruction to improve their

use of language. As a teacher candidate, I want to deepen my knowledge about this development

in order to have a better understanding so that I can guide and assist children to move through the

various phases and provide the best possible education for them. I know that my efforts today are

building a brighter future for learners; and that is one of the beauties and privileges of being an

educator.

C. The Role of the Teacher

1. Assessment

Assessment has been widely used in a variety of areas, particularly in education. In order

to determine students' literacy levels, assessment is a priority that teachers should do right at the
beginning of the school year. It is even more essential to assess children as they enter

kindergarten because their learning experiences are highly different from one another. Bear,

Invernizzi, Templeton, and Johnson state: "Effective teaching cannot begin until you understand

what students already know about words and what they are ready learn. Likewise, instructional

adjustments cannot be made until you evaluate the results of your teaching" (p. 25). It is true that

assessment is extremely vital because it provides teachers with important information as to what

students know about literacy, which helps teachers create effective instruction. Tompkins states:

"Classroom assessment drives instruction, ensures that students are making adequate progress,

determines the effectiveness of instruction, and assesses students' achievement (p.72).

There are a variety of methods to diagnose and assess students' literacy development,

which include formative and summative assessments. Tompkins defines formative assessment:

"It's ongoing and provides immediate feedback to improve teaching and learning. It's usually

authentic, based on literacy activities students are engaged in" (p. 72). This type of assessment

commonly happens in informal observations while learning is occurring to measure students'

progress and is not usually graded.

Throughout the year, I will be applying various kinds of assessments in order to provide

the best instruction to meet students' diverse needs. Particularly, I will be doing an assessment at

the beginning of the year to determine students' developmental stages of literacy. Near the end of

the semester will also be a good time to assess students in order to measure their progress and

then I will do it again at the end of the year to evaluate their overall achievement. In addition, I

will apply different informal assessments, such as observations and checklists, to provide

feedback in order to improve both teaching and learning.

 For word study and oral language development, I am considering using Phonological

Awareness Literacy Screening by Invernizzi to assess students throughout the year; however, I

will wait to see how often the State of Wisconsin applies this assessment to children and may

adjust my plan. Invernizzi and her colleagues created assessments called Phonological

Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) for preschool and kindergarten levels. PALS is a research-

based screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring tool that helps teachers identify students'

reading difficulties, diagnose students' knowledge of literacy foundations, manage progress, and

plan instruction to meet students' needs. Information from PALS is great resource for teachers to

create literacy instruction that fits with diverse learners and their literacy needs. Especially in the

kindergarten classroom, PALS assesses students' literacy focusing on phonemic awareness,

phonics, and fluency. Applying this assessment, Rhyme Awareness and Beginning Sound

Subtests, are particularly helpful to measure children's ability about phonemic awareness for

emergent readers (Tompkins, p. 151)

In order to monitor the development of phonological awareness, my students need to

identify two ways of understanding sound units that relate to reading outcomes, such as rhyme

awareness and individual phoneme awareness. For example, they will be asked to find two

rhyming words from a set of three pictures (duck, ball, and truck). Meanwhile, it is important for

me to help the students develop their understanding of letters and letter-sounds; I will ask them

to point to and recite the letters (capital and lowercase letters should be included to assess letter

recognition as well). There are a variety of ways to assess alphabet and letter-sound knowledge,

such as listening to students reading and having them say the letters in their names. Beginning

Consonant Sounds and Letters assessment has been widely used to assess student letter-sound

knowledge. I will give students a letter and ask them to circle the picture that begins with that
letter. Applying strategy from Words Their Way by Bear, I will show a key picture with letters,

such as m and three choices such as mom, book, and pen and then ask students to point out or

circle the word that starts with the key letter. This assessment is appropriate and effective to

implement at the middle or the end of the year because at the early emergent stage, children can

pay attention to rhyming words and then later on, they learn alliteration by sorting pictures that

begin with the same sound (Bear, p.106).

In addition, assessing vocabulary development is important because this indicates both

reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. When children go to school, teachers need to

help students build up their vocabulary to learn because they have to talk in order to learn. I will

use The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4) (Dunn, 2006) to assess my students. This

test is considered to be he best-known standardized measure of receptive vocabulary. The test is

individually administered to ask students to select the picture that best matches a given word

(Rog, 17). This assessment program is most commonly used with K-2 students who show limited

verbal fluency (Tompkins, 244).

In addition to assessing oral language, reading and writing assessment is important.

Moreover, when children enter kindergarten, their reading and writing range is very different

from one another, so it is extremely challenging to provide children with the best instruction

without actually knowing about their literacy level. To determine students' instructional reading

levels, I will be using Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to assess students' reading

performance. The DRA is an assessment kit that includes 44 books arranged from kindergarten to

fifth grade reading levels. The K-3 kit also includes an individualized diagnostic instrument to

assess students' phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge (Tompkins, p. 84). In order to

monitor students' progress and provide them with appropriate assistance, students will complete
this assessment again after a semester. I am also thinking about using it to assess the students at

the end of the year to measure their overall reading comprehension and learning achievement.

To add to other assessments, I will use Running Records to assess my students who are

reading text. Running Records is used to examine students' work and assess their reading level

through monitoring their progress and their ability to identify high-frequency words and use of

reading strategies. Particularly, using Running Records assesses a child's ability to use strategies

to decode unfamiliar words as they are reading. Through the use of Running Records, the teacher

can determine students' reading level and choose appropriate books for students to read; the

books will be not too easy, but not too challenging for them either.

This assessment is effective because each time a student reads books, the teacher can

record students' use of decoding strategies to figure out the word they do not know or is hard for

them to read or they make a mistake and ignore it. Utilizing this assessment, I think is effective

because I can use records to guide my instruction so that I am able to provide my students

appropriate support. Moreover, recording each individual child will provide me with information

about how each one learns and how each develops, so I can use it to meet needs.

However, I am thinking that not every student can read text, so I need to use other ways

to assess those students. For example, it is effective to use checklists during individual

conferences with the students and observations to assess the students. This kind of informal

assessments brings me a lot of benefits because it allows me to assess all students to select

appropriate books and instruction for them. I will use checklists to assess my students about

comprehension of text and reading strategies, such as decoding and monitoring.

To gather more information about students' literacy learning, assessment about the

concepts of print is also in my consideration for the emergent learners. One of the good ways to
develop the students understanding of print concepts (CAP) is to keep track of their learning

often by using a checklist of questions. In Words Their Way, students can be assessed when

teachers are reading and writing with children by posing questions such as asking who can show

the class the letter B or what do we need to put at the end of a sentence (p.115). Teachers also

monitor childrens development of the concepts about print during activities. Clay (2005)

particularly introduced the Observation Survey along with the CAP test to assess students about

their understanding of the three types of concepts about print, such as book-orientation concepts,

directionality concepts, and letter and word concepts. Students are asked to pay attention to the

book while the teacher is reading aloud. They are also provided opportunities to open the book,

turn pages, and show the print features as the words are read (Bear, 113). For example, I will be

giving them a book backward and upside-down to see if they know how to turn it back to the

correct position. It is also helpful to check on them to discover if they know how to turn pages

and read the text and pictures from the front to the back.

To assess my students' writing, I consider using rubrics, particularly the 6-Trait

Assessment for Beginning Writers (6-Traits Alverno ED 225, Class handout, Spring 2012). This

assessment is divided into six categories, such as voice, word choice, ideas, organization,

sentence fluency, and conventions; each of the categories ranges from levels one to five. By

using this assessment I can focus on one area at a time and see where the students are doing well

and where they are struggling and need more modeling and support. I plan to use this rubric to

assess my students' writing samples and their journals and analyze their writing. I will also try to

focus on which trait I need to focus on at a time.

Another assesssment I will use to evaluate my students' writing is through individual

conferences and anecdotal notes to record students' use of strategies and skills during
independent writing. As I confer with the students, I will ask them to explain their writing and

ideas to me. At the same time, I will provide them support and prompts if they are struggling.

Using 6-Trait Assessment for Beginning Writers to assess authentic writing samples and

employing anecdotal notes on the use of strategies and skills during individual conferences are

great ways to assess writers because they provide me with information to discover students'

writing progress and discern what stages or writing levels they are working at. They also allow

me to know which traits students are doing well at and which they need to focus on. I will use

information from assessments to adjust my focus on teaching and strategies and provide my

students with the most appropriate instruction. For example, if the assessement shows that most

students are struggling with word choice, of course I will slow down and try a new strategy to

help students have a better understanding of the use of word choice.

I am considering about using other forms to assess students who are not reading and

writing yet, such as oral conferences. I can also ask students to just hold a pencil and draw

anything and provide them paper and pencil to pretend they are writing; through observing their

actions, I will also know what level of writing they are working at. As I assess all students, I will

pay special attention to my English language learners, I am sure that it will be much more

challenging for them to read and write than for English speakers and writers. When I have

information through assessment, I will be paying more attention and providing these students

with special support as they need.

Assessment is essential in education systems to provide students with the best possible

instruction and it should be implemented throughout the school year. Therefore, I plan to choose

different kinds of assessments to assess my students at the beginning of the year, at the end of the

semester, and the end of the year. Throughout the year, I will be using a variety of assessments to
check on my students' learning progress in order to provide them appropriate instruction to meet

their unique needs.

2. Concepts/Skills/Strategies

Most children start their oral language very early in life. By the time they enter

kindergarten, they have already used their oral language to communicate and, through

communication and learning, they are developing their oral language on their journey of

learning. Later on, they become interested in learning how to read and write. At the early

emergent stage, children pretend they are reading and writing, and make some scribbles to

represent writing. At first, they draw scribbles randomly on a piece of paper without

understanding the concepts; however, with experience and from observations, they begin to learn

concepts about print. To combine these facts and information from assessments to help students

learn effectively, I will discuss several concepts, such as ideas about print, words, and the

alphabet, and thoughtful strategies I will be teaching that fit students' learning levels.

First, I will start with oral language and vocabulary development. Oral language is

important because it is the foundation of literacy. Beginning readers cannot read words they do

not know how to say (Rog, 2011). My students will need to learn how language works and the

form and functions of text. In order to help them have a better understanding, I plan to teach

phonological awareness first, recognizing that words are made up of sounds. Phonological

awareness refers to the ability to identify and manipulate larger parts of spoken language such as

whole words, syllables, and word chunks. There are many ways that students can learn syllables

and word segmenting.

For example, as my students learn about syllables of a long word in the text, they need to

identify how many syllables are in the word by clapping their hands for each syllable and
counting them. They might also learn by putting their hands under their chin as they are saying

the word slowly. In addition, I will be teaching my students to use other strategies to sound out

word segments based on their ability and needs.

To help my students have a balanced understanding, I will teach them the concept of

phonemic awareness. This concept is related to the ability to hear and manipulate phonemes

(Rog, 2011). It deals with individual speech sounds. My students will develop the concept of

phonemic awareness during shared reading. They will also learn about phonemic awareness

through songs, games, and other activities.

Besides those concepts, I will teach my students the concepts of print because it helps

them enhance their reading and writing literacy. At the beginning, my students need to recognize

basic concepts about print, such as how to handle a book, text directionality, spacing, the

function of letters and punctuation. Gradually, they learn that print carries a message,

information, and meaning that serve a variety of purposes. Through learning and observing, I

expect my students to understand that print is written and read from left to right and from the top

to the bottom on a page.

To teach my students properly, I will be focusing on text organization, the purpose of

letters and words, book-orientation concepts, and directionality concepts. I plan to use many

activities to teach print concepts, such as pointing out key features of books while reading aloud,

or modeling writing in a morning message. In Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced

Approach, preschool and kindergarten teachers play an important role in demonstrating the

purposes of written language and providing opportunities for children to experiment with reading

and writing in many ways, such as posting signs in the classroom, reading and writing stories,

and using reading and writing materials in literacy play centers (p. 110).
 Accompanying their learning about concepts of print, my students will develop concepts

of the alphabet; they will learn how letters are used to represent phonemes. For example, they

can learn the letters name, the formation of upper- and lower-case letters, and the use of these

letters in known words. Tompkins states that, by the time children enter kindergarten, they can

recognize some letters in familiar texts, such as in their names in common words, and in

environmental print. At the emergent stage, teachers need to provide many opportunities for

alphabet learning by using students own names and environmental print. Teachers can also

engage students in routines, activities, and games to talk about and play with letters (p. 111). As

these concepts about the alphabet and print are developed together, my students will also learn

about written language and understand that spoken words become written words in written

language.

In order to help students learn in the best possible way, it is important to teach them

reading and writing processes. For the writing process, they will learn through three stages, such

as before, during, and after writing. Particularly, students will learn that, before writing, they

need to think of a topic or an idea. During writing, they write about their ideas and develop them.

After writing, it is important to reread, revise and proofread what they have written. To support

their understanding of the writing process, they will learn about types of writing. According to

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2, and CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.W.K.3, kindergarteners can compose informative or explanatory texts, write a

narrative event and opinion pieces. To meet the Wisconsin Common Core Standards, my students

will learn each type of writing through observing and practicing writing activities in the

classroom. For example, in independent writing, my students will write their own stories using

different strategies. First, they need to ask themselves the question about "What happened?" to
specify the time and event. Then they should think of who was involved in the incident by

having them list those people. Finally, they will identify the place where the event happened.

For the reading process, I will also be teaching them three stages of reading, such as

before, during, and after reading. Before reading, I will first set the purpose of their reading and

teach them to set their own purpose for themselves as they read books independently. Then I will

ask them to take a look at the cover and, finally, to make predictions. During reading, they listen

as I read aloud or they read the text according to the purpose of lesson. After reading, they might

engage in discussion about what they read. In addition to teaching them about the reading

process, I will instruct them about predicting strategies. To help them make good predictions, I

will teach them to look at the cover, picture or surrounding sources and say:

I predict that...

I thinkwill happen because

After that, they will check their predictions.

3. Instruction

In education, a balanced literacy instruction is highly important, particularly for young

children. Balanced literacy instruction includes comprehensive and differentiated approaches,

activities, and materials to meet students diverse needs. In order to provide students the best

instruction, teachers need to understand and effectively address the major components of

balanced literacy instruction, which are based on writing, reading, and word study. I believe that

instruction is most effective when teachers utilize Vygotsky' s Key Aspects of Socio-Linguistic

Theory, particularly the Zone of Proximal Development and the Scaffolding strategies, in order to

identify the levels at which students can perform independently, in order to provide them with

effective instruction and appropriate support through scaffolding.

 A balanced literacy instruction is demonstrated in a variety of teaching approaches, such

as interactive read aloud, guided, shared reading and writing, independent reading and writing,

and word study. As for guided reading, teachers work with a small group to guide students

toward independent reading. In kindergarten, teachers could use an emergent level text to teach

children to retell stories. For the emergent learners, they can read from pictures and memory, so

the books need to be highly predictable and patterned. Teachers can also use a particular text for

a level of challenge to teach children both comprehension and word study. The following are

components of balanced literacy instruction.

Interactive Read Aloud

Interactive Read Aloud has been in kindergarten classrooms for a long time with the

purposes of enabling students to hear the fluency and flow of language and to expose them to

rich vocabulary (Rog, 2011). According to Tompkins, reading aloud helps to apply phonics and

spelling skills and to practice reading high-frequency words. To support these purposes, the

teachers and students' roles and interaction is exceedingly important. In this kind of lesson,

students can get involved by responding to the text and sharing with their peers, but they still

need support from their teacher. In order to assist with instruction, I will utilize Vygotsky's theory

about the Zone of Proximal Development and scaffolding to provide children with the most

appropriate assistance. While students turn and talk, I want to see how students can understand

and how they can do with the support.

In Interactive Read Aloud, my students are expected to listen to the reading and make

connections to their lives from the text. They will also focus on main characters and important

events in the story; particularly, they will respond to my prompts and questions. In order to

support my students, my role is to choose the books that contain rich vocabulary to encourage
students to make inferences about characters and plot development. During read-aloud sessions, I

will pause at some points to model thinking and help my students become engaged and interact

with the texts. I am also responsible for asking prompting questions and encouraging learners to

respond during the reading in order to enhance their comprehension and interest in the story.

Particularly, I will focus on these three steps as I am reading books in the Interactive Read

Aloud: before, during, and after reading.

Before reading: I will choose the text and determine the purpose for the reading.
During reading, I will focus on tone, volume, and pitch and make eye contact with

learners as well. I will also provide pause points for the students to enhance their

experience with the text and invite them to talk with other students.
After reading: I will model retelling stories and explain to learners about the

concepts of beginning, middle, and end; define the characters; and distinguish key

events.
Shared Reading
Shared reading is a part of a balanced literacy instruction. In this lesson, students are no

longer observers or listeners only, but they are actually engaged in reading a meaningful text,

responding to the reading and the text, and sharing with the class. The purposes of this lesson are

to provide students meaningful literacy activities, especially the reading activities that are

challenging for them to do independently (Tompkins, p.24). Shared reading also gives students

opportunities to practice reading and build comprehension strategies, such as predicting and

connecting to prior knowledge before they go further into independent reading.

In order to provide an effective shared reading lesson, I will choose appropriate books

according to the levels of students, as determined through daily assessment. I will also apply the

before, during, and after reading strategies. Before reading, I will start with a 3 Ps book

introduction: preview the text, active prior knowledge, and set a purpose for reading. During the

reading, I will read aloud with fluency and expression to model the process of reading so that
students can learn how to read better. I will also stop at challenging words to define and explain

them.
Particularly, sometimes I will use techniques and strategies to engage students by using

the activity shared reading with a poem of the week (Rog, 2011). For example, I will model

reading aloud with expression and fluency and talk about the ideas in the poem. Then I will

invite students to make connections or responses to the poem. To promote better understanding,

on another day, I will use the same poem, but different strategies to focus on other objectives,

such as text matching, working with the words, or working with the letter sounds.
In order to have effective shared reading, I will also try to create an environment with

available and accessible books. I will prepare necessary materials and supplies for the lesson,

such as chart texts, scissors, and markers before the lesson takes place. I will try to use engaging

texts and authentic literacy experiences to help children develop strategies to become

independent readers. Finally, I will apply Vygotsky's theoretical framework to provide modeling

and appropriate scaffolding.

Guided Reading
Guided reading is usually implemented with a small group of children and with all of

them using their own book. Guided reading happens when all the learners participate in reading

the whole text. The purpose is to have them on the same page before they take opportunities to

read independently. This activity also focuses on comprehension, so the text should not be too

easy or too difficult for children to read; the books move from guided to independent reading. In

guided reading, the high level of scaffolding is gradually removed; therefore, students take more

responsibility for their learning. The role of teacher and students is reversed; students do the

reading and teachers help; teachers are present to support and give prompts if needed. Early good

reader strategies are important in guided reading. Like other readings, appropriate books and
supplies, roles of teacher and students, and environment are also integrated to create an effective

shared reading.
To start the guided reading, I will first introduce the text and encourage students to use

specific strategiesgood early reader strategiesand focus on discussion as well as set the

purpose for the lesson. During the reading, I will encourage students to read the book as many

times as they can. After that I might ask them to share the ideas they learned or provide them and

opportunity for independent practice. In guided reading, students actually read the book, but I

will still apply Vygotsky's scaffolding model to support students if they need it.

Independent Reading

Independent reading provides students a chance to read books at the independent level

and apply skills and strategies they learned through Interactive Read Aloud, shared and guided

reading. At this level, students can choose their own books to read and take responsibility for

their learning while the teacher is still monitoring them. My purpose for independent reading is

to provide opportunities for my students to practice literacy strategies and skills, to provide an

authentic reading experience, and develop lifelong readers. In independent reading, the level of

scaffolding is generally discontinued; students do, and I watch. At this level, although students

are independent, the teacher still plays an important role in monitoring and leading students to

their best literacy learning.

In order to assist students in the best way possible, I will still monitor students and set the

time as they are reading independently. I will also provide them with a variety of types and levels

of books, particularly predictable and patterned books and make them accessible to students in

order to meet each student's level of reading. In kindergarten, it may be that not every child can

read words, so it is a good idea to follow Sulzby's research and explain to students the different

ways to read books. They might look at the pictures and talk to the brain about what they see
in the pictures. They might also make up a story along with the pictures and sometimes they may

even read words (Rog, 2011). If children, however, cannot read words, I will tell them to look at

the pictures and talk to their brain.

Modeled Writing

The teacher uses modeled writing to teach students writing skills by demonstrating

writing and speaking aloud about how to write so that students can observe my writing. Modeled

writing can occurred any time throughout the day in various activities, such as the morning

message, play plan, and mini-lesson. Each morning, I will write down a message on the chart

with a different purpose for teaching during the day. Although the teacher does not need many

supplies or books for modeled writing activities, he/she needs to have several supplies handy,

such as markers, scissors, and tape. To utilize the benefits of this component, I will use a

morning message every day. For example, I might write "Today is Friday. It is warm today!"

While I am doing the writing, I will speak each word aloud and explain why I capitalize the first

letter of Friday. Then I will repeat the words after writing each word. I will say aloud why I left a

space between words and use an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence. During modeled

writing, students just observe while I am demonstrating the writing. During modeled writing, I

will be keeping in mind that at this level, I need to demonstrate like "I do, students watch"

(Vygotsky)

Shared Writing

Shared writing is implemented in kindergarten to teach children that spoken language can

also be written down and this may take place in various forms. In shared reading, students come

up with ideas and the teacher writes down what students say. The teacher does not change what

students say because the purpose of shared reading is to help children recognize what their
spoken words look like in written language. This activity is usually last about ten minutes and is

done in small groups using the group chart to write down what the individual says. In shared

writing, the level of the scaffolding model by Vygotsky is moved to another step as the teacher

does and students help. The teacher invites students to help by contributing their ideas while the

teacher is modeling the process of writing.

I will utilize a variety of shared writing forms within daily activities, such as daily news

time, classroom rules, and group messages to help students understand that their spoken words

can be used in written language. For example, I will ask students to provide ideas about how to

express their respect for one another. As students state an idea, I will write it down exactly what

they say in enlarged print. Then I will have students read their ideas on the chart to help them

have a better understanding of their spoken language in written form. When the activity is over, I

will put the chart, called an experience chart, in a place that is accessible to students so that they

can revisit their responses in written language.

Interactive Writing

Interactive writing is an activity where the teacher and students both share the composing

and the writing. The teacher and students together create a message and then students can "share

a pen" to write down easy words and the teacher writes down the words that are too difficult for

students (Rog, 2011). Interactive writing serves different purposes, such as writing high-

frequency words and applying phonics and spelling skills. In interactive writing, because the

teacher and students both share the tasks of creating a message and writing it down, it is

challenging for the teacher to provide appropriate support for students.

When I provide scaffolding to students an interactive writing lesson, I will be aware of

what I should do and what level of support students need in order to offer them scaffolding
accordingly. I will be especially aware of each students ability and give him or her a chance to

do what each one can. While I have students share a pen, I also want others to engage by having

them trace the letter on the floor or having another student to be a pacer. During interactive

writing activity, I will be using scaffolding in writing high-frequency words, applying phonics

and spelling skills, and writing down high-frequency words. Although students actively engage

in interactive writing, I will still take responsibility in monitoring students' interactions in order

to provide students with the appropriate support.

Guided/Independent Writing

Guided writing is usually done with a small group of students or with one-on-one teacher

support as students do writing (Rog, 2011). The purpose of guided writing is to teach students

strategies and skills using their favorite books. I will divide students into small groups for the

guided writing activity. My purpose is to focus on teaching strategies and skills that students

need to learn as writers rather than emphasizing results.

Independent Writing

Independent writing is where students use the strategies they learned from other activities

to write their own stories or write down ideas (Rog, 2011) to make their own books. It takes the

form similar to a writing workshop. The purpose of independent writing is to provide authentic

literacy experiences and opportunities for students to become lifelong writers.

At this level, students do not need a high level of support; however, I will maintain my

responsibility of monitoring their behavior and providing support if needed. I will provide

children with frequent opportunities to practice independent writing, even if children are not able

to write letters or words. Through independent writing/writing workshop, I can provide students

with purposeful and differentiated scaffolding and guidance as needed. My purpose will always
be to teach students to build their self-regulation because this is the greatest strength of the

writing workshop/independent writing (Rog, 2011). It is true that, the more often students write,

the higher scores they can gain, even those students who just start holding a pencil in hand and

drawing anything on paper. "Research show that students who participate in daily writing score

higher in phonemic awareness and spelling than those who write intermittently" (Rog, 2011).

D. Classroom Design
 This classroom design reflects my own personal philosophy of learning and teaching

literacy. With a belief in effectiveness of a comfortable and engaging classroom, I will create the

classroom look like this to provide students with various opportunities to attend different

activities and access to a variety of educational materials. Along with the teacher's scaffolding

strategy from Vygotskys theory, students will learn better with the support of a comfortable and

engaging classroom environment, multiple learning supplies, and the display of language around
the classroom. In my classroom, I want to make sure that my students have all the learning

materials they need and are supported by an effective classroom design.

My first purpose is to focus on the floor, establishing a comfortable space for whole class

learning sessions, group activities, and individual learning. Every morning, I will gather students

in the rug area to write a morning message where students can watch my modeling as I am

writing a message and reading it aloud clearly. During the day, I will also have students come to

the rug again to attend whole class activities, such as interactive reading, modeled writing, and

demonstration of students' writing work. This is a perfect place to implement whole class

activities because I can utilize technology and other materials, such as a computer, document

camera, Smart board, and charts, which will engage my students and keep their attention focused

on the lesson.

As for table set up, I can use the kidney table for guided reading with a small group or

conferring with some students while the rest of the class is still working on their own without

being interrupted. Several chairs around the classroom will be called "honor chairs;" I use them

for several purposes. For example, sometimes I might students who do a good job on something

use those chairs during class activities instead of sitting on the rug. Student tables will be set up

neatly at the middle of the classroom with the purpose that my students will be able to see the

displays on all the walls in the classroom. In addition, the play corner is important because I am

sure that my students will love playing since they learn the best through play activities which

hold their interest and attention. In that area, the students can play individually or in groups.

My second purpose for displaying and decorating the walls that way is to provide my

students with the best visuals that support their learning. For example, the Name Wall will be

displayed on a large section so that the students can look at it to learn other students' name and
they can also use it if they are struggling with spelling during reading and writing. In addition to

the Name Wall, students can look at other displays, such as the strategies for predicting and

decoding to help them learn better.

Another purpose is to set up an area for a book display, similar to a library, where

supplies are also available everywhere to provide students with everything they need for their

learning. The books of various kinds and levels and school supplies will be accessible to all

students. Aside from each student's book box, the students can choose their favorite books from a

variety on the shelves. My purpose in providing students with a variety of books will be to

ensure that they take pleasure in reading and eventually become a long-term readers and writers.

I believe that my classroom design will reflect my personal beliefs and wishes to provide

the best learning support for my students. Along with my belief that the students learn the best

when receiving the teacher's appropriate scaffolding and support, I also think that the classroom

environment provides great support for student learning.

E. Self-Reflection and Goal Setting

It is true that self-reflection and goal setting are applied in many areas of life, particularly

in education. In order to continue developing my literacy teaching, I have set three goals for

myself that relate to effective instruction. First, I want to develop my understanding of various

assessments to ensure appropriate and effective application for my students. My second goal is to

have deeper understanding about the skills and strategies students can use to achieve the best

outcomes. My final goal is to know how to control myself in order to provide appropriate

support to my students.

After learning from a variety of assessments, I have determined that each kind of

assessment brought its own advantages as I applied it in my classroom. I feel like I wanted to
utilize each ones benefits to help my students. However, although it may be beneficial, I cannot

apply this to all my students. Moreover, each kind of assessments serves its own purpose, so I

want to know which one is the most effective for my purpose in order to have the most accurate

information that I need in order to proceed. As a teacher who wants to provide the best for her

students, I would like to learn thoroughly about each assessments own functions and benefits to

be able to make the most appropriate application for my students.

In addition, I feel I need to improve the understanding of strategies that are the most

appropriate for each lesson objective and students' learning. I write down several strategies in

this lesson plan; however, I am sure that when I come to the actual classroom, I might not be able

to apply everything I learned to my classroom because each student has his/her own style of

learning, so I need to adjust it to fit to my students' learning.

Finally, providing appropriate support for student seems easy; however, it is very

challenging for me. When I play a role of a teacher, I know what I am doing, so providing

students assistance and guidance seems not to be a mater. I even feel happy to help them as much

as I can; however, it is not always the best choice to do that. For example, when students are

struggling with decoding a word, I tend to give the answer rather than provide them prompt to

help them figure it out how to decode words.

It is important for me to be aware of my own strength as well as areas that I need to

develop. When I realize the areas that I need to grow in, I will make efforts to gain the goals. I

will always keep in mind that my philosophy is "students learn best when the teacher utilizes

scaffolding". In order to provide the best scaffolding, I need to improve those areas that I feel I

need to
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"Showing" beginning readers how to use reading strategies. Early Childhood Education
Journal, 42(1), 39-47.

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2012). Words their way: Word study
for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G. (2001). Guided readers and writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

K-5 Developmental Writing Scale, ED225, Spring 2015

PowerPoint handout of ED 225, R. Gleason, Alverno College, Fall 2015

Puntambekar, S. & Hubscher, R. (2005). Tools for scaffolding students in a complex

learning environment: What have we gained and what have we missed. Educational
Psychologist, 40(1), 1-12.

Rog, L. J. (2011). Read, write, play, learn: Literacy instruction in today's kindergarten. Newark,
DE: International Reading Association.

Tompkins, G. E. (2014). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (6th ed.). Pearson
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Vygotsky. [Class handout, ED225, R. Gleason, Alverno College, Fall 2015].

6-Trait Assessment for Beginning Writers. [Class handout, ED225, R. Gleason, Alverno College,
Fall 2015].