Literacy, Week 2

Sulzby & Teale:
Think about classrooms you have visited. What aspects of emergent literacy have you observed in young children? How have you seen teachers support the growth of young children's literacy?

While reading Sultzby and Teale's article about Emergent Literacy; I reflected on my experience in my main placement in a 2/3 multi-age classroom. I saw various levels of emerging readers and levels of fluency. I especially liked the way my master teacher set up her literacy block. The second grade team is collaborating this year using the ideas from The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. The reading starts out each morning with students finding their reading basket filled with 4-5 "just right" books for them. They know to find a comfortable spot either at their desks or on the floor with a comfy pillow to read silently for 25-30 minutes. Voices are quiet and students are arms length from their neighbors. This was modeled during the first few weeks and stamina was built together as a class as norms were set. This is the time that ELL and Title 1 students are pulled out for extra help. Some days students are reading aloud in partner groups and sometimes they are writing about their "just right" book. I really enjoy this kind of literacy development. Students are finding quite a bit of reading independence through this pedagogy. They are so excited about what they are reading!