Literacy Environment Check list and Reflection
For this assignment you will be looking at classroom design as a teaching strategy to promote literacy. First develop a checklist of elements to look for in a literacy-rich environment. Then, during an observation of a preschool classroom, administer your checklist. This observation will provide you the background needed to develop a “literacy-rich” environment for preschool children.
To prepare for this assignment:
Read the article, Literacy-Rich Environments – Reading Rockets Literacy-Rich Environments – Reading Rockets – Alternative Formats from Reading Rockets.
Review the courses texts for elements to look for in a literacy-rick environment.
Spend time browsing literacy web sites focused on early literacy for the age of the children in your field experience placement.
http://www.carolinaparent.com/5-Tips-to-Set-Up-a-Literacy-Rich-Environment-for-Infants-and-Toddlers/
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1281-supporting-language-and-literacy-skills-from-0-12-months
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.orghttp://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-and-literacy-environments-preschools
https://thelettersofliteracy.com/literacy-rich-classroom/
Part 1: Developing Your Checklist Prior to your classroom observation, complete the following:
Based on what you have learned regarding components of literacy-rich environments for young children, develop a list of 10-15 items that you would feel are important for inclusion within an environment that is supportive of young children’s literacy skills.
Arrange these items in a checklist format.
Be sure to use in-text citations to support why you included that item in your checklist.
Part 2: Implementing Your Checklist
After you have developed your checklist, you will be filling it out based on your observation within a preschool classroom. This can be a at the center where you work, a childcare center or school that you arrange to visit in person, OR an observation of a classroom video provided by the instructor.
Using your checklist as your main data collection tool, observe within the early childhood environment.
Be sure to fill out each aspect of your checklist, taking careful notes outlining how individual variables were met.
Part 3: Reflection Following implementation of your checklist, respond to the following:
How effective do you feel the environment you observed within was in terms of supporting children’s literacy development? Cite examples from your checklist and analyze in terms of course materials.
What do you feel was most effective in terms of supporting literacy development? What do you see as environmental challenges?
What suggestions or opportunities for improvement would you suggest that would ensure the literacy development of each and every child is supported?
