Literacy Frame

Running Head: LITERACY EDUCATION 1
Literacy Education in the Classroom
By Dawn Rauwolf
Master’s Portfolio ED698
Dr. Elizabeth Hartley, Ph.D.
April 5, 2020
LITERACY EDUCATION 2
Literacy Standard
Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English language arts and
they know, understand and use concepts from reading, language and child development to teach
reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening and thinking skills to help students successfully
apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials and ideas.
Literacy Education Frame
Being literate is a lifestyle. Owning and proactively using the family of skills that
comprise literacy leads to a fulfilling life. A literate young person grows to be a self-directed
learner and is able to efficiently and effectively procure knowledge from many various sources.
Author and educator Steven L. Layne (2012) shares, “Literacy skills have always been a
precursor to success. Those who can read and write well become powerful communicators; such
people are the movers and shakers of society in many cases.” I resolve to be an educator who
seeks to honor the potential in each individual student as I respectfully share the joys and
advantages of literacy.
Literacy includes a balance of reading, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, and
language skills. Educating young people requires purposefully honing students’ capacities in all
of these areas. Whitmore, Martens, Goodman, and Owocki (2005) espouse that literacy is
simultaneously an individual endeavor, a social process, and a cultural practice. The path to
literacy is distinctive for every student, and thus, literacy education should include many various
learning opportunities as well as a rich combination of comprehension strategies.
This is my Ideal Language Arts Program for Grade 7. This program is research-based
and includes opportunities for students to learn in multiple ways, with a constructivist outlook.
This program describes a comprehensive literacy approach for seventh graders, and is a guide for
planning lessons and activities. This program includes an understanding of various student
learning styles, explicit reading strategies, discussion opportunities, time for silent sustained
reading, time for student-choice writing, instructions about how to self-monitor, an ample supply
of writing materials, and a large variety of stimulating reading materials for students to choose
from. The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction is important in my literacy
program, as this is an appropriate way to thoughtfully shift from modeled reading and writing, to
shared and guided learning, and finally to students assuming responsibility for using their learned
strategies to do skilled writing and reading on their own (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983; Weaver,
2002). I give a recommendation to literacy teachers to be mindful of best practices in literacy
education and advances in brain research.
This paper not only includes an overview of my program’s educational ideals, it also
includes plans for the physical space in the classroom. I describe how the furniture can be
arranged, where the technology should go, and how to make the necessary materials easy to
access. I share an ideal class size and I give a list of suggested reading materials to have
available in a classroom.
Although my ideal language arts program is designed for a 7th grade classroom, I still can
utilize the constructivist outlook, teaching strategies, and gradual release of responsibility with
my 4th grade students. One of the ways that I have worked to help my students improve their
literacy skills is by focusing on our daily reading workshop. I strive to “teach with intention- to
decide what I want, to have a vision of literacy…, and then to plan and act so that I will achieve
my intention” (Johnston, as cited in Miller, 2008). I’ve purposefully structured our reading time
to include specific conditions that encourage relaxed and engaged reading. I model good reading
behaviors, I provide mini-lessons with direct instruction about reading strategies, and I allow
time for my students to read books or other texts of their choice. When students are quietly
reading, I take time to confer with them on an individual basis. This five-minute conference
gives me a chance to listen to every student over the span of a few weeks, and I am able to share
with each student his or her strengths and goals. These ongoing formative assessments inform
my mini-lessons and students respond positively when they are told about their reading strengths.
I’ve spent a lot of time and money building up a beautiful library of books for my students; this
collection contains most of the current popular books as well as my favorites for young people. I
am quite proud of my little classroom library, and it is satisfying when students look forward to
finding a perfect text from our collection. In her book, Teaching with Intention: Defining
Beliefs, Aligning Practice, Taking Action, Debbie Miller (2008) writes, “I always hope the
students I work with think about our time together as a joint venture – make that adventure – into
teaching, learning, and discovery.” Our daily reading workshop is learner-focused and designed
to nurture and inspire young readers.
Literacy is “…the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman, and
child can realize his or her full potential.” Kofi Annan.

References
Layne, S. L. (2009). Igniting a passion for reading: Successful strategies for building lifetime
readers. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Miller, D. (2008). Teaching with intention: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking action.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Pearson, P.D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension.
Contemporary educational psychology 8(3). Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(83)90019-X
Weaver, C. (2002). Reading process & practice, 3rd Edition. Reader Profile Project. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Whitmore, K. F., Martens, P., Goodman, Y., & Owocki G. (2005). Remembering critical lessons
in early literacy research: A transactional perspective. Language arts. 82, 296-307.
Retrieved from
https://www.csun.edu/~bashforth/305_PDF/305_FinalProj/RememberingCriticalLessons
EarlyLiteracy_Mar05.pdf

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Running Head: LITERACY EDUCATION 1

Literacy Education in the Classroom

Master’s Portfolio ED698

Dr. Elizabeth Hartley, Ph.D.

Literacy Education Frame

Literacy includes a balance of reading, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, and

learning opportunities as well as a rich combination of comprehension strategies.

from. The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction is important in my literacy

2002). I give a recommendation to literacy teachers to be mindful of best practices in literacy

education and advances in brain research.

to nurture and inspire young readers.

child can realize his or her full potential.” Kofi Annan.

readers. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Pearson, P.D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension.

Contemporary educational psychology 8(3). Retrieved from

in early literacy research: A transactional perspective. Language arts. 82, 296-307.

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