Task 3

Promotin
g Literacy
o The Power and Pleasure of
Literacy
o The Literate Environment
o Knowledge of Print
o Literature Responses
o Phonological Awareness

Task 3 Promoting Literacy

Objective:
To observe literacy in action over the 3 weeks.
Procedure

This task is intended to be implemented over the three weeks.

For this task student should:
should record examples of practices and/or strategies that they observe
They used many ways to read in the classroom for example:
Reading aloud.
Indiviual reading.
Shared reading.

should aim to make notes from at least 3 activities/strategies for each area.
These may or may not be listed.

are encouraged to take photos and/or video recordings (if the school and the MST
give permission)

Before the Observation

Pre TP classes
Discuss/review relevant content from Learning to Read and Write, Section 2
Readers & Writers in the Making pp27-99
In the school
Decide what time(s) each day you will conduct this observation. The length of
time needed will vary depending on the activities observed.

It is suggested that at least one hour per day be dedicated to this task over the
placement.

Choose the key areas that seem most relevant to the age of the children.

See if you can find out what the teacher plans to do each day by studying his/her
plans, and/or talking with them. Try to identify the relevant areas for each observed
activity/strategy.

Make sure you discuss this task with your supervising teacher.

During the Observation

Make notes about what is happening under the appropriate key area.

Take photos and collect any samples for your portfolio.

After the Observation

In Post School Experience TP Classes
You will be presenting your experiences from this placement to your peers. Consider
these ideas for presenting your findings, using strategies for organizing and
remembering.
*Time will be given in TP classes post school experience to prepare for the
presentation.
a. Mapping Place the key area in center then place information under extended
headings around the center. Graphics/photos can be used instead of/as well as text.
b. Photo Essay Use visuals to organise thinking. Photos should be organised in a
sequence that will support your presentation in class.
c. PowerPoint/ Prezi presentation

Reflection
Reflect on each section you have chosen as you comment and discuss your
observations and refer to your reading as much as possible.

1:THE POWER AND PLEASURE OF LITERACY

Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see
around the school. Discuss each statement below in the context
of what you observe and support with a photo and a reference to
reading when possible.

Does the teacher read to the children? How often does she read?
What types of reading have you observed? Where do they sit?
Does the teacher rereads stories? Why?
Yes, if the teacher read story she read it two time a week but if she
read the questions she read it every class, I observe reading aloud,
the students sit on the mate, no, because the student take the story
with them home and reread it at home.

Who selects the story/text that is read? Do the children participate?

How does the teacher encourage participation? How do they
participate?
The teacher select the story if they read at school and they have
independent reading so they select their own story , yes, the teacher
ask some questions about the pictures in the story, if the students
want to participate they raise their hand.

Describe the reading area in the classroom.

They have a mate in the middle of the class if they want to read they
take the story and sit on the mate.

When do children choose a book to read for pleasure

There is a book shelve in the class it have many different book that
they can choose from when they have free time.

List any opportunities/activities that the children experience that

allow them to see how we use print in daily life experiences.
There are curriculum assigned books relevant to science and math,
the students use that during learning center times.

To do : Take photos of the children reading and the literate environment

in the classroom.

2: THE LITERATE ENVIRONMENT

Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around the
school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you observe
and support with a photo and a reference to reading when possible.

What print has the teacher around the classroom ( labels, captions, flashcards,
headings, rules, instructions, timetable, statements etc) For each one you
mention insert pictures and state the purpose of each one.
Label :for classroom jobs.
Flash card: for the new word about the topic.
Rules: to remained the students about the rules in the classroom.

What print materials and books are in the classroom? Is there a variety of books
and genres mention some examples.
There are a variety of fiction and nonfiction books. For example,
The puppet man: non fiction
My clothe: non fiction

How are the books displayed? Can the children access them easily?
The books are on shelve the shelve is on the level of the students so they can
reach easily

Are there any books referring to the UAE Culture? Are there books about other
cultures? Do you think this is important? Why? How can this develop schema?
No, yes there is book about amercin culture, yes it is impertinent because the
kids do not know so they well gain a lot of behaviors that wore culture do not
accept.

Where do the children read? Is there anywhere comfortable inside or outside the
classroom for them to relax and enjoy a book? Describe the area and add a
photo.
Students read on the mate or in the library, yes in the library there is a sofa for
the students.

Does the teacher provide the children with opportunities and materials to write?
When? Give some examples.
Yes, during the writing activates for example she provide markers for the
students to write on their mini bored.

3: KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRINT

(suitable for very young learners)
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when
possible.

Does the teacher remind the children that we read English from left
to right / top to bottom? How? When? Does she do this in reading
and writing?
Sometimes she remind the students, no she go this just in reading.

What features of a book does she ask the children to identify when
reading?
(author, title, illustrator, index, table of contents, blurb etc.)
The teacher ask the students about the author and the title only.

When does the teacher point to words, labels, letters and does she
read or name them? How does she ask the children to recognize
these words? Does she have a word wall? Do the children learn HFW?
She point the word if it new list, and label them on the wall fo the
children, by reading it and write the word on air, yes she have a word
wall,

How does she support the childrens development in understanding

the use of uppercase and lowercase letters, punctuation, and other
print features?
She ask questions about the lesson and she ask the students in the
beginning of the sentence we write upper case, in the end of the
sentence we put punctuation.

Other

4: RESPONDING TO READING
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see around
the school. Discuss each statement below in the context of what you
observe and support with a photo and a reference to reading when
possible.

How and when do the children have opportunities to retell stories in

their own words? Provide at least 3 examples.
*two students re tell the story to each other.
*Group re tell the story for the rest of the class.
*Teacher choose one student to re tell the story in front of the class.

Do the children act out the stories? Do they role play any stories? Do
they take on the roles of different characters as they read?
No, I did not see any acting or a role play.

Does the teacher use story maps, puppets or any other props when
reading? Does she have any other tricks that motivate the children
and engage them?
NO she did not use story map, puppet or any other props, She give
them games on the smart bored.

Do children predict and guess the events of a story? Give an

example?
Yes, in some pages she ask the students what do you think will
happen next.

Does the teacher do any interesting activities that extend the

reading and allow children to respond to the story? Mention 3
examples and explain these clearly.
Guessing about what they will do in the class.

Ask your teacher about Book Character Day, Books Fairs, visiting
theatre productions, Extreme Reading competitions or other such
competitions that take place during the school year. Explain each
one.
-

5: PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
Observe your MSTs classroom and general practices you see
around the school. Discuss each statement below in the context
of what you observe and support with a photo and a reference to
reading when possible.

How does the teacher draw childrens attention to the sounds

they hear in words? When does she focus on sounds?
For example the teacher make the gustier of the sound on the
air and the students should predict what is the sound.
She focus on sound when the students do not partcapet when
she ask questions.

How does the teacher teach phonics and word attack skills to
children?
By using songs and some cards.

Describe a typical phonics lesson that you have observed.

Mention how the children are scaffolded to recognize the word
and get the meaning? (Word identification and word
recognition. Refer to your work in EPR 2603)
T used sigh word lesson which that helped Ss who had lowlevel in reading to read the text or story fluency.

What phonics did you see presented to the class? (CVC,

diphthongs, diagraphs etc )
I saw consonant diagraph presented in the classroom.

What games or activities does she provide the children with

the develop phonics?
When the teacher make the sound the students raise their
hands.

Does the teacher read stories that have predictable sound

patterns? Mention some you heard?

No, the teacher use more the sound on the bored.

Does the teacher encourage children to sound out the words

they meet? When?
Yes, during the instructional phase.