• For this assignment you will be looking at classroom design as a teaching strategy to promote literacy. You will first develop a checklist of elements to look for in a literacy-rich environment. Then, during an observation of a preschool classroom, you will 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:
o Read the article, Literacy-Rich Environments – Reading Rockets Literacy-Rich Environments – Reading Rockets – Alternative Formats from Reading Rockets.
o Review the courses texts for elements to look for in a literacy-rick environment.
o 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:
o 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.
o Arrange these items in a checklist format.
o Be sure to use in-text citations to support why you included that item in your checklist.
• Part 2: Implementing Your Checklist
o 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.
o Using your checklist as your main data collection tool, observe within the early childhood environment.
o 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:
o 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.
o What do you feel was most effective in terms of supporting literacy development? What do you see as environmental challenges?
o What suggestions or opportunities for improvement would you suggest that would ensure the literacy development of each and every child is supported?
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