Teaching Reading: K-2 Workshop
Creating a Literate Community
In this session, you will investigate and apply research-based principles for creating effective classroom routines and environments.
Learning Goals
At the end of this session, you will better understand how to:
- maximize children’s opportunities for reading, writing, and using oral language
- develop children’s positive attitudes toward reading and writing
- provide learning opportunities accessible to all students
- help children become more self-directed learners
Factors Related to This Session
- Accessible reading material
- Accessible writing material
- Purposeful room and wall displays
- Classroom routines
“You create a classroom that’s…attractive, that has lots of good books in it, has some nice bulletin boards or wall displays. It seems very simple. But in truth, it’s really not.”
Jeanne R. Paratore
Related Resources
Professional Resources
Cunningham, P., D. Hall, and J. Cunningham. Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way. Greensboro, N.C.: Carson Dellosa, 2000.
Fountas, I., and G. Pinnell. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1996.
Fountas, I., and G. Pinnell. Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books in Guided Reading, K-3. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1996.
Jamison, L. Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 2001.
Morrow, L. M. “Organizing and Managing a Language Arts Block.” In Strickland, D., and L. Morrow, eds. Beginning Reading and Writing, 83-98. New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Press, 2000.
Morrow, L. The Literacy Center: Contexts for Reading and Writing. York, Maine: Stenhouse, 1997.
Morrow, L., et al. “Characteristics of Exemplary First-Grade Literacy Instruction.” The Reading Teacher 52, no. 5 (1999): 462-476.
Morrow, L. M. “Designing the Classroom To Promote Literacy Development.” In Strickland, D., and L. Morrow, eds. Emerging Literacy: Young Children Learn To Read and Write, 121-134. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 1989.
Pressley, M., et al. Learning To Read: Lessons From Exemplary First-Grade Classrooms. New York, N.Y.: The Guilford Press, 2001.
Related Research
Clay, M. The Early Detection of Reading Difficulties (3d ed.). Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1985.
Pinnell, G. S., et al. “Comparing Instructional Models of the Literacy Education of High-Risk First Graders.” Reading Research Quarterly 29 (1994): 8-39.
Classroom Excerpts Used in The Video
Classrooms shown in the video session are from Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices.
Assessment-Driven Instruction with Hildi Perez
Becoming Readers and Writers with Sheila Owen
Building Oral Language with Cindy Wilson
Connecting Skills to Text with Charmon Evans
Staying on Topic with Martha Duran-Contreras
Students Making Choices with Becky Pursley
Writer’s Journal with John Sinnett