Integrated Literacy Unit Assignment

Integrated Literacy Unit Assignment 
For this assignment, you will develop five integrated literacy activities that focus on the piece of literature of your choice. Feel free to use literature from your final project. You will use the attached template and complete the following steps:

Identify the grade level you will use for this assignment
Identify a theme for your unit
Identify the piece of literature being used as your anchor text
Identify 1-2 literacy skills (from your state standards or Common Core) that will
provide the objective for your instruction
Identify the subject areas you plan to integrate and briefly explain the 5 activities you plan to integrate with your literature selection (Listening- Speaking, Social Studies, Math, Art, Reading Comprehension, Play, Writing, or Science).

Before submitting your assignment, be sure you have connected the literature piece, the 5 activities, and the theme in a meaningful way. Would you be able to assess your students in meeting the literacy standards you selected?

Increasing Motivation
While there is not a shortage of ideas for extrinsic motivation to get children interested in reading (coupons for pizza after so many books have been read, or a visit to the teacher’s prize box, etc.), these types of rewards begin to lose their appeal if a child is not ultimately interested in what they are being asked to accomplish. If we seek for our students to become life-long readers and writers, we must find ways to intrinsically motivate and encourage them throughout the process.
For more information on motivation and self-efficacy, please read the following article.
Teacher Practices that Impact Reading Motivation
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/teacher-practices-impact-reading-motivation (Links to an external site.)
Guthrie, J. And McRae, A. (2013, November 12). Teacher Practices that Impact Reading Motivation. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/teacher-practices-impact-reading-motivation (Links to an external site.).
Teachers can help students find personal meaning and value in what they read and write by demonstrating reading and writing habits in the classroom. We have discussed this in other units, but it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves of the importance of setting aside time each day to read to our students as well as to have time for our students to read independently (DEAR “Drop Everything and Read” and SSR “Silent, Sustained, Reading time). Teachers need to provide a variety of books for their students and they also need to discover creative ways to encourage parents to read with their children. Similarly, teachers need to encourage frequent and varied writing with their students. Students should be given opportunities to collaborate with their peers, listen to what others in the class are writing about, and be given the chance to share their writing for feedback and encouragement.
How are teachers to motivate students in light of the reality that many would rather play on a device for hours rather than read a book for even fifteen minutes? It is true that technology has become more pervasive in the life of children. Many teachers have found ways to incorporate technology into their lessons, including the use of apps and other software that assists in phonics, vocabulary, writing, and fluency instruction. As with the overall motivation to read and write, students need teachers and parents to model an appropriate balance of the use of technology and the intentionality of shutting off the device and finding personal meaning in actual conversation and participation in other literacy activities.
Here are some other creative ways we can motivate literacy in the early grades
“50 Ways Schools Can Support Early Literacy”
50 Ways Schools Can Support Early Literacy

Barrett, L. (2018, September 14). 50 Ways Schools Can Support Early Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/support-early-literacy/.

Motivational Methods
Literacy centers are an instructional tool to motivate reading and writing. Please view the following clip that provides an overview of the purpose and design.
“Literacy Centers: Developing Skills in Reading and Writing”
https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Recipe/50086/ (Links to an external site.)

The Balanced Literacy Diet. (2011a, November 18). Literacy Centers: Developing Skills in Reading and Writing (Virtual Tour) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-m2Mt9HwU
 
Now, take a look at this outstanding clip about the role dramatic play has in motivating students to read and write.
“Reading, Writing, and Role-Play”

EDCHAT. (2012, December 5). Reading, Writing and Role-Play [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-QIoocXsDA
 
These students are motivated for literacy because they are having meaningful, enjoyable, experiences they won’t soon forget. As you viewed the clip what was something you could see yourself implementing with children?
Another way to provide a meaningful literacy experience for your students is to find opportunities for integrating literacy into thematic units. Far too often, literacy becomes a disjointed topic (along with every other subject at school) and students have difficulty in determining the relevance of material, besides completing the lesson and passing the assessment. By making these connections students will not only find purpose in what they are learning, but they will be on the lookout for other connections between what they are learning and the world around them. Below is an example of what integrating literacy and science look like.
“Launch with a Read-Aloud: Integrated Literacy Unit with an Engaging Text”

The Balanced Literacy Diet. (2011b, November 19). Launch with a Read-Aloud: Integrated Literacy Unit with an Engaging Text (Virtual Tour) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElbZpb8RO5I
 
Assessment
How can we measure a child’s motivation? We can provide them with checklists that gauge their interest in different types of books and writing styles. Teachers can also evaluate students’ attitudes towards voluntarily reading and writing in the classroom. As with other assessment tools, templates for measuring a child’s motivation in reading and writing can be found on the Internet.

Managing the Literacy Program
Once you have an idea of the blueprint for your classroom literacy program, you will need to ensure that your classroom management (routines and procedures) supports the desired flow of instruction. Planning an effective literacy lesson will end in disappointment if you have not considered whether or not your students can successfully follow established routines and procedures.
One of the first things that teachers can do to help students regulate their behavior is to ensure that there is order and purpose in the way their room is organized and in the way that the lesson and centers are structured. A continually disorganized classroom and lesson will lead to chaos. Teachers must also have established systems and routines already in place. These procedures must be shared with the children and practiced until students can do what is expected of them with little help from their teacher. An example of this would be for students to be able to quietly rotate centers, while the teacher is working with a small group. Routines must also be established for whole group and small group instruction. Seek-out veteran teachers for their advice. Find a system that works for your personality and the needs of your students and then be willing to make necessary adjustments should you find that something needs to change.
Theories Concerning Literacy-Rich Physical Environments
It’s been some time since we last looked at the thoughts of educational theorists, but it is worth pointing out that the following individuals did believe in the importance of ensuring that the educational setting was adequately prepared for a literacy-rich experience.

Pestalozzi and Froebel – emphasized real-life environments in which young children’s learning could flourish. Both described the preparation of manipulative materials that would foster literacy development.
Montessori – focused on a carefully prepared and planned out classroom environment, intended to promote independent learning. Everything in the room was to have a specific learning goal and was to be a part of the overall education plan.
Piaget – stated that children acquire knowledge by interacting with the world or the environment, via real-life situations (value and meaning)
Dewey – believed in an interdisciplinary approach. In other words, learning takes place through the integration of content areas. He believed that storing materials in subject-area centers encouraged interest and learning.

Organizing the Literacy Program
Please view the following clip that shows you how a teacher organizes her classroom. Pay close attention to the placement of items and how her intentionality in doing so promotes the flow of instruction in her classroom. While her presentation is for the overall layout and organization of the classroom, we can readily apply the principles to our focus of ensuring a literacy-rich environment.
“How to Organize Your Classroom”

Scholastic. (2013, September 23). How to Organize Your Classroom, from Instructor Magazine [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdmI4K5wJu4
 
The Literacy-Rich Classroom

Literacy-rich classrooms are based upon effective use of print materials and well-planned, purposeful centers.
Especially for the primary grades (K-2), the literacy center should be the focal point of the classroom, composed of the library corner and the writing corner.
What is a teacher doing during literacy centers?

How to Run Literacy Centers (PART 1)

CareAboutTeaching. (2016, February 6). How to Run Literacy Centers – Part 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5fja7UoLto
 
How to Run Literacy Centers (PART 2)

CareAboutTeaching. (2016, February 4). How to Run Literacy Centers – Part 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCPzrRBpd-E
 
Did you notice that this teacher had a plan for everything? What did you hear that you might be interested in implementing in the future? There were a lot of great ideas that she shared!
Differentiating Instruction

Whole Group– This is when all of the children are introduced to the same content. Watch the clip below to see this in action. Notice this teacher’s use of explicit instruction (systematic, engaging, success-oriented).

“Informational Text Whole Group Instruction”
 
Greg Smedley-Warren. (2015, March 10). Informational Text Whole Group Reading Lesson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNBv1sVDiBI
 

Small-Group – After students have been dismissed to their center activities, you will pull your small group. Small groups can be organized based upon abilities, learning styles, or interests. The makeup of your small groups can change throughout the year. Again, explicit instruction is essential. Take a look at the clip below, which provides an example of a small group lesson.

Guided Reading: Small Group Instruction

The Balanced Literacy Diet. (2017a, March 14). Guided Reading: Increasing Fluency and Comprehension with Small Group Instruction [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbA9eFeEaTQ
 

One-to-One Instruction– Individualized instruction with the purpose of remediation and assessment.

As we wrap up this discussion of differentiated instruction and the use of centers, please view this clip.
“Station Rotation: Differentiated Instruction to Reach All Students”

Edutopia. (2017, October 3). Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg38A1ggYiE