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Early Literacy Learning Model: Additional Practice Exercises for Practitioners

about Literacy-Rich Environments

Distance Learning Events brought to you by the Center for Early Literacy Learning

(CELL)

What are additional practice exercises for practitioners?

• Created specifically for those who work in the early childhood classroom.

• Cover the four main components of the CELL early literacy learning model

• Utilize the Participatory Adult Learning Strategies (PALS) approach to learning

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Additional Practice #1:Identifying Literacy-Rich Environments

• Choose two learning centers/areas in your classroom

• Create a list of all literacy-related materials for each learning center.

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Additional Evaluation #1:Literacy-Rich Environments

• Of the materials listed, which were used in a functional way?

• How did the children use the materials?

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Additional Reflection #1:Literacy-Rich Environments

Using the Literacy-Rich Environment Checklist,reflect on what additional literacy-related materials could be included in your classroom. You can get

the checklist from our tools page located here

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Additional Practice #2:Identifying Literacy-Rich Environments

Spend one morning or afternoon keeping track of how you model the functional use of literacy materials such as printed materials and writingtools for the children.

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Additional Evaluation #2:Literacy-Rich Environments

• Create a list of:– The materials/activities that you used to model

reading– The materials/activities that you used to model writing

• What was the frequency of the above events?

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• What is the importance of modeling the functional use of literacy-related materials for children?

• Was modeling the functional use of literacy-related materials a challenge?

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Additional Evaluation #2:Literacy-Rich Environments

Additional Practice #3:Literacy-Rich Environments

• Let’s see what happens when you change the environment:

– Introduce one new piece of literacy-related material to either the big block area or the sensory area.

– Informally observe the chosen area over the course of a morning or afternoon.

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Additional Evaluation #3:Literacy-Rich Environments

• How did the children use the newly introduced literacy-related material?

• What additional literacy-related learning activities occurred as a result of the new material?

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Additional Reflection #3:Literacy-Rich Environments

• How would the activity have changed if a child had chosen a new literacy-related material instead of you?

• Why would there be a difference?

• In other words, if a child had chosen a new piece of literacy-related material do you think the interest would be stronger? Would engagement time have been longer?

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