Maine Department of Education Maine Reading First Course Session #6 Design of Classroom Environments that Support Literacy Instruction

Maine Department of Education Key Learning Goals Session 6 Design of Classroom Environments that Support Literacy Instruction Examine the physical organization of classrooms to support literacy instruction. Understand criteria for selecting materials that support comprehensive literacy instruction. Understand the design of comprehensive classroom libraries that include a wide variety of text types and reading levels. Learn principles for selecting high quality children’s literature for read- aloud and wide reading that expands students’ vocabulary and background knowledge. Learn principles for matching children with appropriate texts to support ample reading practice.

Maine Department of Education Classroom Literacy Environment Think-Ink-Pair-Share What factors should be considered in designing a classroom environment that supports literacy learning?

Maine Department of Education Classroom Literacy Environment Factors to consider…… Size of furniture Arrangement of literacy centers (i.e. writing, word study, classroom library) Organization of materials within centers Accessibility of materials within centers

Maine Department of Education Considerations for Centers Centers or stations should be opportunities for students to practice previously learned skills/strategies independently. Routines for working in centers and moving between centers need to be practiced repeatedly before student are expected to follow them independently. Model, model, model! Students need to see what it is you expect and understand why. Introduce one or two centers at a time and be sure students can do them before adding on additional centers. Many ideas for centers and for managing centers can be found at

Maine Department of Education Classroom Library Design Think-Ink-Pair-Share What kind of reading materials should be included in a classroom library?

Maine Department of Education Classroom Library Considerations Variety of reading materials representing fiction and nonfiction genres Attention to student interests Organization of library materials Accessibility of library materials Display of books Care of books

Maine Department of Education Evaluating Fictional Literature Content and language Illustrations Format Comparison with other texts

Maine Department of Education Evaluating Nonfiction Literature Format and visual features Author’s credentials and accuracy Nonfiction writing style and language Writing content and organization

Maine Department of Education Examining Children’s Literature Using the guides for examining fiction and nonfiction literature, try reviewing a piece of fiction and nonfiction literature. Share your findings with a partner.

Maine Department of Education —2—1 3—things worth remembering 2—things to learn more about 1—burning question