Literacy Instructional Best Practices

Links to Literacy Instructional Best Practices

Here is a checklist for best literacy teaching practices

Book Knowledge and Appreciation

The Teacher. . .

_____ pre-reads the book

introduces the book to the children:

___title

___name of author

___name of illustrator

___shows cover

___lets children make predictions

___does a picture walk

_____ reads with expression

_____ asks questions

___closing

___open-ended

___who/what/where/when/why

___connection

_____ encourages children’s interaction with story

_____ uses props to engage children

_____ adds new words from story to Picture Word Wall

Reads to:

___small group

___large group

Provides an environment for reading:

___cozy inviting reading center

___comfortable large read aloud area

___variety of books are available at numerous centers

Phonological Awareness

The Teacher…

Provides listening opportunities in which children:

_____ follow verbal directions

_____ participate in rhythmic activities

_____ identify sequences of sound

_____ identify environmental sounds

_____ identify word substitutions in familiar phrases or nursery rhymes

Provides activities using rhyming words in:

_____ nursery rhymes

_____ poems

_____ songs

_____ read alouds

_____ word play

_____ finger plays

Provides listening activities in which children:

_____ listen for patterns in words

_____ listen for beginning sounds in single syllable words, ex: c-at

_____ listen for ending sounds in single syllable words, ex: c-at

_____ The Teacher models speaking in complete sentences.

_____ The Teacher encourages children to speak in complete sentences.

_____ The Teacher provides opportunities for children to listen to, recite, or sing rhymes,

poems, songs, and finger plays.

Oral Language Development

The Teacher provides opportunities for children to engage in meaningful conversations through formal and informal interactions:

_____ naming objects

_____ describing objects

_____ learning new vocabulary

asking questions:

___who?

___what?

___when?

___where?

___why?

___open-ended

___connection

_____ describing events

_____ describing feelings

_____ retelling stories

_____ re-enacting stories or situations

_____ using positional words

_____ giving directions

_____ models speaking in complete sentences

_____ encourages children to speak in complete sentences

The teacher provides opportunities for language activities to take place in

_____ small groups

_____ large groups

_____ individually

____The teacher uses a Picture/Word Wall.

Print Awareness/Early Writing

The Teacher…

_____ models directionality and one to one matching by pointing to words in text, charts, poems, songs

_____ models left to right directionality when writing

_____ displays pieces of familiar text (songs, poems, finger plays) around the room at a child’s eye level to "read" independently

_____ calls attention to print displayed around the room

_____ uses interactive writing to provide opportunities for the children to construct print.

_____ engages children in shared and interactive writing activities

_____ maintains a writing center in a prominent area of the room

_____ provides a variety of writing materials in all learning centers including things to write on, things to write with, and accessories (envelopes, tape, stamp-pad, magazines, junk mail, magnetic letters, catalogs, etc.)

_____ gives praise and encouragement for early writing attempts

_____ records the child’s dictation

_____ displays children’s work at the child’s eye level

_____ provides examples of environmental print for the children to identify.

_____ uses the Picture Word Wall to call attention to words as units of print.

_____ provides opportunities for children to respond to literature