Jessica Eva

EDC 460
October, 6, 2022
Visual Representation:

Reading Area/Library:

This area fosters literacy in a few different ways. First of all, the library has two shelves.
One shelf will contain books for students in various reading levels and genres, which will all be
labeled. This area allows students to have a choice of what to read and allows the students to
be independent in their reading. The other shelf will be full of nonfiction books, and also theme
books that will rotate based on how theme of the classroom. This area also contains flexible
seating that allows the students to move around the room and also read more comfortably.
This area is mostly designated for silent/partner reading. This fosters literacy by allowing
students to practice reading skills and strategies, while also building an appreciation for
reading. This area is meant to be used for student led instruction. For the most part, this area
will be used for independent work, however students will also be able to partner read, as well
as work in the close reading groups. Students will also be able to use their chrome books to
listen to audio books in this area. This allows for multi-sensory literacy instruction because the
students can silently read (visual to auditory) , as well as listen to audiobooks (auditory), and
read aloud (visual to auditory to motor skills involved with speech). (Birsh and Carreker, 48).

This area of the classroom allows me to observe students literacy while still allowing
them to be independent. I can see which books students are choosing from, I can observe
student discussion in their close reading groups (I can also sit in on the group with the students
to take notes and assist), and I can observe students reading in partners. This area is also more
centered on creating a safe place for students to practice reading skills independently. By
creating this space for students, I am able to take observation notes without pressuring the
students to turn in a product from their time in the reading area. Within the daily routine of the
classroom, students silently read (and are allowed to partner read upon my discretion) for at
least 20 minutes during our literacy centers and this area is where a lot of students choose to
read. Students select books from our classroom library when they have finished the books they
have checked out from the school library, or if they want to read nonfiction books pertaining to
the theme for other subjects. We also meet with our close reading groups twice a week, where
students can choose to work in the reading are or at another location.

Writing Center:

The writing center in my classroom is used for a few different aspects of literacy
instruction. At the writing center, students are provided with various tools that assist students
in writing, as well as give students a space to put their ideas onto paper independently or with a
group. Learning the foundations of writing is vital to students learning of how language as a
whole works. Foundations for writing helps students to understand spoken language by helping
them understand “recognizing word patterns, word structure, and sentence forms; knowing the
meaning of words, how words relate to one another, and how they are influenced by their
position in the sentence.” (Birsh and Carreker, 85). At this writing center, students are able to
practice these skills by writing from prompts and creating stories (and publishing them into
books) during free writing. The instruction at the writing center is mostly student led and
independent work. Students can work on writing assignments here, and use the writing center
as a resource and a space to work. Students can also work at the writing center in their close
reading groups depending on the strategy we are working on at that time. This center aids in
multi-sensory literacy instruction because it allows students to express their ideas in written
language which allows them to see the connections and relationships between words and
sentences, while also appealing to other forms of learning.

At the writing center, students will have writing prompts to work on. These prompts can
range from writing about reading that we are doing as a class, reading the students are doing
independently, or our monthly writing prompts. Students will also be able to working on free
writing here, where they can write about what ever they choose, and publish it if they would
like (all of the materials needed to publish writing will be included in the writing station, as well
as resources like dictionaries and vocabulary words). Students will use both paper and pencil
and chrome books to write with, which allows for students to gain experience with writing with
technology as well as traditionally. This writing will allow me to track student progress with
writing and will aid in future classroom instruction. During our literacy stations, students will
spend 20 minutes at the writing station daily. Depending on what we are working on, students
will practice spelling, comprehension, writing prompts and creative writing. Each student will
have a writing folder stored in an organizer at the writing center, so that students can store
their work to continue working on daily.