Chapter 10: Using Rating Scales to Look at Literacy 

 
 
Fact: Reflection: 
10-1 (Using the Rating Scale)  A distinctive note to remember is that 
❖ Rating scale: ​measuring a specific  rating scales don’t need to be done by the 
behavior, skill, or attribute by  teacher, and can be cross checked between 
choosing from three or more  two or more observers.  
descriptors   
➢ Listed in horizontal line from   
least to most, early to later   
developing, simple to  Having the cross check portion sets this 
complex   method apart from the others.  
■ Many choices in   
between   
➢ Selective method: recording   
instrument dictates what is   
observed and recorded   
➢ self-made   
➢ Similar to a rubric    
➢ Describes criteria over time  They are self-made, so being intentional 
➢ Contains 7 q ​ uality points:  and planning ahead is key.  
milestones or measurement 
intervals on a rating scale 
➢ Could be used by teacher, 
family member, volunteer, or 
outside observer 
■ Interrater reliability: 
two or more raters 
use the same 
instrument on the 
same child to control 
bias 

10-1a (Rating Scale Examples)  Know what you are observing and why 
❖ Recorder should be sure to use one  you are observing it! Without this 
that matches the programs and  preparation, there would be little to no 
child's developmental  point in observing and assessing at all.  
goals/objectives   
➢ Become familiar with it   
before using   
❖ Should describe behaviors rather  Be careful to not let bias creep in.  
than attitudes 
10-1b (How to Find the Time)  This method is less concentrated and 
❖ Does not take concenctrated  time-consuming than other methods. The 
observation and recording in order  teacher doesn’t need to be the sole 
for it to be deemed objective  observer, but if so, make sure the safety 
➢ Can be done during free-play  and full attention can and will be given to 
time  the class.  
■ Recorder must be free 
of full responsibility 
of classroom 
❖ Easy to use with computers/tablets 
and then store electronically 
❖ Repeat periodically to measure 
progress 

10-2 (Looking at Literacy)  Literacy begins before birth and 

❖ We learn by:  understanding how much exposure a child 
➢ Listening, speaking, reading,  may have in terms of literacy is important.  
and writing 
➢ First 5 years are crucial 
❖ NAEYC: 
➢ Infancy-preschool: 
awareness and exploration  
➢ Kindergarten: experimental 
reading/writing 
➢ Grade 1: early reading and 
writing 
➢ Grade 2: transitional 
reading/writing 
➢ Grade 3: independent, 
productive reading/writing 
❖ Reading and writing begin with oral 
language 

10-2a (Importance of Literacy)  I never took into consideration all the 

❖ Reading is critical to success in  domains needed when it comes to learning 
school and in later life  and practicing reading. Without these 
➢ Even with funding, large #  pre-existing typical developmental 
of children in America never  patterns, literacy can be more difficult for 
learn to read well  the child and may not be their fault or lack 
■ Connection exists  of trying. (which can be misconstrued in 
between poverty and  certain cases). Look at all factors and 
illiteracy  perspectives before coming to a conclusion.  
❖ Literacy involves 
➢ Motor skills, visual 
perception, hearing, small 
 musc. Development, 
cognitive dev, social 
interactions, and emotional 
control. 
➢ Developing along with 
language at same time 
➢ Begins at birth 
❖ Emergent literacy: ​continuous 
process of becoming a reader and 
writer 

10-2b (Literacy-Rich Environment)  Exposure is all around. From the house 

❖ Begins with both verbal and  and outside world.  
nonverbal communication   
➢ Children constantly  I’ve been in several pre-k and kindergarten 
interacting with literacy  classrooms and have noticed the labeling of 
❖ Environmental print: ​signs/labels  all furniture and classroom items, but 
that appear on everyday objects in  never considered its purpose in depth.  
homes, media, and neighborhoods 
➢ As early as 2-3 
❖ Contextualized literacy: ​ability to 
read words when other clues are 
present 
➢ Cereal names, restaurants, 
traffic signs 
❖ Literacy-rich environments include: 
➢ Cubbies with child’s name 
➢ Key classroom areas and 
furniture labeled 
➢ Writing, reading, play, art, 
centers 
➢ Adult conversation 
throughout day 

10-2c (The Play-Literacy Connection)  Play is so vital to a child’s academic 

❖ Symbolic transformation (blocks  success!! Children are curious by nature 
being loaves of bread, dolls being  and stifling their ability to play freely and 
babies, etc) is substance of reading  explore could reep many negative effects. 
when learning alphabet and 
combined sounds 
❖ Play helps child understand 
characters and stories later on 
❖ Literacy development is dependent 
on other domains 
10-2d (Literacy in the Digital Age)  I’ve heard many adults go on and on about 
❖ More than ¾ of 6 yr olds and  how the negatives of technology with the 
younger spend time looking at  current generation. Yes, there are 
screens  negatives to it. There are negative to 
❖ Uchikoshi: children can develop  everything. If the use of technology is 
phonological awareness, letter  structured, however, the child’s 
naming, decoding, storytelling and  development can soar in ways that not 
retelling from tv programs  using technology wouldn’t be able to fill.  
❖ Moses: believes in establishing 
programming selections, watching 
with the child, supplementing 
television with other literacy 
experiences 
❖ Children are already interested in 
computers and technology 
➢ Technology enhances 
literacy and social 
development  

10-3 (Learning to Read)  Literacy and learning begin at birth!! 

❖ Children learn to read 
➢ Acquisition 
➢ Practice 
➢ Coordination of skills to 
become fluent reader 
❖ Each child is a product of biological 
factors and exposed to literacy of 
the culture from birth 

10-3a (Elements of Learning to Read)  Children are always soaking up 

❖ Concepts of print  information. The manners in which adults 
➢ Children begin to understand  speak, act, walk, and teach are being 
letters, words, sentences,  programmed into their rapidly developing 
punctuation from being read  minds. Teachers should keep this into 
to.   consideration and make sure that every 
■ Hear inflection, learn  single activity serves an intentional 
to read from left to  purpose.  
right 
■ As children mature, 
teacher can observe 
and document child’s 
understanding 
❖ Alphabetical Knowledge 
➢ Learning names and sounds 
of alphabet is achieved from 
 4-7 
■ First learn letters of 
their name 
❖ Phonological awareness 
➢ Identifying consonant sounds 
come before vowel sounds 
mastered between 4-8 yrs 
➢ Critical part of literacy 
development 
■ Phonemic awareness: 
child’s understanding 
and conscious 
awareness that 
speech is composed of 
identifiable units such 
as spoken words, 
syllables, and sounds 
● Matching 
sounds, 
blending, 
counting 
symbols, 
deleting 
(BINGO) 
❖ Vocabulary 
➢ Children come to school with 
basic vocabulary and then 
through reading and being 
read to, can expand their 
vocabulary 
❖ Fluency 
➢ Important because when 
reading is slowed it becomes 
more difficult to get meaning 
of passage 

10-3b (Approaches to Teaching Reading)  Children at these ages are extremely eager 
❖ Teacher can provide  to learn and be helpful in learning 
literacy-enhancing activities that  activities for the most part. Having them 
promote language and literacy  participate in the story and unleash 
❖ Formal approaches  creative abilities is a powerful outlet.  
➢ Emergent literacy 
➢ Phonetic reading 
➢ Book reading (adult to kids) 
 ■ Have child narrate 
what was read  
➢ Drama enactment 
❖ Love of reading is contagious 
➢ Reading aloud prepares child 
for independent reading 
➢ More you read 
■ more you know 
■ Smarter you grow 
❖ Reading in early grades 
➢ 6-8; children are gaining 
competence in being 
conventional readers and 
writers 
■ Read higher freq 
words and blend 
➢ Strategies:  
■ Shared reading with 
big books 
■ Shared writing 
■ Journal writing 
 

10-3c (Common Core State Standards for  I think that these standards are achievable 
Literacy)  for this age group.  
❖ Kindergarten standards: 
➢ Follow words from left to 
right, top to bottom, page by 
page 
➢ Understand words are 
separated by spaces in print 
➢ Recognize and name all 
upper and lowercase letters 
of the alphabet 

10-4 (Learning to Write)  Everything a child does can be measured 

❖ Motivate children to communicate  and used to promote proper development in 
first by drawing, then writing  any domains.  
❖ Toddlers/pre-k more likely to start   
writing when given markers,  Scribbling may look like nonsense to us, 
structured activities, and verbal  but to the child they are communicating is 
prompts  the best way they know possible. 
➢ Common to write backwards 
and switch from forward to 
backward 
 ➢ Writing requires small 
muscle dev/coordination 
❖ Environment is essential in 
promoting this skill 

10-4a (Stages of Writing)  My teachers in almost every grade began 

❖ Scribbling  our writing times with a journal. Every 
➢ Prep for drawing and  day except friday would follow a prompt, 
writing  and then on friday we could write about 
❖ Drawing  anything as long as it was a conscious 
➢ They could have mental  stream of thoughts. It was something to 
image of what they want to  look forward to and prepped our minds as 
draw, but not have the small  we put on our writer’s “thinking caps”. 
muscle coordination 
■ receptive > 
expressive 
➢ Thoughts can be expressed 
❖ Making Letters 
➢ Realize difference between 
drawing and writing 
between 3-4 
➢ Invented spelling: ​phonetic 
spelling with a letter for each 
sound 
❖ Name Writing 
➢ More motivated to start with 
their own name 
■ Have them start it 
with daily sign-in 
❖ Organizing Print 
➢ Adult will scaffold and 
bridge gap between child’s 
knowledge and skill 
➢ Child can watch teacher 
write so that they can grasp 
structure, sequence, and 
organization 
❖ Journal Writing 
➢ Daily diary entries 
■ Can begin with just 
pictures  
➢ Tangible way to watch 
progress over time 
➢ Can write with given prompt 
 of free-write 

10-5 (Literacy Assessment)  Once again, complete attention is required. 

❖ Used to screen children for   The days and methods used should be 
➢ School readiness  planned and intentional 
➢ Identify handicapping 
conditions 
➢ promotion/retention in a 
grade 
➢ Hold teachers and programs 
accountable 
❖ Literacy involvement can be 
observed in all learning areas 
➢ Class list, frequency counts, 
time samples, A.R and R.R 
❖ Requires concentrated attention of 
teacher on single child 

10-5a (Observing Literacy Development in   

Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers) 
❖ A.R. and R.R (open) can look at 
child’s progress in reading and 
writing 
❖ Checklists and class list logs 
(closed) can quickly document 
specific literacy behaviors 

10-5b (Observing and Assessing  If the common core is not working in this 
School-Age Children’s Literacy)  area, why is it not being revised? This is 
❖ Literacy is active and complex  an important area of learning and 
process  development to assess and if the 
❖ Most assessments focus on vocab as  assessment part is flawed, that should be 
predictor of reading ability  adressed.  
➢ Size of vocab as well as 
knowledge of certain kinds of 
words 
❖ Common core tests don't take the 
home language, distraction level, 
and other factors into consideration 

10-6 (Helping All Children with Literacy)  Literacy spans across one’s entire life and 
❖ Literacy is vital for academic and  should be taken seriously.  
personal life of child 
❖ Some children have more 
advantages over others 
10-6a (Physical Disabilities and Literacy)  I think it’s amazing that anyone has the 
❖ Assistive Technology devices has  opportunity to learn despite factors that 
been a way of finding success in  our out of their control.  
learning 
❖ Present physical, mental, and visual 
impairments can affect literacy 
development 
❖ Hearing impairments may impact 
speech and language development 
➢ Reducing vocabulary 
➢ Braille keyboards and other 
devices can be used 
➢ Helping children with 
hearing impairments learn to 
read opens their world.   

10-6b (Learning Disabilities and Literacy)  Monitoring an individual’s development 

❖ Dyslexia: ​an impairment of ability  will be important so as not to mislabel a 
to read  child’s developmental abilities.  
❖ The term learning disabilities 
describes people within the range of 
normal intelligence, without 
significant behavioral disorders, 
who fail to reach their potential- 
often because of inability to read 
and write 
➢ Actual causes still being 
studied 
■ Neurological is one 
reason 
● Psychological, 
emotional, 
environmental 
causes 
❖ Young children with learning 
disabilities are difficult to diagnose 
because they are in the pre-reading 
stage 
❖ Teachers should closely monitor 
literacy progress, and if needed, 
indicate progress or lack thereof to 
referral agents 

10-6c (Literacy and Children who Are  Understanding the strategies needed to 
Dual-Language Learners)  promote proper developmental for all 
❖ Children who do not speak or write  children is necessary to ensure that no 
in English makes literacy learning  child is left behind.  
more complicated 
❖ Limited English Proficient: ​limited 
English proficiency 
➢ Dependent on cultural and 
familial circumstances 
➢ With no literacy 
materials/role models at 
home, children start out at 
disadvantage 
❖ Looking at picture books enhances 
vocabulary growth 
Above is a template of a rating scale