Learning Site / Learning Cohort

Final Artifact

Name: Laura Merdkhanian

Date: 03.22.23

Learning Site / Learning Cohort Topic:

Mildred Ave/Embedding Literacy in K1 Classrooms

The Challenge:

​

(Describe the WHY behind this work)

What challenge or need were you addressing as a Learning Site/Learning Cohort?

The reason I chose to attend this cohort was because my school is tackling tier 1 literacy instruction- we realized our “tier 1” wasn’t reaching the majority of students. I wanted to be proactive and see how other schools were embedding literacy throughout their K1 classrooms, and specifically, though play.

What specific piece of that challenge were you addressing in your specific context? What made this topic relevant to you?

In my context, I work with K0/K1 inclusion, and I wanted to make literacy more accessible to all different types of learners. This includes storytelling, writing, reading, phonics, phonemic awareness, etc.

What I Tried

I tried these things/steps

• Adding literacy manipulatives to different centers, even those where it may not be typically expected
• Creating explicit literacy games/activities

​

• A second tactic: having students explain their learning target throughout play.

Translucent letters on the light table

Menus in dramatic play (children helped create)

​

​

Writing/

sketching materials in blocks

I expected that…

• The children would need some encouragement with adding in an extra step before jumping in to play (ie: sketching before building).
• Perhaps the literacy-heavy centers wouldn’t be chosen as much.
• I would have to put myself at centers in order for students to want to engage with newer materials.
• I also expected that students would be able to easily be able to restate what the learning target of the center was.

Early impact

With my students, I started to notice...

• Students played at centers easily, willingly, and showed so many amazing skills in phonics/phonological awareness, and storytelling.
• With minimal prompting, they were able to add words to their sketches
• Stating the learning targets of their centers was VERY challenging.

Students created a wall menu for dramatic play (a hot cocoa stand)

Students sketched and added words for a “batcave” before building in the block area- even though building a batcave was not the unit topic/learning target.

Students observed science phenomena through prisms and labeled drawings.

Based on what I noticed, one thing that I (adopted / adapted / abandoned) was…

Adopted: adding literacy and writing in so many centers!

​

Adapted: stating learning targets before CENTERS

​

Abandoned: stating learning targets possibly before SMALL GROUPS led by a teacher (thanks to peer feedback!)

What I Learned

Key ingredients: what made this work?

# 1 - site visits!

​

#2 - opportunities to consult with peers

​

#3 - time to think and refine ideas

Next steps...

I want to keep: Experiment with:

• Thinking about how to add literacy and connecting literacy to centers in authentic ways that keep kids interested and engaged, not feeling pressured.
• Adapting materials so children of different abilities, ages, and abilities can access letters, words, stories, and print.
• Materials in different centers that facilitate literacy accessible so children can inspire ME! Perhaps in a way I didn’t think about.

• Students stating learning objectives… I know this is something school leaders want but I don’t know yet how to make this work in a child-friendly and meaningful way. One of my peers in the class suggested trying this in a small group rather than centers so I am going to try that. PreK students have a hard time with this in a way that upper elementary students don’t.