Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

TASK 1: LITERACY CONTEXT FOR LEARNING INFORMATION

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 4 single-spaced pages, including prompts ) by typing your responses within
the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

About the School Where You Are Teaching

1. In what type of school do you teach? (Type an “X” next to the appropriate description; if
“other” applies, provide a brief description.)
Elementary school: ___x__
Middle school: _____
Other (please describe): _____

Urban: _____
Suburban: __x___
Rural: _____

2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-teaching,
themed magnet, intervention or other leveled small group instruction, classroom aide,
bilingual, team taught with a special education teacher) that will affect your teaching in this
learning segment.
[The special features are, there is a teacher who comes in for EIP (Early Intervention Program)
once a week. There is an ESOL teacher that pulls out to accommodate a student who is
Bilingual. His first language is Arabic. There is a long-term substitute as the Paraprofessional.
There is also a Speech Pathologist who addresses the needs of a student who is working on
articulation and language skills. An Occupational Therapists also comes in to address this
student’s fine motor skills.]
3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that might
affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of
specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.
[There is a pacing guide and instructional framework that is used to plan academic lessons. The
pacing guide is a mandated county resource. There is a district sight word list for Kindergarten
as well. There is a test that students take (Star 360), that measures the students’ literacy, and
based on these scores, students are grouped by reading level.]

About the Class Featured in this Learning Segment

1. How much time is devoted each day to literacy instruction in your classroom?
[ Each day, two hours are devoted to Literacy; however, literacy is taught throughout the day as
it is integrated into each of the core subject areas (Social Studies, Science, Math).]
2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it affects your
class.
[ Yes, there is ability grouping, the data from Star 360 is used to target specific needs such as
letter recognition, letter sound recognition and blending words.]
3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for literacy instruction. If a
textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.

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 Elementary Education - Literacy
Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

[ The “Journeys” resource kit is used as a resource as well as the workbooks and independent
reading texts that go along with this kit
Author: James F. Baumann, David Chard, Jamal Cooks et.al.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010]
4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, classroom library or other text sets, online
professional resources) you use for literacy instruction in this class.
[ Big texts/ large print books are used daily during Literacy and with the Journeys kit. The
Journeys kit is a resource that provides students with literacy instruction and strategies. There is
a book of the week that drives the literacy instruction focus for the week provided by Journeys
as well. This book may focus on the students retelling the story or identifying the author and
illustrator of the text. The classroom library is also used often, as a resource for students in
stations and during daily reading such as individual small group or whole group reading time.]

About the Students in the Class Featured in this Learning

Segment
1. Grade-level(s):
[ Kindergarten Classroom.]

2. Number of
 students in the class: ___18__
 males: __8___ females: _10____
3. Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or
modifications for your students that will affect your literacy instruction in this learning
segment. As needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the charts. Some
rows have been completed in italics as examples. Use as many rows as you need.

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/supports
or accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment (e.g., students with
Individualized Education Programs [IEPs] or 504 plans, students with specific language
needs, students needing greater challenge or support, students who struggle with reading,
students who are underperforming or those with gaps in academic knowledge).
For Literacy Assessment Task 3, you will choose work samples from 3 focus students. At
least one of these students must have a specified learning need. Note: California candidates
must include one focus student who is an English language learner.1

Students with IEPs/504 Plans

IEPs/504 Plans: Number of Supports, Accommodations,
Classifications/Needs Students Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Example: Visual processing 2 Close monitoring, large print text, window
card to isolate text
IEP 1 Occupational therapy and speech as well
as an Early Intervention Plan.

1
California candidates—If you do not have any English language learners, select a student who is challenged by academic
English.

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 Elementary Education - Literacy
Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs Number of Supports, Accommodations,
Students Modifications
Example: English language 2 Pre-teach key words and phrases
learners with only a few through examples and graphic organizers
words of English (e.g., word cluster, manipulatives, visuals)

Have students use pre-taught key words

and graphic organizers to
complete sentence starters
Example: Students who 5 Make connections between the language
speak a variety of English students bring and the language used in
other than that used in the textbook
textbooks
ESOL 1 The student is pulled out daily, for 30
minutes for ESOL where they work on
pronunciation of English words as well as
becoming familiar with English words and
vocabulary.
Repeated instruction is also given as
needed for the student along with
picture /visual cues and modeling of
tasks.

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs Number of Supports, Accommodations,
Students Modifications
Example: Struggling readers 5 Leveled text, targeted guided reading,
ongoing reading assessment (e.g.,
running records, miscue, conferencing)
RTI/Struggling Readers 4 Small group instruction and individualized
instruction is given to students who have
an RTI. The students are tracked for
progress (at least every report card, four
or more times a year). EIP instructional
strategies are developed through small
group and individualized instruction,
“flash and drill” letters and sounds, as
well as sight words. Technology
resources, such as the program Moby
Max, are also used to further guide
instruction.
Small guided reading groups with multiple
opportunities for prompting and support

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 Elementary Education - Literacy
Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

are also used for students to help with

reading comprehension, skills and
strategies.

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All rights reserved. V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.