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Claim: I use mediation in interactive literacy instruction.

Name: Reyna Reyes

ILA Standards:

II. Curriculum and Instruction

V: Literate Environment

VI: Professional Learning and Leadership

I use mediation in interactive literacy instruction. Mediation is a type of intervention or

behavior that supports student learning. In addition, it involves the students behaviors,

backgrounds, and experiences.

Kucers (2014), defines mediation:

Literacy mediation attempts to support the learner in constructing the linguistic (systems

of language), cognitive (thinking process), and sociocultural (groups) dimensions of

literacy. Three meditational behaviors of adults are explored: (1) responding to intentions

and meanings, (2) support structures provided to learners, and (3) interactional patterns

and intersubjectivity. (p. 315)

Literacy mediation plays a critical role for students learning because the mediator engages the

student in the literacy activity and helps the student to accomplish the task. I will share examples

from my coursework that promote literacy mediation to engage students in interactive literacy by

providing interventions that support students learning of the various dimensions of literacy.

With the use of mediation I integrate my students interest, background knowledge, and

experiences to create meaningful lesson plans. These types of lessons become interactive to

students because they are more willing to participate. As a result, I provide my students with the

support they need to develop their linguistic, cognitive, and sociolcutural knowledge of literacy.
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My knowledge on literacy mediation began to take shape in my reading class called

Literacy: Practice to Theory as I read Dimensions of Literacy. I read about development process,

dimensions of literacy, interventions, learner behaviors, adult, and learner roles in our textbook.

This knowledge made me reflect on how I was providing support to my students and if I was

gradually shifting the responsibility to the learner. I knew for a lesson to be interactive it had to

be meaningful for the student, so that they could relate and become active participants. However,

this chapter on mediating helped me reflect on how I was supporting, responding, and interacting

with the students. The following is my response towards our textbook reading from class with

comments from my peers. In addition, I have included an excerpt from an interactive read aloud

demonstrating how I mediated during the interactive read aloud.

Figure 1 READ5423 Assignment: Reading Reflections Chapter 12

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Figure 2 READ 5423 Assignment: Interactive Read Aloud Practicum

I know to begin creating a lesson plan or selecting texts I need to begin by knowing my

students interests. Based on my student interests I can provide students with an engaging lesson

plan or provide a selection of texts that my student will be interested in. The following excerpt

from my research paper shows how it is essential in selecting materials to engage students and

provide students with opportunities to use language for multiple purposes.

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Figure 3 READ 5493 Assignment: Research Synthesis Paper

The teachers in the Wiseman study were able to implement a variety of authentic texts

that are at students interest and had meaningful discussions. Furthermore, while working with

my practicum student I was able to gather some of my students interests and history. With this

information I was able to create an engaging individualized literacy lesson plan. The following

are excerpts from my lesson plans showing how I gather my students interests, and how I

supported my students engagement to understand history and the multiple points of views in a

text. First I had the student create a Cultural/Literacy Autobiography Project, and for this
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assignment I helped him to think about his cultural and literacy background. This also helped me

to gather information about him and his interests.

Figure 4 READ 5513 Assignment: Practicum Alexs Cultural History Presentation

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Figure 5 READ 5513 Assignment: Practicum Lesson plan 1

My reflection after the lesson explains my student engagement, and shows how I create a

literate environment. The support I provided the student to build meaning was by using graphic

organizers, texts, activities, and asking open ended questions to build on his prior knowledge.

Furthermore, the student was instantly engaged in the lesson, and I gradually released the

responsibility to the student. The student took over on building up the bubble map. He also was

actively participating during the lesson plan.

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Figure 6 READ 5513 Assignment: Reflection Lesson Plan 1

In my practicum lesson plan, I utilized many graphic organizers to provide support for

my student to build new knowledge by using his prior knowledge. This lesson plan was extended

to three lesson plans, and all of my lessons plans included graphic organizers. In the following

excerpt from my research paper on graphic organizers we see how critical the use of graphic

organizers is for the student to better comprehend a text. In addition, Liz, Jesica, and I did a

presentation to our colleagues on the different types of graphic organizers there are and how to

use them. This was a way for us to promote the use of graphic organizers in classrooms to

support students with literacy texts. Furthermore, the use of graphic organizers helps the students

to engage in texts and construct meaning.

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Figure 7 READ 5453 Assignment: Research Paper Graphic Organizers

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Figure 8READ 5453 Assignment: Presentation Graphic Organizers

In conclusion, I use mediation in interactive literacy instruction. The mediator plays an

important role in the students learning in constructing linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural

dimensions of literacy. The mediational role involves getting to know the learner and their

interests. Based on the students interests the teacher is able to create an engaging lesson plan,

and provide the students with support. As a literacy leader I like to communicate to my

colleagues about different supports they can utilize in their classrooms and provide them with

examples. For my future professional work I would like to research more about mediation

support.
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References

DiCecco, V. M., & Gleason, M. M. (2002). Using graphic organizers to attain relational

knowledge from expository text. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(4), 306-320.

Fisher, D., Flood, J., Lapp, D., & Frey, N. (2004). Interactive read-alouds: Is there a common set

of implementation practices?. Reading Teacher, 58(1), 8-17. doi:1O.1598/RT.58.1.1

Jordan, M. E. (2015). Extra! extra! read all about it. Elementary School Journal, 115(3), 358-
383.

Kucer, S. B. (2014). Dimensions of literacy: A conceptual base for teaching reading and writing

in school settings. New York, NY: Routledge.

Pantaleo, S. (2007). Interthinking: Young children using language to think collectively during

interactive read-alouds. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(6), 439-447.

Wiseman, A. (2010). Interactive read alouds: Teachers and students constructing knowledge and

literacy together. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(6), 431-438.

doi:10.1007/s10643-010-0426-9