Page 113 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

Mapping and feeding back regarding the

development of literacy

Teachers set the focus on what the child already knows, or has acquired and what the child is
already attempting to achieve. The focus never lies on mistakes or what a child is unable to

do yet. Assessment and feedback are based on conversations and discussions (e.g. children’s

works) and other methods of active learning, which show what the children have been able
to learn in a certain time period. The teacher makes time to sincerely recognise and

acknowledge development, encouragement and stimulation.

Apart from planning studies, guiding learning activities and creating

(physical and mental) learning environment, the teacher also has to

assess literacy development.

All these roles are interconnected. Developing the environment, games

and learning activities should match children’s interests and level of

development. This means that supporting literacy goes hand in hand with

continuous collection of data (observation of a learner’s activities and

their works), analysis and use (further development of the learning

environment, finding motivating games and tasks for children, giving

feedback to parents, consulting specialists if necessary etc.).