Pennsylvania

Literacy
Framework
❦

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)

will not discriminate in its educational programs,
activities or employment practices, based on race,
color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
disability, age, religion, ancestry, union membership,
or any other legally protected classification.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Announcement of this policy is in accordance with
Edward G. Rendell, Governor state law including the Pennsylvania Human
Relations Act with federal law, including Title VI and
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the
Department of Education Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and
Vicki L. Phillips, Secretary 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age
Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Disabilities Act of 1990.
Gerald L. Zahorchak, Deputy Secretary Any complaint of harassment or discrimination
pertaining to education should be directed to the
Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services Equal Employment Opportunity Manager,
Department of Education, 333 Market Street,
Susan A. Enfield, Director Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, Voice Telephone: 717-
787-1953, Text Telephone TTY: 717-783-8445,
Division of Curriculum and Instruction Fax: 717-783-9348. For information on
Nancy Neil, Chief accommodations for persons with disabilities,
contact the ADA Coordinator, Department of
Education at the same address, Voice Telephone:
Language Arts Education 717-783-9791, Text Telephone TTY: 771-783-
Joel Geary, Advisor 8445, Fax: 717-772-2317.

If you have any questions about this publication, or

Pennsylvania Department of Education for additional copies, contact, PDE, Division of
333 Market Street Curriculum and Instruction, 333 Market Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333. Voice Telephone:
Joel Geary: 717-772-1716, Fax: 717-783-3946.

Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
Pennsylvania TABLE OF CONTENTS
Literacy
Framework
❦

User’s Guide - Introduction iii

Acknowledgements/Credits vi

Chapter 1 - Lifelong Learning tab 1

Chapter 2 - Early Literacy Learning tab 2

Chapter 3 - Reading: Transacting with Text tab 3

Chapter 4 - Writing: Composing Text tab 4

Chapter 5 - Investigating Language tab 5

Chapter 6 - Reading and Writing to Learn Content tab 6

Chapter 7 - Assessment of Literacy tab 7

Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k i
ii Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
 Pennsylvania USER’S GUIDE
Literacy
Framework
❦ This text represents a continuation of the
State’s commitment to quality instruction in
the areas of Reading and Language
Arts/English. This is the third in a series of
documents which have guided reading and
language instruction in the state since 1979.
Each document has extended or modified
the knowledge base and practice of the
previous document. Note that this document
has changed the name to Pennsylvania Literacy
Framework in keeping with current thinking in
the field. The teaching of reading and
language skills has become ever more
integrated in the past years and the entire field
is seen as attempting to provide our children
with literacy skills which will enable them to
compete in the adult world. These skills are no
longer seen as separate from each other but
are now taught as an integrated subjects.
Reading and writing skills are now taught in all
content areas.
This text has been prepared for use by
professionals in the classroom, school
administrators and pre-professionals in the
higher education teacher preparation stream.
The document has been written in the strong
belief that educators are professionals who can
and must read and apply the most current
research and theory in their classrooms
and schools.

Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k iii

 For the professional in the classroom, the text provides
a review of current research and theory accompanied by
practical applications for the classroom. Practices to
facilitate research-based theory are provided in each
chapter.

For the administrator, the document provides a concise

and practical update of the current research and theory in
the communications teaching areas. This brief review is
intended to enable the principal to communicate with the
Reading and English faculties in a more informed fashion,
facilitating meaningful curriculum conversations between
the administrator and the faculty.

For the pre-professional, the text provides an overview of

current research considered to be important in instructing
in the literacy areas of reading, writing and language
learning instruction.

The preparation of the document was planned by a team of

researcher-writers from higher education and
teacher/administrators from the field. This team chose to
maintain the four lenses from the last version of the Framework
and three of the Five Critical Experiences with modifications.
Reading, Writing and Investigating Language were maintained
as Critical Experiences. The chapter titled Expanding Reading
and Writing was maintained but is addressed strongly to the
content teacher. The chapter Learning to Learn was modified to
provide the overview/cornerstone to the whole document as the
Lifelong Literacy introduction. A new chapter was added,
providing a basis for considering early childhood literacy as a
concern. A concluding chapter reviews the impact of current
developments in assessment of literacy skills.
Since the Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Standards
are now expected to be taught in all areas of the curriculum, this
chapter was expanded to provide a specific response to the needs
of content area teachers. Chapter 6 provides specific suggestions
for teaching the communication skills in the context of a content
area.

iv Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
 The researcher-writer teams have
attempted to integrate the four lenses as they
were appropriate to the content of the chapter.
In addition, where it is appropriate, they have
attempted to integrate a concept of Stages of
Learning.
The Stages of Learning, for this document, are
defined as:
 Early literacy—the literacy learning of
children from birth through the early
school years.
 Expanding literacy—the literacy learning
which extends the early literacy knowledge
and experience into new forms of literacy
and new content learning. The focus is on
learning to read and write.
 Enhancing literacy—the literacy learning
which assumes a readiness to use previous
reading and writing knowledges and skills
to enhance the student’s world of
knowledge and experience. The focus
is on reading and writing to learn.
 Lifelong learning—the attitudinal posi-
tioning toward literacy and learning which
enables adults to grow and learn in
professional and personal ways
throughout their lives.
The Framework is divided into seven
chapters. Chapter One reviews current theory
and practice on the issue of learning as a
lifelong process. In this chapter is included a
review of the four lenses which underlie
literacy in the Commonwealth.
Chapter Two is a new addition to the
Framework, providing a review of research,
theory and practice in early childhood literacy.
This chapter represents a bold step in the
direction of recognizing the importance of
Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
establishing literacy habits in children from
the earliest stages of development.
Chapter Three provides a review of
current theory, research and practice in the
area of reading instruction. The focus of this
chapter highlights the significance of
developing meaning-making skills in the areas
of phonemic awareness, phonics and
comprehension of vocabulary as well as
explicit and implicit instruction in
comprehension.
Chapter Four focuses on writing
instruction. This area has been a major focus
in schools for the past ten or more years. Most
of this focus has been centered on the writing
process. This chapter moves beyond the
process to encompass the areas of genre as a
way of addressing the importance of writing in
the informative genres. The issues of grammar
and spelling instruction are addressed in this
chapter also.
Chapter Five focuses on language
learning. The content reviews language
functions, variety and history as well as
providing practical ideas for instruction in oral
communication and language exploration
through word play and similar activities.
Chapter Six is directed toward the teacher
of content who needs to understand how to
instruct reading and writing in the content
areas. This chapter is focused extensively on
instructional processes to facilitate reading
and writing skills in the content areas.
Chapter Seven provides a review of
current assessment issues in literacy. This
chapter is especially valuable for use by
administrator/teacher teams in planning Local
Assessment Systems.
Three CD-ROMs are a new feature of this
document. These are included as professional
development tools.
v
 Pennsylvania ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CREDITS
Literacy
Framework
❦ This document is the collective product of a
group of dedicated educators who met several
times from December 1999 through the
summer of 2000 to critique, analyze, search,
research and prepare this Framework. Two
teams of people are responsible for the work.
The front-line team met as researcher-writers to
develop the actual document. To each of these
people we extend thanks.
Writer-Researcher Team
Rita Bean
University of Pittsburgh
Shirley Biggs
University of Pittsburgh
Nicholas Coles
University of Pittsburgh
Marion Dugan
Souderton Area School District
Barbara Marinak
Mechanicsburg School District
Beverly Melenyzer
California University of Pennsylvania
Jesse Moore
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Marsha Pauley
Central Cambria School District
Kim Riddell
Chatham College
Charlene Trovato
University of Pittsburgh
Yvonne Weaver
Trinity Area School District

vi Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k
 A second team of teachers, administrators and professors
from across the state met with the first team to critique and
guide the writing.

Advisory Committee
Barbara Bender Lucille Jute
Jane Blystone Mary Jane Koenig
Jennifer Boone Patricia Koller
Chris Cherrington Joyce Lee
Kisha Davis Carol Merrill
Lillian DeLeo Sue Ann Miller
Lynne Dorfman Lynn Morley
Diane Dougherty Gail Ryan
Denise Dragich Jan Sansone
Trudie Engel Toni Saul
Marion Lynn Fauceglia Valerie Sharir
Meg Geffken Vicki Steinberg
Joel Geary Betty Stoner
Dorothy Grier Deborah Sturm
Cathy Hayden Kenneth Toth
Janet Hoffman Mary Ann Warner
Patricia Jones Michael Williams
Ray Young

Finally, recognition is given to the originators of the plan to

up-date the Pennsylvania Framework for Reading. This group
designed the process for the development of the new
Pennsylvania Literacy Framework and identified the changes to
be made in the document itself.

The Planning Committee

Diane Skiffington Dickson
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Marion Dugan
Souderton Area School District
Nancy Neil
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Jean E. Winsand
University of Pittsburgh

Jean E. Winsand
Project Coordinator

Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k vii

Pennsylvania THE THREE CDS INCLUDED IN THE PA LITERACY
Literacy
Framework
❦ FRAMEWORK BINDER ARE TOOLS FOR
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
 Introduction to the PA Literacy Framework CD
This CD provides materials for a half-day or full-day
introduction session to the Framework. It includes Word
Documents that will need to be printed and then duplicated for
participants prior to the session and a Power Point presentation
that describes the purposes for the new revision and the
critical experiences included.
 Cover Page Word Document
 Half-day and Full-day Schedules Word Document
 Facilitator Directions Word Document
 Initial Activities Word Document
 Power Point Presentation Power Point
 Ouline of the Power Point Presentation Word Document
 Activities for Reviewing the Chapters Word Document
 Evaluation form to be provided by local site

 Oral History CD
Origination of this Project
This CD is based on a model developed at the Governor’s
Institute for Language Arts Educators, a weeklong seminar held
in August of 1998, 1999, and 2000 for Pennsylvania teachers.
Purposes of this CD
 Teach the PA Language Arts Academic Standards in a
project-based application.

viii Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k

  Have students learn that oral histories are valid ways to
record history and are of equal value to written texts.
 Engage communities and schools together in a learning
process.
Consortium
 Athens Area School District  Huntingdon School District
 Lancaster City School District  Souderton Area School
District  Elizabethtown College  Tuscarora Intermediate
Unit  PA Department of Education  Governor’s Institute
 Montgomery County Community College  Tom Graves,
Folklife Consultant  Stroudsburg Area School District
 University of Pittsburgh

 Language Arts Instructional Formats CD

Major Purpose
The major purpose for this CD is to provide teachers and
administrators with a professional development tool for
implementing both:
 the Critical Experiences of the PA Literacy Framework and

 the PA Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening

Academic Standards.

This CD provides:
 Well Designed Classroom Applications – called FORMATS
(The fourteen (14) formats outlined in this CD help a
teacher to organize for instruction.)
 CONSISTENCY in implementation across a district
 A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOL for districts
Teachers can use the CD as an individual learner; grade levels,
departments or schools can organize a workshop around a
single format or a series of sessions that focus on each of the 14
formats. The CD could be used for Act 48 Credit by a provider
(district) or by a university (course).

Pe n n s ylva n i a L i t e ra c y Fra m e wo r k ix