For this week I read the Richard L. Allington and was impressed by his views on how classrooms should be. His example of how we should "support" students instead of "sort" highlights one of the main problems that our school systems possess. The system is not designed to benefit every or even a large amount of students that attend them. Society has changed greatly since the creation of our public school systems and if we are to improve these systems, we must first change the ways in which they function and operate.
Of Allington's many ways to improve the school systems, I most agree with his fourth point on how classrooms need more childrens literature and should be better equipped to increase the initiation of more thoughtful instruction. If children are going to become life long readers, then they must be provided with an vast array of things to read that will interest them. More government funding towards the future intellect of our country would solve a multitude of problems that exist in our society.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Post #9 (11-6-11) Leveling Books
The Rog and Burton article possesses a chart that highlights the different reading levels and what coordinates with them. Understanding what reading level a child can operate on with the most efficiency is crucial to being an effective teacher. By exposing students to reading material that is out of their range, a teacher can cause discouragement pertaining to reading or overwhelm a student with complexities.
There are multiple sources to finding a good book that targets a specific reading level. Scholastic Book wizard is the site that I have been recommended by multiple people. It has a search option that can find a specific book or a plethora of books that are of a certain reading level. Here is a link to this helpful resource.
http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
There are multiple sources to finding a good book that targets a specific reading level. Scholastic Book wizard is the site that I have been recommended by multiple people. It has a search option that can find a specific book or a plethora of books that are of a certain reading level. Here is a link to this helpful resource.
http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
Monday, October 31, 2011
Post #8 (10-31-11) Guided Reading
This week I read the article Guided Reading in the Primary Classroom by Mary Kruel. This article discusses what Guided Reading is and how it should be implemented in the classroom. Kruel discusses the four-block reading program, which consists self-selected reading, shared reading, writing, and working with words. In this article, she also places a large emphasis on the teacher's role in guided reading and the development of student reading skills. She says that the teacher is responsible for sorting the children into groups that would be beneficial to each of their reading development, and selecting texts that are more in tune with their reading level.
In this article, it goes over the steps for guided reading. Before the lesson, the teacher should set the purpose for reading, introduce vocabulary, make predictions, and talk about the strategies good readers use. During the reading, the teacher should use prompts, help identify context clues, and ask questions that will broaden the thought of the student. These questions can be anything that pertains to the reading and can help overall comprehension. After the reading, the teacher should implement activities to strengthen concept skills and give praise to the students to increase their confidence.
Here is a link to the Kruel article.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/guided-reading-primary-classroom
In this article, it goes over the steps for guided reading. Before the lesson, the teacher should set the purpose for reading, introduce vocabulary, make predictions, and talk about the strategies good readers use. During the reading, the teacher should use prompts, help identify context clues, and ask questions that will broaden the thought of the student. These questions can be anything that pertains to the reading and can help overall comprehension. After the reading, the teacher should implement activities to strengthen concept skills and give praise to the students to increase their confidence.
Here is a link to the Kruel article.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/guided-reading-primary-classroom
Monday, October 24, 2011
Post #7 (10-24-11) Words
I found the Cunningham & Cunningham article to be incredibly enlightening on the subject of word creation. By observing the act of inventive spelling, a teacher can assess the the level of development that has been experienced by a student. The article discusses Making Words lessons and how to implement them for successful learning in the classroom.
This activity can be incredibly valuable because there are nearly an infinite amount of words that can be made with only using a small amount of the alphabet. This activity can also be expanded upon to make larger words and expand the vocabulary of students. By Making Words lessons, we can teach children more vocabulary and create a fun learning environment.
On an entirely unrelated note, I was embarrassed by the lack of creativity in my blog presentation compared to everyone else's. So now I changed the background to a beautiful and relaxing field. Enjoy!
This activity can be incredibly valuable because there are nearly an infinite amount of words that can be made with only using a small amount of the alphabet. This activity can also be expanded upon to make larger words and expand the vocabulary of students. By Making Words lessons, we can teach children more vocabulary and create a fun learning environment.
On an entirely unrelated note, I was embarrassed by the lack of creativity in my blog presentation compared to everyone else's. So now I changed the background to a beautiful and relaxing field. Enjoy!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Post #6 (10-17-11) Comprehension
The Sharon Ruth Gill article called the Comprehension Matrix was interesting and incredibly enlightening. The thing that I found most interesting was when the article discussed the comprehension process and how I feel as if that applies to me in a large way. The article states that comprehension also occurs after the reading process when we are thinking over what we just read. This seems only too true because I always understand what I read after I think and reflect on it.
The article also gives other ways of evaluating what a student has just read, other than only answering questions. When I went was in second grade, I remember my teacher instructing us to write a poem based on what we just read. My fourth grade teacher would instruct us to do the timeline approach. Both of these activities would greatly benefit my classmate and me and our comprehension abilities.
The article also gives other ways of evaluating what a student has just read, other than only answering questions. When I went was in second grade, I remember my teacher instructing us to write a poem based on what we just read. My fourth grade teacher would instruct us to do the timeline approach. Both of these activities would greatly benefit my classmate and me and our comprehension abilities.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Post #5 (10-10-11) Vocabulary
The Lane and Allen article defines Vocabulary as the knowledge of words and word meanings. There are four types of vocabulary: oral, print, productive, and receptive. Productive vocab is the words that are used during speaking and writing, while receptive vocab includes words we understand when we listen or read. Receptive vocab also includes words that are "less well known" and "less frequently in use".
Receptive language disorder is a type of learning disability that effects the skills involved in learning and retaining receptive vocab. This can be helped with strategies that focus on language therapy to develop the important connections between letters, sounds, and words. Vocabulary development, rehearsal, and practice of using language in social situations may be helpful. In severe cases of receptive language problems, therapists may use multisensory techniques and whole language approaches. It is always of the upmost importance that a special education major such as myself remains aware of the many learing disabilities that children may possess. By further understanding these disabilities, I can learn to combat them and improve my ability as a teacher.
Receptive language disorder is a type of learning disability that effects the skills involved in learning and retaining receptive vocab. This can be helped with strategies that focus on language therapy to develop the important connections between letters, sounds, and words. Vocabulary development, rehearsal, and practice of using language in social situations may be helpful. In severe cases of receptive language problems, therapists may use multisensory techniques and whole language approaches. It is always of the upmost importance that a special education major such as myself remains aware of the many learing disabilities that children may possess. By further understanding these disabilities, I can learn to combat them and improve my ability as a teacher.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Post #4 (10-3-11) Sound It Out!
Reading articles such as the one written by Kathleen F. Clark gets me incredibly excited about teaching children to read. I look forward to teaching a child how to read and walk them through the steps that come with being more of an avid reader. Walking a child through a monumental and life changing feat such as reading should be viewed as an honor by any educator who is blessed with this experience.
This does not pertain to reading, but the first time I knew I wanted to be a teacher was when I taught one of the children in my special education peer tutoring class how to count money. We worked on it all semester and by the time the semester was over, he was able to count back money to me as high as fifty dollars! Teaching something to someone else was such a monumental moment and left a lifelong impression on me. Even after teaching him such a small task like how to count money, I knew that being a teacher was what I wanted to be.
This does not pertain to reading, but the first time I knew I wanted to be a teacher was when I taught one of the children in my special education peer tutoring class how to count money. We worked on it all semester and by the time the semester was over, he was able to count back money to me as high as fifty dollars! Teaching something to someone else was such a monumental moment and left a lifelong impression on me. Even after teaching him such a small task like how to count money, I knew that being a teacher was what I wanted to be.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Post #3 (9-26-11) Fluency
In the Deeney article, she talks about the many aspects that are involved in fluency. One topic she discusses in depth is the ability of prosody. Prosody is defined in the article as the ability to read smoothly with appropriate phasing and expression. This is an incredibly valuable characteristic of fluency and one that doesn't seem to be discussed as much as rate and accuracy are.
A child with a low ability of prosody will obviously have more of a difficult time comprehending reading. It usually exists in people with damaged Broca's area and people who have Asperger syndrome. In order to improve the prosody of a child, it is important to focus on coarticulation. By teaching them the difference between the spaces in text and that there are not spaces in the phrases or sentences we say, helps to give speech natural flow and will assist in the development of appropriate stress and intonation.
A child with a low ability of prosody will obviously have more of a difficult time comprehending reading. It usually exists in people with damaged Broca's area and people who have Asperger syndrome. In order to improve the prosody of a child, it is important to focus on coarticulation. By teaching them the difference between the spaces in text and that there are not spaces in the phrases or sentences we say, helps to give speech natural flow and will assist in the development of appropriate stress and intonation.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Post #2 (9-19-11)
Another interesting topic that the IRA NAEYC position paper covered was the concept of reading aloud to children. The paper says that it is the most important activity for building understanding and skills essential for reading success. If a child feels emotionally secure and confident in his or her reading ability, they will develop more of an excitement for reading and will move on to more advanced material. Creating a love and interest in reading is in my opinion the most important task a teacher possesses and is the most important task in a child's reading development.
In my Children's Literature class, our teacher has time and time again stressed the importance of reading to your children. She says that it should be done at least once a day and should cover a wide abundance of topics. She told us of a single father who read to his daughter every night for 3,218 days and even up until she left for college. The girl, Alice Ozma, has stated that this changed her life in so many ways, including her relationship with her father. The two of them have dedicated their lives to spreading the word of how important and beneficial it is to read to your children. Below is a link to their site.
http://www.makeareadingpromise.com/
In my Children's Literature class, our teacher has time and time again stressed the importance of reading to your children. She says that it should be done at least once a day and should cover a wide abundance of topics. She told us of a single father who read to his daughter every night for 3,218 days and even up until she left for college. The girl, Alice Ozma, has stated that this changed her life in so many ways, including her relationship with her father. The two of them have dedicated their lives to spreading the word of how important and beneficial it is to read to your children. Below is a link to their site.
http://www.makeareadingpromise.com/
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Post #1 (9-12-11) Invented Spelling
Reading is an important skill that helps society communicate information and express ideas. It is crucial to the foundation of society that we teach our children how to read at a young age and encourage them to grow and enhance their reading abilities throughout their school careers and throughout their lives. The NAEYC article explains many different ways that children can develop their reading skills.
At a young age, many children will possess some knowledge of word sounds and structure but will not have a firm grasp on the exact phonic rules of letter combinations. With this in mind, a teacher can have their student's write an assortment of words and let them try to spell them out using their knowledge of sounds. This strategy is known as invented spelling. By using invented spelling, a teacher can pinpoint which areas of word comprehension a child understands and which areas a child needs to work on. This serves as valuable knowledge for a teacher and can be used to advance a student in the skill of reading. This strategy should not be used in excess but if used in the proper amount, it can be incredibly beneficial to a student and their reading level.
I remember my 1st grade teacher (Mrs. Lawson) used this method and it made a great impact on my learning. We would write a few sentences every morning about a given topic and she would not tell us how to spell the words. Instead, she would makes us sound them out and spell them the way that we thought they were spelled. Then she would read through them and talk to us individually and show us how the proper way to spell a word was.
Below is a video that highlights the multiple benefits of invented spelling. Enjoy!
At a young age, many children will possess some knowledge of word sounds and structure but will not have a firm grasp on the exact phonic rules of letter combinations. With this in mind, a teacher can have their student's write an assortment of words and let them try to spell them out using their knowledge of sounds. This strategy is known as invented spelling. By using invented spelling, a teacher can pinpoint which areas of word comprehension a child understands and which areas a child needs to work on. This serves as valuable knowledge for a teacher and can be used to advance a student in the skill of reading. This strategy should not be used in excess but if used in the proper amount, it can be incredibly beneficial to a student and their reading level.
I remember my 1st grade teacher (Mrs. Lawson) used this method and it made a great impact on my learning. We would write a few sentences every morning about a given topic and she would not tell us how to spell the words. Instead, she would makes us sound them out and spell them the way that we thought they were spelled. Then she would read through them and talk to us individually and show us how the proper way to spell a word was.
Below is a video that highlights the multiple benefits of invented spelling. Enjoy!
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