Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Oral Language and Reading Process

Oral language and reading go together hand in hand. Oral language develops listening and speaking skills which is crucial to have when students begin to read. If students develop oral language, they are more prepared to read and write. Once they start reading, they will pick up more academic language (BICS) and their comprehension level will increase. I think one of the best ways to build a student's oral language and reading skills is with guided reading. Guided reading is an excellent way to better the students' comprehension levels. You can do this by making predictions, asking questions about the story, develop mini-lessons with vocabulary or phonemic awareness, summarizing the story, discussing if they have experiences similar to the characters, etc. If students can comprehend what they reading, their oral language skills (with academic laguage) will be more proficient.

Writing Construction

Looking back at how I learned to write, I remember doing lots of handwriting and grammar worksheets. I did enjoy doing the worksheets because I was good at it and handwritting didn't require any thinking. My favorite most of all was free writing because it gave me the chance to express myself (I never spoke in class because I was so shy). One thing I did struggle with was vocabulary and comprehension. I could read anything you put in front of me but if you asked me about what a word meant or to summarize the story, it would result in "a deer in the headlight" look. I still believe that my vocabulary isn't as strong as it should be. If there were more strategies used back then (instead of just memorizing), maybe my vocabulary knowledge would be better than what it is now. I cannot wait to use the strategies that I have learned in undergrad and apply to my future students. They are much more engaging and more benefitial to students with different needs.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Philosophy on Teaching Literacy

After looking back to what I have learned from my undergrad courses as well as watching other teachers in elementary classrooms, I have picked up a philosophy of my own when teaching literacy in the future.

1. When constructing a literacy program we need to keep in mind the students' interests, cultures, and abilities.
In a kindergarten guided reading period that I have observed the teacher picked out books that matched their level of reading as well as what she thought the students liked. One thing that I did notice was that most of these leveled books did not represent the students' cultures. They may not notice this now but they will later. All differences need to be represented.

2. Different and effective strategies need to be used in order to benefit every student.
The best ideas that I have seen so far came from the authors, Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. During the reading/writing block period, students are put into literacy centers. The centers included word sorts, journal writing, audio tapes, book clubs, poetry, dramatic plays, and guided reading. The list can go on and on. Guided reading is a favorite of mine because students can discuss their own strategies about decoding or understanding the text. Students not only develop more writing and reading skills, they develop more listening and speaking skills. During this time students have the opportuntiy to cooperate with others as well doing independent work. These strategies can benefit ESL, students with special needs, and different learning styles.

3. Literacy needs to be incorporated into every subject.
During my children's lit class, we did a mock unit of WWII. We did a book club of Number the Stars, reenacted scenes from the book, did some research about the time period, had debates, and kept a journal about what it would be like to live in a war-torn country. Our understanding was much greater as we incorporated reading, writing, speaking, and listening into a scial studies topic.

From being an elementary student myself to being in the elementary classrooms of today, I have noticed that we have come a long way. We have found out ways to better the students' fluency, comprehension, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. It's all about us teachers to follow through.