Making Words Counts!

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The reading for today focused on how good readers use phonics and their previous knowledge to help them learn to spell and pronounce words that they have never seen before. Chapter 5 in Classrooms the Work offers many different lessons that educators can use to help students recognize patterns in words. Students can then take these patterns and use them to decode other, more difficult words. The activity that I find most interesting is ‘Making Words.’ I like this activity because it is a great way for students to develop reading strategies and put them to use. The Making Words lesson is definitely something I plan to use in my future classroom. I also like how this activity is equally beneficial for both struggling readers and advanced readers. Each child has an opportunity to participate and because the activity is hands-on and gives children the chance to figure things out independently, they will be more likely to retain what they have learned. 

• What are some strategies that you use when you come across a word that you don’t recognize?

• Do you remember your teachers using lessons similar to the ones mentioned in Chapter 5 when you were in elementary school?

Emergent Literacy/Phonemic Awareness

 

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The main idea in today’s readings centered on the importance of some form of reading instruction in early childhood. The “IRA/NAEYC joint position statement” was really interesting to me and I like the point it makes about how in order for children to become competent readers, all of the adults in their lives need to work together. Children are active learners and they develop their sense of the world from experiences. Because of this, it is also important to use things that children are familiar with in order to teach them new concepts, such as phonemic awareness. In the Bell & Jarvis article, the authors describe how they used things that their students already knew in order to teach them how to read. I thought it was really awesome how Bell showed all of her kindergarten students that they could read on the first day of class by simply holding up a McDonald’s or Burger King bag. I think that we often forget that reading isn’t just about sounding out words; reading can be recognizing symbols as well. Literacy really is everywhere and we use it in many different ways. The Yopp & Yopp article definitely emphasized the importance of teaching phonemic awareness and offered many examples of how teachers could incorporate these lessons in their classrooms. The readings also expressed how it is okay to let children use inventive spellings, or write in various ways (drawings, scribbles, etc) because this shows that they have an understanding of the way we communicate. 

• In the “IRA/NAEYC joint position statement,” it was mentioned that in most states, you only need a high school diploma in order to be a child care teacher, what do you think of this fact?

• Should all early child care providers be required to teach phonemic awareness?

Importance of a Literacy Foundation

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The main idea for this week’s reading is the importance of children having a foundation in literacy before they even attend school. In the article, “The Jones family’s culture of literacy,” the author discussed how important it was for the various generations in the Jones family to get an education and be able to read. I really enjoyed reading about how reading had become a part of the family’s culture and even the youngest Jones, KiKi, was already being introduced to the concept of reading. I definitely agree that the earlier you begin to teach a child about reading, the better. This gives children an opportunity to be a step ahead when they do start school. The textbook supports the idea of building a literacy foundation by giving various examples of how educators can help students develop one. There were many fun activity suggestions in the book that I will definitely keep in mind to use in my future classroom such as how to teach concrete words and encouraging phonics spelling.

• Did your family culture encourage building a literacy foundation?

• What are some other creative ways that teachers can build a literacy foundation in the classroom?

Classrooms that Work/Independent Readers/Effective Reading Instruction

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The main idea for today’s readings is that there are average and exceptional teachers; the difference between the two is that exceptional teachers know how to make a classroom work and do certain things to ensure that all students in their classrooms become great readers and writers. The importance of structured and independent reading time is one of the examples that really stood out to me. I definitely agree that enjoying reading on your own at a young age helps a lot in the long run. From my personal experiences, I know that I would have had so much trouble in school if I did not like to read. In order to foster a love of reading in my future students, I will have to go above and beyond to meet their needs and create an effective learning environment. The readings for today encouraged me to want to become an exceptional teacher so that I can make sure my students are proficient in reading.

• Should all teachers be held to the same standards as the exceptional teachers that were described in all three of the readings for today?
• Is it fair that some students benefit from having an exceptional teacher and others do not have that opportunity?