Module 4: Activity Two

I think the most important topic that Allington describes is "access to interesting text and choice." When students have a choice, they are much more open to doing any assignment a teacher may give them. Just from witnessing different classes during my field placements, I have observed that when students are reading books they are interested in or have chosen themselves, they are much more willing to read more and learn more about that text. This is especially important with younger children because if reading starts off on a bad note of something that is required and they are not interested in, they will have that same philosophy for a long time. Reading is such an important skill for students to learn, so why not initially make it enjoyable and more towards their interests. This not only engages them but gives them an independence because they can say, "Look! I've chosen this story because I like spiders and it is about spiders!" It gives the student a confidence in what they are reading and also a sense of pride that they chose the story and mastered reading the story. Choice and interest are very key in young age children so that is why I think it is the best topic to choose.

Module 4: Instructional Challenge

            This is an interesting situation, because Marcus is simply guessing a letter to substitute, meaning that he is not focusing enough attention to really try get the right answer. His issue with not recognizing the word sounding incorrect, tells me that he needs much more practice with observing read alouds and hearing the proper way it should sound.

            One of my suggestions for Marcus would be to have him go back to some initial basics. He needs to learn his sounds again it sounds like. He could begin with different phonics exercises, engaging his sounds of each letter, therefore teaching him when something should sound right or wrong. I would also encourage many read alouds from the teacher with Big Books. This would help Marcus hear how the word should sound, while also see the word because the teacher would use a pointer and point to each word as the teacher reads it to the class. I think modeling a concept and the student being able to observe and listen initially is key.

            Another means of allowing Marcus to observe before attempting it on his own, would be working in small groups with the teacher, and the teacher provide a book talk before reading. This would allow some group discussion, even interacting with Marcus to get him thinking about the text before hand. Then, two-students could partner read or a small group choral read, so Marcus can learn from others and again, hear the proper way certain words should sound. Overall, I think he needs much more reading instruction and reading practice. Hearing others read will always help him remember the proper way it should sound too. 

Module 4: Activity 1

This video was extremely touching. I found it incredible that a man at 50 years old was able to go through life without being able to read. It made me sad for him that he has lived in a world that was not accessible to him. It made me disappointed in his education because his teachers let him pass by and did not stop to help him and really work with him. This is a fear and danger that we as teachers must desperately try to prevent.

Robin started from the very basics. He initially learned letter, letter sounds and the different phonemes in a word. He had to go back to the basic because he had no initial knowledge higher than that. An example they showed during the movie was him doing letter-box lessons, practicing how to combine letters to make a word. He became very observant in his "chunking" ability. He was able to recognize that "at" was in "hat" for example. This was a good tool that he was taught. He would practice his writing to make sure spelling was correct and eventually grew out of the leveled readers and tried to read street signs or the newspaper.

I think what was most helpful to Robin was his steady progression and determination. At his age it must have been a frustrating process, but the reward of reading his birthday card for the first time I can imagine made it all worthwhile. So he studied and utilized typical reading techniques which allowed for him to master one level and then move higher up to eventually be on his way to being fully literate.

Module 4: Reading Reflection

Looking across Chapters 10 and 11, which of the understandings and strategies in the comprehensive literacy program are you already addressing/doing with your students (or have you done, or do you plan to do)?

            While reading through the different components of a comprehensive literacy program, I realized I had been exposed to all of these different techniques. My internship placement this past semester was at a constructivist based, Kindergarten school, so shared reading and shared journal was heavily emphasized. In that particular classroom, each day would begin with shared journal and midway through the day, we would do shared reading. Both of these subjects I really enjoyed because it was a great time to get the students interacting in their learning while also encouraging the students to be open about their experiences or the things they enjoy most. In the classroom I was interning in, one student would share each morning about something they did recently, a trip they have been on, or just a story about going shopping with their mom. We would encourage the students (the audience) to ask descriptive questions about the story the student shared, and then the students would be able to draw a picture and then write about the story. The head teacher or I would scaffold the drawing or writing if necessary, but all of the students always enjoyed this time of day because they got to listen to their peers and learn from them.

            In other field placements, I have interacted with these other literacy programs; in particular, read-alouds, guided reading, and guided writing. Interestingly enough, literature groups and individual writing conferences were things that we automatically did with the class I did my internship in so until reading this, I did not know they were a particular comprehensive literacy method. We used those techniques to discuss whole group and get all of the students actively thinking about the text or took the opportunity to have some one-on-one time with students. I think all of these approaches are extremely successful and necessary to implement in a classroom with young students. I have seen the benefits of these teaching methods and plan to use them in my own classroom some day. 

Module Three: Reading Reflection

While reading the initial short story, “The Boat in the Basement,” it was interesting to me how I automatically corrected one or two errors such as the “he” instead of “she” or the “bastement” misspelling. However, I was surprised to learn that there were six errors total! This proves that a proficient reader does read for meaning and ignores some letter errors or miscues because despite them, we can still achieve an understanding. This small, initial story helped reinforce my disagreement with Adams and my agreement with Weaver. Adams suggests that, “Skillful readers of English thoroughly process the individual letters of words in their texts.” This cannot be true because educated readers eyes do not focus on every, small letter in a sentence. As Weaver (2002) explains, “When we read for comprehension, it seems clear, in fact, that we do not first identify the smallest units of language, letters, and then work upwards” (p. 90). Rather, we group all of those letters together to create one whole word, and then focus on word chunking and making connections.

            While doing activities one and two, I found two to be much easier than activity one. It was nearly impossible to determine the vowels that were missing and the consonants that were missing. This difficulty I had with the activities reminded me of how little readers focus on the individual letters and due to that, causes me to be unable to determine the missing letters. However, if initial and ending letters were provided, and the words were in a sentence, surrounded by supporting evidence, I would be able to identify the words. This is why reading is a whole effort process. Activity two was possible for two reasons. One, the whole word was still in tact mostly and two, the words were placed in sentences. Context and familiarity can be two large factors in reading being successful. However, learning the skills of whole word groupings and making connections between words in a sentence allows the reader to able to read correctly through a text and hopefully, generate a meaning and understanding of the text. 

Module 3: Activity 2

I think the activity displayed in the video is tremendously helpful and necessary in a child achieving phonemic awareness. At Auburn, we were taught to educate in this manner, and not only do I think it is an organized and effective method, but I have seen the rewards from teaching in an individualized, more focused manner like this. I believe activities like this allow the student to enter at his or her own pace, taking each sound and letter one at a time, and doing their best at their current level. The wonder of working one-on-one allows for each individual student to receive the unique instruction they need. It is a great exercise to review letter-sound correspondences, see the correct spelling of words, and then putting together all they have learned to read the words aloud in a smooth, together manner.

             I think letterbox lessons or different exercises like the one shown in the film, allow a reader to build confidence when faced with a new text with unknown words in them. It creates a foundation to help students reading abilities. Of course, students need to be reading books to become more proficient, but initial exercises like the one in the video, help provide the building blocks to be able to eventually read the book in a fluent-like manner. I find this technique to be extremely successful and beneficial in helping a child become a proficient reader. 

Module 3: Mock Memo from a Reading Specialist

Dear Erica,

Your students reading rate is fantastic. It shows that they are a strong class, however, their struggle with comprehension is a large issue in their ability to become fluent readers. When students read so quickly, they tend to focus on word count or time and completely forget the text they are reading. One thing I would encourage you to do in your class is teaching the children how to focus on meaning, and encourage them that reading more slowly is okay! They could do different fill-in-the-blank activities or you could do more group reading where everyone reads a paragraph, and as a class, you stop and reflect on that paragraph. Taking the reading step by step, and paragraph by paragraph will be extremely helpful in making sure the students understand before moving onward. They could also partner talk and write down the key points of the section they just read, include new vocabulary words or incorporate writing summaries; these are good formative assessments for you to see their progress as well.

Sincerely, Reading Specialist

Module 2: Activity 1&2

Activity One:

Creech: Screech
Droogs: Drugs
Glazzies: Galaxy
Goloss: Clossary
Malenky: Lanky
Messel: Mess
Millicents: Millipead
Poogly: Foggy
Razrez: Razor
Skorry: Sorry
Spatted: Spat
Zoobies: Zombies

I looked at the sounds or letters in the words to try to relate them to other words I know. Other than that, I attempted placing them in my own sentences to see how it could sound in placement of other words. But mostly, I just guessed different meanings for the words.

After reading Chapter One, these are six of the words I figured out the meanings to.

Skorry: Quickly
Glazzies: Glasses
Messel: A message or idea
Goloss: Thoughts/Ideas
Malenky: Exciting
Poogly: Surprised

With each word, I used the context of the sentence with the word in it along with the sentences before and after the word to figure out the meaning. Using the context to figure out the overall meaning helped tremendously in me being able to figure out the meanings of these words.

Activity Two:


-I did not read the words letter-by-letter. That would be a very difficult way to sound out a difficult word like the ones presented. Instead, you are taught and encouraged to read words by pairing the smaller, known words within the difficult word, to then combine those small words to make the large, difficult word come together. Through the process of grouping smaller words, your success rate of reading the word correctly is much higher.

-I may have used the syllable technique slightly, but I mostly tried to group together the smaller words I recognized within the word which can result in saying the syllables aloud.

-This is a harder task saying all the letters at once and not spacing the word out. With different words, I may have leaned towards this technique because either the combination of letters was more familiar to me or a smaller word (less letters).

-I do not know the meaning to any of these words. Some of them sound a little familiar, but I am not sure of their meanings.

-Pronouncing the words help you recognize certain letter arrangements that appear in other words you may know the meaning too, however, I still struggled with not knowing these words meanings so in my situation it only helped a little. I would need context to help me figure out the meanings of the words.

-I re-read the sentence a few times to see if that exposure again helped me gain a context clue I did not understand initially. I will try to relate the word to the context of the story, but if I cannot figure it out that way, I will look it up in a dictionary and then re-read the sentence with my new understanding in mind.

-This experience puts you back in child's shoes, reliving the difficulty that comes with learning how to read. It is a hard and frustrating process not understanding a text or knowing certain words meanings. Taking myself back to their place encourages me to really engage their reading and take all the measures necessary to help them become the best readers they can be. We should allow students the time they need to re-read, ask questions, or look up words so that they can take the time to learn a new skill and a new meaning to a word.

Module Two: Instructional Challenge

I believe that this student's reading ability is proficient despite them having some miscues. If you read their interpretations in relation to the expected response, the student still remains relatively close or similar to the expected response. The meaning still appears very similar which is a key component in a reader being proficient. Some of the errors are punctuation or sight word problems which normally displays a stronger, proficient reader, however, I still think that this child is extremely close to achieving the expected response and therefore, is a proficient reader.

If this student was in my class, we would do some more phonics instruction. We would try re-reading skills or letter-box lessons to re-teach the student how to hear every sound in a word which would help them achieve the correct spelling. This exercise would relate to the child's error of "hisself" instead of "himself." I would also encourage more reading of text with different punctuation endings. Modeling out loud to the student the correct way to say a sentence with a question mark or explanation mark would help encourage their writing of sentences with appropriate endings. Lastly, I think simply through more reading, more review of sight words, or different phonics instruction, this student will be a fully proficient student in no time.

Module 2: Reading Reflection

Lizzie McCalley

Dr. Ritchie

EDRD 7715

June 14, 2012

Reflection on Weaver’s, Reading Process and Practice, Chapters Three and Four  

            After reading through these two chapters and going back to Harper and Kilarr’s initial quote, I immediately realized that I disagree with this theory that many seem to believe in. Reading is not a flat, one surface, or uncomplicated subject. Rather, it is multi-faceted, complicated, and extremely intricate subject. In chapter three, Weaver discusses how reading has two components: syntactic and semantic. These two facets of reading come together to allow for word identification to be possible along with the ability to read successfully, understanding all components that encompass a text. Along with using tools and skills learned to help identify appropriate grammar and meaning, good readers also apply their own experiences to the text to generate a deeper understanding. Through all of the necessary tools and exterior needs in reading fluently, one is not able to achieve this process linearly. There is not an “exact process” of reading, which is all the more reason of why reading is such a wonderful and engaging process; the outcome is never the same every time you read.

            This text was very refreshing for me to read because it reinforced the importance of reading instruction. It reminded me that as an educator, I need to always engage my students to better their grammar knowledge and broaden their experiences and vocabulary, because those are tools which will benefit them in their reading ability as they grow in the future. The world is not flat place; it is round, every changing, and evolving, just like reading can be if you apply the right tools and willingness to expand your learning. 

Module 1: Activity 2

Page 39, Question #5:

a. What is corandic? I am not entirely sure, but maybe it is something in your body that helps other things function.

b. What does corandic grank from? It granks from corite.

c. How do garkers excarp the tarances from the corite? Through the process of "glarcking the corite and starping it in tranker-clarped storbs."

d. What does the slorp finally frast? A pragety.

e. What is a coranda? This coranda is "a cargurt, grinkling corandic and borigen."

f. How is the cornadic nacerated from the borigen? The corandic is nacerated from the borigen "by means of loracity."

g. What do the garkers finally thrap? The garkers finally thrap "a glick, bracht, glupous grapant, corandic, which grants in many starps."

Reflection:
You are able to answer most of the questions through the context because the questions are verbatim to the sentences in the passages. These questions do not challenge your comprehension or understanding of the text; rather, if you can identify where the sentences identify the answer to the questions, then you are able to answer them. This reading shows that most often, textbooks or workbooks do not question comprehension, they are questioning the answers that are placed in the reading without any need of outside knowledge or great thinking involved. Questions should be thought provoking and engaging and the danger of questions like this is that they are not doing either of those. This allows students to get away with not having to think about the text, answering the questions correctly, getting the full credit and then never revisiting this topic again. These types of questions are dangerous and the easy way out.

Module 1: Activity 1

Module 1: Instructional Challenge

Responses to the passage provided:

1. What are the hocked gems? I am not entirely sure if I am interpreting this passage correctly, but perhaps the "hocked gems" are a metaphor for a person who largely instigates and irritates another; just like they are irritating or "financing" our hero. I think this is a possibility because as follows in the passage, the hero then "defied the scornful laughter," as though he is able to ignore the laughter and move onward.

2. What should we think of as an egg and not a table? I am not sure what they are referencing, but it seems to portray that the initial thoughts of "gems" or outsiders were incorrect and that "our hero" is correcting them. Perhaps the topic is more round and deep than just flat and basic like a table can be.

3. Who are the three sturdy sisters? The three sturdy sisters must be advocates of the hero who help him or her solve this predicament.

4. What kind of winged creatures appeared? The "winged creatures" must be whatever this new "egg" achieved and the hero succeeded due to a "monumental success" being achieved in the end.

Reflection:
You would have to educate your students on poetry and the ability for words and phrases to have many meanings other than what initially meets the eye. Also, the students would need to be able to "think outside the box," which as the teacher you could model through different types of poetry that are more similar to the students current knowledge, engaging their current schema along with helping it grow and expand. Poetry is a tough subject to teach at times, so using previous poetry the students have been exposed too would be a huge help in signaling a previous learning in the schema, making it easier for them to use that previously learned skill and apply it to a new poem they must interpret. With certain children, their schema may not be able to relate to poetry as easily as others, so you must find particular things they are interested in or have witnessed in their lives and make it as applicable as possible to give them a fair chance to engage and learn from the activity provided. This could be done through relating it to sports, food, moves, etc., common things that most people can relate to. Lastly, I think there is an importance of broadening children's learning and exposing them to new things, but you do not want to do that too often in the worry it could frustrate a struggling child. Therefore, a safe balance of two days a week, introduce new concepts to them to help their minds expand and learn, and then perhaps the remaining three days, relate back to the new topics learned but have the lessons be at their level, geared towards their interests and abilities, so that the child remains engaged and enjoys the topics being learned.

Weaver Reflection, Chapters 1&2

Lizzie McCalley

EDRD 7715

Dr. Ritchie

June 7^th, 2012

Reflection on Weaver’s, Reading Process and Practice, Chapter One

            I found this chapter very interesting in regards to children’s ability to use skills they have learned to read but their inability to comprehend. This discussion reminded me of a field placement when I taught guided reading lessons to one student. I remember having to meet all these requirements; doing initial testing to figure out his reading level, letterbox lessons, etc. It became very hard for the student to understand the value of comprehension and the skills necessary to grasp the meaning of a story when there were so many other requirements. I resonated with the educators who struggle to meet every requirement while also encouraging comprehension.

            This chapter was a great review of specific terms I have not studied in a while. I enjoyed comparing different students writing and miscues because it is always valuable to reflect on students work and see if their mistakes at that age are similar to personal experiences of students you have worked with of the same age. Reading and writing is so invaluable to students and their education needs to remind them of the power and importance reading has. This chapter made me very excited to continue on this reading endorsement path and learn how to teach reading in the most effective way possible.

                        Reflection on Weaver’s, Reading Process and Practice, Chapter Two

            I really enjoyed reading this chapter.  The examples of what schemas are was tremendously helpful to me. In this chapter, Weaver referred to schemas as a type of “transaction” between the reader’s own personal schema and the material that is being received by the reader. I had never quite thought about reading in such a sense as a “transaction.” I had always recognized that when you read something, your personal opinions, beliefs, and experiences do come through. But, viewing it as a trading and mixing explains how necessary each account is to each other, how the text and reader really depend on each other.

            Due to reading being a transaction, it now makes sense that “in human communication the message received is never identical to the message sent, whether the communication is oral or written” (Weaver, 23). This point made by Weaver paints a grand picture of how personal schemas are and the value of individuals using their own backgrounds and making transactions with the words on the pages. Due to this receiving of messages and the differences that can occur, it suddenly made sense to me how inner-city children may struggle with reading because their schemas are incredibly limited. Since these particular types of children may not have had many life experiences, their ability to interpret the text is going to vary greatly from their classmates. This shows how important it is to encourage each child at their own pace while also providing as many new experiences to build up in their schema as possible.

Peronsal Model of the Theory of Reading:

Elizabeth McCalley

EDRD 7715

Dr. Ritchie

June 4^th, 2012

Personal Model of the Theory of Reading

            Reading is a practice, a journey and a lifestyle. The practice of reading involves much more than what the eye can see. Reading is the most basic yet intricate means of communication. Through a child’s journey of reading development, reading evolves from being a subject taught to a part of life; it becomes the glue that holds all communication together. Therefore, this glue brings light to new learning that wasn’t discovered yet.

            As a young student is learning how to read for the first time, there are many different struggles and fears that can arise. During my internship this past semester in a Kindergarten classroom, I came across many students facing these. A few students in particular would cringe at the sight of a book and come up with different excuses why they did not need to read the text. After much battling and trial and error with these students, I realized the problem. Most of these students did not like reading because, when they were asked to participate such as in large group time, they were intimidated, or simply were not interested in the texts. After recognizing these barriers, I had to change direction and focus on the core of what reading is about and re-introduce this concept to my students in a brand new manner.

            For instance, I incorporated ways for my students to practice choral reading, whisper reading or buddy reading which were all techniques for avoiding nervousness in a large group while still encouraging peer interaction. I would also try to find books on different subjects that appealed to individual students. Through these small efforts, my students became much more involved and interested, and reading became an enjoyable time for them. This scenario made me realize many truths about reading; that reading is a practice, a constant effort. I saw the practice and struggle of reading come to life. Reading is much more than a task that needs to be mastered. Reading must be enjoyed and pursued because, without a want to read, a child will struggle to become literate.

            I also believe that, reading being a practice, it is naturally a personal journey for each child. Yes, reading may be a milestone a Kindergartener works to achieve, and a First grader smoothes out the kinks, but reading is much more than that; reading is a necessity in life. Being literate is a skill and a privilege that every child should master. Reading broadens horizons and opens doors to many different opportunities. In my personal life, becoming an educator and having many opportunities to teach children of all ages, I have learned the immense value reading carries and therefore understand the great responsibility of learning how to teach reading effectively. Through my development and learning of correct teaching methods, I have advanced my own reading skills and broadened my own vocabulary. It does not matter if you are a seven-year-old student in First grade or a 22 year-old graduate student, reading is a vital component in the recipe for successful learning and growth.

            Lastly, I believe that reading possess a value much greater than most know. The ability to read allows children to express themselves through choosing genres of their interest or sharing stories they have read with their parents and peers. It is a simple tool to master. However, once mastered, it becomes the most valuable tool a young student has. Developing a love for words and stories at a young age is so important and therefore, my philosophy about reading is that it cannot be encouraged enough and needs to be constantly practiced to allow it to blossom into a wonderful way of life.