Reading Response #2

Summary:

The Doake article discussed the importance of early readers being read to at a young age and growing up in a book oriented home.  This behavior is known as reading-like behavior and is very important in a young child’s life.  It also describes how the enjoyment that comes from reading is just as important as the reading itself and it can not be replicated during any other activity which is the main reason why reading-like behavior develops. It is the stimulation a child is given through reading that allows children to repeat back significant amounts of a story even after only being read it one or two times, and it is the enjoyment of reading that propels them into wanting to read more and more and tell even more complex stories.

The article went on to describe how reading-like behavior develops, and the characteristics of reading-like behavior.  Doake separates the development of reading-like behavior into four different strategies. These were, mumble reading, cooperative reading, completion reading, and echo reading.

At the end of the article, the author described the implications for teachers relating to reading-like behavior.  These included realizing that children are always ready to read, the importance of using books in a child’s home life, keeping a collection of books with an abundance of imagination and interests, and making connections between home reading and school reading as well as reading and writing.

Quotes:
“This learning becomes even easier when it is permitted to operate in a noncorrective, no-fail environment where the children are encouraged to experiment and approximate in their attempts to “read.””

Examples:
This examples shows the “noncorrective, no-fail environment” that is discussed in the article and allows the child to learn and enjoy reading. He is not afraid of making the wrong sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FqLucRWkSs

Reading Response #1

Summary:

• Cambourne Article:  The Cambourne article talks about finding a teaching pedagogy and understanding how people learn through her teaching, observation, and research. Cambourne used to have a very common pedagogical approach of repetition of skills and habits that are broken down into smaller, more manageable parts, praise appropriate responses and extinguish inappropriate responses, and learners must be told what to learn and how to go about doing so because they are too immature. Through her experience and research she realizes that this is not working and that it takes up so much time and energy. Her new ideas involved modeling her teaching after everyday learning that children automatically do. She now believes that you must use immersion, demonstration, engagement, expectations, responsibility, approximations, employment, and responses as a way of being when teaching. She then tests this out with some classroom teachers in order to answer any questions and it does prove that this is an effective way of teaching.

• Shannon Article:  This article discussed how there is a correlation between social class and reading instruction.  Generally, if you are of a lower social class then you will be placed in a lower reading group.  This basis generally comes from test scores but on occasion will come from an “idea type”.  After being placed in the different reading levels, teachers place different expectations onto their students.  They facilitate the lower and higher groups in different ways, a way that causes the lower groups to fall even more behind.  The solution to this problem can be dealt with by either an academic, affective, or emancipatory solution.

Quotes: 

• Cambourne Article:  “It doesn’t matter whether learners are engaged in learning to iron, play tennis, write an economics essay, tie shoelaces, or acquire the oral language of the culture; they are continually asking themselves, ‘How am I doing?’”

This quote emphasises the fact that constant evaluation is needed throughout the learning process and as teachers, it is our job to facilitate this effectively. This is why allowing the children to work collaboratively in pairs, together in small groups, as well as all together as a class, is just as important as working independently.

• Shannon Article:  “...the most important finding of ecological research is that the socialization function of schools operates differently for students of different races and classes. Disadvantaged students tend to be socialized for subordination; advantaged students are socialized for responsibility...” (page 3, last paragraph)

This quote expresses the way in which teachers can often teach students certain things simply through the way they are taught.  Teaching children the material of the class is important, but overall, its the things they learn about dealing with people, authority, and respect that will carry on with them for the rest of their lives. We might not have a classroom lesson on respect or how to talk to one another, but the kids learn it through the way you address them, how you allow them to address you, and how you address other adults within the classroom. These “teachings” are subconscious, yet we need to bring them to the conscious and make sure we are teaching all of our students exactly what we want them to take away from that aspect of ourselves as teachers and as human beings.

Connections:

Overall, both of these articles are attempting to make teachers take a step back and think about everything they are teaching and how they are teaching it. Some things we do instinctively without thinking them all the way through because they make sense in our heads. However, both of these articles, although dealing with different reasonings, intend for teachers to slow down and realize how each decision, whether made consciously or not, can affect these little sponges they call their students. This extends from choosing materials, the groups we place students in, what we address in each reading or subject matter, and even how we go about addressing these areas.

1-8 Expectations

I expect to have a lot of work throughout the semester. I know I will need to develop a system of time management in order to balance all of the work from every class. I hope to learn a lot about myself as a teacher and be better prepared to go out into the workforce. I also want too broaden my children's book knowledge and repertoire for my future classes.

- Caitlin

Further inquiries:

• I would really like to be able to connect a children's book with something that I am doing in math. I know that kids are expected to be able to write through their thinking at some point in elementary school and even if its not the grade I am teaching, I would like to see how I can get the students to start thinking about how reading also intermixes with math, not just the other subjects.
• I know this might just come with trial and error and experience, but I have also has anxiety about how to introduce all of the routines my students will have for each subject including reading. whether it be centers or how to check out a book, I feel like I will definitely overwhelm the kids with information trying to introduce centers or the writing process for example. I know that you will need to break it down and take it step by step, but I tend to be a perfectionist so I know I will have problems with it.

1/8 Expectations Emily Cerra

My expectations for this course are to become more prepared and confident in identifying and reading mile stones and components in order to make decisions on how to approach teaching individuals and groups of students. One of my largest fears is figuring out how to approach a curriculum and make it individualized. This will be especially difficult within my first few years. I expect that this will help prepare me to do this and find the best ways to tackle this ongoing project. 

1/8 Expectations

During this course, I expect to learn how to effectively teach reading.  So far, we have not learned how to teach so I am hoping that this course gives me the tools needed to teach my students how to read and how to implement a reading program in the classroom.  I also expect that this class will be fun and helpful but not necessarily easy.  I know that I will need to put time into this class and the block in general but that in the end I will become a great teacher.

Sarah Burger