Slavin (Ch. 1)
Is there a reading crisis in America?
By the book it says that the reading crisis is not diminishing. I think that we have a very sad situation though in my opinion. I think that we do have a crisis in an economical gap. Children can not read if they do not have books to read. We are not doing enough to help children have the resources to read outside of school which seems in my eyes to be the differing factor between children who excel and those who fall behind
Are we doing as well as we should in elementary school?
As in number one, no I do not feel like we are doing enough. I do however feel that we are trying and that we are finally realizing that children can not just be handed a book and expected to read. I think that we are doing a good job of improving our reading instruction to include all children in some form.
How instruction can impact children:
I think that we as teachers have to take the initiative to target those who are struggling. I feel that we have to really help the ones who struggle and who do not have the resources at home to learn. We must provide excellent teaching strategies while in the classroom so that students can really grasp the concept of how to read. I think that every child if detected has the potential to read. We just have to find the right material for them to succeed in.
Example: Average School (Hardin Park)
100 first graders in 4 classrooms (25 in each)
Categories Percentage Count Count
Of Students in School in Classroom
(100) (25)
Natural Readers (40-50%) 50% 50 12
Teachable (30-40%) 35% 35 8
Tutorable (10-20%) 13% 13 4
True Dyslexics (1-2%) 2% 2 1
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Morris (Ch. 2)
Explain what Morris means by the traditional role of kindergarten is “to level the playing field” in terms of literacy experience.
Children come into kindergarten with many diverse experiences. Some have never seen a book while some can already read any book they are presented with. A kindergarten teacher has to help each child grow while also getting those children who do not know what books are to get to a level where they can make it in the next grade. Some children have also got more going on in the home and some parents read every night while others can’t read at all. It is hard for these children to come together because you need to find a way to get all of them on some sort of the same level.
What literacy activities should be included in a kindergarten reading program?
According to Morris there are four main experiences that kindergarten students should have. 1.reading a loud to children 2.guided contextual reading 2.letter-sound study and 4.writing. All of these are important and they more experience children have with each the more likely they are to excel and grow. Children will also want to do all of these things if it is made fun for them.
Why read aloud to children? (5 things children learn)
The first reason is that it helps to rely on background knowledge. Children have so much that they come from and stories can help them to relate with the characters who may face the same things.
Reading also provides new vocabulary words. I love the “Fancy Nancy” books because they have such rich vocabulary that is explained right there in the text. Children love to hear new words and love to know what they mean and often time misuse them but it is awesome that they are using such big words in the first place.
Another thing children see when they are read to is the patterns in language and how it varies between written and spoken use. They learn rhyme and pausing at the ends of sentences and it helps them to develop better speech.
Children can also develop their creativity. They can have a mental world in their heads and can use it to “play” the story like a movie in their mind.
Children also develop meaning of stories. They can grasp the context and can have it as a mental reference.
Why is guided contextual reading important in kindergarten?
This allows for children to see how the process of reading works. It allows them to see the concept of word as you move from word to word. It also helps them with learning letter and word recognition.
What is echo reading?
This is when someone reads a text to the students and then they repeat it exactly as they heard the words being read.
Describe dictated experience stories (language experience approach—LEA)
This is when you are working on written language being the same as something you read. You have the child tell a story as you write it down and then they can read that story back to you. This allows for reading to become personalized.
Describe big book approach (shared reading approach)
This approach is done with a big book that is approximately 3 feet tall. It is done with a whole class. The teacher reads as the students follow along. Using a big book is often helpful when introducing a story. They are often reproduced in a regular size that students can then take to their desk and read with a partner or independently. Working as a group first helps the child to remember what they have read and also helps as a guide of the reading process.
Why include both LEA and shared reading methods in kindergarten?
Both of these methods help children to learn the reading process. The LEA method makes it real for the student by using an experience they have had. Shared reading is also important because it includes everyone and allows for the teacher to model what good reading should look like.
Why is finger pointing so important for early readers?
Students are just starting to understand the concept of word. Finger pointing allows for students to stay on track as they read. This also allows for the teacher to see that students really do understand what the spaces between words represent. Using a finger also draws the eye in on the word and allows the student to focus on the word before moving onto the next. They are also less likely to skip words which gives them a better comprehension of the book.
Questions about letter-sound study:
I know that this is very important but how do you know where to start with students? How can you tell which methods are going to work with which students and is there enough time in the day to do more than one activity with many different levels of learners?
Questions about early writing:
How do you get children to write when they feel like they do not know how to? How do you make children feel comfortable with their writing? Is writing letters and words over and over a good or bad practice?
Is there a role for independent reading in kindergarten?
I would definitely say yes. In any classroom you may have that one student who knows how to read before they even come to school and if you do not allow for independent reading that child may become bored. This could also be a time for the teacher to work independently with another child.
Questions about early assessment and how it informs instruction:
I know that this is important and it helps you understand better where the child is and these tools are awesome to let you know how to teach that child best
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Morris (Ch. 3)
What does Fraatz (1987) mean by “paradox of collective instruction”?
This is when a teacher has to teach an entire class but also address each learner’s individual needs at the same time. It seems like it would be hard to do this but there are lots of ways in reading to integrate all learning styles.
What are the three critical components of learning to read?
- Attend to individual sounds within words
- decode printed words by matching letters to sounds
- automatize decoding or word-level processing so that the mind can concentrate on the meaning of what is being read.
List the four tasks that the first-grade teacher can use to assess individual children’s reading ability during the first week of school. Describe what each task is used to assess?
What are some of the challenges of small-group instruction that face students and teachers?
How does Supported Oral Reading (SOR) differ from round robin reading in guiding children’s contextual reading?
Why is appropriate leveling of books important and how has it been used in intervention and classroom settings?
Describe the developmental sequence of word study instruction. What does the continuum consist of? Why is it recommended that teachers follow such a sequence of instruction?
How could you assess where a beginning reader’s is at on the continuum of word recognition skill?
Describe word sorting activities to teach beginning sound consonants and short-vowel word families.
What skills does word sorting help develop in beginning readers coupled with word games and spell checks?
What is instructional pacing? What factors were found by Barr (1974, 1982) to affect effective pacing?
In what ways can writing help beginning reader’s development?
What are three tasks that could be used to assess end-of-year reading achievement? Describe the tasks briefly.
