Literacy is so important in life, but it seems that some
students miss out on learning the joys and the wonder of reading and writing.
Some just end up missing out on reading all together.
1.
Elementary reading instruction contributes to
poor literacy attainment for older children in several ways. One is the lack of
foundation. If children do not receive the proper instruction on how to read
and write properly, as well as strategies for getting the most out of text,
they will most likely do poorly in middle and high school.
2.
Reading test scores work excellently at inducing
a sense of panic in relation to reading education. However they don’t provide
an accurate picture of the individual differences that can affect learners.
3.
The reading myth that surprised me most was that
students finish learning about reading and writing when they leave elementary
school. I would have thought it obvious that students do and need to continue
their education in reading and writing up through college. Writing and reading
are two skills that one can never practice enough, and they should make like
long practice of the two part of their life.
4.
I know that it is important to teach reading
comprehension in the content areas. Each subject has its own special set of
symbols, definitions, and system of organizations. Without some practice and
thought, the reading skills don’t automatically transfer. My two content areas
are math and Spanish. In math, students need to know how to read equations,
graphs, and charts. In Spanish students especially need good reading comprehension
skills. Spanish students face the unique challenge of working in a second language.
This makes comprehending the readings exponentially harder. Going back to
reading skills that students learned for reading in English class can help them
to successfully read in Spanish class.
5.
Many literacies find no place in the classroom.
I have literacy in reading latchhook guides, maps, GPS compasses, and reading
house plans. These literacies weren’t focused upon during school.
6.
An example of a literacy practice is a young
student writing a poem that reflexes his or her culture.
7.
A discourse community is a group of people tied
together by a common trait whose communication is governed by rules.
8.
When students feel that their multiple
literacies are not recognized as valuable in school the begin to reject school
literacy. Students need to be able to make the connection between the value of
what they do in school and the things that they like or choice to do in their
free time.
9.
Teachers can use construction plans to talk to
their students about lengths and areas, or angles and shapes. A student who is
competent in reading construction plans will see the connection between school
and their life outside of school.
10.
In my 10th grade Honors English class
we did a Fantasy/Sci-fi unit. At the beginning of the unit, every student was
able to look at copies of 10 different books. We then ranked to books according
to how much we wanted to read them. From those rankings, we were assigned to a
group. Each student got a say in which book we read. This made sure that we had
a book that we were likely to read and that we would be more involved in the
project. We were also more interested in each other’s projects since not
everyone was reading the same thing.
11.
In my AP Literature class we read texts from
several different eras, from authors of different races and cultures.
12.
Teachers that have their peers and supervisors’
respect have students that do well on standardized tests.
Bolima , D. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding:
Educational learning theories. Retrieved from
http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm