Literacy in the classroom

My view of reading instruction has completely changed since starting this course. I have learned new ways of teaching reading and writing. I cannot wait to implement them in my classroom this year to see the positive outcome! My personal reading theory model will now consist of a comprehensive literacy program. Students learn best from whole to part, so my focus this year will be putting a lot of emphasis on shared reading with predictable texts, reading workshop and writing workshop. I will no longer have a set time to just focus on phonemic awareness and phonics. These should be learned in context, not separately. It has been proven time and time again that early reading instruction begins with a comprehensive literacy program. As a result of this instruction, students will begin with whole texts, and then move to words and word parts. During this progression, phonemic awareness and phonics will be taught in context. Writing will also be a major factor of this progression, as ...

Next year, you will be teaching in a school where the vast majority of students did not meet standard on your state's criterion-referenced test and where more than 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. What are some specific universal literacy strategies you may implement to ensure students success? In my classroom I would implement a comprehensive literacy program focusing on whole to part learning. Reading and writing workshops would be a major part of our classroom as it allows for individualization so all students can be taught on their own level (differentiation).   I would make sure that I have the appropriate materials for teaching literacy in my classroom, making reading materials available with a wide variety of interests and schemas in mind. I would also allow students to check out books of interest to take home to ensure that they have reading material at home every day. I would also make literacy bags with books and fun,simple activi...

Does any of the information presented in Chapter 15 influence your personal philosophy of reading? In what ways? How has your perspective this changed since you took the DeFord TORP a few weeks ago? Chapter 15 along with all the chapters of the text has had a great impact on the way I am going to approach reading and writing next year. I have learned how to teach phonics and phonemic awareness intertwined within reading and writing to create a comprehensive literacy program, as opposed to separately. I have also learned that this is the most beneficial way of teaching as it incorporates multiple strategies together that build upon each other. This creates students who are effective and efficient readers and writers. I feel like my perspective towards reading and writing has completely changed and I am hoping this will lead to an even bigger impact on my students learning this next year. I am now more aware of how to better help my students when it comes to reading. I have learne...

As your school year starts, you realize that you have three ELLs who are newcomers to the United States. Discuss how a comprehensive literacy program addresses their needs, drawing attention to specific components of the framework that are particularly relevant. Then discuss any additional scaffolding you would offer to support these children's needs.     The comprehensive literacy program is a great way to address ELL students’ needs. The most beneficial part of the program for these student s would be reading and writing workshop. Reading and writing workshop have many steps that build onto each other and allow for students to move at their own pace, opening the door for individualized instruction. The parts of the workshops they will benefit from most are guided reading and writing, individual conferences, and mini-lessons. Guided reading and writing allow for students to get instruction based on their individual needs and what they need help with the most will b...

Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics? I think phonics instruction should be intertwined in the comprehensive literacy model. The comprehension literacy model promotes literacy development by using writing and reading together, as opposed to the skills based program that focuses solely on phonics. As we read and write it is still very important to have the background knowledge of letter sounds, blending, and segmenting which are skills taught during phonics. Weaver says in the text, “A comprehensive literacy program is more integrative, with skills and strategies taught and used in context and with emphasis upon the guided and sustained reading and writing of whole, meaningful texts, an emphasis that is solely needed to help children become both functionally and joyfully literate” (2002, p.279). This quote goes to show that the skills we learn during phonics are an integral part of reading and writing. Al...

Take a look at the NRP Report Summary: http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/summary.htm and Allington � s response: http://www.hcd.hr/conference/key_allington_eng.pdf Which NRP topic area(s) or missing pillar(s) that Allington describes do you find to be most vital for childrens literacy success? Why? Post your response on your blog. The five missing pillars that Allington describes are all very vital to a child’s reading. It is a shame that the NRP neglects to incorporate all of these necessary pillars to teach children reading. The most important of these five are hard to choose because I believe that they all build off of each other and are necessary in creating proficient readers. If I had to pick the most vital pillars I would pick the first pillar and the fourth pillar.   The first pillar Allington discusses is access to interesting texts. I am a firm believer in allowing our students to read what interests them. In elementary school I was told I could ...

Even though this video has strong religious overtones, (please let me know if it offends you, and I will provide an alternate assignment), it is useful for determining strategies that beginning readers use when becoming literate, even at age 50. Watch the video and reflect on what strategy or strategies Robin used most to help him learn to read. http://youtu.be/GctEw_7hTWc This was one of the most inspirational videos I have ever watched! It was a joy to see how Robin used word chunks to begin reading at age 50. By working on recognizing chucks of words, Robin was able to make words using their junks and ultimately read words. Word chunks enabled him to recognize parts of a word. He began by simply working on reading word parts/chucks and then making works with those chunks by adding a beginning sound. Once this was achieved, Robin was able to look for those word chunks in his reading to help him decode the word he was trying to read. He also used this strategy when writing. ...