Module 4: Activity 1

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. This video goes to show that individual phonemes are not what is important when reading. Our brain reads better when we chunk word parts together!

Robin also used semantics during his reading. He would begin to read and notice that he made a mistake. He recognized his mistake/miscue and was able to go back and reread until what he read sounded grammatically correct. This aided in the process of helping him to recognized new words and become an even better reader.