Module 4: Activity 2

           One of the most effective strategies in order to engage students in the lesson is to center the lesson on the interests of the students. I have found that when students do not have an interest in the particular book that they are reading, there is lack of motivation as well as comprehension. Even adults for example would rather read something of their interest, so why not provide students with the same opportunity? Not only is it important to have books that are centered on the students’ interests, but daily activities and lessons. Throughout my student teaching, I had several behavior issues in the classroom. I found out rather quickly that when I began to incorporate the students’ interests into the lessons that the behavior issues seemed to disappear. When I completed an interactive jeopardy game on adjectives, I included sentences as well as pictures that involved sports, activities, and other interests of my students. I found students who usually did not want to participate in the lesson almost jumping out of their seat to answer the questions. It was amazing to witness a drastic change in attitude as well as motivation throughout the entire class.

            When students are presented with a difficult reading that is beyond their reading level, I have found that students shut down. It is as if they lose complete confidence in themselves and therefore lack the motivation to read. This is why it is very important to match students with a text of their level. There is a difference between matching a student’s reading level to a text and hindering their ability to advance in a reading level.  In order to create an effective literacy instruction, I agree with Allington in that reading and writing should be connected. Throughout reading time with my students, there was always a writing activity involved. Often times the students were able to read a text with a partner or group, and then complete a follow up writing activity.

            When provided with a new group of students each year, I feel as though that is the necessary time to realize which teaching strategies are most effective and will meet the needs of each of the students. Some years there might be more whole group instruction and other years there might be less of it. Planning lessons on the needs of the students should be completed after recognizing their needs and what works best for them. 

Module 4: Activity 1

This was a very moving and powerful video in a sense that it provided me with a scenario of a grown man that had the passion to learn how to read, and therefore stuck to his goal. He developed a purpose for learning how to read and as teachers we can motivate our students to want to learn to read by providing them with a purpose. Each child should feel excitement and experience the desire to learn to read, as well as read books of their choice. Providing students with the opportunity to read something that sparks their interest will motivate them to become avid readers.

            After watching the video, I realized that Robin began to notice “chunks” of words. He was able to chunk different parts of a word together in order to gain meaning. For example, he was able to break apart the word nothing. He right away noticed the “ing,” and pronounced the word as “noticing.” He was then able to go back and correct himself to recite the correct word of “nothing.” I observed that when Robin was reading and writing, he used his background knowledge to see if the writing or text was making sense. For example, when Robin was reading the phrase, “I’ll give you some when it is ready.” He first began to read, “give” as gave. He was then able to realize that the word “ give” did not fit in the context of the sentence. When Robin was writing, he knew exactly what to say, but was unsure at first how to correctly write the words. He was able to sound out the words until he wrote it correctly and made sense in his sentence that he was creating. It was amazing to hear the story about this man and how learning how to read changed his life.

Module 4: Reading Reflection

While reading chapters ten and eleven in Weaver’s text, I found that I had used several of the literacy programs that were discussed. Throughout my junior and senior year in undergrad, I completed my student teaching experience in every grade except for fourth. It was great experience to see a wide variety of grades as well as teaching strategies.  Throughout almost all of my placements, I was able to complete a read-aloud with my students. As a student teacher, my students loved being able to listen to a story and predict what was going to happen next. Even if it was a busy day with hardly any extra time, I was able to manage to squeeze in a few minutes here and there to read to my students before lunch and even when my students were about to leave to go home. Some of my fondest elementary school memories were when my teachers took time out of the day to read us a story. Another literacy program that I used was the shared reading strategy. I completed this with the kindergarten class that I was placed in during my junior year. I was able to gather big books from the school library to read to the children during calendar time. First I would read the book aloud to the students and during the second reading, I pointed to words and the students would chime in. After reading the story a few extra times, several of the students were able to recite “the common text.” The students were then given the opportunity to read that particular story during one of their literacy centers.

During my third grade placement, I found that several of my students loved being able to read together during silent reading time. Often time’s I allowed students to sit in the hallway and read together if they had completed their work early. This allowed them to see reading as a benefit rather than a chore. Throughout the entire school year in my third grade class, we had literature groups. I was seen as rather a facilitator and the students were able to take turns reading different parts of the story. After reading the text, the students would then begin a discussion amongst themselves as to what occurred in the story. After reading these two chapters, I was amazed as to how many literacy programs I have seen take place. I look forward to having a classroom of my own in order to put these literacy programs into place. 

Module 3: Mock Memo from a Reading Specialist

To 5^th Grade Teacher,

I have found that Erica’s situation to occur quite often with several of my students during my third grade placement. Often time’s my students were so focused on reading every word correctly that it took away the focus of gaining meaning from a text. If students are focusing more on saying each word correctly, their use of other reading strategies and cues such as prior knowledge and content is being used inadequately.  If students are having a difficult time recalling details from a story or comprehension questions, the teacher can use the shared reading and constructive reading approach. This allows the teacher to either work one on one with a student to read a story or work with a small group of students. While using this strategy, the teacher can reread favorite selections from the passage together as a group, which will in effect excite students in reading and recall main details from the story.  It is also helpful to run a finger under the words while reading the text, focus on reading strategies and important points from the text through a group discussion, and have independent rereading of the texts. These are a few approaches that will help students that struggle with comprehension just as Erica has.

While reading through a story with a group of students, it is important to stop and ask questions to evaluate whether or not students understand the story. I always found that my students liked stories where they were able to personally relate. It is important to get to know your students on a personal level rather than just an academic level in order to provide lessons where students can form a connection and grow excited about the lesson. One activity that I completed with my class was for them to read the beginning and middle of a story, and then they were allowed to create a new ending on their own. Students loved being able to feel as if they were authors and use their imagination to come up with a different ending then the story. After students shared their endings with the class, we went back and read the real ending to the story.  These are just a few insights and ideas to help Erica with comprehension strategies.

Sincerely,

Taylor Gonzalez

Module 3: Activity 2

I feel as though this form of “cracking the code” is great for younger students or less proficient readers. A student being able to create a link between sounds and letters is the key component when beginning to read. Providing students with nonsense words allows students to identify letters and create a “choppy string of sounds.”  I feel as though having students read nonsense words is a great indicator of whether or not students are able to link sounds to letters in order to decode words. Although I feel nonsense words are beneficial to students learning how to read, it is also important to have students read real words because they will see them again in different contexts. Students’ being able to recall details from a story and comprehend what they are reading is essential in becoming a proficient reader. Becoming a proficient reader requires gaining meaning from a text and not just being able to decode words.

When working in a kindergarten classroom, we had calendar time where we read a big book with the students highlighting their sight words for the week. We first modeled how to read the story and then went back and read it together as a group. The students loved being able to be engaged and interact with myself as well as one another. After the whole group time, students broke off into centers in order for students to focus on sounding out nonsense words as well as their sight words each day. Throughout the rotation that the children went through, I specifically worked with struggling readers on decoding words. Watching students experience such success was a great feeling of accomplishment for them.  Everyday we worked on a new word with the students and they had the opportunity to use a pointer to point to each letter in a word in order to sound out the word. We also provided students with alphabet magnets in order to create their own words. Then the students would sound out the words. This really helped with students linking sounds and letters. 

Module 3: Reading Reflection

            When beginning to read chapter five, it amazed me how I did not pick up on several of the errors in “The Boat in the Basement.” Weaver explains that readers read for meaning rather than to hunt for errors. I then made the realization that “we do not identify all of the letters in a word before identifying a word, even if the word occurs in isolation. “ During reading, we do not identify each letter in a word, which explains when I was skimming the passage as to why I did not find all of the errors. Therefore I do not agree with Marilyn Adams when she stated, “Skillful readers of English thoroughly process the individual letter of words in their texts.” Readers process words in letter chunks, such as syllables and rimes, rather than each individual letter. When referring to figure 5.1 on page 91, several of the letters on the page are blurred out but one is still able to recognize which word the book is referring to. 

            After completing the exercises on pages 91-93, it is very evident that the beginnings of words are far more important than the middle or ends of words. I was able to identify rather quickly the word when the middle or end of the word was missing. The book states that we read texts from left to right and therefore it is more necessary to have the beginning of words. This activity was another indication that readers do not process each letter while reading. I also really enjoyed completing the activity on page 96. I was able to time myself with the single letters, four letter words, as well as the eight lettered words. This experiment clearly indicated to me that readers do not individually read all the letters presented in a word. It took me almost the same amount of time to read the single letters as it did to read the eight lettered words. 

Module 2: Instructional Challenge

After reviewing the student’s original response to the expected response, I have come to the conclusion that the student is a proficient reader.  Although there were miscues throughout the reading, they did not change the meaning of the text. Weaver stresses the importance that “the goal of reading instruction should not be the accurate identification of every word, but rather the effective and efficient use of reading strategies in order to construct meaning.” Although there were miscues throughout the reading, it is evident that the reader was still able to construct meaning. After reading the text and comparing the student’s responses, I have concluded that this student is a moderately effective reader.

Although I do not have much classroom experience, I am able to connect that the miscues that did occur throughout the reading dealt with functioning words. It is evident that the student comprehends what he/she is reading because the miscues that did occur did not change the meaning of the text. During my third grade class, we constantly practiced flexible grouping during reading based on students reading, comprehension of the text, and recalling details. I feel as though it is very important to pay attention to these things when completing reading instruction in the classroom. If several students are having the same miscues, then it would be beneficial to place them in a small group together in order to focus on a specific concept that they may need additional help in. 

Module 2: Activities 1 & 2

Activity 1

Creech- The sound a car makes when it is trying to stop

Droogs- something bad that has happened

Glazzies- a statement that is confusing

Goloss- how you feel after a bad loss

Malenky- to be gloomy, or depressed

Messel- an animal

Millicents- Something that is small

Poogly-something bigger

Razrex- something dealing with dinosaurs

Skorry- to score

Spatted- to spit

Zoobies- people that like to go to the zoo

            When deciding the meaning of the vocabulary words, I found it to be rather difficult to decide the meaning. Without having the words in context, it was hard to establish meaning behind these words that I had never heard of. If I had been able to read the words while they were used in a story, I would have been able to use context clues in order to define the words.

Real meaning of words:

Creech- a shout, scream

They discuss someone creeching out loud.

Droogs- friends

The main character Alex referred to his friends Pete, Georgie, and Dim as his droogs.

Glazzies- eyes

Alex refers to his “glazzies” as being glazed.

Goloss- voice

Alex first references a goloss with a singer in a bar.

Poogly- scared

He was trying to prove to others that he wasn’t poogly (scared).

After reading A Clockwork Orange, I was able to use context clues in order to determine the meaning of the vocabulary words. Reading the vocabulary words in context allowed me to make better meaning of the words. Although I had to read the words in several different contexts, I was able to interpret the meaning. When looking back on the definitions of the words before I read the text, I quickly realized that they were inaccurate. When introducing students to new vocabulary words, it is important to provide the words in context in order for them to gather a deeper understanding. During my third grade placement, I created a sentence with the new vocabulary word in it and then allowed the students to create a sentence as well. They are more likely to use the vocabulary word in dialogue or writing instead of only knowing the word and the definition if they have to use the word in a sentence.

Activity 2

·      I did not read the words letter-by-letter. I was able to break the words up in order to sound out the words that were unfamiliar to me.

·      I was able to chunk the words into syllables in order to read the words. A few of the words I mispronounced and refereed to the break up of how to pronounce the words. After looking at the correct way to pronounce the words and repeating them several times, I was much more successful.

·      I did not sample the letters in order to pronounce the words and instead chunked the syllables together.

·      To be quite honest, I do not know the meaning of the words without seeing them used in context. If I were to come across these words in a reading, I would be able to use context clues in order to gain a meaning to the words.

·      Although I was able to pronounce the words by chunking the syllables and repeating them a few times, it did not help me establish meaning with the words.

·      When I come across unknown words in a reading, I use the same strategy. I am able to chunk the syllables in order to pronounce the words. I often times have to read the word several times in order to fluently read over it.  I read the sentences that came before as well as after in order to gain meaning of the word. Using context clues is an important reading strategy.

·      I feel as though it is important to introduce new vocabulary words or words that students are unfamiliar with in either a sentence or with a passage. This allows students the opportunity to use context clues in order to gather meaning. If I were to hear an unfamiliar word and the definition to go along with it, I would not be able to retain the information as much as if it were placed in a sentence. One vocabulary activity I have completed several times with my students is having them write their new vocabulary word in a sentence as well as drawing a picture to go along with the sentence. It is important to know whether or not your students fully understand the meaning by how they use the word in a sentence. This exercise has taught me the importance of not introducing a new vocabulary word when it is not used in context. 

Module 2: Reading Reflection

With this quote, the majority of the public believes that if individuals were to read word for word of everything on a page, then they would be able to convey an author’s message or purpose for the reading. Reading is not an exact process in that it takes both syntactic clues as well as semantic clues to gather meaning from a text.

I agree with Harper and Kilarr in that society’s outlook on reading is inaccurate in that readers use their own experience as well as schemas to help identify words or convey meaning from the author’s text. Depending on someone’s culture and background, he/ she can infer a text different to an individual who comes from a different background. I agree with Harper and Kilarr in that reading is not “an exact process.” While observing students during read alouds, I have noticed that although they may not read every single word correct in the sentence, they are still able to gain meaning from the passage. Weaver states that a reader is still able to gather meaning from a reading even if certain words were mispronounced.  Often time’s if a particular sentence is not clear, then either the preceding sentence or the following sentence will provide enough context clues for the reader to gather a better meaning.

Throughout my student teaching, I found that when students previously developed background knowledge of a particular topic, they were able to connect and comprehend the reading more proficiently than someone who was unaware of the topic. For example, one of my third grade boys loved to learn about nature and different kinds of plants. Therefore he had more background knowledge on this topic before reading the text that dealt with plants. According to Weaver, “context within the selection must be supplemented by personal context, the totality of one’s knowledge and experience.” However the other students who had neither an interest in plants or prior experience had to use “everything they knew to in order to understand unfamiliar words in context in order to learn new vocabulary through reading” (Weaver, 2002, p. 45). I have been able to connect the reading of the text to when my third graders were learning new vocabulary. It took my students several different encounters and different teaching approaches for them to establish a definite meaning of the word.

When reading with small groups of students each day, I noticed that several of my students often had miscues that would not change the meaning of the text. Just because they were not reading the passage word for word did not mean that they were misinterpreting the text. Several miscues developed when students read pronouns and simple function words, which occurred because they were “reading to construct meaning, rather than identify words” (Weaver, 2002, p. 62). After working with my third grade students I too found that it is not “important not to assess a reader’s strengths and strategies based on standardized test scores or how smoothly the person reads aloud.” It is important when observing students to see how the miscues fit into the context of the sentence and how the reader comprehends the text. Weaver states that the goal of reading instruction “ should not be the accurate identification of every word, but rather the efficient use of reading strategies in order to construct meaning.” This goes hand in hand with Harper and Kilarr’s view that reading is not an exact process. After reading chapters 3 & 4 of Weaver’s text as well as having personal experience in the classroom, I agree even more with Harper and Kilarr. 

Module 1: Instructional Challenge

1. What are the hocked gems? After reading this passage several times, I was not sure what it was referring to. I was positive that it was symbolizing a “monumental” event. Sitting stumped as to what this passage was about, I decided to search for the phrase hocked gems. Christopher Columbus came up in the search and so after giving it some thought, I realized it was discussing his trip to the new world. I am guessing that the hocked gems are a symbol of the money that people gave Christopher Columbus to discover the new world.

2. What should we think of as an egg and not a table? The egg refers to the earth in that Christopher Columbus said that earth was round and not flat like a table.

3. Who are the three sturdy sisters? I believe that the three sturdy sisters are the three ships that sailed with Christopher Columbus.

4. What kind of winged creatures appeared? While sailing, Christopher Columbus saw birds flying and knew that there must be land close by.

If you were to use this passage with students, what schema would you need to activate with them first?

Before reading this passage with the students, I would provide the students information about Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the new world. It would be beneficial to show a video clip or read them a short story about his discovering of the new world before introducing this passage.

 How can you help teach children whose schema and the text’s content don’t match?

I feel as though it is very important to have a variety of ways to introduce a lesson in order to connect to all students learning styles. Beginning the lesson with a short story about Christopher Columbus as well as a video clip would provide students with background knowledge. I would not have known what this passage was discussing if I did not do some research on my end. This is how students would feel if I were to jump into a lesson without providing appropriate background knowledge. Creating an activity where students are actively involved and engaged would be the most beneficial.

How much time should children spend in texts that don’t match their interests or schema?

If students are not able to understand a text because they were not provided the necessary background information, it is most likely they will lose interest in the reading. I feel as though often time’s it is how the teacher introduces the lesson as to how excited and involved the students will be. When I first began reading the passage, I was starting to lose interest after the first couple of lines. It wasn’t until I was given the proper background knowledge that I took interest in the passage. I have found that I gain the most knowledge from a lesson when I am actively involved in it. It is important to get to know your students learning styles in order to create lessons based on the needs of your students. This would be a great way to incorporate centers where students are reading, working in groups, and getting involved in an engaging activity. 

Module 1: Activity 2

a.     What is corandic? “Corandic is an emurient grof with many fribs

b.     What does corandic grank from? Corandic granks from corite, an olg which cargs like lange.”

c.     How do garkers excarp the tarances from the corite? “Garkers excarp by glarcking the corite and starping it in tranker-clarped storbs. The tarances starp a chark which is exparged with worters, branking a slorp.”

d.     What does the slorp finally frast? “The slorp is garped through several other corusces, finally frasting a pragety, blickant crankle: coranda.”

e.     What is coranda? “Coranga is a cargurt, grinkling corandic and borigen.”

f.      How is the corandic nacerated from the borigen? “The corandic is nacerated from the borigen by means of loracity.”

g.     What do the garkers finally thrap? “The garkers finally thrap a glick, bracht, glupous grapant, corandic, which granks in my starps.”

How is it that you are able to answer such questions?

The reason I was able to answer the questions above is because the “blonke” passage stated word for word the answers to the questions. I was able to recall key phrases from the questions and find the answers quickly in the reading.

What does this experience suggest about the kinds of “comprehension” questions found in workbooks and on standardized tests?

This passage automatically assumed that the reader had background knowledge on Corandic, which often time’s occurs in a classroom. It relates to standardized tests in that students read the questions and look for key phrases in the reading in order to answer the questions. Students may have no idea what the passage is about, but they are able to look for key terms that are found in the comprehension questions and refer to the passage to answer them correctly. These questions do not require students to comprehend the story or recall details. After reading a story or passage, students should be able to recall details that are not directly stated in the text. According to Weaver, reading comprehension involves ones past experience and knowledge about the world and about language. 

Module 1: Activity 1

Module 1: Reading Reflection

Taylor Gonzalez

EDRD 7715

Dr. Ritchie

June 7, 2012

When asked my personal theory of reading, I stressed the importance of gaining meaning from the text as well as being able to recall details from a text. After reading about the three views of reading instruction, I knew right away that I agreed with the third view. I have found that when working with a small group of students during a reading lesson, although they were able to read the text, they often times had a rather difficult time answering comprehension questions as well as recalling main ideas from the story. This type of view is referred to as a psycholinguistic view of reading,

After reading chapters one and two in Weaver’s book, I have found a greater meaning to the skills approach as well as the comprehensive literacy approach. The sociopsycholinguistic approach also known as the comprehensive literacy approach, addresses the importance of establishing meaning when reading a text. With this particular approach, students are using phonics to construct meaning within a text.  There is a transaction between the mind of the reader and the language of the text. Through this, there are often time’s a variety of “social and situational factors, a variety of contexts that affect the activation of one’s schemas, and the outcomes of the reader-text transaction” (Weaver, 2002, p.26.)

The skills approach deals with phonemes, letter-sound relationships and patterns, and fluency. With this type of approach, students are starting from a smaller piece of language such as identifying words and working their way upwards to develop a meaning in the text in order to comprehend what they have just read. This type of approach focuses on smaller skills in language and moves up to creating meaning behind the text. After words are identified in a reading, the skills approach states that, “the meaning can take care of itself” (Weaver, 2002, p.3). The chart in the book describes that the process begins with phonemic awareness, phonics, automatic and rapid word recognition, and finally meaning. After beginning to read about the different reading instruction approaches, I look forward to being able to apply these views in my classroom.

Taylor Gonzalez

EDRD 7715

Dr. Ritchie

June 6, 2012

Personal Model of the Theory of Reading

Creating an environment where students develop a passion for reading is essential in a classroom in order for students to view reading as a privilege rather than a chore. I have found that it is the attitude of the teacher that either excites students about a particular subject or can create a negative connotation. Creating a comfortable environment where students are allowed to sit on the floor, in bean bags, etc, excites the students about being given the opportunity to read a book. The environment in the classroom of how reading is portrayed is the view the students are going to form about reading a book at such a young age.

Throughout my experience in teaching reading in a classroom, I have found that at the primary levels, students gain knowledge through a teacher-centered classroom as well as a student-centered classroom. The teacher is able to model how to hold a book, position the pointer to display to students that it is necessary to read from left to right, and create sight words that are important for students to learn throughout different books. I found that it was important to complete repeated readings in order for the students to gain a better sense of understanding. Not only is it important to have teacher-centered instruction taking place amongst the classroom, creating a student-centered environment with literacy centers is key in the development for age appropriate reading skills.  

I have found that it is very important to create literacy centers throughout a classroom and allow students to work together in order to gain additional information from one another. I was able to create a literacy kit with several helpful tools for students to use in order to advance their reading skills. The kit consisted of word sorts, beach balls filled with story plot questions in order to increase the student’s comprehension, cookie sheets with letters, literacy balls with sight words, literacy munchers, word family wheel charts, etc. Allowing students to rotate through these literacy centers engaged the students and allowed them to collaborate with one another.

 I learned rather quickly that reading not only consists of being able to read a story, but students must comprehend what the story was about and provide oral details from the story. It also entails writing, spelling, and vocabulary as well.  Throughout my undergrad, I completed an informal reading inventory, spelling inventory, and an interview of how the student felt overall about reading. This provided me the opportunity to focus on specific areas that the student needed to improve in order to increase her reading skills. Learning these specific weaknesses, I was then able to develop specific literacy activities for the student to complete throughout the entire school year. I found that when working with reading groups, although several students may have been great readers, they were not able to retain details from the story and answer comprehension questions.

Although completing this inventory with an entire class may be time consuming, it is very beneficial in the aspect of creating reading groups based on strengths and weaknesses of the students. Throughout this course, I look forward to gaining additional knowledge of how to create the most effective reading instruction in a classroom in order to meet the needs of my students.