Module 4: Activity 2

Which NRP topic area(s) or “missing pillar(s)” that Allington describes do you find to be most vital for children’s literacy success? Why? 

      I feel like the majority of these topic areas and "missing pillars" are important to children's literacy success, however there are a few that stick out to me as the "most vital". I feel as though the comprehension topic area is important because to me it also encompasses fluency. Being able to understand, comprehend and absorb different forms of text leads to fluency because it enables the student to be able to read and become familiar with various words. Fluency stems from the recognition of words and their meanings. However, giving student's "access to interesting texts and choice" and "matching kids with appropriate texts" also encourage and support comprehension. The more a child is interested in the text they are reading the more likely they will be to continue reading and therefore gain more word knowledge. Students need to understand that reading not does need to be always related to their school word; reading is something that can be fun and relaxing. Reading should not be something that is seen as a chore. There are so many different forms of literature that students can discover that could potentially spark their interest and it is important that we give them access to them. It is also vital that we match students with appropriately leveled texts because if the child does not understand what they are reading, then they are not truly "reading". The text needs to be on the student's instructional level so that they are still able to understand the content within the passage, but they are still getting access to unfamiliar words. If the student understands and is familiar with the majority of words then they will be able to tap into their previous content knowledge and use other reading strategies to determine the meaning of the unknown words.