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? Include both
in-class examples and things you could do outside the classroom.
I believe that the most
important aspect of universal literacy is to simply read to and read with the
students because “being read to helps children understand the purposes and
pleasures of print as well as learn the language we use in stories- language
that we don’t use in our daily conversations with children” (Weaver, 2002,
p.368). Studies have shown that students
who are successful in school programs were read to often when they were
younger. The more experiences we give children with print, the more word
familiarity they are going to have when they are attempting to decode unknown
words because most people will decode words through analogy compared to the “sound
it out” strategy.
However, along with
reading experiences, the students need to be equip with adequate reading
materials. Students need to be reading books that are on their specific reading
level as far as not too easy but not too hard because this way the students
will still understand the meaning behind the text but they will also be
learning new vocabulary. As well as appropriately leveled text, the books need
to be predictable compared to decodable “because children use language they
already know in order to read, the unnatural syntax of decodable stories makes
it more difficult, not easier, for children to read” (Weaver, 2002, p.367). Students
also need to have the appropriate background knowledge in order to understand
the circumstances that are being discussed in the book they are reading. So,
when the students are participating in read-alouds, shared reading and guided
reading it is important that we show the students different things that they
may have never come in contact with in their lives. By learning new topics and
concepts through reading the students will keep building upon the knowledge
they already have and various things they have previously learn through text.
Studies have shown that
“children in the affluent neighborhoods had more age-appropriate books in their
homes than the children in the impoverished neighborhood had in their
classrooms” as well as their homes (Weaver, 2002, p.375). Therefore, it is
vital that we give our students access to a variety of books in order to improve
their reading skills. This could be through the classroom library or various
send-home activities such as a book in a bag. For a book in a bag students will
be able to take home a book as well as various corresponding activities that
would be completed and brought back to school. This gives the students access
to books while they are at home and activities they can do with their family.
References
Weaver, C. (2002). Reading process and practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books.
Krista,
ReplyDeleteNext year, I plan to read TO my students and WITH my students through read alouds. I hope to do this most days, attempting to teach the current standard through the book as well. A co-worker of mine did a class survey this past year to see what her students liked best about their fifth grade school year and what were some of their favorite memories. An overwhelming amount of students loved the books that she would read to them. They were not always "5th grade books," but a lot of times picture books that helped teach a lesson. I thought it was neat that the students' most fondest moments involved reading.
Krista,
ReplyDeleteOne strategy that we both mentioned was sending books home from the classroom library. That table in Weaver’s text that showed the difference in the number of child appropriate books in the affluent vs. poorer homes really illustrated the difference in the importance placed on literacy in different homes. Consequently this year I’ll be asking parents more questions regarding any reading that the child is doing at home and offering strategies and materials if they are interested.
Krista, I agree with your point about the importance of students finding books that are on their reading level. Although I have zero experience in elementary school, I imagine that this wouldn't be too difficult, since most classroom libraries carry a whole host of books on multiple reading levels. Also, because "reading to learn" reflects so much of the focus of reading in elementary school, you probably have valid and reliable methods of measuring students' reading levels. However, in high school, providing on-level books becomes much more complicated because the resources just aren't there; yes, we have books in the media center, but they are certainly not organized in such a way that students could effectively choose books that fit their reading level. Also, we have no standard reading assessment to use to even determine students' reading level. I use the reading comprehension diagnostic assessment that accompanies the "Language!" program, but this is certainly not a shared tool across the school. Somehow, we secondary teachers need to find a way to make on-level books much more accessible for all students, particularly those from low-SES families or those who are culturally or linguistically diverse.
ReplyDeleteKrista,
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting to read chapter fifteen and think about how students of all SES benefit from the comprehensive approach to literacy instruction. I also think that it is so important that students are given the ability to check out books to read at home. I used to be more protective over my classroom library books; however, after realizing that many of my students had few if any books at home, I no longer worried about my books returning to my classroom. In addition, I agree with your point about the importance of students reading books that are not too hard and not too easy, but just right. In the upcoming school year I would like to put particular emphasis on how to find books that are just right, so that students can choose wisely when picking books to read.