Nicole Senn's article, "Effective Approaches to Motivate and Engage Reluctant Boys in Literacy," highlights several important notions about gender differences in the classroom that all teachers should be aware of. Issues such as brain development, metabolism, motivation and confidence, and lack of male model readers, among many others, all contribute to boys' rejection of reading and writing as "cool" and their reluctance to engage in literacy-related activities.
As Senn points out, "boys have a tendency to evaluate books strictly on their appearance. Attention-grabbing cover designs, easy-to-read text, large print, large areas of 'white space,' photographs, frequent illustrations, and short length are all characteristics that boys find appealing" (217).
In my 4th grade practicum classroom library, my cooperating teacher has made several books available that, according to the standards that Senn outlines, appeal to boys. Among these boy-friendly texts are several copies of Guinness World Record books, spanning from 2001 - 2013. These shiny hardcover collections of captioned record-breaking photographs, however, cause quite a commotion in the classroom that prohibits authentic reading from taking place. Whenever my cooperating teacher allows the class to read independently, I can always count on the girls (and a few select boys) to pull a Little House on the Prairie or Diary of a Wimpy Kid book out of their desks, while eight or more boys rush over to the shelf with the collection of Guinness books. This group of unruly readers typically spends the entire independent reading period fighting (both verbally and physically) over the brand new 2013 edition, who gets to look at the picture of the world's longest snake first, and whose turn it is to sit in the rocking chair while paging through pictures of freakishly large and small body parts. While I wish I could say that I am pleased by these boys' "passion" for reading, in reality, these Guinness books are only promoting "non-reading" in the classroom.
Instead of addressing the "Guinness dilemma" with threats of taking away recess time (which is a terrible idea, as these boys clearly need an outlet for their energy, possibly even more so than girls do due to their characteristically faster metabolic rate, as Senn notes), perhaps my cooperating teacher could redirect the boys' excitement over the Guinness books towards something productive. For example, she could assign the class to write a news article about one of the world records, a biography of a record-breaker, or a creative piece about how a record-breaker earned his or her title. The boys' motivation, which Senn regards as the "single, crucial element" in getting boys to read, is actually present. These boys simply need to be guided through the process of having meaningful interactions with the text, rather than using the heavy metallic books to shield themselves from pencil spears and ruler swords.
Fortunately, the Guinness books are only one example of "boy books" in the classroom. My cooperating teacher, who has an elementary-age son of her own, has introduced a series called Guys Read which includes volumes of short stories full of humor and action - two elements that Senn deems attractive to boys. Most mornings begin with the teacher or myself reading aloud an excerpt from a Guys Read book. It is during this time that the rambunctious Guinness fighters calm down, and actually listen to and enjoy the satirical adventures that Jon Scieszka (the genius creator and author of Guys Read) has crafted. Whether it's the silly plot lines, the relatable male characters, or simply the title of the series that alludes to male acceptance of literacy, every single boy (and girl!) seems to thoroughly enjoy hearing these stories. Many boys have even gone on to check out a Guys Read book from the school library after exposure to these entertaining vignettes.
Whether it's through an interactive text-based writing assignment or a Guys Read story, there are many ways to address the "anti-literacy" phenomenon that many boys experience. As Senn states in her article, "teachers of literacy hope to instill in their students a love of reading and writing. Boys can be the most difficult of students with whom to accomplish this goal, but when teachers look at literacy from a boy's perspective, they can begin teaching in ways that will motivate boys to want to read and write" (220). As a future teacher of literacy, I will be sure to plan instruction that appeals to both boys and girls, through selecting appropriate and relatable texts, incorporating model readers of both genders, and creating assignments that offer choice and an outlet for energy and exploration.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Post #4: Motivation + Engagement = Comprehension
Reading comprehension is sometimes perceived as a difficult skill to teach, and a difficult skill to learn. Perhaps one reason for this is that comprehension skills are typically taught and assessed through isolated reading passages that waver between "boring" and "educational," and provide little context or meaning for students. Since children will grow up to interact and
work with authentic text, why not teach them to appreciate and comprehend
authentic text?
As a future teacher studying how students work and learn best, I often find myself reflecting on my own learning preferences and styles when making instructional decisions. One observation I have made about my own learning is that when assigned to read a text that I am interested in or can somehow relate to, rather than one that I do not identify with, it is easier to retain information, draw conclusions, and apply or refer to what I have learned from the text later on. Texts that resonate with me increase my motivation to read and enhance my level of engagement in what I am reading. I feel that I can apply this notion, along with other related instructional choices that contribute to the development of a positive relationship with reading, to promote a classroom community conducive to comprehension skill development.
In Maureen McLaughlin's article, "Reading Comprehension: What Every Teacher Needs to Know," 10 teaching principles are discussed that promote effective instruction of reading comprehension skills in the classroom. Principle 4, "Motivate and Engage Students," touches upon what I consider to be one of the most crucial elements of a classroom environment. McLaughlin notes that, "motivation is a key factor in comprehension" (434), and develops this concept further by referencing a claim made by L.B. Gambrell - "Classroom cultures that foster reading motivation are characterized by a teacher who is a reading model, a book-rich classroom environment, opportunities for choice, familiarity with books, and literacy-related incentives that reflect the value of reading" (434). All of these characteristics that Gambrell highlights are ideas that I respect and hope to incorporate into my classroom one day.
Although I don't do it as often as I used to, as often as I should, or as often as I'd like to, I love to read. I really do. It's just a matter of finding the right book, and finding enough time (both of which I struggle with - I am a picky reader with a free-time deficiency). I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that nothing beats the feeling of getting totally lost in a really awesome book. One of the perks of being an elementary school teacher that I am eagerly looking forward to is acting as a "reading model" for my students. Whether you learned it as DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), or some other obscure reading-related acronym, giving students 10-30 minutes to do nothing but sit and read a book of their choosing is a precious aspect of the elementary schooling experience that I hope will never reach extinction. Having students read continuously for an extended period of time allows them to read more deeply, and really become engaged in a text. While some may think that teachers use these periods of silent reading to write lesson plans, make copies, or catch up on emails, these reading sessions are where some of the most important teaching takes place. During DEAR/SSR/RUYATTS (Read Until You Are Told To Stop..?), I feel that the most productive thing to do as a teacher is to read silently along with the students. Do not circulate around the classroom, do not ask students to identify the main idea, just simply read silently and continuously while your students do the same. Setting a good example as a "reading model" demonstrates to students that you, as the teacher, are serious about reading and enjoy to read - and therefore, they should too! A teacher's attitude is what sets the tone in the classroom. Having a positive attitude about dedicating time to reading will hopefully cause students to follow suit and learn to appreciate reading, while becoming more motivated to read in general.
Creating a book-rich classroom environment, as well as fostering a sense of familiarity with books, are two classroom strategies that are likely to promote a level of motivation and engagement within students that will enrich their comprehension skills. I plan to create an abundant classroom library, full of books that will appeal to, intrigue, and challenge my students. Consistent with my organized nature, my classroom library will be arranged by subject, alphabetically of course. That way, students can easily identify books that they are interested in. Additionally, tracking student preferences via subject choices can help to facilitate an "expand your horizons" reading initiative. The girl who typically gravitates towards mysteries may be encouraged to choose a humorous chapter book, and the boy who reads baseball book after baseball book may be challenged to crack open the first installment of the Harry Potter series. Furthermore, it is vital to expose students to unique texts, such as international folktales, classics, books that were once censored (dependent upon grade level and appropriateness, of course), and stories that relate to current events. Reading aloud to students on a daily basis serves as a vehicle for exposure to texts that they otherwise would not encounter. Reading aloud also provides the opportunity to hear how a "good reader" reads (which helps with fluency development), and allows students to relax and enjoy the story together as a classroom community - a very special experience that is often taken for granted, especially in the upper elementary grades. I love the idea of starting each school day by reading a chapter of a book aloud to the class that is free from accompanying worksheets or constructed responses. Again, I feel that promoting "reading for the sake of enjoyment" is an important responsibility associated with teaching that should not be overlooked.
Providing the opportunity for student choice in both text selections and response formats is an instructional strategy that appeals to various types of learners, and establishes a sense of ownership among students. I am a big fan of choices, and I hope that my future classroom structure and practices reflect that. So far, there has been discussion of how to promote "reading for the sake of enjoyment" while exposing students to a variety of texts. Obviously, standards-based academic goals must be addressed in the classroom as well, and offering choices is one way to comfortably guide students through fulfilling those goals. For example, I could use my content knowledge as well as my knowledge of student preferences (garnered from a reading questionnaire given at the start of the school year, as well as through student observations) to establish text choices when teaching a certain unit. Literature Circles, a group-work structure that assigns a specific text-related role to each student, such as "Summarizer," "Word Wizard," or "Connector," may be the perfect vehicle for honoring students' choices in an instructional setting. By presenting a class with, for example, three different books that all share a common thread, whether it's based on content, writing style, or theme, that is aligned with a chosen standard, students can rank their book preferences. The teacher can then use their choices to inform grouping decisions. Allowing students to play an active role in student group formations and instructing them to read a book that they have essentially chosen is likely to increase motivation and engagement during Literature Circle work, propelling the development of comprehension skills. Providing choices in terms of assignment formats when it comes time to respond to a text is another way to boost motivation through establishing ownership of learning and appealing to students' strengths and needs. Offering options such as a written report, oral presentation, creation of a game, poster, song, or film, are all different forms of assessment that appeal to students' multiple intelligences and interests. With the end-goal in mind of creating work that is meaningful and representative of each individual child, it is likely that students will be motivated to become engaged in their "assigned" text, and be able to read with purpose.
Lastly, I feel that it is important to respect and value the role of literature in our society. One way to express that reading should be held in high regard, rather than be viewed as a chore or homework assignment, is to use literacy-related incentives in the classroom. For example, instead of the frustratingly "old school" classroom management practice of threatening to take away recess time due to bad behavior, encourage positive and constructive behavior in the classroom by offering students the incentives of extra silent reading time, an opportunity to sit somewhere "special" (such as in a rocking chair, bean bag chair, or cushioned reading nook) during silent reading time, or coordinating a plan with a corporation such as Scholastic, and matching good student behavior with new books for the classroom library.
Incorporation of the aforementioned classroom practices allow for the creation of a learning community full of motivated and engaged students who value and respect reading. Once students gain an appreciation for literature and the practice of reading authentic texts, comprehension becomes as natural and intrinsic as turning the next page of a really good book.
As a future teacher studying how students work and learn best, I often find myself reflecting on my own learning preferences and styles when making instructional decisions. One observation I have made about my own learning is that when assigned to read a text that I am interested in or can somehow relate to, rather than one that I do not identify with, it is easier to retain information, draw conclusions, and apply or refer to what I have learned from the text later on. Texts that resonate with me increase my motivation to read and enhance my level of engagement in what I am reading. I feel that I can apply this notion, along with other related instructional choices that contribute to the development of a positive relationship with reading, to promote a classroom community conducive to comprehension skill development.
In Maureen McLaughlin's article, "Reading Comprehension: What Every Teacher Needs to Know," 10 teaching principles are discussed that promote effective instruction of reading comprehension skills in the classroom. Principle 4, "Motivate and Engage Students," touches upon what I consider to be one of the most crucial elements of a classroom environment. McLaughlin notes that, "motivation is a key factor in comprehension" (434), and develops this concept further by referencing a claim made by L.B. Gambrell - "Classroom cultures that foster reading motivation are characterized by a teacher who is a reading model, a book-rich classroom environment, opportunities for choice, familiarity with books, and literacy-related incentives that reflect the value of reading" (434). All of these characteristics that Gambrell highlights are ideas that I respect and hope to incorporate into my classroom one day.
Although I don't do it as often as I used to, as often as I should, or as often as I'd like to, I love to read. I really do. It's just a matter of finding the right book, and finding enough time (both of which I struggle with - I am a picky reader with a free-time deficiency). I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that nothing beats the feeling of getting totally lost in a really awesome book. One of the perks of being an elementary school teacher that I am eagerly looking forward to is acting as a "reading model" for my students. Whether you learned it as DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), or some other obscure reading-related acronym, giving students 10-30 minutes to do nothing but sit and read a book of their choosing is a precious aspect of the elementary schooling experience that I hope will never reach extinction. Having students read continuously for an extended period of time allows them to read more deeply, and really become engaged in a text. While some may think that teachers use these periods of silent reading to write lesson plans, make copies, or catch up on emails, these reading sessions are where some of the most important teaching takes place. During DEAR/SSR/RUYATTS (Read Until You Are Told To Stop..?), I feel that the most productive thing to do as a teacher is to read silently along with the students. Do not circulate around the classroom, do not ask students to identify the main idea, just simply read silently and continuously while your students do the same. Setting a good example as a "reading model" demonstrates to students that you, as the teacher, are serious about reading and enjoy to read - and therefore, they should too! A teacher's attitude is what sets the tone in the classroom. Having a positive attitude about dedicating time to reading will hopefully cause students to follow suit and learn to appreciate reading, while becoming more motivated to read in general.
Creating a book-rich classroom environment, as well as fostering a sense of familiarity with books, are two classroom strategies that are likely to promote a level of motivation and engagement within students that will enrich their comprehension skills. I plan to create an abundant classroom library, full of books that will appeal to, intrigue, and challenge my students. Consistent with my organized nature, my classroom library will be arranged by subject, alphabetically of course. That way, students can easily identify books that they are interested in. Additionally, tracking student preferences via subject choices can help to facilitate an "expand your horizons" reading initiative. The girl who typically gravitates towards mysteries may be encouraged to choose a humorous chapter book, and the boy who reads baseball book after baseball book may be challenged to crack open the first installment of the Harry Potter series. Furthermore, it is vital to expose students to unique texts, such as international folktales, classics, books that were once censored (dependent upon grade level and appropriateness, of course), and stories that relate to current events. Reading aloud to students on a daily basis serves as a vehicle for exposure to texts that they otherwise would not encounter. Reading aloud also provides the opportunity to hear how a "good reader" reads (which helps with fluency development), and allows students to relax and enjoy the story together as a classroom community - a very special experience that is often taken for granted, especially in the upper elementary grades. I love the idea of starting each school day by reading a chapter of a book aloud to the class that is free from accompanying worksheets or constructed responses. Again, I feel that promoting "reading for the sake of enjoyment" is an important responsibility associated with teaching that should not be overlooked.
Providing the opportunity for student choice in both text selections and response formats is an instructional strategy that appeals to various types of learners, and establishes a sense of ownership among students. I am a big fan of choices, and I hope that my future classroom structure and practices reflect that. So far, there has been discussion of how to promote "reading for the sake of enjoyment" while exposing students to a variety of texts. Obviously, standards-based academic goals must be addressed in the classroom as well, and offering choices is one way to comfortably guide students through fulfilling those goals. For example, I could use my content knowledge as well as my knowledge of student preferences (garnered from a reading questionnaire given at the start of the school year, as well as through student observations) to establish text choices when teaching a certain unit. Literature Circles, a group-work structure that assigns a specific text-related role to each student, such as "Summarizer," "Word Wizard," or "Connector," may be the perfect vehicle for honoring students' choices in an instructional setting. By presenting a class with, for example, three different books that all share a common thread, whether it's based on content, writing style, or theme, that is aligned with a chosen standard, students can rank their book preferences. The teacher can then use their choices to inform grouping decisions. Allowing students to play an active role in student group formations and instructing them to read a book that they have essentially chosen is likely to increase motivation and engagement during Literature Circle work, propelling the development of comprehension skills. Providing choices in terms of assignment formats when it comes time to respond to a text is another way to boost motivation through establishing ownership of learning and appealing to students' strengths and needs. Offering options such as a written report, oral presentation, creation of a game, poster, song, or film, are all different forms of assessment that appeal to students' multiple intelligences and interests. With the end-goal in mind of creating work that is meaningful and representative of each individual child, it is likely that students will be motivated to become engaged in their "assigned" text, and be able to read with purpose.
Lastly, I feel that it is important to respect and value the role of literature in our society. One way to express that reading should be held in high regard, rather than be viewed as a chore or homework assignment, is to use literacy-related incentives in the classroom. For example, instead of the frustratingly "old school" classroom management practice of threatening to take away recess time due to bad behavior, encourage positive and constructive behavior in the classroom by offering students the incentives of extra silent reading time, an opportunity to sit somewhere "special" (such as in a rocking chair, bean bag chair, or cushioned reading nook) during silent reading time, or coordinating a plan with a corporation such as Scholastic, and matching good student behavior with new books for the classroom library.
Incorporation of the aforementioned classroom practices allow for the creation of a learning community full of motivated and engaged students who value and respect reading. Once students gain an appreciation for literature and the practice of reading authentic texts, comprehension becomes as natural and intrinsic as turning the next page of a really good book.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Post #3: Homophones
Have you ever received an email asking how "you're" weekend was?
Has a friend ever sent you a text message complaining that he or she has "to much work"?
"Let's go their for dinner tonight!"
"I don't no what to wear."
"Do you want to meet hear?"
If any of these "fatal flaws" make you cringe like they make me cringe, keep reading.
While examining Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell's continuum of learning for phonics, spelling, and word study from their book, The Continuum of Literacy Learning, I could not help but feel confused, annoyed, and baffled by the discrepancy that exists between reality and the instructional goals listed on pages 211-237.
Defined as "behaviors and understandings to notice, teach, and support," the goals and guidelines aligned with phonics, spelling, and word study emphasize the instruction of important word meaning concepts, such as homophones, as early as 1st grade:
"Recognize and use simple homophones (sound the same, different spelling and meaning: to/too/two, here/hear, blue/blew, there/their/they're)" (222).
This description appears consistently within the word meaning goals for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, but for the 5th grade guidelines, homophones are no longer listed within the word meaning goals.
How do we make sense of this information? Homophone instruction is suggested to begin in 1st grade, and end in 4th grade, perhaps due to the assumption that after 4 years of "their/there/they're" worksheets and things of the like, students no longer need specific instruction to help them spell and use these words correctly.
Why then, do college professors, high school students, doctors, parents, and businessmen fail to recognize the difference between "your" and "you're," and use "know" and "no" interchangeably? Adults that I otherwise look up to, and children that I otherwise see potential in, continue to struggle with homophones. Perhaps to avoid further confusion, Fountas and Pinnell even felt the need to provide a brief definition for "homophone" in the grade level goals in their book - which is mainly directed toward teachers! Giving teachers of all people a reminder that homophones are words that "sound the same" but may have "different spelling and meaning" both illustrates and perpetuates this problematic issue. The cherry on top of my frustration, however, is the green sign in the photograph below, which was featured on Stoddert Elementary's Facebook page:
In addition to the completely unnecessary capitalization of the letters N and P in "New Principle," I truly cannot wrap my head around this horrific poster. I can't help but wonder, who made this sign? How could someone who works in a school make an error like this? Why wasn't the sign proofread? Isn't the new principal embarrassed? I would be.
The ultimate question I continue to come back to though, is why are mistakes (like the one above) made so often by people in all walks of life?
It could be laziness. It could be downright ignorance. It could be a lack of attention to detail. It could be the iPhone's autocorrect feature, or Microsoft Word's spell checker, both of which assume the responsibility of proofreading, taking the pressure, and even the need to do so, off of the individual.
Whatever the reason is for our society's somewhat pathetic misuse of homophones, I feel that instruction of this concept should be carefully considered, not only because of its obvious academic implications, but also because of its permeation into real-world survival skills.
In my 4th grade practicum classroom, I have observed homophone instruction in an indirect and isolated manner. Each week, students are given a list of approximately 15 words to use in the exercises found in their "weekly word packets" for morning work. A few weeks ago, the list contained only homophones, and the teacher announced that the class would be beginning a new homophone unit. On Monday, the students copied the list of words into their packets, writing each word three times in cursive. On Tuesday, they alphabetized the list of words, wrote each word using alternating upper/lowercase letters, and then wrote each word using a different colored marker for each letter. On Wednesday, they created sentences that featured each word, and on Thursday, they took a spelling pre-test. On Friday, the students were given a spelling test, and on the following Monday, the students received a new list of words, and homophones were mentioned no more.
To be honest, I was quite repulsed by the teacher's interpretation of a "homophone unit." As stated in my previous post about vocabulary instruction, there are so many different ways to encourage students to interact with words to provide a rich and meaningful learning experience. A few weeks ago on Wednesday, my 4th grade students spent half of the morning work period with their hands raised asking for clarification of "where" and "wear," how to use "your" in a sentence, and if it makes sense to use "their" instead of "there" in sentence #3. While I of course don't mind taking advantage of these teachable moments and giving each student a "mini lesson" in response to their questions, it frustrated me to see so much non-learning happening in the classroom, especially when "teaching" such an important skill.
According to Fountas and Pinnell, explicit instruction of homophones is no longer necessary, or no longer needs direct focus, after 4th grade. The aforementioned "lessons" on homophones that my 4th graders received could very well be their last exposure to this important word meaning concept. Of course, these students may grow to sharpen their awareness of homophones through future reading and writing assignments, but their foundational understanding of the various homophones will always be lacking in a certain way.
I agree with Fountas and Pinnell that explicit instruction of homophones should not be necessary by 5th grade, as there are more complex concepts that must be taught. Therefore, the easy answer to this problem is that quality of instruction in the area of homophones needs to increase. This implies student engagement with words that goes beyond the rote exercises outlined in my 4th graders' "weekly word packets." Something as simple as role playing, or even just a class discussion on homophone word comparisons, may increase student knowledge and awareness of these seemingly similar words. However, in many classrooms, other areas of instruction take precedence, and teachers feel that they may not have enough time to directly teach something like homophones, so they resort to "teaching" through "busy work." This is a habit that teachers must be urged to break!
It is clear that poor use, and even worse, poor instruction, of homophones frustrates me greatly. I plan to one day make a real difference in the area of homophone instruction through interactive and thought-provoking classroom exercises, in the hopes of putting these "fatal flaws" to rest.
Has a friend ever sent you a text message complaining that he or she has "to much work"?
"Let's go their for dinner tonight!"
"I don't no what to wear."
"Do you want to meet hear?"
If any of these "fatal flaws" make you cringe like they make me cringe, keep reading.
While examining Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell's continuum of learning for phonics, spelling, and word study from their book, The Continuum of Literacy Learning, I could not help but feel confused, annoyed, and baffled by the discrepancy that exists between reality and the instructional goals listed on pages 211-237.
Defined as "behaviors and understandings to notice, teach, and support," the goals and guidelines aligned with phonics, spelling, and word study emphasize the instruction of important word meaning concepts, such as homophones, as early as 1st grade:
"Recognize and use simple homophones (sound the same, different spelling and meaning: to/too/two, here/hear, blue/blew, there/their/they're)" (222).
This description appears consistently within the word meaning goals for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, but for the 5th grade guidelines, homophones are no longer listed within the word meaning goals.
How do we make sense of this information? Homophone instruction is suggested to begin in 1st grade, and end in 4th grade, perhaps due to the assumption that after 4 years of "their/there/they're" worksheets and things of the like, students no longer need specific instruction to help them spell and use these words correctly.
Why then, do college professors, high school students, doctors, parents, and businessmen fail to recognize the difference between "your" and "you're," and use "know" and "no" interchangeably? Adults that I otherwise look up to, and children that I otherwise see potential in, continue to struggle with homophones. Perhaps to avoid further confusion, Fountas and Pinnell even felt the need to provide a brief definition for "homophone" in the grade level goals in their book - which is mainly directed toward teachers! Giving teachers of all people a reminder that homophones are words that "sound the same" but may have "different spelling and meaning" both illustrates and perpetuates this problematic issue. The cherry on top of my frustration, however, is the green sign in the photograph below, which was featured on Stoddert Elementary's Facebook page:
 | |
| The green sign reads, "...Come meet our New Principle..." |
The ultimate question I continue to come back to though, is why are mistakes (like the one above) made so often by people in all walks of life?
It could be laziness. It could be downright ignorance. It could be a lack of attention to detail. It could be the iPhone's autocorrect feature, or Microsoft Word's spell checker, both of which assume the responsibility of proofreading, taking the pressure, and even the need to do so, off of the individual.
Whatever the reason is for our society's somewhat pathetic misuse of homophones, I feel that instruction of this concept should be carefully considered, not only because of its obvious academic implications, but also because of its permeation into real-world survival skills.
In my 4th grade practicum classroom, I have observed homophone instruction in an indirect and isolated manner. Each week, students are given a list of approximately 15 words to use in the exercises found in their "weekly word packets" for morning work. A few weeks ago, the list contained only homophones, and the teacher announced that the class would be beginning a new homophone unit. On Monday, the students copied the list of words into their packets, writing each word three times in cursive. On Tuesday, they alphabetized the list of words, wrote each word using alternating upper/lowercase letters, and then wrote each word using a different colored marker for each letter. On Wednesday, they created sentences that featured each word, and on Thursday, they took a spelling pre-test. On Friday, the students were given a spelling test, and on the following Monday, the students received a new list of words, and homophones were mentioned no more.
To be honest, I was quite repulsed by the teacher's interpretation of a "homophone unit." As stated in my previous post about vocabulary instruction, there are so many different ways to encourage students to interact with words to provide a rich and meaningful learning experience. A few weeks ago on Wednesday, my 4th grade students spent half of the morning work period with their hands raised asking for clarification of "where" and "wear," how to use "your" in a sentence, and if it makes sense to use "their" instead of "there" in sentence #3. While I of course don't mind taking advantage of these teachable moments and giving each student a "mini lesson" in response to their questions, it frustrated me to see so much non-learning happening in the classroom, especially when "teaching" such an important skill.
According to Fountas and Pinnell, explicit instruction of homophones is no longer necessary, or no longer needs direct focus, after 4th grade. The aforementioned "lessons" on homophones that my 4th graders received could very well be their last exposure to this important word meaning concept. Of course, these students may grow to sharpen their awareness of homophones through future reading and writing assignments, but their foundational understanding of the various homophones will always be lacking in a certain way.
I agree with Fountas and Pinnell that explicit instruction of homophones should not be necessary by 5th grade, as there are more complex concepts that must be taught. Therefore, the easy answer to this problem is that quality of instruction in the area of homophones needs to increase. This implies student engagement with words that goes beyond the rote exercises outlined in my 4th graders' "weekly word packets." Something as simple as role playing, or even just a class discussion on homophone word comparisons, may increase student knowledge and awareness of these seemingly similar words. However, in many classrooms, other areas of instruction take precedence, and teachers feel that they may not have enough time to directly teach something like homophones, so they resort to "teaching" through "busy work." This is a habit that teachers must be urged to break!
It is clear that poor use, and even worse, poor instruction, of homophones frustrates me greatly. I plan to one day make a real difference in the area of homophone instruction through interactive and thought-provoking classroom exercises, in the hopes of putting these "fatal flaws" to rest.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Post #2: Vocabulary
As a future classroom teacher, vocabulary is an area of instruction that I value. Vocabulary is a discipline that transcends the classroom and permeates into real-life situations through college admissions tests, professional emails, formal letters, interviews, everyday conversations, you name it! Varying word choice and using an impressive vocabulary in both writing and speaking demonstrates professionalism, maturity, and intellect. Understanding what one reads or hears in its entirety, including the "big words," is an irreplaceable life skill.
Why then, I often wonder, is vocabulary taught in such a rote manner? While reading McKeown and Beck's article, "Direct and Rich Vocabulary Instruction," I found myself reflecting upon the vocabulary instruction I received throughout my years of schooling. I did not find it to be direct or rich. Throughout middle school and high school, my classmates and I copied definitions, filled-in-the-blanks, wrote sentences, and anything else our hollow and repetitive "vocab books" told us to do.
In elementary school, vocabulary instruction was intertwined with reading and spelling, and was not yet given the "vocabulary" label as it was in middle school and beyond. However, from what I do remember during K-4th grade, we learned new vocabulary words using a simplified version of the same rote practices - define, fill-in, write a sentence.
The only "direct instruction" I experienced when it came to vocabulary was our teachers reading the answers to the homework aloud. Vocabulary work was seen as a time-filler, a homework assignment, or something to do when we had a sub. By junior year of high school, our workbooks were replaced with an online vocabulary program that guided us through the same activities, only with sound effects. Then, vocabulary became more about the SATs, and less about if we actually gained full understanding of the long lists of words and roots we were assigned to learn (memorize) each week. I remember feeling frustrated with the large amounts of "busy work" related to vocabulary, and wondered if I would even remember the countless words and definitions thrown at me by my senior year of college.
In case you're wondering, I would say that about 40% of the vocabulary words I learned throughout middle and high school stuck with me. That's because 40% of the vocabulary words I learned throughout middle and high school proved meaningful to me. They were meaningful because I made them meaningful. They were the words that I encountered in reading, words that I used in conversation, words that I peppered into papers and projects. The words that stuck with me were the words that were useful to me because of what I, as the student, chose to do with them.
"Because comprehension is a complex process, a reader may well need knowledge of a different character than mere accuracy of definitions of words in the text to facilitate the process" (17).
While reading McKeown and Beck's article, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with their concepts of focusing direct instruction on Tier 2 words, as well as the questionable reliability of learning new words through context alone. What struck me most in their article, however, were the suggested instructional strategies for teaching vocabulary words in an active and engaging way. Making connections to personal experiences, such as asking students to think about a time they consoled someone, as well as posing questions that enable students to compare/contrast word meanings, such as "Could a miser be a tyrant?" are two methods of direct instruction that simply take the unattractive practices of copying definitions and writing sentences to the next level, where students are actually prompted to think about the word's meaning as a concept, and use knowledge of that word's meaning to draw an authentic conclusion. Interactive methods also help establish student ownership of learning, which acts as a natural motivator in the classroom. Use of word lines and example/non-example prompts are two additional strategies that allow students to enter into an internal dialogue with these words as they decipher their true and comprehensive meanings. These strategies seem fairly easy to implement as a teacher, and I can't help but feel a little betrayed by my ELA teachers of the past for failing to create a meaningful vocabulary learning experience in the classroom.
Why then, I often wonder, is vocabulary taught in such a rote manner? While reading McKeown and Beck's article, "Direct and Rich Vocabulary Instruction," I found myself reflecting upon the vocabulary instruction I received throughout my years of schooling. I did not find it to be direct or rich. Throughout middle school and high school, my classmates and I copied definitions, filled-in-the-blanks, wrote sentences, and anything else our hollow and repetitive "vocab books" told us to do.
In elementary school, vocabulary instruction was intertwined with reading and spelling, and was not yet given the "vocabulary" label as it was in middle school and beyond. However, from what I do remember during K-4th grade, we learned new vocabulary words using a simplified version of the same rote practices - define, fill-in, write a sentence.
The only "direct instruction" I experienced when it came to vocabulary was our teachers reading the answers to the homework aloud. Vocabulary work was seen as a time-filler, a homework assignment, or something to do when we had a sub. By junior year of high school, our workbooks were replaced with an online vocabulary program that guided us through the same activities, only with sound effects. Then, vocabulary became more about the SATs, and less about if we actually gained full understanding of the long lists of words and roots we were assigned to learn (memorize) each week. I remember feeling frustrated with the large amounts of "busy work" related to vocabulary, and wondered if I would even remember the countless words and definitions thrown at me by my senior year of college.
In case you're wondering, I would say that about 40% of the vocabulary words I learned throughout middle and high school stuck with me. That's because 40% of the vocabulary words I learned throughout middle and high school proved meaningful to me. They were meaningful because I made them meaningful. They were the words that I encountered in reading, words that I used in conversation, words that I peppered into papers and projects. The words that stuck with me were the words that were useful to me because of what I, as the student, chose to do with them.
"Because comprehension is a complex process, a reader may well need knowledge of a different character than mere accuracy of definitions of words in the text to facilitate the process" (17).
While reading McKeown and Beck's article, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with their concepts of focusing direct instruction on Tier 2 words, as well as the questionable reliability of learning new words through context alone. What struck me most in their article, however, were the suggested instructional strategies for teaching vocabulary words in an active and engaging way. Making connections to personal experiences, such as asking students to think about a time they consoled someone, as well as posing questions that enable students to compare/contrast word meanings, such as "Could a miser be a tyrant?" are two methods of direct instruction that simply take the unattractive practices of copying definitions and writing sentences to the next level, where students are actually prompted to think about the word's meaning as a concept, and use knowledge of that word's meaning to draw an authentic conclusion. Interactive methods also help establish student ownership of learning, which acts as a natural motivator in the classroom. Use of word lines and example/non-example prompts are two additional strategies that allow students to enter into an internal dialogue with these words as they decipher their true and comprehensive meanings. These strategies seem fairly easy to implement as a teacher, and I can't help but feel a little betrayed by my ELA teachers of the past for failing to create a meaningful vocabulary learning experience in the classroom.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Post #1: Synthesizing
"Synthesizing while reading is critical to understanding the big ideas in informational texts" (Cummins & Stallmeyer-Gerard 395).
Throughout my schooling experience, I had always considered English/Language Arts to be my strong suit when it came to academics. I loved to write, I could spell any word you threw at me, and I was a self-proclaimed member of the "Grammar Police" who lost respect for anyone who could not distinguish between "you're" and "your" by our senior year of high school. But for some reason, I struggled when it came to reading and responding because I faced a great deal of difficulty when it came to synthesizing information. To this day, I feel that I have to work harder than the average college student to complete assignments that require synthesis skills. I have a slew of devices that I rely on when attempting to synthesize, one of which is quite similar to the article's cake baking analogy. I have found that while reading any kind of text, it is helpful to extract and write down key points (the baking ingredients). I then examine everything I have written, and try to formulate some type of umbrella statement (the cake) that incorporates the details I have noted. After establishing an effective active reading strategy that works for me, I feel much more comfortable with my synthesis skills. However, it bothers me that I am unable to remember specifically being taught how to synthesize information in my younger years of schooling. All I can recall is having to "identify the main idea" of a passage countless times, feeling confused, and resorting to guessing. It has become clear, especially with the newly developed informational text focused ELA Common Core State Standards, that a great deal of emphasis should be placed on teaching and developing students' synthesis skills in the classroom.
In my 4th grade practicum classroom, I have thankfully already seen synthesis skills being taught. The other day, my teacher gave a lesson on determining the main idea of a text, and identifying details that support that main idea. The students were given a text about Inuit culture, and a worksheet with 5 partially completed charts that corresponded to 5 different sections in the text. Each chart had blank spaces for the "Main Idea" and "Supporting Details." Some sections were filled in already, and it was the students' job to complete each chart by identifying the missing information. My cooperating teacher asked me to work with a few struggling students at the back table of the classroom. I read the passages aloud while the students followed along in their text. I explained to the students before beginning to read that they should listen to the descriptive details in the text, and think about one big idea that they all point to. By talking my students through each step of synthesizing, I watched as their eyes lit up with enough confidence to volunteer answers for the charts. Upon finishing the worksheet, I felt that my students had a greater grasp of synthesis than I had at their age. I hope that my cooperating teacher continues to give our students more practice with synthesizing so they can learn this important skill, and so I can have more opportunities to practice teaching it!
Throughout my schooling experience, I had always considered English/Language Arts to be my strong suit when it came to academics. I loved to write, I could spell any word you threw at me, and I was a self-proclaimed member of the "Grammar Police" who lost respect for anyone who could not distinguish between "you're" and "your" by our senior year of high school. But for some reason, I struggled when it came to reading and responding because I faced a great deal of difficulty when it came to synthesizing information. To this day, I feel that I have to work harder than the average college student to complete assignments that require synthesis skills. I have a slew of devices that I rely on when attempting to synthesize, one of which is quite similar to the article's cake baking analogy. I have found that while reading any kind of text, it is helpful to extract and write down key points (the baking ingredients). I then examine everything I have written, and try to formulate some type of umbrella statement (the cake) that incorporates the details I have noted. After establishing an effective active reading strategy that works for me, I feel much more comfortable with my synthesis skills. However, it bothers me that I am unable to remember specifically being taught how to synthesize information in my younger years of schooling. All I can recall is having to "identify the main idea" of a passage countless times, feeling confused, and resorting to guessing. It has become clear, especially with the newly developed informational text focused ELA Common Core State Standards, that a great deal of emphasis should be placed on teaching and developing students' synthesis skills in the classroom.
In my 4th grade practicum classroom, I have thankfully already seen synthesis skills being taught. The other day, my teacher gave a lesson on determining the main idea of a text, and identifying details that support that main idea. The students were given a text about Inuit culture, and a worksheet with 5 partially completed charts that corresponded to 5 different sections in the text. Each chart had blank spaces for the "Main Idea" and "Supporting Details." Some sections were filled in already, and it was the students' job to complete each chart by identifying the missing information. My cooperating teacher asked me to work with a few struggling students at the back table of the classroom. I read the passages aloud while the students followed along in their text. I explained to the students before beginning to read that they should listen to the descriptive details in the text, and think about one big idea that they all point to. By talking my students through each step of synthesizing, I watched as their eyes lit up with enough confidence to volunteer answers for the charts. Upon finishing the worksheet, I felt that my students had a greater grasp of synthesis than I had at their age. I hope that my cooperating teacher continues to give our students more practice with synthesizing so they can learn this important skill, and so I can have more opportunities to practice teaching it!
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