Reflection 4

Overall, what I really found that I agreed with throughout this week’s readings, was that each article and, even the chapters in the book, truly seemed to be pushing for additional time spent reading, and writing as well, especially during the school day, but outside of class, too, as one of the main contributors toward achieving reading competency.

In Richard Allington’s 1994 article, “The schools we have. The schools we need.”, it was disheartening and, yet, fortunate in that it is being recognized, that individuals in the education vocation often muddle what might merely be a lack of exposure for an absence of potential. For this exact reason, I think it is exceedingly important that youth suspected of requiring alternative forms of instruction are first assessed through a wide variety of means, including speaking with the student, his or her family, and other colleagues, to determine the actual reason behind a student’s lack of achievement.

However, while I think reading and writing are extremely worthwhile daily activities, they should not eliminate other important forms of learning and growth. This article did seem to almost want to ignore certain aspects of education in favor of just this one. I do comprehend the significance of becoming a literate individual and how key a role it plays in determining one’s course of life, but I do not think that all other options should be ignored in its presence. Certain activities, such as “art, music, [and] physical education” were listed in reference to types of academic work that “interfere” with reading and writing education (Allington, p. 21, 1994). Just because this form of literacy is essential, does not mean we should forsake and stop encouraging others. Developing students’ creativity and health through such alternate activities also provide vital experiences and learning opportunities that need to be taken advantage of. Perhaps there is a better way of formulating the school day that would allow for more reading and writing, by way of incorporating it into these other subjects and connecting important information between topics, but in the case of simply removing numerous other forms of enlightenment, I find this to be an opinion I cannot come to terms with.

While I am not entirely sure I agree upon a couple of the statements within the second article by Allington, there were several other points on which I concurred. Because the thought process that goes on inside my head when I read and the ways in which I think while reading are so natural and ingrained within me, it is effortless to forget that frequently such skills must be taught to students in order for them to gain proficiency. Although there are individuals who might pick up such expertise on their own, numerous others require a teacher capable of explaining how he or she has reflected, deliberated, and come to the conclusions that he or she did while reading. Most, I think, might consider this an unconscious activity, and, thus, it appears critical to remember that not everyone garners such skills so flawlessly. Moreover, I appreciated the emphasis on actually discussing the material rather than asking basic, singular answer questions. From my own recollections, I can acknowledge that many of the instances in which I truly felt I had gleaned a complete understanding of a work of writing was only after I had listened to the perspectives of my peers and professors.

Through Cassidy, Valadez, and Garrett’s “Literacy Trends and Issues: A Look at the Five Pillars and the Cement That Supports Them”, what caught my attention was not so much how all of the different attributes of reading have risen and fallen or stabilized in regard to popularity and import, but how there exist all of these alternate pieces that serve a function in learning how to read and write and how each performs its own purpose. Although the aspects that are most sought after will fluctuate, the most significant way to incorporate them all is to simply find balance. Just as we spoke last week about finding a balance between silent, independent reading and reading aloud, so, too, does there need to be a balance in instructing students on all the different subjects involved in reading.

Lastly, there were a few pieces of knowledge that I found interesting from our text for the semester. I feel it is necessary to make sure that students are introduced to a wide array of reading materials and subject matter. Not only does this method of familiarization provide them with a number of opportunities to seek out the topics they find most interesting, but also it gives them a broad base of knowledge to draw from in the future.

Moreover, I loved the concept of the bookboard, in which students can signal their own appreciation or lack thereof for a book and eventually even receive a chance to explain their viewpoint. This seemed like an excellent way of making students interested in reading and assisting others by recommending new books for them to attempt or to avoid in the future.