Reflection 5

This week’s readings presented a number of beneficial points and useful tidbits of information for the future. With respect to the first article, “Introducing a New Storybook To Young Readers,” I thought Clay’s idea of developing a sort of prelude to the actual story was brilliant way of not only prefacing students’ minds for the incoming, new content, but also of allowing them to relate what they are about to read to what they already know. Through this method the teacher is able to give a brief overview, which could serve to eliminate any ensuing confusion about the topic, while reducing the possibility of students being wholly overwhelmed by novel material.

Moreover, I appreciated how in this reading, as well as the others, which were provided for this reflection, that the author cautioned her audience on the necessity of serving the different needs of the diverse population of students that each educator is certain to receive. There will be students that arrive at school having been raised in environments abounding in experiences with reading and writing. In this case, it would be easy to see how they might not require as much of an introduction to prepare them for the new content as those who lack in the awareness of such observations.  

Finally, it was interesting to notice how this form of prologue to the actual written work could function as both a community event, while still retaining its educational merit. Beginning another book by introducing the storyline or issue, the students are presented with the opportunity to discuss and gain additional perspectives on the overall subject matter and acquire actual instruction before commencing with substance of the text.

           

Regarding the subsequent article, which came from both the IRA and NAEYC, I firstly liked that they disputed the claim of prior familiarity with both reading and writing as having potentially negative effects if supplied before an individual is at a specific stage of development. This notion seems relatively ridiculous, as being brought from a setting without such experiences directly into circumstances where they are expected to learn those exact skills hardly seems an advantageous method of preparation.

           

It appears fairly clear from this work just how much children begin to pick up on the manners in which their surroundings, if the are permitted the proper amounts of exposure, are immersed in activities revolving around both reading and writing. Thus, many of individual’s fundamental views on the topics and the level of enjoyment equated with them, begin their development when most are quite young. As a result, it is essential that youth be furnished with opportunities to have these experiences so that they, in turn, can give rise to the drive that pushes them to truly learn and apply these skills.

           

A final thought I enjoyed from “Learning To Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices For Young Children,” was the idea “that children do not progress along this developmental continuum in rigid sequence. Rather each child exhibits a unique pattern and timing in acquiring skills and understanding related to reading and writing” (IRA & NAEYC, 1998, p. 15). The aforementioned belief appeared, to me, to be one of the most significant portions of the text. It is key that educators know and fully comprehend that each student that passes through their classroom door is going to learn at a slightly, if not entirely, different pace and through the utilization of differing instruction methods. Every pupil will require specific adjustments and demonstrate varying capacities, even if minute, in how they acquire reading and writing abilities; therefore, it is the responsibility of the teacher to recognize and accommodate the diverse learning speeds and requirements.

           

What drew me in to the third writing titled “Supporting Phonemic Awareness Development In the Classroom,” aside from the discovery of the numerous attributes of phonemic awareness, was the balance, which is a frequently recurring topic this semester, that is required in instructing reading and writing. While teaching phonemic awareness and all of its nuances is certainly important, it should not be taught independently of all of the other critical elements involved in mastering these capabilities. Furthermore, I think it was of extreme benefit to hear of the innumerable ways in which to incorporate the learning of these skills into the day-to-day schedule, and actually this was a large piece of what I gleaned from the textbook reading, as well. Particularly, I loved the inclusion of the book The Hungry Thing, and the potential ventures and learning opportunities that could be encompassed through the reading of this story.  

The last piece I read this week was the chapter from our textbook, and as I mentioned above, what I was mostly able to extract was the various manners of making reading and writing education into enjoyable pursuits that would be capable of swiftly drawing in and maintaining the focus of a classroom of students. I simply had not realized, or perhaps had not previously had the chance to ponder, the vast number of activities that can be developed to produce an effectual and diverting learning experience. Each exploit that included the use of different students’ names seemed an especially efficient way of truly engaging an instructor’s audience. Generally speaking, the text seems a relatively valuable resource when seeking ideas for including phonemic awareness in the classroom.