Time to Play

Have you ever spent time with children while they were playing?  Whether with your own children, relatives, or students in your class have you ever paid attention to the imagination that is being used and the story-telling going on during playtime?  I have seen my niece and nephews while they play and sometimes just had to laugh in surprise at their creativity.  Sadly however, play in schools has been starting to dwindle.  As more pressure has been put on increasing test scores there has been more pencil/paper work and less play.  As Dr. Karen Wohlwend stated in a podcast with Dr. Betsy Baker, play is looked at more as a nice thing to have, but not of enough value to keep around when push comes to shove with our time (2009).

In this podcast and her corresponding article, Dr. Wohlwend looks specifically at play with Disney princess dolls from popular media.  Some teachers have felt that allowing students to write about these popular media themes would not encourage children to be creative and they would just be writing based on stories they knew.  However, as Dr. Wohlwend points out, these themes are rich with literacy material.

 Play provides a safe environment where mistakes are inconsequential and where they can practice and extend their literacy abilities.  Children can practice language oral skills without fear.  In interacting with others they can build those literacy skills together and develop their own strategies.  I think most people recognize that school can be very draining.  When all day long students are sitting at their desks working with pencil and paper it is bound to be mentally exhausting and become less effective.  Children need some time to let their creativity out in a way they dictate.  It is up to us as teachers to harness that imagination and creativity, not stomp it out.

Fun with Reading

We live in a culture where story telling is a big part of our conversations, whether we discuss our own life experiences or we are sharing our thoughts about a movie we just saw or book we just read.  During my experiences in the classroom this semester I have come to really value the opportunity to do read-alouds with the students and really getting them involved with stories.  I have had several opportunities to do read-alouds with my first graders.  While their enthusiasm can sometimes be overwhelming with every student wanting to comment, I find it a valuable tool when it comes to building their comprehension of a book or story.

Some may have the misconception that a read aloud simply implies reading a book out loud to children; they sit and listen while the teacher reads through the story non-stop.  If this were the case, I would not consider read-alouds quite as valuable as I do.  A good read aloud gets the children interacting with the story, asking questions and making connections.  In their book, Catching Readers, Johnson and Keier refer to a scenario where after reading the book the teacher asked the students to take some time to share their thoughts with a partner.  This gives the students a chance to construct meaning, make connections and support one another (p.99).  Not only does this help the students work on literacy skills, but it usually makes the story more enjoyable!  So often we expect students to only talk about what we are learning in school.  Read-alouds can give them a chance to bring in their life experiences and to just have a purposeful conversation that is not based on right or wrong answers.

Shared reading can also bring a lot to the table.  We can use some of the same tips from read-alouds in letting students talk and build meaning while allowing each student to have the book in front of him or her.  At my current school they use something called the Fab Four when doing shared or guided reading.  The Fab Four are four different characters: Quincy the Questioner who asks who, what, when, where, why questions about the story, Paula the Predictor who predicts what is going to happen next in the story, Clara the Clarifier who stops to examine words we are not familiar with, and Sammy the Summarizer who gives a brief summary of the main points in the story.  I have found these to be very effective in helping students build their comprehension.

There are many benefits in reading aloud to children AND allowing them to participate in the story.  Finding a way that makes reading more enjoyable and more productive is a definite win.

The Looming Presence of Assessments

I remember test taking as always being part of school.  By the time I got to high school one would think I would have mastered taking tests (which I still have not).  Then during my undergraduate work I was exposed to different kinds of tests and assessments, which showed me that I am just not as strong in multiple choice or true/false tests as I am with tests that require reasoning and give me a chance to argue my claims.  Having decided to enter the field of education I have seen that standardized testing in schools has become even critically tied to a student's performance than when I was in school.  Obviously there does need to be some kind of assessment, but is constant testing (and the same kinds of tests at that) really the best way to evaluate performance, knowledge, or ability?

Just as I have my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to different forms of tests, I believe all students have a testing niche in which they are most successful.  I completely agree with Dr. Caitlin Dooley who stated that a single test cannot tell the whole story and that we need to have different genres of assessments (2010).  Tests should not be a measure of how gifted a student is at taking tests, but at assessing what they have learned and where improvements can be made.  Assessments should be a means of helping teachers figure out how to be more effective in the classroom.

According to Johnson and Keier, authors of Catching Readers Before They Fall, other forms of assessment include informal conferences with our students, taking notes on students's performances throughout the day, or a more formal assessment like a running record or benchmark tests (2010).  We as teachers are in the classroom to teach our students.  What better way to assess how we as teachers are performing and how our students are doing than by watching them and taking note of their learning processes?

Looking at Miscue Analysis

When we listen to children read out loud we can sometimes be too critical and focused on what words he or she is missing or just plain getting it wrong.  The truth though is that children are using their own strategies on how to make sense of an unfamiliar text.  A good miscue analysis provides a goal "to understand how flexibly and efficiently the reader is integrating all the cues to predict, confirm, or discard hypotheses while making meaning with a text (Wohlwend, 2012).  This new view on the miscue analysis allows us to look at how a child reads a sentence as a whole rather than just narrowing our vision to single words.

Through our class discussion with Dr. Wohlwend, I have learned that there are three key questions in conducting a good miscue analysis, which are: does it sound like good English? (syntax), does it make sense? (semantics), and was there a meaning change? (comprehension).  We have also been introduced to the spider chart, which helps put the information from our miscue analysis into a format to visualize the relationships between the three systems.  If a good miscue analysis requires looking at the sentence as a whole and not just single words, it only makes sense that the information we get should also be looked at as a whole and not separate, unrelated parts of our analysis. The spider chart can help us visualize a child's strengths and weaknesses in regards to the three systems.

I admit that before I became familiar with children's techniques in reading an unfamiliar text I would have thought to myself after hearing a child read, "Where did that come from?  That word doesn't even look the same or sound the same."  Having some familiarity now though, I can better understand where kids are pulling their ideas.  Just this past week I was helping out in a first grade math class.  We were working on word problems and I was with a small group of about 4-5 students.  One little boy was sitting next to me and he wanted to read the next problem out loud for our group.  He could read some of the words by himself (many of these were part of the class's "word wall" of sight words) but with many he struggled.  His reading though still made sense; he was reading sentences and not just words.  Because we were in the middle of a group math lesson we had to keep moving.  Afterwards, however, he was looking at that same problem and pointed out to me the words 'toy' and 'toys'.  I recall that when he had been reading out loud he said something like car or another word that didn't seem very close.  He did notice though that they were the same word but one had an 's' on the end.  It just made me think of the connections kids make in the moment and the ones they can make when given some more time.

As current or future teachers, being able to recognize how a child reads and makes sense of a text can help us become better at choosing the right reading material for our students and what kinds of strategies or mini lessons we can work on.  The point of anything we as teachers do in that capacity should always be to find out how best to help our students.

To Level or Not to Level?

As parents and teachers, what are our goals when we give kids a book to read?  We may hear different answers including wanting kids to enjoy what they are reading, helping them build stamina, helping them develop their comprehension, and basically just giving kids an opportunity to build their literacy foundation.  But how do we know what are the best books for our children or students?

As teachers, we have a responsibility to choose the best reading material for our students.  According to Glasswell and Ford in their article Let's Start Leveling About Leveling, the reading material itself is not as important as how it is used and thus a teacher's judgment is critical for "planning and implementing successful reading instruction" (pg. 209).  We could have a classroom full of books for students with different reading needs, but if we don't know how to use them they become a good idea gone bad.

First we need to recognize that the relationship between the reader and the text in a specific context is very complex.  Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer referred to this as text complexity, or "an interwoven series of various pieces that braid together to make [reading] more multi-faceted, complicated, and interesting" (2012).  This complex interaction is oversimplified when we try to put kids into reading levels.  If we were to always put kids into reading levels we would have to create many sub-levels in order to identify all the different needs of children.  This goes back to the idea that teachers need to choose books that suit a student's needs rather than trying to get him or her to the next "level".   Dr. Mesmer also mentioned how the material children read should help guide thinking, represent knowledge, and expose gaps and inconsistencies

Children need materials that they are actually interested in reading, are capable or reading, and are also challenging and stimulating.  This ties in with Vygotsky's idea of ZPD.  Children need to be able to accomplish some tasks (helping maintain confidence) while still needing just a little bit more help and guidance to challenge the student.

Improve Kid's Vocabulary Now

I have been helping out in a first grade classroom at an elementary school where they introduce two new vocabulary words each week.  This past week the words were precise and ambiguous.  I am sorry to say that when I first heard those were the words I thought to myself, "Oh those must apply more to the older grades."  I have since discovered how unfortunate that kind of thinking can be.  The teacher of this first grade class had no reservations about applying these new vocabulary words to their lessons and using them in different situations to help the kids grasp the definitions.  Kids at that age are like sponges and deserve more credit in their ability to learn new things than we sometimes give them.

Dr. Susan Neuman did some research among young children and found that "oral language... is the foundation of early literacy development" (podcast 2011).  Having a stronger vocabulary can build stronger literacy practices, which can also enhance a child's comprehension in content areas like science and social studies.  I also think children like to learn bigger words so they can use them and show off what they know.

Vocabulary does not have to be a specified area where the teacher gives the student a lists of words to learn.  In fact I would say that would be a bad idea and would not work very well, especially with the younger children.  If we as teachers do not confine our vocabulary when we teach and interact with students, their vocabulary can increase as well.  They may ask a lot of questions to have us explain to them what certain words mean, but what a great opportunity for teachers!  As we continue using vocabulary that our kids may not know, I feel they will also be able to develop an ability to learn definitions through context.  This is a higher level skill, but it still introduces them.

Introducing kids to learning vocabulary at a young age can help prepare them to be able to continually learn new words.  As they get older and reach those grades in elementary school when testing becomes a large focus, they will have a stronger literacy foundation.

What do you mean, 'Sound it out'?

'Sound it out' is a pretty common phrase when it comes to reading and learning new words.  Most people will tell you that 'sounding out' a word means to sound out each letter of an unknown word and try to blend them together to figure out the word.  We can hear of many parents and students using this phrase as a technique for reading, but just how helpful is it?

When I think about having to sound out a word, I am more inclined to think about the game Mad Gab than I am to think about a good reading strategy.  Sounding out a word or phrase would be more helpful there in trying to figure out that "Thigh Sing Gone Thick Ache" is actually "the icing on the cake". However, it is not a very useful tool when it comes to reading.  The English language is full of words with silent letters, multiple sounds for single letters, and other complicated letter relationships, which would make this method unhelpful almost half the time.  Besides, simply telling a child to 'sound it out' over and over again does not seem very helpful at all.  No wonder children can get easily frustrated when trying to figure a word out and the only guidance they are given is, "sound it out".

In her article, "Sounding Out": A Pervasive Cultural Model of Reading, Catherine Compton-Lilly identifies some of the strategies children actually use when trying to figure out a word.  These strategies include, looking a pictures that may help identify the word, looking at the context of a story/sentence (what makes sense?), and visual features of words, or seeing if a child's pronunciation "looks like" the printed word.  Based on Compton-Lilly's research, many children will say they learn by "sounding it out" when in reality they are using these other reading strategies.  As adults we have become proficient readers and take for granted our ability to unconsciously figure out how to pronounce a word and understand it's meaning based on contextual clues.  When I come across a new word in my readings I do not need to sound it out; I have become familiar enough with the sounds letters make in certain associations that it requires little effort to figure out a pronunciation.  Children are still learning this skill.

As current or future teachers we can help children develop better reading strategies than just sounding out words.  We can teach them to use "...meaningful information gained from the picture, sentence context, or story line.  Or use "...structural knowledge as they think about what would sound right.  Or use their knowledge of visual information "...as they think about what word looks right" (Catching Readers Before They Fall, Johnson pg. 54).  While words are what make up a story, the story can also help our young readers figure out a word.  It may not always be an easy road, but it will be more beneficial and frustrate the teacher/parent and child less.

Kids Know What They're Doing

Do you remember having to practice writing and spelling when you were in school?  I do.  I remember getting the grey papers with the practice lines for writing and all the weekly spelling tests and spelling bees.  At a young age it is ingrained in us to recognize spelling and grammatical errors.  In my English classes in high school, college, and even during my graduate work we write papers and have our peers edit them for grammar and spelling while we edit theirs.  So much of our focus when writing is on those conventions.  For many of us, that may have been the way we learned to write.  But is this focus really the best way for children who are just learning to read and write?  Isn't there so much more to writing than just being able to use proper spelling and punctuation?  Is a book considered a good read because all the words are spelled correctly and the periods are in the right place?

In the article "Every Mark on the Page: Educating Family and Community Members about Young Children's Writing" by Kate Foley Cusumano, we can see that there are other ways in helping our students and our own children in learning to write.  I strongly agree with one of the main points of the article, which is that one of the most important things to do when helping a child learn to write is to recognize what he or she is doing right.  As teachers we always need to have a positive attitude about what our students are capable of and not limit that potential with constant nagging of items that may still require some effort.  Cusamano identifies some of the positives we can look for in our children's writing:

Drawings- Many children begin their writings with a drawing.  This is their way of setting the stage for the story or meaning they wish to convey.  Since many children are exposed to picture books from a very young age, they may associate pictures as being part of how to convey meaning as well as the written word.

Print Concept- If a child is writing from left to right and top to bottom, he or she is already demonstrating an understanding of print concept.  This awareness is something we as adults do not consciously think of anymore.  It comes natural to us.  We need to remember that children are starting from scratch.  

Flexibility with letters- It is common to see a child write b's or d's backwards or write a 'q' instead of a d, inverting the letter.  Many parents and even teachers may see this and react by thinking the child just does not understand or may even think the child is dyslexic (which cannot be defined by something like this).  Truth is, this flexibility is just part of the learning process.  When a child is showing this flexibility, he or she is exploring the letters; they do not see the limits of convention yet.

Spaces between words- This may seem like another obvious one to those of us who have been able to read and write for some time.  But again, recognizing that spaces separate words is a skill that children develop, it does not just happen.

There can be many other things we see in children's writing.  Some children may progress at faster rates than others.  What is important for teachers and parents to understand is that children need to explore.  There will be plenty of time and opportunities for them to work on the conventions of spelling (trust me, I know!).  Children may not have a complete grasp on spelling and grammar, but can still understand how to construct a story.  One recurring lesson I have been taught while working on my graduate degree is that constant correction of children is not the best way.  There are certain things children just need to develop on their own if they are to truly understand the meaning.  I have seen this in math, science, reading, and writing.  Simply telling a child how something is done won't make the message sink in.  However, if that child is able to make their own connections and give meaning to something in his or her own way, it is more likely to stick and create a stronger foundation for other principles taught in the future.  Lessons still need to be taught, and mini lessons can be explored, but we need to have some patience.  Kids deserve more credit than we are sometimes ready to give.

Literacy Dig!

Have you ever paid attention to all the signs at your local grocery store or department store?  As adults we can take for granted the ease we have in understanding all the environments we frequent.  Children may experience these places differently as they continue to learn.

Recently, along with some of my cohorts from school, I went to the local PetCo to see what kind of literacy  was there.  There was surprisingly many different forms of literacy that I would not have noticed if I wasn't looking for them.  Outside on the doors was a sign with the store hours.  Once inside most of the evidence of literacy was very specific as much of it related to pets and how to take care of them.

There was a lot of information about different animals and how to take care of them displayed on signs.  They also had many brochures with information about pet care.  They also had brochures on pet food.  All this information would be very valuable to customers there looking to buy a pet.  Over by the pet food there were also signs that had definitions about certain types of pet food, such as organic food.

There were also pictures associated with the different sections of the store.  Each animal area had a picture of the animal as well as the word, like "birds" or "cats".  The fish section however was in the middle of the store had had not sign or label, just images of fish.  These images would be helpful for people or children who may not have the necessary literacy skills yet.  However, to receive the most benefit from this particular store, literacy skills are very important.

When children go out to places like the pet store, the grocery store, a restaurant, or a gas station they have the opportunity to engage in literacy.  As in the Donut House article by Davidson and Powell, by engaging in real life literacy children have more fun and can learn grammar and give it their own meaning and understanding.  I feel kids learn better when they have the chance to move around and develop their own thinking processes to help them learn things like grammar and phonics.  They can be learning without even knowing it!

Develop an Interest in Reading

Someone once said, "Children are great imitators.  So give them something great to imitate."  I would like to look at this in two parts.  First, it's true, children are great imitators.  That is how they learn so many skills, like speaking or learning to read.  I have recently been developing a greater understanding of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  This basically refers to the space between a what a child can do with an adult's help and what the child can do on his or her own.  The learning process between these two spaces typically begins with imitation; children act based on what they see and hear.

We can't however just expect children to automatically pick up on how to read.  One of Cambourne's Conditions of Learning is immersion.  This means choosing literature that sparks the child's interest.  If the child is interested, he or she will want to learn the new skill, in this particular case, reading!  To become a proficient of any skill requires immersion and the best way to accomplish that is interest.  So if you have a child you are trying to teach how to read or to read at a higher level take the time to find out that child's interests.  If the child is interested in dinosaurs, find dinosaur books!  If the child is interested in the solar system find books on astronomy!  Not only will this help find material the child will want to read, but it can show him or her that you actually care about them personally.  This relates to Cambourne's other condition, expectation.  Your interest in the child can help them have that confidence that he or she can meet your expectation and become a capable reader.  This takes the child from one end to the other of the ZPD where the child can read without help from an adult.

Now going back to the second part of our quote at the beginning, "So give them something great to imitate." Children at such a young age are so easily molded.  They need to be if they are going to learn to speak, read, or learn cultural behaviors and traditions.  As teachers, future teachers, and parents we need to be aware that children will learn through imitation and to use this to our advantage as well as theirs.  We as educated adults all started out just like these children.  They have potential that may far exceed any of our expectations if we give them opportunities.  This is obviously a step by step, day by day process.  So let it begin with engaging their imaginations in ways that make them want to move forward.