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.