Reading First: Cautions and Recommendations

After reading this article it made me realize the flaws in teaching children how to read. School and teacher are now redefining thier approaches to teaching and learning because of inadequate research. I can not believe that a study were over estimated and under-studied I believe that someone should take the responsibility for that. The reports that claim to improve the method of teaching never exist and how can we defined the levels of reading for children. I believe that the report did not understand what reading mean because it only focus on one or two method of teaching. Some of the things that were emphasize such as phonics and what sound were before they could do any other reading is absolutely rediculous. How do you measure children reading levels base off of incomplete research and one or two method. Not all children have the same learning style and some children are much quicker learner than other. The meaning of reading varies throughout the report and there is no consistency. Over exaggerating a studies make no sense beacuse in the long run it only hurt teacher and students.

Response to Coles and Woodside-Jiron

Coles talks about the "underlying assumptions" regarding literacy in the current debates. I think this discussion is very interesting because it addressed a lot of the issues surrounding "The Great Debate" over issue of literacy. How do we measure literacy and what is the rubric? These question are important because there seem to be no definite answer and no real solution to how we define literacy. Coles introduction is interesting because he talks about changing the term of debate and most people are focusing on issues that are not relevant to literacy. How do we measure or have a standardize rubric of children who are literate when there is no real definition of the term literate or literacy. I believe that children have different learning style and to place a measurement on how much they need to learn or know is irrelevant. Not just children, but all of us have different learning style and some people learn faster than other. So how do we measure which age of children should read on a certain level when they have different learning style. It make no sense to teach children one method and not the other. I believe we should use both in order to achieve the literacy level that we want our children to be. As teacher and educators we must adapt to different level and learning strategies because no one technique fit all. Teaching children how to read is important therefore educators must be sensitive to children who might not be that great or to student who lack reading skills. For the most part there are many ways and strategies of teaching children how to read so they could be literate. There is no right or wrong answer to the problem only solution to what work best for the children.

Both Coles and Woodside-Jiron point out ways in which "research" has been misused in the reading policy debate. Since both sides claim to be basing thier argument on research, this does not mean that research is meaningless. Research into the issues raises question and debate on how we teach children how to read and become literate. Strategy such as "meaning emphasis" or "whole language" are a great method, but it is not the solution. Educational setting is always open for debate so it is important that the curriculum is fair for children. How do we balance teaching children how to read in a level that is appropriate or the standard? We don't we just try our very best of our ability to teach children how to read and to become literate.

Scribner & Cole Reading

What implications does this have on schooling and literacy?

After reading Scribner and Cole it raises question about literacy and where else can you acquired literacy beside school. The implications it have on schooling is literacy can be taught at any place other than school such as by a tutor or at a church. This raises debate whether literacy can continue in a educational system where student use current technologies to learn new skill of literacy in the 21st century.

I believe that different institution and different society will view literacy differently. The use of literacy goes beyond reading and writing but understanding the concept and material. How we perceive literacy skill is important in relation to learning, reading, thinking, and higher education. I also don't think that people who are abstract thinker have better literacy skills. Literacy skills for me is what you were taught and how much you understand the material where you are able to explain and even teach the material. When writing is use in perspective of literacy it is important that we incorporate new technologies with the old in a way where learning is still relevant to literacy. For the most part I think literacy is important in schooling as well as other places outside of school. Being in school teaches us new strategies and allow us to think outside the box on what the world is really like. By attending school it give us a different perspective of the outside world and the knowledge we learn can be incorporated in the real world. Schooling is very important in literacy but we must recognize that because we score low on certain areas does not mean we are incapable in other task.

Adams and Goodman chapters in LCS

I thought that Adams and Goodman opposing views of learning to read were very interesting because there is different interpretation into reading. There is similarties and differences between the two approaches. Adams ways is teaching children to read by using the alphabetic approaches. By teaching children the letter of each word they will practice the sound and than they will learn the meaning of the word. For Adams children should learn to read by being encouraged to apply thier innately given language-acquisition powers to text. I think that learning to read take time and practice and with the alphabet it is a good approach to reading. Goodman discuss more about literacy and how reading would apply to it. Learning language is learning the meaning of the word and text. According to Goodman "As these two generalizations are developing, children discover that they can make sense through written language as they use it themselves" (p.317). By using both oral language and written language children will begin to learn how to read.

Both approaches by Adams and Goodman were correct in my opinion. There are different stragtegy that teacher can use when teaching someone how to read. I think using the alphabet is a great way to start and than teaching them the meaning of the words. From there having student read it out loud and having them explain what they have just read would be a good approach to reading. The way I were taught to read were learning the alphabet and than creating a word with it. When I were in elementary school my teacher would have me read simple and short word and from there the teacher would give me the meaning to those words. My personal experiences have been fun and challenging at the same time because my parent did not know English where they could teach me how to read and write. Over time reading have been easier for me because of practice and seeing other learn how to read.

Sarah Michaels "Sharing time"

I think reading the article "Sharing time" " Children's narrative styles and differential access to literacy by Sarah Michaels is interesting because student from different background will come to school with different narrative style and strategy. For these children sharing time give them an opportunity to express their view and practice literacy discourse. I think that teacher and school also need to recognize that student from various background tell thier story different depending on thier environment and how they were raise. Student must learn to adapt and assimilate themselve in the school enviroment where appropriate language must be used in a literacy discourse. It is important to understand that the language use at home might not be appropriate in the classroom.

After reading this article it made me realize that the language we use at home and at school is different. It is very true in literacy discourse and our conversation between our friends and family are different. The way we communicate to our love one is different than the way we speak with our friends. Different setting and situation required different communication style in order to convey appropriate message.

I think school and teacher should evaluate thier student based on thier understanding of literacy. I would say don't be hard on the student, but help guide them to communicate and teach them the important of literacy. Sharing time and story-telling is a great way for teacher and student interaction so it help build a positive relationship with learning. These story can be used in the curriculum of written communication. The question is how should academic literacy be introduce is a difficult question, but school need to make it fair with student of different background coming with different narrative style. I don't think there is a real solution but we can help relate and try to understand student narrative perspective and how we help educate them to be a productive member of society.