CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
¥ Understand the terms literacy, emergent reading, phonemic awareness, and phonics instruction.
¥ Describe the processes of learning to read and write.
¥ Plan appropriate literacy instruction.
¥ Create a classroom environment that supports the development of literacy.
¥ Plan the assessment of literacy development.
¥ Adapt literacy instruction for children with special needs.
¥ Celebrate diversity in the classroom.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Debate about appropriate literacy instruction is ongoing.
A) Reading instruction has historically been important to Americans.
i. Massachusetts Puritans passed laws mandating reading instruction.
ii. Recent US legislation addresses the nature of reading instruction.
iii. Literacy instruction is an essential component of success as a teacher.
B) Some sources of information about instructional strategies are more reliable than others.
i. Claims without reference to scholarly research, particular those on the Internet, are generally not trustworthy. Unreferenced statistics should be interpreted with caution.
ii. Many authors writing about literacy, particularly in support of phonics, have no background in education.
iii. Evaluation of instructional strategies should involve consideration of the source.
C) Literacy instruction is multifaceted. Because children have so many experiences related to literacy, it is difficult to evaluate the impact of any specific experience or teaching strategy.
2. Current thinking about literacy instruction demonstrates change from previous approaches.
A) The concept of literacy
i. Previously, literacy was viewed as a skill that children either mastered or failed to master.
ii. Currently, literacy acquisition is viewed a continuum. It begins with childrenÕs first language experience and never ends.
B) Literacy instruction
i. Previously, children were viewed as blank slated prior to school instruction.
ii. We now understand that literacy instruction must incorporate childrenÕs past experience.
C) The term emergent reading describes the idea that childrenÕs ability to interpret printed words is a continuum, reflecting the ideas that all children have some literacy-related knowledge and experience. Environmental print (text linked to common, recognizable symbols) facilitates the development of reading skill.
D) Emergent literacy is a more general concept, addressing childrenÕs current reading and writing skills.
3. Literacy Instruction
A) All literacy instruction shares some basic goals:
i. Continuing the development of oral language
ii. Promoting text decoding skills
iii. Encouraging positive self-concept and motivation in relation to literacy skills.
iv. These goals are broad and will not be met by any one activity targeted at a specific reading or writing skill.
4. Classroom Environment
A) Teachers can achieve these goals by offering children a variety of experiences, intervening and promoting conversation and providing stimulating materials.
B) Literacy is promoted in text-rich classrooms, when children experience many diverse activities in relation to written language.
C) Children will be more engaged by literacy activities that are embedded in activities of interest, such as pretend play. Teachers can facilitate this by adding literacy-based themes and literacy-related materials to play areas and science centers. Real-life materials will be more effective than pretend objects.
D) Cambourne created a model to define the optimum conditions for promoting literacy (see Figure 9.15).
i. The model stresses immersion (diverse contact with reading and writing) and demonstration (literacy models).
ii. Both children and the people around them must expect children to become literate (expectation).
iii. Learners must accept responsibility for their own learning.
iv. Learners must employ their knowledge in real and meaningful activities, through increasingly accurate approximations.
v. Learners must receive a response (feedback), but do not necessarily need praise.
5. Learning to Read
A) Reading is gaining information from text, not just interpreting sounds. The process of actively interpreting text involves predicting what the text will say, interpreting the actual text, and revising the prediction.
B) Readers use cues to speed their interpretation of text.
i. Sight words are words that are very familiar and instantly interpreted.
ii. Semantics, the relationship between words and meanings, are somewhat different for each person but should be similar to all people using the same language.
iii. Syntax, the arrangement of words, offers clues to interpreting language.
iv. Context helps readers determine the meaning of words.
v. Illustrations that correspond to the text offer cues and may serve as the basis for predictions about word meanings.