Blog #6- Jenna Galatro

Harvey & Goudvis Chapter 4: Tools for Active Literacy: The Nuts and Bolts of Comprehension Instruction

In this chapter they focus on important tools teachers can use to make the literacy process more interactive. No child likes to sit for long periods of time listening to the teacher read information. They have to get involved! This chapter reinforces the importance of modeling our ‘thought process’ and important functions of text structure when moving throughout a book. Additionally, it provides strategies to promote active literacy.

The consistent pattern in this chapter was sharing. When sharing our thoughts, and how we arrive at our conclusion students learn multiple perspectives at looking at things. Our best teachers are the ones who can relate the information in a way that is relative to our lives. Often our best helpers are our students. Teachers can clarify unknown vocabulary however; the students should be making the connections.

The chapter mentions “piggybacking” which allows students to respond to one another’s comments and create an active discussion. When reflecting on this and my own experience with elementary school children, most often they make connections to the text with random examples of their experience not response of their peers. How teachers could foster more critical thinking is teaching students the method of “piggybacking”. For instance, if one student says, “I understand why Frog is angry with Toad, it reminds me of the time my friend did…” Another response from a student could be, “I understand what Jessica is saying because I had that same problem when my friend did… and it made me so angry I had a hard time being happy again”. In this example the two students are building on one another’s ideas while creating a mutual respect for their opinions. Rather than sharing random thoughts, they are feeding off of one another’s. Again, this is something that must be explicitly taught from the teacher and is not something that is mastered through one experience. The more opportunities we can provide for our students to challenge themselves into deeper thought, the more they will comprehend the text and foster a love for reading and sharing.

Blog #5- Jenna Galatro

Harvey & Goudvis Reading Chapter 3: Effective Comprehension Instruction: Teaching, Tone, and Assessment

Chapter three really made me think and envision what kind of teacher I hope to be for my students. It highlighted the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility” model and how important it is that teacher follow these explicit steps when teaching students comprehension strategies. More than ever through my Clinical experience, I am seeing how the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ is implemented and it makes much more sense to me. Reading it in a text only summarizes but does not actually make the information comprehensible until you see it first hand.

I find one of the biggest challenges of being a teacher is remembering what it was like before we knew the knowledge we know today. Reflecting on our own thinking and process of comprehension can allow us to better create lessons that focus on teaching explicit comprehension strategies. However, as the chapter reinforced there are so many different ways to find out what are students are thinking so we can better evaluate and revise our teaching methods. The one consistent pattern that can be found in understanding our students thought process is, knowing our kids on an individual level. The more you know, the more you can help scaffold connections and pick material that is reflective in their lives. There are many approaches of doing this and fostering opportunities for interaction such as ‘turn-and-talk’. While students talk, teachers should be listening and highlighting good analysis and discussions of the topic at hand.

Another way to teach comprehension is using the students ‘words’ to fill out a chart or graphic organizer about the topic. When showing this connection between their words and organizing to better understand the text; students see their thinking come to life. Again, these strategies must be constantly practiced and modeled throughout the year so students can continue practice them and apply them to their individual reading books. It is so important that teachers create an ongoing record of their student’s progress and continually evaluate and reflect on their teaching practices.

Daniella Fusaro Blog #2

Going Public: NCLB and Literacy Practices in Teacher Education
by Dorothy C. Suskind

Dorothy Suskind focuses many topics within this article. She believes in real life experiences and having her students learn through experience. She raises many good points throughout the article especially when she says that it is ulimately the children and not the teachers that make the curriculum. I agree with her on that because the students should be interested in the topics that they learn about or they will be bored.

I feel that too many schools are concerned with standardized tests scores and not enough about the actual content knowledge or basic information. That is where not so well test-takers, like myself get left behind or lost in the shuffle. With No Child Left Behind it ensures that all children get the education they deserve. I feel that the article makes a valid point when it states that "standardized testing may damage students' motivation and self-esteem, and that standardized teaching disempowers teachers as it 'confine(s) and constrict(s) reading curriculum and distrupt(s) high quality teaching and learning". I know that from my own experiences standardized tests make me nervous and I never did well on them so schools should not put as much pressure as they do to do so well. Also, from the classrooms that I have observed teachers teach for the tests and I feel that is wrong because there are not teaching their students any long term information. I guarantee once they take the test most students will forget more than have of the material that was on it because they crammed for it.

Home life and neighborhood can have an impact a child's learning experience. A child that grows up in poverty with a single parent will have a very different experience than one who has two working parents and mansion. As quoted in the article, "All educational efforts that focus on classrooms and schools, as does NCLB, could be reversed by family, could be negated by neighborhood, and might well be minimized by what happend to children outside of school." This further shows that as teachers we always need to be aware of our students' backgrounds and home situations so that we know what to expect from them and of them. It also helps us know who will need more extra help because studies have shown a correlation of low test scores and poverty.

I really enjoyed this article because it was rich with information about NCLB and at the end she brought up many good strategies about bringing literacy into the classroom. Suskind is very big with personal experiences and I am the same way. I feel there is no better way to learn than getting out there and seeing it first hand. There is only so much you can learn from a book, the rest you have to actually see for yourself.

Daniella Fusaro Blog #1

Beginning Reading Instruction in Urban Schools: The Curriculum Gap Ensures a Continuing Achievement Gap
by William H. Teale, Kathleen A. Paciga, Jessica L. Hoffman

This article focuses on the curriculum gap with literacy as a big problem in urban schools and it does not seem to be getting any better. Many educators tend to focus on one or two aspects and brush the others under the rug. The five pillars; phonological awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension are all essential pieces to being successful readers and writers. It seems that comprehension and writing are the two of the main areas that get lost or pushed to the side when it comes to reading programs. I agree with the writing aspect because I see most teachers focus more on actually teaching their students to read and to decode words but not so much with the comprehension part. I feel that teachers do teach fluency before moving up the ladder and that is where I disagree with the article because the teachers that I have seen would not move on to comprehension until their students could read fluently. Again I understand this is an issue in urban settings so they do not always have the same resources to work with but it should still be addressed.

I definitely agree when the article says that the first years of school are critical to a child's development and that is not only for reading and writing but in life as well. If children start off behind the eight ball in kindergarten they are always going to be playing catch up throughout their school years and will not fully enjoy them. That is why I believe we as educators need to make sure all of our students get on the right track from the start. This curriculum gap may not be something that will ever fully go away but it can definitely be diminished by working hard and trying to solve it.

Blog #4-Jenna Galatro

Ch. 2 Reading Instruction

By: Graves

This chapter does an excellent job in summarizing the history of literacy instruction and showing where we are at this point in time. When reflecting on my elementary school instruction I feel as though literacy was very scripted and repetitive. I remember getting excited when my teacher rewarded us and allowed us to venture out of our desks and join the carpet or other areas around the classroom. Now, when observing through a teachers eye, I believe students have much more freedoms in the classroom and choices of how they learn. As a student, those little moments where we got the choice of where we wanted to read, I remember being motivated to do so.

This article highlights how motivation is the key in learning success. Without conveying a love for learning new things and gaining power through reading, students will not be enthusiastic in participating. When creating a stimulating environment and a print rich classroom, students will transfer knowledge and better understand how print works in their everyday life. This article gave great examples about effective teachers and the process in which they taught lessons.

The article quotes how researchers have coined the term, “opportunities to learn”. I found this to be a relevant point as the classroom has moved from less of a lecture format to a more of a choice through a variety of centers. Again, I believe when giving students a choice, they are more likely to learn and transfer knowledge. As differentiating instruction is always a hot topic in the teaching profession, creating a variety of centers allows students to pick ones that are most suitable to their learning styles.

Another valid point I would like to explore in this article is when Graves stated, “Practice involves asking students to do something they already know how to do. Instruction involves showing or telling students how to do something that they do no yet know how to do. Simply asking students to do something does not constitute teaching them how to do it.” I believe this is the essence of why effective modeling strategies is so key and consistent with all grade levels followed by room to make mistakes and allowing students to practice new approaches.

Blog #3- Jenna Galatro

Shared Readings: Modeling Comprehension, Vocabulary, Text Structures, and Text Features for Older Readers

By: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Diane Lapp

In this article by Fisher, Frey, and Lapp they express the importance in modeling our instruction as teachers. As we learn different methods and teaching practices of conducting an effective read aloud, I believe the most work by teachers is put into the preparation. As a teacher it is important to prepare adequately and have a focused objective of the lesson. It is also important that you let the discussion and students direct the means of addressing questions or needs for clarification throughout the read-aloud. Simply reading the book is not enough. As teachers it is important to effectively model our thought process and how good readers engage with text and make connections.

I enjoyed how this article studied many expert teachers and gave examples of great modeling techniques. More than ever when we conduct a read aloud we must model to students how we predict, use context clues, and identify text structures of the overall plot. Using authentic text that students can relate to makes this process more enjoyable and leaves room for more participation.

When reflecting on my elementary school experience I remember a lot more whole-class ‘teaching in the middle’ instruction. With the emerging and recent research available, this is not a productive model to follow. Teachers must strive to make learning more of an individual experience, as no two learners are the same. Guided Reading and leveling our classroom library can teach students the process in selecting a book ‘just right’ and one that actually engages them. As the article reinforces, expert teachers do the majority of their work before the lesson. The actual read-aloud/lesson may only take 15 minutes while the rest of the time; students are making the transfer to a relatable activity based on what they observed from modeling. This is why effective modeling should be carefully crafted, as it is a key factor in literacy instruction.

Blog #2-Jenna Galatro

Going Public: NCLB and Literacy Practices in Teacher Education

By: Dorothy C. Suskind

I enjoyed how this article by, Dorothy C. Suskind approached literacy as an on-going process shaped by our experiences and what we most relate to. When teaching literacy to children, it is important to always remember, when children are engaged and interested in the text they are reading, they will be more prone to retain the information. I believe as teachers it is our job to instill the very foundation that learning new things can give you power, and with power you have choice. Choice in everyday decisions, and a choice in the literature you decide to read.

As this article sheds light on the gaps of NCLB, we see how requirements like Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) have raised the bar for districts, administrators, and teachers, to become more conscious of every rule or lesson they implement. I disagree with teaching to the test, however when your district is forced to meet requirements or is on probation for not meeting these requirements; teachers find themselves in this on-going battle of authenticity and teaching to the test. As the article reinforces, “that there is no research that links increased testing with increased reading achievement, (p. 451)”, I question why other ideas have not been brainstormed to reach the same outcome of assessing literacy development. As research and opinions continue to be debated about what process children go through when learning to read, my opinion rests that there is no one formula. Every child is individual, and although we can have preferences on which reading program may better serve our students, it will continue to change year after year.

I believe standardized testing is an unfair way to assess children. I think it puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on teachers and takes the fun out of learning. While teachers are worried whether they are covering all of the material, they are missing out on the ‘teachable’ moments where children learn from and transfer their knowledge the most. I believe knowing your students is of the best indicator to implement a balance of literacy programs and authentic activities which allow your students to create and most of all explore!

Blog #1- Jenna Galatro

Teachers as Literacy Leaders

By: Jennifer D. Turner, Mary DeKonty Applegate, Anthony J. Applegate

In order to teach our students meaningful information, it is essential we believe in our practices. One of the most important things I am realizing, as a student teacher is we must have confidence and show students the importance and power of reading. There are so many components of reading and two (fluency and comprehension) of which I find of primary importance helps unlock their love for reading. The only way students become fluent readers are through opportunities to practice in a comfortable environment. Additionally, comprehension comes from extensive modeling of the thought process good readers go through from the teacher.

As this article focuses on modeling to students our love for reading, I agree but believe it goes much more beyond that. Yes, we must model that we value books and reading however, I believe it is more important that we express the power that comes from reading. Literacy instruction should not be surrounded by convincing and pressuring kids to be bookworms; rather it should focus on showing students that there are so many alternate ways to be involved with literacy that give you power. I think being able to read environmental print everyday, and then transferring this knowledge to meaningful conversations is the overarching idea behind literacy instruction and creating life-long learners. However, at the lower elementary school level, this is difficult to deliver to students because they are just beginner readers. This is why it is our jobs to get to know our students and capture their interests.

The article discusses how literacy leaders, “… teach students to regard stories as slices of life that a writer shares with us, tales that are often interspersed with profound truths that can be unearthed by those willing to think creatively about them.” When teaching this concept to children and expressing how when learning the process of reading, we learn better how others operate. We are laying the important foundation of interpersonal skills something that will follow them throughout their lives. By motivating and showing students the different aspects of literacy, we are creating life-long learners.

Laura Granger Blog #1

Great Readers Understand How Stories Work by Frey, Fisher, and Berkin really had an impact on me because it talked about the importance of children being exposed to different types of stories. The article was relatable because I too can recall sitting under a pine tree with my mother reading stories about Thumbelina or Clifford the Big Red Dog. A child will come to learn who the characters in the stories are and even possibly go one step further and make up their own stories about those characters. Children can also take the morals of the story and apply them to their own lives. For example, “the article talks about Little Red Riding Hood and how it taught a child to know the difference between good and bad people in the world” (Frey, Fisher, and Berkin 1). As a future teacher it is imperative that I spend time reading books with my students from a very young age. Even though students may not be able to read the stories themselves they can still learn different parts of the book like where the front cover is and that we read from left to right.

Another idea that is brought up is that students would be able to learn about various parts of the world and different cultures. Stories about different cultures will lead to the questions “why and what”. What is this item called? Why did the character behave like that? Discussions can build from these stories in various ways that will be beneficial to the students as well as making it easier for the teacher. The students also will learn about the world and different cultures or maybe even learn more about their own culture. Children will feel special and proud of their culture when they get to share a story with the rest of the class, which is another way that teachers can incorporate culture books into their lesson plans.

Characters, morals, and culture ideas are just some of the points that stuck out to me. There are numerous amounts of ways that teachers can incorporate them into the classroom and this article provides information about how to do that.