Final Personal Model of Reading Theory

Final Personal Model of Reading Theory

My idea of how students learn to read has changed, developed, and grown throughout this semester.  Although I had many literacy courses through my undergrad education, this semester has granted me the opportunity to delve farther into the act and process of reading.  In the past, when conducting fluency assessments or miscue analysis, I have based students’ abilities to read on the amount of miscues that occurred through their reading.  I now see what an error and disservice to the students this could be.  Reading is so much more than correctly pronouncing words.  Reading is about constructing meaning from texts and taking away an understanding of what a specific text is trying to convey. 

            Children learn to read through varied and consistent experiences with words.  They learn to read with support, encouragement, and instruction from educators and parents or caregivers.  It is clear from Weaver’s book that students learn to read best in a whole-to-part manner, which includes the teaching of skills only as it is relevant to a text.  This is one area of my thinking that has evolved.  During this course, I have learned the importance of teaching skills in context.  It doesn’t mean much for a student to be able to read off a list of words that follow a particular phonemic pattern in isolation; it is, however, much more effective for students to learn that phonemic pattern when it appears in a book being read.  An overarching idea I have taken away is that in reading, nothing should be isolated.  Reading is much more effective, and students are far more successful, when they learn skills and strategies in context. 

            I have reshaped my ideas about fluency and comprehension, and I feel sure my ideas will continue to develop as I can put these ideas into practice with students in the coming year.  The fact that fluency and comprehension are not necessarily interrelated was a revelation to me as a teacher.  My previous thinking was that students who could read a passage with minimal errors automatically understood that text better.  With fewer interruptions to the text, students would gain more meaning.  I quickly learned through Weaver’s text that this was not always the case.  In fact, a rather shocking point was that good readers often make miscues, as they are reading for understanding rather than to correctly pronounce each word.  This makes me more aware, and I now know many students that miscue often can still comprehend the text they are reading.  

            A comprehensive literacy program is essential to effectively teaching reading.  This is an area in which my thoughts have grown this semester.  As a result of many experiences in different classrooms, I have seen and utilized many aspects of a comprehensive literacy program.  There are, however, aspects of a comprehensive literacy program that I have not used in the classroom, and I hope to challenge myself to use them in different ways.  For example, I hope to make reading and writing more of an intentional focus in other subject areas.  Of course, students and teachers alike know that part of learning anything new involves the use of reading or writing, but I hope to intensify this relationship through the use of journaling for all subjects.  Another striking aspect of a comprehensive literacy program was inquiry, or reading to learn.  Again, this is something that is understood.  Part of learning something new involves reading to a great degree.  However, I want to make an explicit relationship to this idea, and I want to encourage students to regularly turn to nonfiction texts to answer their questions. 

            My ideas as a teacher have truly evolved this semester.  I have learned a lot about what reading is, and more importantly what it isn’t.  I have learned the importance of a whole-to-part reading instruction, and that skills education is beneficial, but only when included as part of the current text.  Further, I learned a great deal about a comprehensive literacy program, and that all aspects should be included in reading and writing instruction in order to guide students into becoming successful readers and writers.  As a result of this course, there are strategies I am anxious to implement with my students, and my wish is that these new ideas only make me a more effective teacher for my students. 

Module 6: Instructional Challenge

Next year, you will be teaching in a school where the vast majority of students did not meet standard on your state's criterion-referenced test and where more than 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. What are some specific universal literacy strategies you may implement to ensure students success? Include both in-class examples and things you could do outside the classroom. 

Given this situation, I would first make sure that my room was overflowing with print.  I would have student and teacher made posters and examples covering the walls of the classroom, and I would ensure that my classroom library was stocked with as many age-appropriate books as possible.  I would make it my goal to engage students’ interests in many different books and different genres of books.  

I would be certain within the classroom to build the background knowledge of my students when reading any text.  It is extremely important for students to have some basis of knowledge for what they are reading.  In my opinion, and from my personal experiences, I do not enjoy or gain the most understanding from texts that I don’t already have a schema or background knowledge about.  I would build background knowledge through drawing on students’ prior experiences, introducing ideas using pictures or videos, or explaining something in a manner that I think they will understand.  

I would also implement the components of a comprehensive literacy program.  I find it important to have substantial reading and writing workshop time.  I think the described students would greatly benefit from read-alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and reading conferences.  Individual, group, and whole-class instruction would all be utilized in my classroom at different times in order to appropriately address all the needs of my students. 

Module 6: Reading Reflection

Does any of the information presented in Chapter 15 influence your personal philosophy of reading? In what ways? How has your perspective this changed since you took the DeFord TORP a few weeks ago?

Chapter 15 of Weaver’s text further shaped my personal philosophy of reading.  One of the first points made in the chapter referred to decodable and predictable texts.  Many classroom resources provided to help students learn to read are decodable texts.  Nearly every word in that type of story follows the same pattern.  I’ve caught myself, sometimes, reading these texts with students and having to actually look back when asking questions for comprehension.  I definitely understand Weaver’s point that decodable texts are unnatural and the reading is “nonsense.”  Predictable texts, on the other hand, make sense and are still a text most students will be able to successfully read.  

The idea that reading is a whole-part relationship also influences my thoughts about reading.  I understand that reading doesn’t happen when students are taught individual words or strategies in isolation.  Students learn to read through texts, and in those texts, teachers take time to draw students’ attention to skills, strategies, or unknown words that are relevant.  Everything is taught in context.  In addition, Weaver reiterates the benefits of a comprehensive literacy program, and that each aspect and component is valuable to students learning to read.  

At the end of the chapter, Weaver discusses phonics.  One statement I found particularly profound was “Those outside education often see phonics as reading rather than phonics as a part of reading, or an aid to reading” (Weaver, 2002, p.376).  This really rang true to me, especially in the way that many people, and even some schools, view phonics as the most important indicator of reading.  

Taking the DeFord TORP a few weeks ago, I noticed that the majority of my answers fell in the 2 or 4 range, meaning I didn’t possess strong feelings either towards agreeing or disagreeing with the statements.  Taking the DeFord TORP again, I found myself marking 5 and 1 much more frequently.  Over the course of the semester, through reading Weaver’s book and research I have read, I feel more strongly about certain areas of literacy.  Although my overall view of literacy has not drastically changed, I do see how my ideas have evolved and developed this semester. 

Module 5: Instructional Challenge

As your school year starts, you realize that you have three ELLs who are newcomers to the United States. Discuss how a comprehensive literacy program addresses their needs, drawing attention to specific components of the framework that are particularly relevant. Then discuss any additional scaffolding you would offer to support these children's needs. 

There are so many aspects of a comprehensive literacy program that could benefit English language learners.  One component that would be especially helpful to these students would be a read aloud.  Many ELLs that are newcomers to the U.S. are completely unaware of the English language, and probably overwhelmed.  Read alouds are a great strategy to use to show ELLs concepts of print.  The students see how books are held, read, and are given an example of what fluent reading looks like.  This is also a way to engage all students including ELL students when they are comfortable.  Guided and shared readings are also both great components to help ELLs.  In shared reading, students can participate in predictable and familiar text.  In guided reading, those students are receiving group and individual attention and assistance at the same time.  The students can learn from each other and learn some strategies to help with areas that they are struggling with.  

In reference to writing, I would spend some time with these students first determining what their starting points are.  During writing times in the classroom, I would be certain to involve my ELL students in guided writing.  When they begin to draft words in order to create stories or any kind of writing, they will likely need some reassurance.  Even as a proficient reader and writer, I want the words I write to be spelled correctly and grammatically correct.  It will be important to build students up, especially as they write, and provide them with some tools and strategies to write.  I may spend some time working on phonemic awareness with these students so that they have a starting point for most words they will write.  

I also would want to spend plenty of time conferencing with these students.  I think it would be important to have frequent check ins with these students to see how they are growing and what areas they can work some more on.  Other scaffolding I would provide in the classroom may be a partner or buddy.  Many ELL students benefit from a peer that acts as a type of mentor or trusted friend.   This could help the ELL student to feel more comfortable in the classroom. 

Module 5: Reading Reflection

Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics?

 

Phonics instruction integrates into several places in a comprehensive literacy program.  Weaver makes it clear that independent and focused phonics instruction is not effective or beneficial for the students.  Instead, phonics is something that can and should be implemented in the classroom through various other approaches such as guided or shared reading, read alouds, reading and writing conferences, write-alouds, and guided or shared writing.  In this way, students are learning phonics as it relates to reading or writing.  They are continuing to see words and how they make up a text as opposed to isolated sounds that letters make.  

Phonics can be taught through guided or shared reading, read alouds, and reading conferences through attention to how things are spelled.  Teachers can help students to chunk words as they read and to recognize similar spelling patterns in multiple words.  In writing conferences, write alouds, and guided or shared writing, phonics can also be taught in regards to spelling.  It is not uncommon for students to incorrectly spell words, so the teacher can help the student think of ways to work through different spellings.  I think that phonics works really well in a comprehensive literacy program when its instruction is integrated with other areas.  Although I will be teaching fifth grade, I feel sure that there will be some students in my classroom that could benefit from phonics instruction to help them become stronger readers and writers.