Essential Linguistics (Freeman & Freeman, p. 48, 2004)
The students:
L: look up words in a dictionary to write definitions
This is a way that word recognition teachers pre-teach vocabulary. They often choose words that they feel are not already in the student’s vocabulary.
L: make a Venn diagram to compare two stories
A Venn diagram is a graphic organizer that must be taught to the students by the teacher. A student does not naturally organize information in this way. The strategy is very helpful in synthesizing and organizing information, but it is still a learned behavior.
L: practice sounding out words
Sounding out words is a phonics skill. This practice supports the word recognition view, because the main goal is to identify words to be able to read (Freeman & Freeman, p.24, 2004)
L: read in round-robin fashion
This activity is learned specifically because the students or teacher are highly likely to correct the student’s errors as they read.
L: correct peers when they make a mistake during reading
It is a word recognition belief that providing unknown words and correcting mistakes will allow the students to learn that word (Freeman & Freeman, p. 28, 2004).
L: identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
This strategy focuses on the importance of knowing letter sounds to recognize words. It does not focus on meaning and therefore follows a word recognition view.
L: group cards with classmates’ names by a criterion on such as first or last letter
Again, the purpose here is not to make meaning or to problem solve during reading. The purpose is a learned strategy focused on alphabetic principal.
A: write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
I feel this is an acquisition skill. The writing sounds authentic to the writer. The discussion of different spellings for the same sound is a problem solving task within the writing process.
L, A: ask the teacher how to spell any word they don’t know
When the teacher simply gives the student the word in hopes that he/she will learn the word, this technique is learning. However, it is an acquisition skill for the learner to have the meta-cognition or awareness to know that they do not know how to spell a certain word correctly.
A: read a language experience story they have created with the teacher
Since this is a student-centered, authentic writing approach, this strategy supports the acquisition view.
A: work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences
The student is using prior knowledge to engage in a creative writing experience. This interaction with text is at the heart of the acquisition view.
L: divide words into syllables
This phonemic awareness and possible phonics activity (if written) is a teacher directed skill. This type of explicit instruction supports the word recognition view.
L: on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
The assessment of a phonemic awareness skill does not support the reading for meaning approach, otherwise known as an acquisition view of reading.
L, A: make alphabet books on different topics
This activity combines a learned skill with an authentic writing experience. Demonstrating beginning sounds in the alphabet is a learned activity, while the choice of topic and freedom with the writing supports the acquisition view.
The teacher:
L: preteaches vocabulary
The students are not using comprehension strategies to make meaning of vocabulary in context when they are given vocabulary meanings before reading.
A: does a shared reading with a big book
According to Freeman & Freeman in Essential Linguistics, “Teachers make written language comprehensible when they read to students from big books with illustrations or have students read familiar songs or engaging poetry.” Comprehension is the key to a sociopsycholinquistic view.
A, L: makes sure that students read only books that fit their level
Controlling the reading experience in this way supports the learning view. However, this particular act allows students to make meaning out of text that they can navigate independently.
L: has students segment words into phonemes
Teacher directed phonemic awareness activities is designed to help students understand that sounds make up words. The focus here is still on word recognition.
A, L: writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with spelling difficult words
The teacher shows students how words become written text. The authentic nature of the writing supports an acquisition view. The teacher also provides scaffolding to support learning.
L: asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter
This study of alphabetic principle puts a focus on words out of context and therefore supports word learning.
A: uses decodable texts
Decodable text allows students to make connections, predictions, and problem solve text. In turn, it allows students to make meaning from text.
A: sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day
Silent reading is a component of any sociopyscholinguistic view of teaching. Teachers believe that the ability to read occurs by reading.
L: teaches Latin and Greek roots
This direct instruction demonstrates a learning point of view.
A: has students meet in literature circles
Discussion among peers will help clarify text and inadvertently correct misconceptions about their reading. This unstructured release of information supports the acquisition view point.
L: conducts phonics drills
Drills out of content reflect the word recognition view.
A: chooses predictable texts
Predictable texts allow students to think about the cause and effects in stories. Thinking for the purpose of making meaning supports the acquisition view.
L, A: teaches students different comprehension strategies
Although the goal is comprehension as with the acquisition view, this explicit instruction makes the activity a learning experience as well.
A: does a picture walk of a new book
Prior knowledge and making predictions during a picture walk supports reading comprehension.
L: uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills
Worksheets are not authentic and are a more controlled form of learning.
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