Reading Assignment #7

For this assignment, I was required to read "Missouri Early Learning Standards for Literacy"

Things I want to remember:

• Children learn through Symbolic Development, Speaking/ Expressive Language, Listening/ Receptive Language, Reading, and Writing.
• Have atleast 7-10 books per child in different genres.

      This article spoke of how there are many different steps to learning how to read.  The most left out step is the Symbolic Development step.  Children need to learn how to use their imagination before they can use it to read and write.  Each step must be fed and encouraged by the teachers and adults in the child's life.

Reading Assignment #6

#6A: Read the files on RTI

RTI (Response To Intervention) is very important when it comes to teaching students literacy.  Without RTI, students would not receive the required reading help, until after they had been diagnosed with a disability.  RTI gives schools the ability to help students that do not have a disability get the help they deserve.  This will affect my teaching because I will have to watch for students who are struggling in reading and need RTI, but do not need special education classes.

#6B: Read files on NCLB

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a governement funded program to reach 100% literacy in reading and math by 2014.  NCLB can be a positive thing because it forces our teachers to believe students can achieve.  NCLB could be a negative program because it might push students harder than they can work.  I will need to be aware of this while teaching because if my school is part of NCLB, I will have to work harder with my students in reading and math.

Reading Assignment #5

For this assignment, I read "How One elementary School Uses Date to Help Raise Students' Reading Achievement" by kouider Mokhtari, Jennifer Thoma, and Pratricia Edwards

This article spoke of how to raise reading achievement from very low to high percentages.  The teachers and administrators all got together as a group to change the percentages.  This was done through hours of hard work.  I learned that reading percentages can increase, if hard work is done by the whole school.

Reading Assignment #4

Ch. 2 of Gunning spoke of how to teach exceptional students how to read.  This can deal with RTI, NCLB, and diversity.  The first steps of invention start is universal screening.  The help needed can range from tutoring to special education class time.

Reference:
Gunning, T. G. (2010). Creating literacy instruction for all students (7th ed.). Needham Heights: Allyn And Bacon. 

Reading Assignment #3

For this assignment I was required to read the Elementary LEA article titled " Something old is new again: Revisiting language experience".

I really enjoyed reading this article.  Instead of being filled with boring scientific statistics, it was very intriguing.  I loved Roberta Dorr's lesson example for teaching reading.  She taught that every Language Experience Approach (LEA) has to bring in the student's cultural schemas.  I believe that cultural schemas should help fuel any lesson plan because it will help to engage the students.

Reading Assignment #2

For this assignment, I was supposed to read the chapter that was posted online.

This chapter spoke of different floor plans used to teach.  These included the Traditional Apprenticeship and the Cognitive Apprenticeship.  Both of these plans have the same format.  The format includes  modeling, coaching, scaffolding, and fading.  These steps help students learn, not only the material, but how to perform the assignments by themselves.  I believe these steps will become very helpful when teaching.