My experiences with the stages of spelling come from other classes, mostly child development that review these stages for how children first begin to write. I had one project last semester where i did a case study on a child. For a work sample, she drew a picture and this was her random scribbling stage. She progressed with her second picture in which she started naming her scribblings. As for writing, i saw this process in the field experiences for this class. One writing session was spent on editing their stories. They had a editing checklist that both the writer and a peer had to use. I have never done personal writing although i was given a diary for a birthday present a couple of years back.
Having a blog has been an interesting experience for me as i am not a person that writes to get things out. I usually vocalize my feelings or keep them in. Although this was my first feeling about writing, i now see how writing things down can benefit me. I always understood the importance of developing reading and writing skills in school, but using it for personal reasons should also be encouraged for students to do. Writing things down can provide great memories and i am trying to do this now so i can look back years from now and remember certain parts of my life.
My topic for my book will be about changes. I am going to write about the biggest change that has occurred in the last 2 years - getting my first job and meeting the people there. I still work there but not in the same position. I met one of my best friends there and it baffles me that if i did not take this job, i would have never met him.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Social Skills and Language Arts
Having a disability or delay in either reading or writing can affect social skills because both reading and writing are used to communicate ideas to others. Having a problem in these areas may carry into social relationships because these methods of communication become important to children as they learn them. If every child can read and write to their peers, then a student who can not will feel left out, not part of the group. This can affect self-confidence and self-esteem causing the child who is left out to not try to reach out to other children.
I have seen this in classrooms and when i was in school myself. Children who are slower in reading and writing have a harder time expressing themselves and other students grow tired of waiting for them. They understand the reading or completed the writing assignment ten minutes ago and do not understand why the slower child is taking longer. From what i remember in school, the children that were slower readers were always assigned to the same reading group so the faster readers could get their assignments done faster. We all knew they were slower so when groups were mixed up for other subjects that may involve some reading/writing we did not want certain people in our group because we would have to wait for them or just do all the work. I've been in many groups where it was obvious that i was supposed to guide the other group members and i hated it.
For a teacher, this concern needs to be addressed because reading/writing are important skills students need to succeed in today's world. Although these skills should be taught because of the necessity, teachers should look at the child's social skills and perhaps give suggestions of what they could do to get some of their classmates' attention. School is a social time for students too and every student should have the skills to talk to other children. These relationships are too important not to address the social skills necessary for students to form them.
I have seen this in classrooms and when i was in school myself. Children who are slower in reading and writing have a harder time expressing themselves and other students grow tired of waiting for them. They understand the reading or completed the writing assignment ten minutes ago and do not understand why the slower child is taking longer. From what i remember in school, the children that were slower readers were always assigned to the same reading group so the faster readers could get their assignments done faster. We all knew they were slower so when groups were mixed up for other subjects that may involve some reading/writing we did not want certain people in our group because we would have to wait for them or just do all the work. I've been in many groups where it was obvious that i was supposed to guide the other group members and i hated it.
For a teacher, this concern needs to be addressed because reading/writing are important skills students need to succeed in today's world. Although these skills should be taught because of the necessity, teachers should look at the child's social skills and perhaps give suggestions of what they could do to get some of their classmates' attention. School is a social time for students too and every student should have the skills to talk to other children. These relationships are too important not to address the social skills necessary for students to form them.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Reading Wars Debate
I believe that i learned my langauge through both the phonics and whole language approaches. I remember sounding out words and having site words that i knew right away. In first grade there was a board that had the words we were learning that week. I remember singing songs such as "Down by the Bay" to learn new words. Spelling lists were used starting in second grade. For me though, i had problems saying s, c, and t words so i went to the speech teacher. I remember practicing the s sound - sissing like a snake. I got bored within the third year of speech and was pulled out because my mom knew that i was not paying attention to the teacher anymore.
I think that we do naturally create site words because we connect certain words to experiences we've had. This is different for every person so site words can vary from person to person. I also think that very common words become site words because they are taught very early. Words such as and, the, at, is, in become memorized starting in knidergarten so by the end of that year or in first grade, it is expected that children know these words as site words.
Symbols make up words if one considers the individual letters as symbols. We are taught that each of these symbols makes a certain sound and when you combine them together, you will get a word. This concept, the phonics approach, can help children understand how each letter(symbol) comes together to make a word. Without this understanding, children cannot connect the reading process. The symbols, in this case letters, are concrete and children need that visual reminder to understand the concept of reading.
I think that we do naturally create site words because we connect certain words to experiences we've had. This is different for every person so site words can vary from person to person. I also think that very common words become site words because they are taught very early. Words such as and, the, at, is, in become memorized starting in knidergarten so by the end of that year or in first grade, it is expected that children know these words as site words.
Symbols make up words if one considers the individual letters as symbols. We are taught that each of these symbols makes a certain sound and when you combine them together, you will get a word. This concept, the phonics approach, can help children understand how each letter(symbol) comes together to make a word. Without this understanding, children cannot connect the reading process. The symbols, in this case letters, are concrete and children need that visual reminder to understand the concept of reading.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Why write?
When i think about the question,"What makes writing worth reading?" the first thought that comes to mind is enjoyment. Some people write to get their thoughts together or to let others know their positions on certain topics. Blogs are a good way to do this although many do write for no one else to see. I think that with children, writing allows a teacher to see what they know and what they think about on a daily basis. A daily journal could reveal changing interests, questions, and problems children may experience throughout the year. This type of writing would be interesting to look back on later on in life. Writing is used to assess a child's knowledge in many subject areas while improving the skill itself. In today's society, we expect writing skills at a certain level depending on the job and to not have them makes life very hard.
Although writing should be important and taught throughout a child's schooling, writing needs to have other purposes for children too. Whether it is for enjoyment in writing a silly story, releasing emotions through a journal, or keeping in touch with loved ones, children should want to write. When teachers see a passion through student's writing, it makes teaching it worth while. Writing can reveal growth, both personal and academic which is what all teachers strive for in their students.
Although writing should be important and taught throughout a child's schooling, writing needs to have other purposes for children too. Whether it is for enjoyment in writing a silly story, releasing emotions through a journal, or keeping in touch with loved ones, children should want to write. When teachers see a passion through student's writing, it makes teaching it worth while. Writing can reveal growth, both personal and academic which is what all teachers strive for in their students.
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