I have been thinking about this post since it came up. When we are teaching
phonological awareness and phonics, aren't we still teaching meaning? My
interpretation of what we are doing with this instruction, is always based on
meaning. A child learns early that sounds put together communicate
something(mama dada, no). As that develops we help them to hear how those
sounds are put together to create words, and then knowledge of the symbols that
create words, again to create meaning, to communicate. We teach them how to
print so that they can use those symbols to communicate their ideas, making
meaning. Yes, eventually we want them to put more text together and understand
at a deeper level, but it takes steps to get us there. I think we always need
to remember the balance, and meaning is always the goal, instruction just
changes over time. Yes, once a procedure has been used over a long period of
time, and that procedure is not working, we need to change the approach. Or
find out why that approach is not working, is there a physical reason behind
it? I am of the opinion that all components of reading should be a part of the
delicate balance of bringing meaning and understanding.
Terry/FL
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Sent: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:55 pm
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] phonemic awareness/segmentation help wanted
In a message dated 6/22/2008 11:22:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Please explain what a meaning based approach is? Do you recommend any
type of instruction.
Thanks for asking Pat. I was getting kind of frustrated that all this talk
about "parts" was going on and no one was talking about how to help the
struggling students with the purpose for reading. The process is so important
and
no one was talking about older children thinking that reading was all about
letter sounds. Especially on the Mosaic of Thought listserv. Shouldn't we be
striving for the children "to understand?" It is funny. I am also listening to
the conversation on the "To Understand" list and it sounds like the people on
this list and that list are not even talking about books by the same author!
As far as I know there is no research that supports teaching synthetic
phonics to students over first grade. Even the National Reading Panel report
says
that. And recently the Reading First Impact study came out and said that none
of the millions and millions of dollars spent on teaching the "parts"
programs have helped children comprehend at ALL.
My question about a meaning based approach was because I was kind of
shocked by the responses to the question. I was hoping that someone would jump
in and make some suggestions about using miscue or retrospective miscue with
these students. I have found that most kids by fourth grade aren't going to be
helped by more phonics. My guess is, as Dorothy Watson says, they are
probably over phonicating. I don't have the email right in front of me, but if
I
recall, the original poster said the students were reading nonsense words. If
that is the case, they need a lot of instruction about what reading really is!
I would tape the kids. Have them listen to the tapes of their reading
either by themselves or with a partner. Have them do reader response to the
books. I would have them to lots of Reader's Theater. I also asked about
writing. I would have them writing most of the instructional time. Of course
it
would have to be purposeful writing. Like have them write Reader's Theater
scripts for the Junie B. Jones books to perform for a first or second grade
class.
Have them buddy up with a younger class and read to them. Have them make
tapes for a kindergarten listening center.
You don't HAVE to know phonics to read! Try a different approach. Think
outside the box. What they have had so far didn't work.
Nancy Creech
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