Terry, Beautifully stated...even the more abstract, finite tasks have a purpose and that purpose can be shared with even the youngest students. Cathy Title I Reading In a message dated 6/23/2008 11:23:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
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 **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
