I have read and appreciate everyone's explanations for the proposed changes
to the fab 5...
" Shanahan pointed out that “language structure” and “meaning in context”
replace the words “reading fluency” and “reading comprehension” in Reading
First."
I think that many Reading First Schools do interpret "reading fluency" as
meaning "reading fast"..so maybe we do need new terminology to attend to
reading fluency...but what does language structure refer to????....
I hate to sound ignorant but what does that mean??? does it mean internal
text structure? does it mean grammar? does it mean phonological awareness?
I just like to know what that means....
AND...
"meaning in context"...I would love a new focus on "meaning" and "reading
in context" maybe this change is to guard against Reading first schools
interpreting "comprehension" to mean answering multiple choice questions
after reading a paragraph on a standardized test"...
I am just a curious person who asks a lot of questions and wish I knew who
suggested these changes and why....
also
anyone interested in these quickly changing policies on education....check
out VERY COOL videoclip of Debra Meier and
her feeling of what our goals should be for schools...she mentions that
there are no educators in the Department of Education...whaz up with that?
Thu, Jun 25, 2009 -- RED6656002_2009R_53830: D
eborah Meier on Obama Education Policy
http://www.pbs.org/merrow/tv/trust/interviews.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/5/21/schools
-----Original Message-----
From: djchan <djc...@charter.net>
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Wed, Jul 1, 2009 9:41 am
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Focus on Adolescent literacy
tochnageReadingFirstfunding
Well, I'm also thinking about the administrators who might not be on top
of
things related to reading and misinterpret this terminology. Hopefully,
there are reading specialist in their school system who can provide
clarification and definitions for these terms. Although, they sound like
terms to very narrowly define certain aspects of reading, and maybe
that's
there goal. I, however, had no problem with the former terms of fluency
and
comprehension since they are familiar and inclusive of all the skills,
strategies those terms imply. Teachers and specialists will find these
terms
problematic in translating the skills and strategies to improve them and
communicating that progress to parents.
Sometimes our 'higher ups' think that when something needs improving the
prescription must produce instant measurable results. When it doesn't
then
you through it out and try something else. In reality we may just need
time
and funding to modify classes and lessons to meet needs of students
struggling to read.
It's hard to undo what children have learned at home
when they come to school. Reading begins at home in the formative years
before formal schooling when children are exposed to print and language in
various forms. TV and movies have impacted this tremendously as well as
parents who lack knowledge and skills and motivation to raise children to
be
lifelong learners. This is an underlying problem with education and
society.
It will take a paradigm shift for everyone in education and business and
government to suggest real strategies to improve this problem.
Deidra Chandler
MA Early Childhood Ed
MA Reading
MSLI tutor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Schaefer" <a_...@bellsouth.net>
To: "'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group'"
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Focus on Adolescent literacy
tochnageReadingFirstfunding
Yes Deidra,
If teachers are not comfortable with the new language think about how
the
parents feel. Reading First spent so much money trying to educate
parents
about the fab five: Phonics, Phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency,
and
comprehension; it seems counterproductive to change the wording now.
Ann
Early Elementary teacher =0
D
-----Original Message-----
From: mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org
[mailto:mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of djchan
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 9:24 AM
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Focus on Adolescent literacy to
chnageReadingFirstfunding
Maybe I didn't read correctly, but I understand Shanahan to say that
the
new
language (language structure and meaning in context) isn't "an
improvement
because the new wording won't be well understood by most teachers". I
don't
think teachers are the only ones who will have problems with that
language.
Imagine school administration officials defining these terms for
their
certified employees.
How many different interpretations will that provide? To me ,
language
structure doesn't mean reading fluency. Meaning in context seems to
be a
much narrower definition of comprehension than I am comfortable with.
Deidra Chandler
MA Early Childhood Ed.
MA Reading
Multisensory Structured Language Intervention tutor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Schaefer" <a_...@bellsouth.net>
To: "'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group'"
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 8:24 AM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Focus on Adolescent literacy to chnage
ReadingFirstfunding
I don't understand why the language needs to be changed. If the
teachers have trouble with the new language, the parents certainly
will too. I think we need to move away from teacher trade language
so that we can involve the whole community to improve literacy.
-----Original Message-----
From: mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org
[mailto:mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of
drmarinac...@aol.com
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 11:38 AM
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Subject: [MOSAIC] Focus on Adolescent literacy to chnage Reading
Firstfunding
Can anyone understand why Tim Shanahan doesn't want to change to
"language structure" and "meaning in context"? Was he one of the
original authors of National Reading Panel?
Excerpt for Ed Weekly...
Timothy Shanahan, a professor of urban education at the University
of
Illinois at Chicago, said he favors the boost in funding for grades
4-12 and for school literacy programs in general. "It should mean
that0
more schools could participate, which is a good thing," he said.
But he said the draft bill reflects some changes in wording from
Reading First legislation that aren't an improvement, because the
new
wording won't be well understood by most teachers. The new wording
requires K-3 programs to provide "strategic and explicit instruction
using phonological awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, language
structure, and meaning in context."
Mr. Shanahan pointed out that "language structure" and "meaning in
context"
replace the words "reading fluency" and "reading comprehension" in
Reading First.
One of the Senate aides said the replacements were made to reflect
the
latest terminology that educators are using.
But Mr. Shanahan said the terminology in Reading First would be more
familiar to and better understood by teachers.
-----Original Message-----
From: cnjpal...@aol.com
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Sent: Mon, Jun 29, 200
9 6:19 am
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Just Finished Readacide and The Reading Zone
What do you think t...
Joy
I would love for the discussion to begin again...I could use some
help
moderating though. I am teaching summer school and am taking classes
this summer so I have a pretty full plate. I do think Ellins' book
is
something everyone should read and discussion only enriches its
messages.
Jennifer
In a message dated 6/28/2009 10:15:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
jwidm...@rocketmail.com writes:
You can also read the archives from our two rounds discussing it,
as
Jennifer suggested. Maybe there's enough interest to go at it
again?
It is
really a valuable book with great implications for the classroom,
to
me even more than Mosaic of Thought.
Joy/NC/4
**************It's raining cats and dogs -- Come to PawNation, a
place
where pets rule! (http://www.pawnation.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000008)
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To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
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To unsubscribe or modify your membership please
go to
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Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
_______________________________________________
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Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
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