Implementing a Comprehensive Literacy Program in the Elementary School (Chapter 8)

An Overview of the Reading Process

Oral Language Development

                Long before children enter school, they explore and acquire language as they hear words and sentences, grow in their understanding of how language is used, and develop their own understandings of English (or whatever their home language) phonological structure (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Young children need many books.  They need to be read to often and have books they can look through as well.  They need a variety of books (picture books, fiction, nonfiction, nursery rhymes, poetry, alphabet, song) available and read aloud to them.  Young children need to hear nursery rhymes and sing songs.  Books on tape (CDs) and music CDs are favorites among young children, and they benefit in their oral language development by listening to them.

Knowledge of Letter Names and Concepts about Print

                Knowing letter names does not promise reading proficiency, although there is a strong correlation between a child’s knowledge of letter names and reading success for beginning and developing readers (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Print concepts include understanding text directionality, meaning comes from print (rather than illustrations), speech-to-print match, spacing between words, book concepts (e.g., authors, illustrators, titles), and sentences (e.g., capitalization,  end punctuation) (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Again, children need access to many books.  Big books, (normal sized) books, and charts are essential tools helping to develop these concepts.  Children need to be read to, but they also need to have books they can look at independently.  Teachers need to explicitly teach these concepts.  Children need to be read to frequently.

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

                Phonological awareness is an awareness of the phonological segments in speech.  It involves “the ability to perform tasks such as rhyming and alliteration, and it is considered to be at a more rudimentary level than phonemic awareness” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 161).

                Phonemic awareness involves the manipulation of sounds in spoken words including segmenting words, onset and rime (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need many opportunities to experience word play, hear nursery rhymes, sing songs, and listen to numerous stories.  Children need many books available to them including ones with nursery rhymes, poetry, and songs.  Exposure to music and songs helps with these concepts.  Word play games are helpful and can be in the form of letter tiles, board games, and other materials.

Phonics

The relationship between the letters in written words and the sounds in spoken words is phonics (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Children need to be exposed to good, quality literature on a regular basis.  Other materials that can be helpful when teaching phonics includes paper, white boards, and letter tiles.  Phonics games can be helpful and motivating for children.

Instant Word Recognition

                Instant word recognition refers to the large number of words readers should be able to read instantly and cannot be sounded out (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Materials that can be helpful when teaching instant word recognition include books, sight word flashcards, and a variety of sight word games.

Fluency

                Fluency and automaticity are closely related.  Fluency refers to the absence of word identification problems that could potentially prevent comprehension when reading (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need many books.  They need opportunities to self-select texts and need regular independent reading time.  Explicit feedback from a teacher can be beneficial.

Vocabulary Development

                “…children develop vocabulary through reading, reading enhances children’s vocabulary development and background knowledge; and vocabulary knowledge contributes to reading comprehension” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 164).  The two goals of vocabulary instruction are the acquisition of new meanings and to teach strategies for independent vocabulary acquisition (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need the opportunity read many books to help enhance their vocabulary development.  Incidental and direct methods are necessary for learning new vocabulary.

Comprehension

Comprehension involves how people construct meaning as they read, write, and speak (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Comprehension needs explicit instruction.  Children need to be read many books and need to hear teacher think alouds.

Spelling and Grammar in Reading and Writing

                It is agreed upon that spelling is a developmental process.  Invented spelling is often encouraged for beginning readers and writers.  Spelling instruction eventually emphasizes an inductive approach.  Struggling spellers often benefit from a “deductive, systematic, and direct approach” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 166).

Grammar should not be taught as an isolated skill or separate subject.  Vogt and Shearer (2011) encourage the teaching of grammar through writing instruction.

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world.

Boston, MA: Pearson.

Matching Context to Students: Assessment as Inquiry (Chapter 5)

One of the main responsibilities of a reading specialist is communicating to the teachers, administrators, and parents the literacy strengths and needs of students (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Assessment is the process of gathering data to better understand strengths and weaknesses of student learning.  Assessment can be completed by observation, testing, interviews, as well as in other acceptable ways.   In education, diagnosis often includes instructional planning and an assessment of the student's strengths and weaknesses (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Recent approaches to reading intervention have become known as a difference model or contextualized difference model.  A difference model simply means there is a mismatch between what a student needs and what is being offered in regards to literacy instruction and materials.  The teacher’s responsibility is to determine the source of the mismatch and appropriately adjust materials and instruction to attain a closer match (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).  The concept of the difference model (versus the deficit model) seems to make much more sense to me.  Similar to the idea that you cannot change others’ behaviors, but you can change yourself and how you react to others; the difference model embraces the idea that people are who they are (rather than there is something wrong, we must fix them), and asks how can I best support their learning.  Interestingly, I have heard that the Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs and various school nutrition programs (ex. Free breakfast) stem from the deficit model which leads me believing that the deficit model does have a vital place in education in some ways.

A number of factors must be considered in contextualized assessment.  Home factors (e.g., family structure, number of moves, changes in schools), community factors (e.g., language use within the community, values about literacy), identity (e.g., ethnicity, certain physical attributes), and school factors (e.g., school quality, resources available) are recognized as some of the complex and cultural factors that inevitably affect learning (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

The purpose of a Learner Assessment Profile (LAP) is to provide information in a factual way free of judgments and biases.  The goal is to achieve a closer match between students’ needs and what is offered in the classroom (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

"You can't make a pig fatter by weighing it more often." (author of quote unknown)

            A concern of many educators is time spent screening, testing, and monitoring students is taking valuable time away from instruction.  Regardless, evidence needs to be available that documents student learning (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).  Finding the balance between the assessments that need to be done (regardless of whether they are high stakes, authentic, or some other form of testing) and not taking away too much precious instructional time is paramount.

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Differentiating Instruction to Meet Learners' Needs: Framing Literacy Intervention (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6 Glogster

Forming a literacy Team and Creating a Literacy Vision (Chapter 3)

      "We believe in the power of the past to inform the future” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 57).

     When establishing a literacy team, members must be selected and roles defined.  Wellins, Byham, and Wilson (1991) stated teamwork is essential and can result in increased knowledge and expertise, ownership, and empowerment for participants (as cited in Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 58).  Creating and implementing a collaborative vision with the goal of improving the school’s literacy education program is the literacy team’s responsibility.  Teams help us face challenges as educators that simply cannot be solved by any one person alone (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

 
     When selecting members for a literacy team, you want enough members to get the job done without having the group size impede effectiveness.  Many literacy teams have between seven and fifteen members.  Several groups should be represented including administrators, reading specialists, teamers, and support personnel (e.g., psychologists, media specialists, Title I teachers); some include students, parents, and community members as well.  It is imperative that the team understands how to be a team and believes that a team is “a unit that sees itself as a force for change” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 61).  It is essential that each literacy team member understands they are acting as a representative who is willing to promote a group agenda.  The role of its members must be defined.   Gordon (2004) lists the following characteristics for effective teams: “shared identity, clear focus, diversity of perspectives, role clarity, high levels of collaboration, administrative support, effective decision-making strategies, and continuous self-assessment” (as cited in Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 61).

     The following video is a fun look at the importance of working on a collaborative team.  

     “We need to find out where we are relative to literacy and literacy instruction, so that we can figure out where we want to go and how best to get there” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 65).  The mission statement exemplifies a mission or vision influenced by belief, theory, and research.  It helps facilitates transforming the literacy curriculum.  It entails long-term commitment to collaborative planning and problem solving.  The four important purposes of a vision statement include identifying beliefs and examining how they define literacy and literacy practice in different contexts, clarifying a direction for change over time, motivating people to reconstruct their actions towards accomplishing the goal, and coordinating the actions of a variety of people in equal ways (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     In developing a literacy vision statement, one must first search for an existing vision statement.  Next, survey the cohort groups.  Lastly, disseminate the vision statement (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     The school literacy goals need to align with state and IRA/NCTE Standards (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     A recurring theme I have noticed in the chapters Reading Specialists and Reading Coaches in the Real World is the importance of teamwork and collaboration.  It almost seems common sense, but like the authors pointed out, as teachers, we too often close the door and do our own thing.  That is something I have witnessed frequently in some of the schools I have worked in.  I have also seen teachers work well on teams, collaborating with others.  Those teachers are less stressed out; students seem to work more harmoniously, and student achievement is greater.  I have also had the experience of working on a team that does not act as a team, and one or more members do not fulfill their end of their commitment.  I think that is a common experience for many people and often leads to a negative view of working on teams. 

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world.

     
     Boston, MA: Pearson.