Introduction Active literacy is a form of teaching students how to use strategies to comprehend literacy across all curriculums. Active literacy instruction can sometimes be referred to as strategy instruction. Active literacy instruction focuses on the development of procedural and conditional knowledge of readers to improve their comprehension (Dole, Brown and Woodrow, 1996). By developing comprehensions strategies, students are able to use the strategies as tools for creating meaning from text, no matter the type of text that they are striving to comprehend. Curriculum should be designed in a way that integrates every discipline throughout the day, including social studies and science topics within the literacy instruction. Active literacy …show more content…
Monitoring comprehension is the way that effective readers are able to self-regulate their progress while reading (Baker and Beall, n.d.). One effective way of monitoring one’s thoughts while reading is through a process called think-aloud (Duke and Pearson, 2002). Talking is the way that humans communicate their thinking; which makes talking a very important aspect of thinking. Using think-aloud strategies, students must talk in a purposeful manner using academic language (Fisher, Frey and Rothenberg, 2008). The think-aloud process aims to make readers aware of their inner voices while reading so that they can make themselves aware when their attention has strayed from the text (Harvey and Goudvis, 2007). In order to become strategic, reflective readers, student must learn to think about reading while they are reading (Harvey and Goudvis, …show more content…
Synthesizing the information is to take the new important information that we have identified, and determining how that information fits in with our prior knowledge (Harvey and Goudvis, 2007). In order for students to summarize the information that they read, they must stop and think about what they are reading from time to time so that they stay organized and effectively monitor their comprehension (Harvey and Goudvis, 2007). When students learn to synthesize information, they use various other strategies and combine them all to help them construct meaning and better comprehend the material (Harvey and Goudvis,
Knoblauch argues that there are many definitions of literacy that impact people’s lives. Although he argues there are many definitions, he focused on four types of literacy that are most common in society. Knoblauch labels them as functional, cultural, personal-growth/liberal, and critical literacy. He defines functional literacy as a level of literacy that is “readying people for the necessities of daily life—writing checks, reading sets of instructions”(1990, p. 3) and other basic reading and writing skills. However, he also warns that there are hidden agendas in these types of defined literacies. Ill prepared teachers who do not connect to and challenge their students result in no critical literacy and very little
In the essay “Thought” by Louis H. Sullivan, he states that people don’t always need words just to communicate. There are several ways that individuals are able to communicate without words, they can express themselves by gestures and facial features, like explaining themselves to others. Sullivan believes that both thinking and creative thinking are better without words and that the minds is always working; therefore, it does not have time to place words together. In order to think clearly they must use other means of pondering; although, the mind works quickly it will take a long time to write what they are thinking because the mind continues without stopping. When individuals are reading they are not think their own thought exactly but what
I almost forgot that I had a problem with reading. It’s so fascinating to know about people and their various opinions regarding their relationship with reading. For example in Richard Rodriquez’s essay he tries to explain himself when one day the nun concluded a session by asking him why he was so reluctant to read by himself. He then says, “I tried to explain; said something about the way written words made me feel alone---almost, I wanted to add but didn’t, as when I spoke to myself in a room just emptied of furniture.” (Rodriguez, page 294). Unlike the author, my case was completely opposite of him. I figured when I’m alone in an isolated place, I understand what I read way more in depth than I ever can while I’m surrounded by people. Though I truly like to read occasionally now, that still doesn’t mean I have become a
The Reading Strategies Book, by Jennifer Serravallo, is a tool that offers support to teachers in their planning and execution of literacy lessons situated within a larger curricula area. According to Jennifer, “the goal-oriented chapters address a plethora of strategies that can be taught in all genres, grades, and content areas, and they are differentiated for the teacher by clear descriptions that assist them in selecting the most apt and applicable lessons.” This resource provides teachers with an “Everything guide to developing skilled readers,” (Serravallo, 2015). Throughout this book, Jennifer introduced about 300 strategies that can be used in the form of lessons that are accompanied by teaching tips, lesson language, and supportive
Reading is a fundamental aspect of the educative process, however differences in comprehension are extensive and potentially impacted by mind wandering (McVay and ...
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (5th ed., pp. 12-286). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Literacy is taught using a structured literacy block due to the fact that “attempts to cover too many topics too quickly” have the tendency to “hinder learning” (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 58). The structured literacy block works to offer students the time that they need in order to learn the information presented to them while ensuring that students have the appropriate time needed to process the information that has been presented to them (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). The structured literacy block approach is based off of the implication that “learning cannot be rushed” and that for learning to be effective, the inte...
A comprehensive approach to literacy instruction is when reading and writing are integrated. This happens by connecting reading, writing, comprehension, and good children’s literature. A comprehensive approach to literacy should focus on the many different aspects of reading and writing in order to improve literacy instruction. This includes teachers supporting a comprehensive literacy instructional program by providing developmentally appropriate activities for children. Comprehensive literacy approaches incorporate meaning based skills for children by providing them with the environment needed for literacy experiences. This includes having a print rich classroom where children are exposed to charts, schedules, play related print, and
Every child deserves a positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment where they will grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. My role as an educator is to provide my students with this type of environment as well as an education that will help them succeed academically and become life long learners. It is the responsibility of a literacy educator to provide students with this type of environment, but also to provide instruction that will help students become successful readers and writers. There are numerous programs and philosophies about literacy and reading. Through years of experience and research, one begins to develop their own creative approach on teaching these skills. After looking at different programs and seeing the positive and negatives of each, an integrated and balanced approach of literacy seems to be the best way to teach the differing needs of each student.
“A cornerstone to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is that educators should engage classroom practices that work”. The law specifically implies that there is a great importance in choosing instructional approaches that are “based on scientific research and have a proven track record of success”. (http://www.ballard-tighe.com) With scientifically based approaches this law hopes to “close the student achievement gap”. One of the scientific approaches often used is the “Active Learning” approach. Learning with this approach takes on a view that “learning is most effective when students actively apply new knowledge in meaningful activities that link to their existing knowledge and skill development”. (http://www.ballard-tighe.com) This learning scheme or approach adheres to principles in Piaget’s theory of cognitive child development.
Guillaume, A.M., Yopp, R.H., & Yopp, H.K. (2007). 50 strategies for active teaching: Engaging k-12 learners in the classroom. Upper Saddle Ridge, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
In this information–driven age, preparing students to read a variety of texts with complete understanding should likely be one of our educational system’s highest priorities. Understanding is more than just the ability to produce information on demand (knowledge) or the ability to perform learned routines (skills). “Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” (Active Learning Practice for Schools, n. d.) A review of the literature in the area of reading comprehension of elementary-age students shows two principle areas of focus. There is a body of literature that examines the development of proficient vs. struggling comprehenders and another body of literature that compares methodologies for teaching reading comprehension.
As I sat in the front of my 6th grade English class, I anxiously awaited my turn to read. While reading several paragraphs from Lowry’s The Giver, I stuttered, mispronounced words, and even worked up a sweat. Every since I could remember I hated reading. Why do I always have to read out loud and embarrass myself to the entire class? Why can I not read as well as everyone in my class? How come I can never understand what I am reading? This was when I realized that I had a reading comprehension deficit. Reading comprehension is a constructive process whereby the reader uses the text, prior knowledge, and comprehension strategies to decode the text into meaning units of connected knowledge. There are many ways for teacher’s to help students with
Many students have a hard time when it comes to reading. There are many reading inventions that can help students out. Reading inventions are strategies that help students who are having trouble reading. The interventions are techniques that can be used to assist in one on ones with students or working in small groups to help students become a better reader. Hannah is a student who seems to be struggling with many independent reading assignments. There can be many reasons that Hannah is struggling with the independent reading assignments. One of the reasons that Hannah can be struggling with is reading comprehension while she is reading on her on. Reading comprehension is when students are able to read something, they are able to process it and they are able to understand what the text is saying. According to article Evidence-based early reading practices within a response to intervention system, it was mentioned that research strategies that can use to help reading comprehension can include of activating the student’s background knowledge of the text, the teacher can have questions that the student answer while reading the text, having students draw conclusions from the text, having
Just, M.A., & Carpenter, P.A. (2010). The psychology of reading and language comprehension. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.