What a great post!! Now how can we get the teachers' colleges to put this overview thinking into their teacher education programs?> Phonics is no different than any other skill. The problem is some people > don't stop and think about when and where teaching these skills are > appropriate or no longer needed. Phonics is great for K-3 for children > learning to recognize words and word sounds, but once they've learned it, > there's no need to beat a dead horse. Same can be said for just about > anything:> > AR is great for a kid who doesn't read because it makes the kid read....once > he or she finds an author or genre they enjoy, they should be left to > discover for themselves the fun in reading....not forced to read for points. > I'm teaching mostly advanced classes this year, but too many of them think > reading is only about points. That's not a fault of the program, but a > fault of the teaching.> > Fluency is important for someone who reads one word at a time because it > teaches them to group words in patterns that make sense, once a child "gets > it" there's no need to pound in their heads, but many teachers confuse the > act with the skill. Too many teachers think fluency is about speed or AR is > about points. They are about helping kids.> > The same thing happens with the reading strategies. Some teach, for > example, "visualization" and will spend a few lessons on the concept, but > that isn't teaching for visualization. Many teachers think that if they > give the idea to the kids, the kids will asorb it somehow. That's that > "empty vessel waiting to be filled" philosophy that has permeated education > since the dawn of time....that's one of the few pluses of state tests and > collecting data....you can gear instruction for individual needs and > weaknesses; if you truly teach a strategy, then it will become second > nature.> > The teaching materials / lessons / programs / etc. are only as good as the > teacher....> > Bill> > > > _______________________________________________> Mosaic mailing list> [email protected]> 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 [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
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