Most of our students are considered LEP though they do not speak another language. Here is a trend I see that concerns me. We have writing rubrics developed by a teaching team addressing three writing types (story, communication, impromptu). Our middle school staff is determined to present the rubrics in kid friendly terms (not as a means of explaining language, but as a way of replacing it). This concerns me, as I believe every domain has a language that is uniquely its own and that proficient practioners use this language to communicate. As a mathematician, I need to understand the language of mathematics and so on.
I am watching a growing group of elementary educators teaching the language of the rubric in ways that empower kids to have discussions about their writing in the language of writers. A principal in such a building chuckled to me that she had shared a piece with a group of third graders and they had critiqued it. She especially liked the part where they told her that her characters were underdeveloped. I feel so strongly that language and the ability to use it, to manipulate it and to understand it is related to power and domination. I work with Native American students and don't need to explain oppression to their parents and to many of the kids. I feel like fearing or avoiding rich language is playing into perpetuating that. So, Carol, that is my long-winded way of saying I think you are on to something. As long as others can deride language choices of a person who makes a language choice like the child you describe here, then--like it or not--there will be people are dismissive of individuals and groups. Lori On 6/2/08 9:27 PM, "Carol Lau" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > During some insomnia last night, I was thinking about the saturate/soak > vocabulary discussion: > > In my Los Angeles area 2nd grade classroom, I work with many > Mexican-American second language learners (and a few otherlanguage learners > plus some language-deprived English only students). Often, a child may tell > me something like,"It was so hot Saturday I wet myself." I have explained > many times that in English the word "wet" can be an active verb as in "Wet > the paintbrush by dipping it in the cup of water." Or a passive > verb/adjective in "I got wet when I slipped in the puddle." But that in > common English, I wet myself means I peed my pants! The students giggle, but > continue to misuse the word. > > I was thinking about how teaching more specific vocabulary would help > eliminate this confusion. They could learn: > Moisten the towel. or Make the towel moist. > > Soak the paper. or Be sure the paper is soaked. > > I dried my soaking wet hair. or I dampened my hair before styling it. > > I got wet in the sprinklers. I sprayed my sister. I squirted my brother. > I drenched my dad. I splashed my mom. We were all dripping wet. Even our > underwear was drenched. > > All this language to teach and so little time it seems! Carol > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > SATURATE BEFORE SOAK: EARLY LEARNERS CAN HANDLE BIG WORDS > Researchers now believe that students in primary grades can acquire > more advanced words earlier than previously thought, reports Laura > Pappano in her article "Small Kids, Big Words: Research- Based > Strategies for Building Vocabulary from Pre- K to Grade 3" in Harvard > Education Letter. "You can learn saturated' before you learn > soak'." > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > -- Lori Jackson District Literacy Coach & Mentor Todd County School District Box 87 Mission SD 57555 http:www.tcsdk12.org ph. 605.856.2211 Literacies for All Summer Institute July 17-20. 2008 Tucson, Arizona _______________________________________________ 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.
