Chapter 4- Theories of Literacy Development

I wonder...

• Ms. Yang Herr feels the need to have theories present in her practice to help her envision a classroom where her students fully value their experiences and are able to powerfully connect them to new concepts in the most meaningful and benefiting possible way. Ms. Yang Herr also takes some of these theories and facilitates them and uses them in a way that is more effective for her and her students. It is important to analyze and explore the different theories of what good teaching is and to take what we find most benefiting and apply to our classrooms.
• I've encountered some theory in my Teaching education. I think it is very important to explore the many different findings theorist have made in education. I think it is very beneficial to be aware of the base of the many teaching methods we see today. Studies on education are still being developed. We do it ourselves in our own classrooms. Exposing ourselves to these theories is a form of collaboration. One can read through many findings and pick and choose what theories best work for you and your students. When I would find out a new interest of a student I would usually make of note of it and try to incorporate it the skill matter being presented. For example, I had a student that was pretty verbal but didn't care much to use her verbal language to communicate. She would instead whine or cry. This student was also pretty obsessed with food. During lunch I would work on communication skills with her. I would have her request for each item of her lunch before she could eat it. I then began a communication circle where all students would sit at their desks and practice asking for whatever food snack was being passed out. The students that weren't verbal used PEC's and/or sign language. This helped my student begin being more expressive when in came to her wants.
• I'm familiar with Jean Piaget's very interesting theory of the many stages of development a child goes through. This illustrated a child's genetic epistemology. I'm also familiar with Vygotsky's theories behind the impact of cultural and social factors has a developing children. One of my favorite theorist is Howard Gardner and his theory about multiple intelligences. Gardner argues that all children learn in different ways. He has presented seven different categories that include: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Music, Kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, and visual and spacial. It is important to keep all these things in mind when coming up with a lesson plan. All of our students learn differently. It is an easy thing to forget. It is important to let our students be aware of this fact and allow them to discover what kind of learners they are.

Further Thoughts:

• Before reading this chapter I thought teaching reading was only limited to teaching students' letters, phonics, spelling, word building, sentence structure and comprehension through writ ting samples, basal worksheets, district selected books and other mandated supplies. There are way many more factors one has to take into consideration just in a building a unit to teach these things.
• I learned the importance in introducing material to our students that actually interest them. We want to introduce them to a new world of reading and not introduce them to other task that is expected of them in order to pass the standardized tests. Reading is the key to knowledge. When I was in elementary school I was occasionally given a choice of what book I wanted to read. I always and still to this day continue to love visiting the library. I've learned that it takes a lot in preparation in trying to tie in children's subjects of interest into the subject matter. I think all the effort one makes in creating their students driven program is very well worth it.
• All theories I've read about in this chapter are great. In an ideal world I think the use of all of them would be most beneficial to our students. I would probably begin the school year using the bottom-up theory and skills approach. I would do it this way to get a clear picture of where my students skills were at. It would be a form of assessment. Once I gathered that information I would move on to the Top-Down theory and whole language model. This would allow me to meet with students individually needs and their interests. It would also allow them to be a little more creative in their expression. Later on I would introduce the Transactional theory and reader response. Once students have built their repertoire of books they can begin comparing and analyzing books. They can also begin exploring different interpretations of the book. I would lastly but not least introduce the critical theory and four resource models. I would begin having my students relating their readings to outside the school, out in our society. This will allow our students to build more connections with their readings. They will now be able to apply them to their everyday lives.