This chapter had a lot of very
useful information in it and really broadened my horizons on literacy
development. At first, I was a little overwhelmed because of the content of the
chapter but once I broke it down, I realized that it all connected in a very
useful way. I really enjoyed the part that emphasized the importance of
students drawing in the classroom and how much of an impact it had on their
literacy learning. I didn’t realize the progress that it enabled the kids to
make and I think that encouraging students to draw, write, recap their thoughts
can help them to develop healthy learning styles. I am a big advocate on
creativity and encouraging students to flourish through unique ways that are
best suited for their learning styles. I feel that sometimes, teachers get so
wrapped up they can forget that simple things such as drawing, can open many
doors for children. Based on this chapter, do you agree with that statement?
What were your thoughts on drawing in the classroom and how it can help to broaden
literacy learning?
Another
point that intrigued me in this chapter was when they emphasized the connection
between learning at home and at school. I agreed with the part where they
stated that sometimes parents don’t realize the progress that they’re making
with their children’s literacy development, just by doing simple things. Every
day tasks such as grocery lists, to-do lists, and short notes between families
help children to put meaning to words and symbols and increase their
familiarity between them. It got me thinking, what are some other ways that we
as teachers could point out simple ways for parents to help their kids literacy
learning through simple every day tasks? If parents knew the effects that they
had and the connections that they provided for their kids, I think that it
would benefit the children inside and outside of the classroom.
This
Chapter was also very helpful when describing writing development for students
and how to increase their spelling skills. For me, spelling was always a
challenge and I felt that some of these strategies would’ve worked really well
for me. The “Simile game” is also an activity that stuck out to me and I thought
that the use of images and group work was a great way to improve writing
technique. What was your favorite strategy that you read in this Chapter? And
do you think that they all would work well in your classroom. If not, which
ones could you see yourself leaving out and why?
Yes your first statement of "I feel that sometimes, teachers get so wrapped up they can forget that simple things such as drawing, can open many doors for children" is a strong but true statement. Teachers I think are so worried for their students. They want them to be ready for the next grade, or the next big test. They sometimes don't celebrate the little steps kids take to get to those big milestones. I think the classroom is such an important place to learn but at home is another really important place! These kids look up to their parents and learn a lot of language at home. If their parents don't work with them or try to help them they might not develop the way some other kids do. I think a child with a strong support system in the classroom and at home have all the opportunities in the world. What if you had a student that didn't have a strong support system at home what would you do to help? I always hated spelling I still today am not a fan. I think when I was younger I was told I was a bad speller and so I never became good at it. I think we need to encourage our students and make sure the spelling words for each child is appropriate for that child. This could be something small that will help them a lot when they are older.
ReplyDeleteHi Lexi! For some reason I totally didn't see your post last night, but I will respond now :) I really agreed with everything you said about drawing. I think that encouraging creativity in early learning is important no matter what, but especially when it comes to early learning and early literacy. It is important to encourage drawing and artwork and this is going to be the first way that students will communicate with others on paper. I also liked what the book said about connections with home and school learning. I think that this is important because students spend such a large amount of time at each place, so if they are learning both at home and school, they will be more likely to successfully develop skills. I think watching parents and teachers write and read is one way to help them, but I also think providing students with materials such as chalk and dry erase boards as well as markers and pens and paper will provide them with fun ways to develop literacy.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that drawing helps with literacy. There are a lot of kids who enjoy to draw, and make up some pretty elaborate stories to go along with those drawings. By allowing the students to draw you are allowing them to express themselves in their own way. Even if teachers just had students write a sentence under their drawing would be really good. It promotes creativity, and allows them to practice making their own stories, whether they be written down or not.
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