Chapter 12: Shared Reading

I love to read. I literally read consistently and constantly. As a future teacher, I want to give that same joy to others and the ability to enjoy the written word.  I picked shared reading as my teaching strategy due simply to the fact that I have used it and seen it work. I would use this in my classroom setting. I think this would be most effective for the earlier grades as they develop their reading skills. This could also be effective with new language learners. This strategy could be used in whole-group or small-group. Whole-group would allow the introduction of the text, while small-group would allow for me as a teacher to hear the child individually. I think students could practice a text in shared reading and when they master it, use it in a drama setting. I like the idea of making words come alive.  Then I would have my students make costumes using construction paper that depicted the characters in the story. We would then use our reading to have a play or performance. I believe doing this would make them feel like an integral part of the story.

Shared reading might have some obstacles--if a child was a struggling reader or new language learner. However, these obstacles would be helped by using the stages of shared reading. By going step by step, you give the child familiarity with the text and a level of comfort in their own abilities. With students who were struggling, I would set aside more time in small group to focus on this concept individually. If I had a student who really struggled, I would refer them to the counselor to see if there was need for testing for learning disabilities. I really like this strategy and will use it in my classroom. I have seen the benfits of it having worked in a classroom and I know that it is worthwhile.

Skills Group

I chose Chapter 10: Skills Grouping as my academic teaching strategy. I would utilize this method in any grade. I think this strategy is beneficial no matter what classroom setting you are in. I liked that it focuses on the student and what their needs are. In the classroom, I would use this during small group activities. I would have my students read parts of a text out loud to me. This would allow me to hear and also see where a child might need assitance. As I listened, I would be able to garner what the child needed. I would then be able to work one on one or pair them with a partner. If they had a great deal of trouble, I could then refer them to counselor's to see if any testing for disabilities was necessary. The only obstacle I can see is if you have a child who refuses to work or cooperate in this type of activity. To overcome this I would utilize positive reinforcement to involve the student in the activity. For example, if they loved computer time, I would make that my reinforcer to encourage them to be involved. I think this strategy is perhaps one of the most important that can be utilized in a classroom. As a teacher, you will be constantly reevaluating each child to make sure they are able to accomplish the tasks set before them. If you didn't implement this strategy, your children would fall significantly behind. I will definitely use this concept in my classroom.

Chapter 3: Realia Strategies

I choose Chapter 3 which discusses realia or concrete object strategies. I would use this strategy in every grade, but most specifically in the younger grades (Pre-K through 2nd). The book gave great ideas on how to use this strategy. In my classroom, I would like to have a lesson centered around the family unit. For this, my students would bring pictures of their family members. We would make a family tree with their names. Below each name, we would have the English word for their position in the family, i.e. grandfather, mom, dad. Along with the English word, I would like to have the corresponding word in the child's native language. I think this strategy is extremely effective because it gives my students a valuable foundation in connecting concrete objects to their proper words. As a child sees the use of the object, they can build a mental vocabulary of what the object are for or what they have learned as they are taught. I like this strategy because you use a labeling system to integrate words and their objects in a visual space. The one obstacle I see with this strategy is if you had a student who was visually impaired. While they can't see the object, you could still use a Braille labeling system to give them a tactile learning environment. I think that this strategy is not weighed down by time constraints because you could put students in a homogeneous pairing (one strong English speaker, one new English speaker) and have your students learn about their classroom. I would set aside a small group time for discoverey where my students could touch objects and learn. This strategy relies on your daily classroom experience so you are using the space you have. I don't see any true problems with implementing this strategy. I liked this strategy a great deal because of the hands-on and visual idea of learning.

My name is Janet Massey!!! I created this blog for my Reading and Language Arts in Multilingual Classrooms online class!!!