Words of Wisdom
“ Children are the rock on which our future will be built-the leaders of our
country, which is why the rich potential in each child
must be developed into skills that our society needs to enable it to
prosper.”
Nelson Mandela
WELCOME TOPED 1140
Primary/Junior Language
Class 1:Foundations of Literacy
Who am I?
Maria Cardarelli-Makuch Phone: 613-834-7313 (7:30am-4:00pm) Email: [email protected] Office hours: After class I check my e-mail regularly, 7:30am-9
p.m. Sunday-Friday
Expectations for this class
KWL Organizer. A record of your reflections of the readings
Readings must be done prior to the class. They will be handed out or posted on the wiki the week before.
May want to keep tract of your thinking as you read. Entrance Routine: Pick up name card (*number) and
KWL organizer. Fill in K section. *For a PASS, I must see ample evidence that the readings were completed with meaningful reflections. Hand it in.
You will fill out the WL section as an “Exit” slip before you leave class.
Course Outline.
Tribes Activity
One Special Thing About MeThink for a minute about yourself and something about you that people would remember. Think about something that makes you special. It doesn’t have to be big but it needs to say something about you. It can be silly, funny or sentimental.
Turn and talk. Share with a partner for two minutes.
Learning Goals for this class
1. To learn WHAT to teach in Language with a focus on the connection between Reading and Writing
2. To learn HOW to teach Language based on the most current and effective instructional strategies.
Today’s Focus
Who am I?My expectationsMoral PurposeWhat is learning?Who is the learner?What is Literacy?Oral Language
Moral Purpose
What is your belief about teaching kids?
Turn and Talk.
“Quality teaching is intentional”. www.curriculum.or/secretariat/SYCL.shtml
What do you think was the “Big Idea” (the message) of his talk? Turn and Talk.
Turn and Talk
Let’s write:
To be successful personally and professionally, today’s students need to be independent, flexible, creative, critical, and strategic thinkers and communicators. They need to be proficient in many “literacies” – that is, they must be able to understand and communicate with people from diverse backgrounds by means of a wide and constantly expanding range of texts, media, and communication methods. They need to be confident in their learning and motivated to continue to learn throughout their lives.
A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, vol 1
Three Questions:
1.What is learning?2.Who is the ‘learner’?3.What is literacy?
What is learning?
Learning is the acquisition of knowledge by study.(19th century theory)
Learning is a permanent change in behaviour brought about by experience. (Behaviourist theory)
Learning is the sudden or slow acquisition of insight into the rules governing certain relationships in the environment. (Discovery learning)
Learning is the discovery of new facts and relating them to those already known. (Fundamental/active learning; store/retrieval system)
Who is the “learner”? Must consider:
1. Developmental stage
2. Learning Style
3. Multiple Intelligence
Stage Characterised by
Sensori-motor (Birth-2 yrs)
Differentiates self from objects Recognises self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise Achieves object permanence: realises that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop Berkeley)
Pre-operational (2-7 years)
Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of colour
Concrete operational (7-11 years)
Can think logically about objects and events Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size.
Formal operational (11 years and up)
Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systemtically Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems
Lev Vygotsky, 1896 – 1934 Russian psychologist
Developed Social Development Theory which argues that social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior.
He believed that social learning precedes development, this lies counter to the conclusions of Piaget who believed that development precedes learning.
He states: “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological).” (Vygotsky, 1978).
Developed the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, which represents the gap between what a learner has already mastered (the actual level of development) and what he or she can achieve when provided with educational support (potential development).
Vygotskian Perspective on Cognitive Development:Teacher/Student Interactions
Zone ofActual
Development
Zone ofProximal Development
New Zone ofActual Development
What the student canalready do on his/her own.
Learning is not occurringin this zone.
It is important to assessstudent knowledge beforeteaching to determineexisting knowledge, skillsand abilities.
Assistance is providedby more capable others:teacher, peer orenvironment.
Transition fromother assistance toself-assistanceoccurs.
Assistance providedby self.
Internalization of newlearnings.
StudentResponsibility
TeacherResponsibility
JointResponsibility
StudentResponsibility
Gradual Release of Support
PRIVATE SPEECH
Student uses for himself/ herselflanguage that adults use to self-direct behaviour
SOCIAL SPEECH
Adult uses language to model
Adult and student sharelanguage and activity
INNER SPEECH
The student carries on innerdialogue with self:conscious mental activity
speech internalized andtransformed to inner verbalthought
The Zone of Proximal Development
The opportunity for effective learning.
Learning must be connected to previous experiences and learning that the learner has already experienced.
Learning must be broken down in to small steps based on tasks that the learner can already perform but present a challenge just one step ahead of current mastery.
Learning must be scaffolded - tasks must be carefully modelled and supported until the learner starts to demonstrate mastery
2. Learning styles:
Visual – learn best through seeing Auditory – learn best by listening and talkingKinesthetic – prefer to be actively engaged, doing
What style of learner are you?
3. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, vol 1, p.23
What is Literacy?
Literacy is about more than reading and writing – it is about how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and relationships, about knowledge, language and culture. Literacy … finds its place in our lives alongside other ways of communicating. Indeed, literacy itself takes many forms: on paper, on the computer screen, on TV, on posters and signs. Those who use literacy take it for granted – but those who cannot use it are excluded from much communication in today’s world. Indeed, it is the excluded who can best appreciate the notion of “literacy as freedom”.
(UNESCO, Statement for the United Nations Literacy Decade, 2003–2012; italics added)
21st Century Education New Brunswick.
n What implications do these results have?
What authors/stories do you remember from your childhood?
Read Aloud time!
What is the criteria for a “rich” or meaningful text? Facilitates higher-order thinking. Text encourages the question…”What is the author trying to get
us to think about?” (Author’s intent). Rich (juicy) vocabulary. The text supports a variety of connections because it has a
universal message/theme (i.e., feelings, character development, etc.,).
The text necessitates reflection (Would I do this in that situation?).
There is something to be learned. Can be used in one’s life. The message is implied…reader has to think to reach it. The text promotes discussion as there are many questions to be
explored. The text almost demands a reread.
What is Oral Language?
Oral language is the interactive process of speaking and listening for various purposes: to communicate, to learn and to socialize.
Speakers and listeners must interpret nonverbal cues and process meaning, grammar and syntax of what is heard in order to comprehend and respond appropriately.
Importance of Talk
“We talk with each other to sort out what we don’t understand to get more information, to gather different perspectives or to express emotions. Talk expands our understanding and helps us clarify our own feelings; it is a pivotal tool for learning.”
Fountas and Pinnell, 2001, pg 22 A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction Grades 4-6 Volume 4
“”
Oral Language is much more than just talking…
Oral Language involves: Informal or Unrehearsed Talk Accountable or Purposeful Talk/Discussions/
Dialogue Formal or Scripted Talk
Adapted from A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6 Volume 4 Pgs 8-9
Creating a “Learning Community” is key
This is a community (classroom environment) “that uses purposeful talk to initiate their own problems and questions, explore possibilities and construct and negotiate meaning together.”
Courtney Cazden, “Classroom Discourse: The Language of Teaching and Learning”
Accountable/Purposeful TalkTalk that Builds Deep Thinking!
Agreeing: “That’s what I thought” “I agree with...” “Me too because...” “That’s just like...”
Disagreeing: “I disagree with you because... “I don’t think...” “Wait but...”
Talk that Builds Deep Thinking! cont’
Adding/Building on an idea: “I’d like to add to...” “I’d like to build on that idea...” “I’d like to piggie back X’s idea...” “That’s because...” “This reminds me of...” “And also...”
Making sure you understand: “Could you say that again?” “Could you say that differently?” “What do you think?”
“Every experience becomes a potential source of oral language
development when children speak and listen for real
purposes in an environment which challenges them to extend
their language and learning abilities.”
(Ministry of Education of Western Australia, 1994, p. 29)
Oral Language
Talk underpins all reading activities
Chants and
Rhymes
Word Wall
Games
Word Sorting
"Word Discussions"
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics &
Word Study
Independent Reading
Discussing books
Questioning
Book Talks
Formal & Informal Sharing Reading
around the room
Listening stationListening
to taped stories
Shared/Guided Reading
Reading & retelling stories
Questioning Before, during & after reading
activities
Picture walks
Predicting
Brainstorming
Read-alouds
Predicting
Inferring
Retelling
Synthesizing
Questioning
Teacher Talk
StudentTalk
The Ontario Language Curriculum
A Continuum of learning
Assignment 1: Children’s Picture Book Collection
Next week’s Readings(will be posted on the wiki)
Hand outs: “Reading is Thinking: within, Beyond and
About the Text.” “Six dimensions of Fluency”
Reading Comprehension (MCD): Effective Instruction in Reading K-3, pg. 8.3-8.5)
Website: http://www.eworkshop.on.ca Open Running Record Module. Read “Overview”
Professional Resources
