Final Personal Model of Reading Theory

            Reading is a crucial and vital skill for every child and adult.  Reading is used to interpret meaning from novels, newspapers, and even recipes.  The way in which a teacher views and instructs reading within a classroom can mold the way students view the act of reading and how they view themselves as readers.  It is essential for every teacher to study and implement a comprehensive literacy program within his or her classroom.  The skills taught within this program are foundational and can be used long term.  I believe, as a teacher, it is my duty and responsibility to create life-long learners and teach students how to construct meaning through reading.  At the beginning of this literacy course, I knew what pieces of literacy and reading workshop I used within my classroom.  My personal reading theory has evolved throughout this course and I now feel more confident about how I teach reading in my classroom. 

            As a student reads a passage or text it is fundamental that the student is doing more than just identifying the words.  The student must be creating meaning from what is being read.  Once meaning is created, then true comprehension has taken place.  Students must be able to have a connection and background knowledge to what is in the passage in order to create meaning. 

            Reading comprehension must be taught through many strategies.  A comprehensive literacy program enables me to use many strategies and create lessons that are centered around student needs and abilities.  Through the use of reading workshop, I am able to meet with students and work on skills through whole group, small group, and one-on-one conferencing.

            Reading workshop uses one to two hour blocks of time to create a classroom environment that is comfortable for students to explore reading and test their ability as readers.  This comfortable environment gives students the opportunity to freely share their reading responses and learn from each other.  I believe that I must give students a lot of choice in what they read.  This is important because many students do not have access to a variety of books at home and students want to read what interests them.  They will be more likely to read if they have choices and they may be more willing to share what they have read if they are interested in it.  The routines put in place during this long block of time helps students to anticipate what happens next and what is expected of them, both behaviorally and academically.  This huge block of time allows students to learn reading skills, practice the skills that are taught, and indicates the importance of reading. 

            As students move through the different stations of reading workshop, I can create opportunities to scaffold students in learning new skills.  This scaffolding paves the way for the student to begin practicing the reading skills on their own and eventually use that skill frequently as he or she reads.  Reading workshop provides opportunities for students to work together and collaborate, practice skills independently, and work with me to learn new skills, either in a small group or a one-on-one conference.  Mini lessons and read alouds provide students with a goal to work on and gives them a chance to hear fluent reading. 

Through the reading workshop model, it is vital that skills are not taught in isolation.  All reading skills must have purpose and be taught within the context of reading.  Word study is also important for expanding students’ vocabulary and decoding skills.  Phonics should not be taught in isolation, and but should be integrated through reading workshop in context.  Students need to see phonics modeled within context and need to be able to apply it within their reading in order to show they understand the “rules” of our language.

Assessment is also important in a comprehensive literacy program.  Reading for meaning and reading comprehension must be determined through discussion of the text.  Using fluency as the only factor in reading comprehension does a huge disservice to the student.  Proficient readers make miscues that do not interfere with meaning, and if a student reads fluently and does not make any miscues, they are not interpreting the text in order to create meaning.  Students must understand that making miscues is okay and it is even better if they make miscues that do not affect the meaning because that lets the teacher know they are predicting what is coming next or translating into their own dialect and ultimately creating meaning.

I believe that using reading workshop in my classroom will give students the opportunity to grow as readers and allow many of them to grow to love reading.  I must scaffold students in their learning and give them opportunities to practice the skills I teach them.  Students must feel comfortable to share and respond as well as work with their peers in collaborative groups.  Reading is an important lifelong skill, and I owe it to my students to create meaningful lessons that teach them that reading for meaning is true comprehension.  Teaching reading for meaning and other reading skills can be achieved through a comprehensive literacy program and reading workshop. 

Module 6: Reading Reflection

Does any of the information presented in Chapter 15 influence your personal philosophy of reading? In what ways? How has your perspective this changed since you took the DeFord TORP a few weeks ago?

The information presented in chapter 15 heavily influenced my personal philosophy of reading.  As I moved through the class I gained more support for why and how a comprehensive literacy program works and how it helps higher readers but has more impact on struggling readers.  The data provided within this chapter emphasizes that children from lower socio economic communities benefit from a comprehensive literacy program because they hear fluent reading, are offered opportunities to work on skills through guided reading groups and individual conferences, and have a vast array of choices to read.  Many of these students do not have people at home to read to them or work with them and many do not have access to different book choices.  

When I first took the DeFord TORP at the beginning of the semester, my answers fell within the skills range.  There seems to be so much emphasis on test scores and accountability these days that teachers sometimes forget what is truly important- teaching the students based on what they need and their abilities.  At the beginning of this course, I was not a huge proponent of phonics instruction (mainly because I had been taught more whole language approach and felt uncomfortable with phonics and its rules)- I however, have seen that value in teaching phonics to students but incorporating it into reading through context and not taught as separate skills.  Emerging readers need pieces of phonics in order to use those skills with unknown words they find in their reading. 

Module 6: Instructional Challenge

Next year, you will be teaching in a school where the vast majority of students did not meet standard on your state's criterion-referenced test and where more than 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. What are some specific universal literacy strategies you may implement to ensure students success? 

I do not teach at a Title 1 school and I am lucky to have many of my students come from homes that parents read to their children, and have many books for them to choose from.  However, there are students that pass through my classroom doors that do not come from this situation.  

In order to ensure success for students that did not meet the standard on the state test and qualify for free and reduced price meals I would implement a comprehensive literacy program that uses modeling, conferencing, and writing within reading will enhance students' ability to comprehend texts.  Students need to have access to many books and need to hear fluent and proficient readers read aloud.  This will open the door for valuable discussion of skills such as prediction techniques, connections, and vocabulary.   Reading skills need to be taught within context to help the student understand how to apply the skill.  Isolating skills without context does not allow the student a chance to practice the skill while reading. Utilizing shared reading can limit the number of miscues and help them create meaning and students do not feel isolated as they read.  

Limiting the number of worksheets that promote skills, especially phonics, will allow the students to ask themselves critical questions such as "does this make sense" and using their emerging letter sound knowledge to determine unfamiliar words.  Worksheets promote skill and drill activities and not application.  

These students need opportunities to make analogies between unfamiliar and familiar words by using the print.  Using word families will help them increase their vocabulary and help them practice what would 

The most important strategy that students need when learning to read is to use their background knowledge.  Many students that are in low income communities do not have the opportunity to take trips with their families and experience different places.  It is up to the teacher to evaluate the students' background knowledge on a particular topic and increase that background knowledge in order for them to make connections to the text.  

My grade level has a minimum requirement of reading each night.  While this may not seem ideal, we do allow them to choose what they read in an effort to encourage them to read for longer amounts of time.  There are times, when we assign readings that are on topics we have been studying in class.  Students respond to higher level questions using Survey Monkey and we evaluate their responses.  We do not choose readings for this topic that we have not provided sufficient background knowledge of.

Module 5: Instructional Challenge

As your school year starts, you realize that you have three ELLs who are newcomers to the United States. Discuss how a comprehensive literacy program addresses their needs, drawing attention to specific components of the framework that are particularly relevant. Then discuss any additional scaffolding you would offer to support these children's needs. Post it to your blog and name the posting "Module 5: Instructional Challenge."

Respond the the Instructional Challenge Blog Postings of two other members of the class, discussing how your responses overlap or differ. For information about evaluation, remember to see the Participation Rubric.

In order for these new ELL students to be successful, they will need to be immersed within the English language.  A comprehensive literacy program can address their needs and help them learn the language.  

Read alouds will help the ELL students hear the language, hear a proficient reader read fluently and will give them the chance to hear conversations surrounding new vocabulary, introduce concepts of print, discuss predictions through the use of the pictures or text, and allow them to connect to the story in order to build schema and create meaning.  

Shared readings will help the ELL students become familiar with the book and offer chances for the student to read with guidance when the student feels comfortable.  Using the pictures to help identify words will lead them to be able to read the words as the shared reading is repeated over the course of a few days. This will offer letter sound relationship skills, sight vocabulary, and word attack skills which will help the ELL student with literacy and reading comprehension. 

Guided reading groups will give the teacher the opportunity to zone in on specific skills those ELL students need through the use of mini lessons in a small group.  This guided reading group can be integrated with the shared reading group as well.  

I would also use inquiry to help the ELL student learn the English language.  Allowing them time to investigate a topic that interests them will give them the chance to experiment with the language.  I would provide books that are on their level or provide them with a listening station with the information. 

I would also allow these students many opportunities to create a written response.  This might require them to draw pictures at first or have them verbalize their message to me as I write for them.  However, as they begin to learn the language and acquire more vocabulary I would gradually release the writing to them and require them to write using words and sentences. 

For ELL students that are new to the English language, I would use these components of a comprehensive literacy program more often.  I feel as though these components would be the most beneficial at the beginning of their learning language journey.  I would not want to put them into a Literature group to be an active participant without adequate knowledge or understanding of the language, however, having them sit in and listen to the conversations of other students would be very beneficial for them.  ELL students need to be immersed in as much of the English language as possible, so providing these opportunities for them to hear conversations or participate in readings as they feel comfortable, is vital. 

Module 5: Reading Reflection

After completing the reading for the week, consider these questions:
Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics?

Post your response on your blog. Name this blog posting "Module 5: Reading Reflection."

Respond to the Reading Reflection Blog Postings of two other members of the class, making connections with their responses. For information about evaluation, remember to see the Participation Rubric.

Phonics is a component of a comprehensive literacy program.  It should not be taught in isolation as a set of skills but within literacy, integrated within reading comprehension.  According to Weaver's Reading Process and Practice, she notes that studies have found that reading progresses from "wholes to parts" and therefore students should learn to read using sight words, environmental print, and chunking among other strategies.  

Phonics shouldn't be taught as individual letter sound relationships especially while reading because a student may lose some or all meaning of the text.  Students can use chunking or other word parts in order to help them determine sounds of new words or word parts.  The deep rooted meaning of phonics is to teach word recognition and not meaning, therefore during reading instruction teachers should utilize other reading strategies in order to teach students how to read.  Since the goal of reading is to create meaning, it is important that as we teach students, we teach them strategies to create meaning or give them strategies to use when they come to words that they are unsure of. 

I can teach "phonics" as a more of word work/study.  I can teach my students the meanings and pronunciations of prefixes, suffixes, and root words in order for them to transfer these meanings to new and unfamiliar words.  If students are able to identify word parts they will be able to break down the words into chunks and use these meanings and pronunciations to help them as they read.  Using these word parts along with context of the sentence students can learn to identify unknown words. These skills can be taught through flexible guided reading groups, individual conferences, or through mini lessons during reader's workshop. 

Module 4: Activity 2

Take a look at the NRP Report Summary:
http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/summary.htm
and Allington�s response:
http://www.hcd.hr/conference/key_allington_eng.pdf

Which NRP topic area(s) or �missing pillar(s)� that Allington describes do you find to be most vital for children�s literacy success? Why? 

I believe that the NRP topic areas or missing pillars that Allington describes that are most vital for children's literacy success are access to interesting texts and choice and matching kids with appropriate texts. 

There were times in middle and high school when I had to read texts that were not interesting to me or I was not allowed choices in my reading and I really did all I could to get through the book or I didn't read it at all.  If children are not given access to texts that are interesting to them, we will lose them as readers.  As teachers, we want them to read anything and everything they can get their hands on, and if the choices are limited or the choices don't peak an interest of theirs then they may not read at all. The more students read, the better they will get. 

If students are given texts that are too difficult for them to read they will become frustrated.  They won't be able to learn anything from texts that are too challenging and for students in the ELL or Special Education programs, they need to have access to books that are conceptually appropriate and on their reading level.  They need to practice using these books before they can move on to challenging material.  That isn't to say that they should read challenging books, but they need to feel success in reading books that are on their reading level in order to build their reading confidence. 

Module 4: Activity 1

Even though this video has strong religious overtones, (please let me know if it offends you, and I will provide an alternate assignment), it is useful for determining strategies that beginning readers use when becoming literate, even at age 50. Watch the video and reflect on what strategy or strategies Robin used most to help him learn to read.

As I watched this powerful video I was amazed at how determined Robin was to learn to read. Robin used various strategies in order to learn to read and as the video shows he used some phonics, but did not focus on phonics as the primary source for his learning.  He would chunk some sounds within words to get the sound parts but did not recite individual letter sounds in order to figure out the word. 

He also read children's books, but as he read and miscued, he would ask if what he said made sense and would go back and re read. He was using the context of the sentence and his schema in order to determine the correct words in the sentence and the meaning of the words.   

He read ads in the paper, and read signs he saw, and articles in the newspaper.  The most significant strategy that I noticed was that he used his schema and the context to determine if what he was reading was making sense.  He was reading for meaning by the end of the video. 

Module 4: Instructional Challenge

Marcus is a student who very frequently miscues by substituting words that start with the same letter or first few letters of the word in the text, but his substitutions often are not syntactically or semantically acceptable (they neither sound right grammatically nor make sense). What possible teaching strategies would you suggest to help Marcus? 

In order to help Marcus, I would figure out if there are other students who have the same issue as he does.  I would pull them in a group together and do a shared reading.  I wouldn't want to do this activity with him one-on-one unless I had to in fear it might hurt his self esteem or make him feel devalued as reader.  

I would choose a picture book and conduct a picture walk and discuss with him or the group, the pictures, title, cover and allow him to predict what the book will be about. I would read the book and discuss it with him or his small group. 

I might also try to tape record Marcus and play it back and stop the recording at places where he has miscued and as him if that makes sense and offer him the chance to re read. 

I would also provide a copy of a passage and omit key words and have him read the passage aloud and try and fill in the blanks with words that might make sense. I would make sure Marcus has enough background knowledge of the topic in the passage so that he could replace the blanks efficiently. 

I would also set Marcus up with a buddy to read.  I would have to chose a buddy for him that wouldn't just tell him the words but would offer valuable suggestions to him when he stumbles upon a word he doesn't know and replaces it with a word that doesn't make sense. 

Finally, I would allow Marcus ample amounts of time to read independently reading a book of high interest. 

Module 4: Reading Reflection

Looking across Chapters 10 and 11, which of the understandings and strategies in the comprehensive literacy program are you already addressing/doing with your students (or have you done, or do you plan to do)?

As I read through Chapters 10 and 11, I found that I am doing many of these activities in the comprehensive literacy program with my class.  My grade level is departmentalized, which means that each of us teaches separate subjects and the students switch classes.  I teach reading and integrate Social Studies strategies into my reading class which means I teach 4 reading/social studies classes. 

Activities in comprehensive literacy program that I currently do: 

Read Alouds- I do read alouds, but not necessarily everyday.  I try to read picture books to my students that address issues we are currently discussing in Social Studies (Pink and Say- Civil War, The Memory Coat- Immigration) and I have read a novel (Number the Stars) out loud to them. We have discussions about these books and it benefits all the students in the class but it seems to have greater effects on the ELL and Special Education students because they are able to hear a more difficult book being read to them and they are hearing the comprehension discussion that takes place after the read aloud is completed. 

Guided Reading- I have students grouped by their Fountas and Pinnell Reading level (which I know now is big no no) but have also pulled certain students who share the same difficulty with certain skills.  So I do a little of both.  Last year it was a bit more difficult to do guided reading groups but I have done them in the past with my 4th graders and found that students greatly benefited from those group meetings.  I used to meet at a teacher table in the back of the room, but have more recently met on the floor with students.  

Sustained Reading- I love letting students read for enjoyment.  I have a lot of students who love to read and those students are always begging me if they can just read that day and often seem very disgruntled when I have to pull them for a group.  I haven't explored the idea of using books on tape with my 5th graders but tried to do it with my 4th graders a few years ago and found my resources were limited.  I like how the book gave me ideas of where to find other books on tape or recorded books so I may search those websites to find some that are more appropriate for upper grades.  

Individual Reading conferences- I tried my very best to keep up with this as best I could.  I had a folder set up with note cards and on each note card was assigned a student and I would jot down notes, skills, or fluency documentation on the note cards.  I kept a class list on the front of the folder to write down the dates I met with those students.  I found myself meeting with each student about every 2 weeks.  I like how Weaver's book gave a very concise direction for the conferences, so I am going to integrate those into my conferences. 

Literature groups- I have used lit circles in the past, but usually used them in my classroom after CRCT was over and we had about 2 months until summer.  I found it very overwhelming to use that during the rest of the school year, even though the benefit is great, but always ended up using it at the end of the year in order to keep students engaged. 

In the writing section I have done the write aloud, sustained writing, individual writing conferences, and journals.  I incorporate as much as I can into my reading/Social Studies class now though. 

I would like to use shared reading, literature groups, and improve on the inquiry/reading to learn aspects of the comprehensive literacy program.  If my grade level ever goes back to teaching all subjects to our homeroom class, I would like to use more of the shared writing, guided writing, and inquiry/writing to learn.