The readings this week emphasize different ways to get children interested in and understanding how to
read and write. One way that Cunningham and Allington (2011) suggest is simply by encouraging reading and writing even before children can read or spell properly. I greatly agree with their suggestion, because my parents pushed me to do the same. In preschool I learned how to read short rhyming books, and just before kindergarten I started trying to write my own short stories. My mom would staple a few sheets of paper together in book form and encourage me to fill it with my own words and ideas. I remember being so proud of my books and reading them to my family and even to my kindergarten class with the support of my teacher. I've saved those "books" over the years, and looking back at them it's difficult to decipher what I wrote. Even though I couldn't spell or form sentences correctly, I was inspired to enjoy writing and reading which are traits still with me today. I hope to share my "books" with my future students as a way to show them that I once started where they are. Hopefully they'll be encouraged to write their own stories to share with the whole class as well. It makes me wonder, though, what is the best way to encourage improvement of their writing or reading without discouraging their interest?
Johnson (2010) also suggests that children carry metaphorical backpacks with them into school that are formed by their family's culture of literacy. Not every family encourages literacy in their day-to-day activities, but those that do better prepare their children for school. I remember my family reading the newspaper often much like the Jones family. Like Lola, the mini page for kids was my go-to section; I also loved the comics. It helped me be more aware of different types of reading material and helped me associate reading with entertainment. Johnson (2010) also advises teachers to use encounters with parents to get to know the families' literacy histories. Just like being aware of my past helps me know how to move forward in the classroom, I believe knowing about my students' pasts aid in knowing how to approach teaching them. However, I know that not every parent will be involved or attend school functions. What are other ways to research students' family literacy histories or encourage parents to be more involved?
No comments:
Post a Comment