Oral Language and Reading

According to Chomsky, “Children are not born with knowledge of English or Japanese or any other human language. Instead, they are born with knowledge of those things that are common to all human languages.”  This means that children are born with some implicit knowledge of language, but they need to learn how their language (or the language they are learning) functions.  Chomsky believes that language is innate. So, is reading innate?

If children are born with the innate ability to gain oral language skills and it argued that there is a connection between oral language and reading, is reading innate too? I don’t believe so. While working in a kindergarten class last year I was amazed by the language skills of most of the kids. Their vocabularies alone were baffling to me at times. They had so much to say and were very pointed in their speech. However, this vast wealth of language they seemed to posses did not correlate to their reading ability. The fact that they had such strong oral language skills did help them learn to read. However it did not seem to have an innate quality. 

My Writing Education

To reflect on the writing instruction that I received as a student is not an easy task. I don’t remember sitting down to write in a “writers workshop” setting. I certainly don’t remember any part of writing instruction being fun.  When I think about learning how to read and write in school, I think of worrying a lot. I remember a constant feeling that everything I was doing was going to be wrong.

I do have a strong memory of learning grammar and punctuation. This took place with the teacher at the front of the classroom at the chalkboard, the students in rows of desks watching the teacher write sentences on the board. I was never really sure what she (my teachers were always women) was doing up their.  I was never focused enough to be engaged in this setting. This was not effective for me as a student.

It is easy for me to take how I was taught as a student and turn it around to be a positive teaching tool. I do not feel that my elementary school education was a very good one. It was a “wonderful” public school in NY in a great area. However, my needs were seldom met. As a teacher I know I am able to focus on each students development and take into account each learning style. I never had the chance as a student (until college) to feel as if my writing was something to be celebrated. 

My Philosophy…

            When thinking about teaching reading and writing my mind automatically jumps to teaching fourth and fifth grade.  I taught fourth grade for several years and fifth for one before having children. I had been out of the classroom for 5 years before going back to work in a kindergarten classroom. My feelings and my philosophy of teaching reading and writing changed significantly with this transition.

            When teaching the intermediate grades I focused on the details of more advanced writing. Much more focus on style and less (all though some) on conventions. I truthfully was not thinking about the process it took to get there. In retrospect I see what a disadvantage this was to my students. Through the reading I have done and the experience I have now, I am much more aware of the process. I would think and hope that I am a better teacher because of it. I now believe that the process begins when a child begins writing of any kind nonsensical or not. This often begins at around 18 months. I now see how the little scribbles that small children write are just that, writing. I feel that this is where the writing education begins. Before reading about this I would never have considered this as an important pre-writing activity.

            As for reading, as an intermediate teacher I focused more on comprehension and not as much on the process. I was not focused on how early on the reading process begins, how early language is connected to the process of literacy as a whole. My philosophy has changed as I have continued my learning.

            My philosophy is that literacy begins very early on, and it is our job as educators to turn pre-writing into writing and pre-reading into reading. As children are learning about phonemes, they are also learning about graphemes. As they learn how to read, they are learning how to write. It is my understanding that a good writing education goes along with a reading education. I also have a very strong belief that this all needs to be fun. When children are little they love to take out that big marker or crayon and scribble away. There is no reason this momentum has to stop when they are school age. Kindergarteners and up should find the process just as joyous as the 18 month old with the crayon.

            However, my philosophy is not only that the students have fun. In order for students to become proficient readers and writers, they must read write often. If students from kindergarten up read and write for at least 30 minutes a day, they will learn. Daily writers workshop combined with 10-minute mini lessons is an important routine for every classroom, no matter the grade level. Plus, combining writing with reading lessons. During reading lessons it is important for the teacher to draw attention to writing style and conventions.

            Combining fun with consistency is my philosophy for a good literacy program. Creating an environment in which students feel that they are reading and writing about what interests them. Working with students to create stories that they are proud of. Teaching students what good work looks and sounds like. Giving students the chance to share their work. And doing this every day. In my opinion this is what makes for a comprehensive literacy program.

 

A conversation with a colleague…

For the past six years I have dedicated my everything to my two boys. I have loved it all, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss teaching. I have missed the students and the colleagues. I missed being in a learning environment with constant converstion and excitment.

When my oldest son started kindergarden last year I began school as well. I felt this was the perfect time to start on my quest of becoming a reading specialist. I thought this would help me achieve my goals and be helpful in teaching my son to read. Oh, I was wrong about the teacing my son part. I quickly learned that my teaching and his learning on some levels needed to stay seperate. All I was doing was frustrating my son and questioning my abilities.

Recently I had a chance speak with a colleague that I taught with when I first started teaching ten years ago. When I forst met her she was a verteran teacher, one that I really looked up to.  I asked her about teaching literacy. I mast say I was a bit surprised by her answer to my question. I realize now how much I have learned about teaching literacy, even if it's not to my son. 

The following is my interpretation of what this colleague stated. This is not a direct quote, rather a re-written account of what was said.

 “As an educator, what do you see as your philosophy of teaching literacy?

Throughout my teaching career, my philosophy of teaching literacy has changed with the times. I have taught for twenty years, so I have seen trends come and go and I have been a part trends that have worked, and ones that have not been as successful.

My “philosophy” is that to teach literacy successfully, you must teach to each student’s strength as much as possible. If some students learn from a more traditional phonics format, I will teach to that strength. If other students need a more holistic approach, I will teach to their strength I try to approach each student in a way that they can be most successful. This takes careful planning and a lot of work, but it has proven to be successful in my classroom.