Literacy

       Found some really good reading in the book, Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing, by J. Richard Gentry. Dr. Gentry has a lifetime full of studying/teaching reading education in the classroom and university. He is highly qualified with his 16 years of research and writing in literacy education.  He has published Breaking the Code: The New Scienceof Beginning Reading and Writing and the Science of Spelling.
      Dr. Gentry talks about in his book, Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing, about the process of every aspect of literacy coming together, working harmoniously to create a literate student.
      On page 66, " Writing for reading makes sense because invented spelling is the perfect vehicle for code breaking. Writing puts both meaning and phonics first and helps the child synthesize knowledge enabling her to understand how aspects of reading and writing- such as letter knowledge, sound correspondences, directionality, phonemic awareness, phonics and sleeping, book concepts, and the concept of 'what is a word'- fit together. These are all the dots the child must connect into one grand unified process called reading."

To Correct...or Not to Correct, That is the Question

  
     Over the past week, I have had several discussions with people of various backgrounds over whether we, as teachers, should correct spelling errors when students are writing. From a variety of elementary education classes in college to research done lately, I have been reassured, that as a teacher, I should not always be correcting the spelling of a student.
     Depending on what stage of spelling the student is in, determines how "involved" I am, in their spelling, and in a whole, in their writing. In this particular article,(link included), it informs readers about spelling development, the stages of spelling, and what teachers can do in the classroom to progress them through stages and benefit their individual growth.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/267
Here is a quote from the article, which supports my standings on correcting spelling errors:
       In teaching students to write, teachers should avoid overemphasis on absolute       correctness, mechanics, and memorization. Early emphasis on mechanical aspects of spelling inhibits developmental growth. When frequent purposeful writing takes precedence, adherence to the rules is secondary. The teacher in no sense abandons expectations for correctness. Rather, correctness is nurtured more effectively through knowledge of the pupils' level of development.

       I understand all of the hype and talk about students today not being able to spell. But can we honestly blame it on their development of spelling and how teachers are approaching it in the classroom of early grades? I think not! I feel that spelling errors are developed from these possibilities: lack of TIME spent in each stage of spelling development (rushed through stages), our "technology aides" (such as spell check), or pure laziness to figure out how words are spelled correctly.

3rd grade Swoop

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3147954/3rd_grade_swoop

This week for school is B.E.A.R. week...Be Excited About Reading! Today we thought of all of the words that come to mind when we think of reading or what excites us about reading, and created a Wordle! Check it out!