Teacher-guided Literacy

It is refreshing to read about affective domain of learning as one of the first chapters we read in this textbook. I strongly believe that in order for anyone to learn, and enjoy learning, a positive attitude and open mind is essential not only for the student, but the teacher as well. Through this chapter, there were excellent points made as to why some students enjoy reading and writing and some students do not. As teachers, it is our job to set the student up for success. We can do this by listening to students and discovering the reasoning behind a student’s attitude through an Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, motivating students through a positive learning environment, and integrating conation through activities that give students choices. I find it particularly interesting that brain-based learning theory is recognized as a way to promote affect. I have always heard that everything we have ever learned is stored in our brains and it is just a matter of accessing that information when we need it. If what Stanislas Dehaene postulates in Reading in the Brain is true, then it is important for an educator to remember that learning is non-linear. Reading about this theory makes me recall and access information that I have heard before (which I stated earlier in this blog) which helps me understand the information being presented.  Teachers must learn to present different topics in a way that engages the use of the right hemisphere of the brain for non-linear thinking. Although, I was able to recall this information, this will not always be easy for students to grasp when discussing a new topic. I want to incorporate this type of teaching in my future classroom by creating lesson plans that tap into the brain’s natural curiosity. Having students is one simple way of being able to promote curiosity and make connections to prior knowledge. Students being able to share ideas with other classmates is also very important so the student can hear or see ideas that one might not have thought of on his or her own. I can’t stress enough from my own personal experience as a student and an educator how important it is to pair all of the tools talked in this chapter with a positive attitude, environment and feedback. Part of motivating a student is to make them feel comfortable with sharing ideas and asking questions and staying positive is key.

The instructional applications the article discusses focuses heavily on teachers needing to understand their students’ prior knowledge, skills and competencies. I couldn’t agree more with this idea. It really connects with what is being said about how the brain works and different connections we make when learning new concepts and ideas. Without caring to find out what your students know, it will be difficult to help them with their literacy and will continue to push them farther and farther behind as they get older. All teachers of all subjects and grade-levels must realize this and be proactive as the article says. Although my focus is on elementary education, I have seen high school students struggle with literacy and just be shuffled along because teachers are not trying to truly understand their students level of literacy.  As an elementary teacher, I will try my best to break this barrier and assess each student’s prior knowledge and skill so they may be as successful in literacy as they can be. It will then be my job to continue their growth of literacy by teaching study strategies, comprehension strategies and vocabulary strategies.  

With regard to the importance of understanding each students’ literacy level, do you believe lower level literacy is something that can be fixed at a secondary level and if so, how might you go about it with the time constraints and pressure of staying on course with the curriculum?