Philosophy of Literacy Nina Halverson EDUC 319 April 23, 2013 Philosophy of Literacy The majority of people use

some form of literacy in their daily lives. People choose to read for enjoyment, education, employment, to gain new information, or just when they pass by a billboard. There is no denying that reading is the backbone of society. The purpose may change over time, but literacy is the center of how people operate. Everyone who can read today was taught how to read at some point in their lives. I believe that reading is the most important thing that students will ever learn, so it is vital that I use appropriate strategies and techniques when teaching literacy. This paper will define and explain my beliefs about literacy and the appropriate techniques and practices to teach literacy effectively. Literacy is the ability to read and write. Teaching literacy is so important because people use it every day regardless of the purpose. Children will not be able to learn math, science, social studies, or even music if they cannot read properly. Students need to advance in their education, and that will not be possible if they cannot read and write. Reading, writing, talking, and listening are all connected; children need all of those components to work well together effectively. If students cannot read they will not be able to write, speak, and listen to their best abilities. I believe that all students will learn how to read at their own levels and at their own time. I will respect the diversity of the learner and support him or her where needed. Due to the diversity of learners, students will need many different examples and choices to support what works best for them individually.

I believe that teachers need to create a print-rich environment that displays the diversity of their classroom as well as individual needs. I will incorporate a word wall that allows children to read words at his or her level. Students should be able to go to the library and pick a book that is just-right and something that they are interested in. If students can read about something they enjoy, they are more likely to want to read it. Allington writes, The research based on student-selected is robust and conclusive: Students read more, understand more, and are more likely to continue reading when they have the opportunity to choose what they read (2012, pg. 10). It is so important that students feel motivated to read. If students feel motivated they will want to read and write more; they need to have purpose. By allowing students to choose what they read, they will comprehend the story and become more engaged in what they are reading. I will give positive feedback to students reading and get excited about what they are reading about. If a student selects a book about dinosaurs, teachers should promote that in their classroom by talking to the student about the book, offering more books about dinosaurs, and incorporating science into the book. By allowing children to choose what they read, they will pick a book that is on their level (Allington 2012). This will allow children to gain comprehension by being able to read a book that is at their level. There needs to be a strong level of home-school cooperation so that children are able to comprehend literacy. Students need support from their family, community, and school to thrive in academics. I need to make sure that there is open communication between families to support the student. Teachers can also encourage students to read at home to adult, friend, or sibling. Children will appreciate the audience and will be able to receive feedback from other adults. It is important for children to hear constructive feedback from all different people including their peers. Students should be sharing and discussing their work at home as well as in the classroom.

Students learn a lot by hearing their peers read aloud. They can teach them something new and learn something new from their peers. Young educators need to know that their hard work while reading and writing is being appreciated by others in their life. Parents and teachers can support children by giving them different techniques while reading. I will give students many different strategies to use while reading. I will also use a variety of different print such as magazines, newspapers, online resources, and signs. It is important to create a print-rich environment by using print that is found in their community. A Kindergarten classroom could have signs such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, or Subway which are words that they see often in the community. Students can understand the purpose behind reading by viewing these signs because it is something they see on a daily basis. Young children need to realize the purpose and understand the meaning behind reading. Parents can also help support this by having their child help write down the grocery list, point out signs on the street, and by reading to their child. Children need to be read to and read to others to develop literacy. It is imperative to success that students understand word recognition and vocabulary. If students do not understand the meaning of words, they will not fully comprehend the text. Children need to use strategies such as chunking, decoding, sounding out, using sentence clues and other strategies to grasp the meaning of a word. Students should understand how words sound using phonemic awareness and put letters together using phonics. The International Reading Association recognizes that students need the ability to read fluently, decode unfamiliar words, understand how phonemes are connected to print, and construct meaning from print (2000, pg. 2). Teachers need to teach these skills to develop an independent reader. Students should be able to rely on these strategies after practice so that they can read and comprehend by themselves and not rely on an adult for assistance. When students use these

strategies they can become a fluent reader which will build a bridge to comprehension. When students comprehend something they understand the meaning of the text while reading. I believe that teachers need to model before they can expect children to read on their own. The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) is all about modeling and slowly letting students work at their own pace. For example, if I were teaching children how to fill out a graphic organizer, I would use GRR. I would first model how to properly complete the first section. I would then do it with the students. So the students and I would fill out the second section together. After I would have the students do it but I could check after they filled in their next section. Last, I would let the students fill out the rest of the chart by themselves. GRR allows children to know exactly what I expect from them and for them to see it modeled. The Essential Elements of a Balanced Literacy Program state, Modeled, or interactive writing occurs when the teacher writes in front of students and also verbalizes what he/she is thinking and writing (2004, pg.5). When I talk through a section using different methods, the students can then use those methods on their own. I will be aware of my teacher discourse so that students have the vocabulary to fill out a section on their own. To comprehend text, students need to discuss and use their background knowledge on the subject. Teachers need to access students prior knowledge and connect it to something they know before reading. The Constructivist Theory by Vygotsky states that, Learning occurs when individuals integrate new knowledge with existing knowledge (Tracey 2012, pg.1). Students will be able to talk and listen about what they know and what others know to better understand new information about the topic. Children need time to think about a subject and share with others their experiences. I did a guided reading lesson about a young boy who was not excited to have a babysitter. The students talked about babysitters that they had before; some stories were

bad, others were good, but it got them talking about the subject. They were picking up clues from the cover and telling me that this young boy did not like his babysitter. By discussing babysitters and looking at the cover, the students were getting excited to read the story. They had a purpose and felt motivated to learn more. After reading, the students also had time to discuss and talk about how their stories were alike or different. Students were able to make connections about babysitters; therefore they better understood the story. After reading they could answer questions about comprehension such as the characters, the plot, the theme, and the solution. I believe that literacy is the foundation of education. Children need to be able to read and write and it is my job as an effective teacher to ensure this happens. I will incorporate different strategies, involve family, and make sure that students are motivated. I will focus on creating a print-rich environment and create a reading community in my classroom. I am very passionate; I will make sure that every child that enters my classroom will be able to read and write to the best of his or her ability.

Resources Edmonds School District (2004). Essential Elements of Literacy, 1 Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. E. (2012, March). Every Child, Every Day. Educational Leadership, 10 International Reading Association (2000). Excellent Reading Teachers: A Position of the International Reading Association, 2 Tracey, D.H. & Morrow, T.M. (2012). Lenses on Reading (2nd Ed.) New York, NY: The Guilford Press.