Day+1+-+Three+Interactive+Elements+of+Reading

1. How do all teachers know how literacy develops?

All teachers know how literacy develops through observation of their students and comparisons to their children’s or their own speed and fluency in learning to read from pre-school on through adulthood. Literacy is different for each individual and is different at each stage of life for the same individual. Education and experience tell a teacher that while the early stages may appear to have common markers, not all children reach these markers at the same time, even with the same education. Even students entering college or graduate school need to increase their literacy skills for the types of reading assignments they will face, which should resonate with teachers who are required to continue their educations. Literacy is a lifelong learning process.

2. How do all teachers recognize the literacy needs of their students?

Teachers should do assessments of students’ abilities to recognize basic vocabulary of common items first orally during pre-reading discussion of the topic they will be reading. Following introduction of new vocabulary, depending on the functional literacy level of the classroom, the teacher can then assess oral reading ability by asking each student to read a sentence aloud. In post-reading discussion, a teacher can further assess comprehension of the reading. Individuals who display weaknesses in any portion of reading can be helped individually. E.g. a student, who cannot sound out words, may be given an assignment with a teacher’s aide or with a computer program to help reinforce the sounds the letters make.

3. How do all teachers know how to use the multiple methods of teaching instruction?

In teacher education programs and through personal experiences, teachers should be exposed to an understanding of a variety of learning styles. They should observe that some of their students may not follow oral directions as well as they follow the teacher demonstrating how something should be done. Other students may prefer written directions. Experienced teachers will also know how much their preferred style of learning influences their preferred style of teaching and will incorporate activities in each lesson that will cross all learning styles at some point of the lesson, so that the students who prefer an auditory presentation may have a thorough knowledge of the subject as well as the visual learners and the tactile/kinesthetic learners. (Although these are not the only learning style differentiations, they are the primary ones assessed in the Barsch and other early assessments. My preference with students of middle school on up is the youth form of the VARK which provides the student with more insight into how primary and secondary preferences interact. I find that preferred style may change depending on the subject matter being taught.)

4. How do all teachers know how to align their practice with "producting pedagogy" and district/state standards?

While I am unfamiliar with the term “producting pedagogy,” I believe the standards are clear in what is expected at each level and sublevel. Beginning teachers should be exposed to the standards in their education classes while training to become certified teachers. In service programs within their district or Intermediate Unit should offer continuing education as standards are updated or revised. Continuing education courses can also improve a teacher’s ability to align their practice to the state/district standards. Since I teach a World Language, I also compare the state standards with the standards for the discipline. I know that other fields have standards that are discipline related, especially in the STEM areas.