First off, I remembered countless ideas as I read from Intro to Literacy II last semester. A few things stood out to me as I read this chapter, though. The first is that vocabulary gap for many students is so large that it is difficult to identify where to begin. This can be a grand issue and is something that I can identify with myself. It seems as though even when you begin to read, you have to stop and research so many words, phrases, etc. that it simply confuses you and make you think twice about whether or not to go through and define things not understood and then reading or makes you want to just not read at all. I think this is important to know because it makes a teacher first off preview what is given to students to be read knowing their levels of reading and being able to stay in their zone of proximal development without frustrating them. Frustration leads to shying away from reading.
The next idea that stood out to me was that struggling readers do not need to always do remedial work. This leads to a lack of motivation for students if they feel as though they are doing a lesser version of the lesson. Differentiated instruction was suggested and is extremely important. It is not easy to differentiate instruction but it's definitely important so that all students are included and effectively getting information without feeling set aside from their peers.
The book also stated that mastery of vocabulary is key to success in any field. It is important for anyone to know the lingo in their field. We were speaking about this in one of my special education classes and how parents get overwhelmed and afraid to speak about their children's disabilities when they are hit with the many terms and acronyms used in special education. If adults feel this way, imagine how students feel in content areas when presented with new terminology that is bigger and different that what they use everyday. It can be shocking and hard to deal with; even scary.
Food for thought:
- What types of activities could I use to differentiate instruction without singling my students out or making them feel as though they are not as smart as their peers?
I think you made some very good points that I had not thought of from your special area of study. Differentiating instruction is important, but to keep the student motivated in reading and increasing his vocabulary is equally important. The key as you wrote is not making the student feel different or not as smart as his or her peers. Perhaps allowing strategic computer language games with reading involved at his or her level may be beneficial. Thank you for your perspective.
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