Module 1: Powerpoint

This Powerpoint was really helpful to me by breaking down some major ideas. Since I teach young children, I liked being able to see the stages of reading development and where my students should be now and where they are working towards in the long term. Seeing them as readers in the bigger picture,  will help guide my instruction. In addition, I really like the idea of being able to treat each student as an individual based on the background, home life, etc. Sometimes I think we get too caught up in everything else and forget that our students come from different experiences and situations that we need to take into account. By doing this, we can help them become better and strong readers. It was also good to get a refresher on RTI, ELLs and IDEA in the powerpoint.

Module 1: Text and Article Comparison

I believe much of what the book stated and what the article stated are closely related. The book has a heavy emphasis on helping readers who are struggling. However, the book states it is simply not enough to identify a struggling reader. Teachers must be able to determine why the reader is struggling and what can be done to help them. The article took the same approach to the struggling school system. They knew in order to be successful they would have to determine why they were struggling and what could continually be done to help fix it.
Both the book and the article have a strong belief that teachers are at the root of helping students. The book states, "Most professional reading organizations, educators and the public at large agree that the teacher is the key to improved instruction" (Optiz, Rubin & Erekson, 2011, p. 19). Moreover, the article states that "teaching effectiveness is measured by whether students learn what we have taught" (Smith, Johnson & Thompson, 2012, p. 57). These statements lead me to believe more than ever, that my role as an educator is so crucial to students' success in my classroom and beyond. Teachers must put forth true effort to make their students the best learners possible.
I did not find many places where the book and article diverged. It was interesting to see in the article, though, what one place in particular had done and the success that was gained. The book does a great job of laying out strategies that I will plan to use in the future. Then, I will be able to see whether or not they are successful for me and my students.

Opitz, Michael F., Dorothy Rubin, and James A. Erekson. Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011.

Smith, R., Johnson, M., & Thompson, K. D. (2012). Data, our GPS. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 56-59.

Module 1: Analysis of Video

This video reinforced much of what I already believed about reading. First of all, they were sure to make the point that meaning and comprehension are the ultimate goals of reading. If a student is struggling so much that they lose sight of this, then it is time for the teacher or tutor to step in and help the child. Second of all, they made the point that if students do not feel successful in reading they are more likely to not enjoy it and not want to do it. I have always believed this to be true and this video's research confirmed it as well.
The video also made a strong point that educators must use ongoing assessments to best help children become strong readers. It is not enough to help them with an area where they struggle and then move on to something different. The assessment must be constant and always look for ways to help students improve. I also liked how the video linked fluency with comprehension. Sometimes we get bogged down by trying to enforce fluency, but it still one of the main focuses of reading and is important to teach our students.

Module 1: Activity #4

I teach Pre-K and my students are the oldest in the center. Therefore, the student I observed is obviously a very young, emerging reader. However, she was still able to identify a few of the words in the text that she was familiar with while reading. She also used the letters that she recognized and used her knowledge of letter sounds to help her "guess" on other ones. After observing her, I would have to say that she could be identified as using proficient reading behaviors. A major reason I identified her this way is that she was heavily relying on her background knowledge to help her read the few words that she knew. In addition, she was not focusing on breaking down words but instead looking at all of the words and pictures in the text to come up with meaning. I also noticed her stopping to take time to try and think about what she was reading was about after she finished each page.

Module 6: Instructional Challenge

Next year, you will be teaching in a school where the vast majority of students did not meet standard on your state's criterion-referenced test and where more than 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. What are some specific universal literacy strategies you may implement to ensure students success? Include both in-class examples and things you could do outside the classroom. 

The first way to ensure students' success in reading would be to make sure they are being taught using a contemporary method of reading instruction. This is critical because it allows them to learn strategies to help them become reader's of the whole text, and not just individual parts of words, which a traditional method would offer them. Like all students, these students need to know that reading is meant to result in meaning. By learning whole words, and reading interesting texts they will gain more meaning. Traditional methods would call for too much decoding and predictable texts which may turn them off from reading. In addition, it is important to make sure these students are being taught through a program that is proved effective, and not the "latest greatest". Although it is important for educators to keep up with the times, a tried and true program is best for these learners. Something new and flashy may end up negatively effecting them in the end.
In terms of what can be done outside the classroom, it is critical that these students have access to books at all times. It is even more critical that these books be on their level. Having access to books when they want to read them, will help them gain an appreciation for reading and do it more often for pleasure. In addition, if the books are on their level they will have the freedom to practice reading independently. Also, having books that can be read aloud to them  will show them how books are supposed to be read, introduce them to more strategies and get them excited for more reading. If students are not given access to these books, I believe their interest in engagement for reading will not flourish. In doing so, the students will not be able to be successful in the future since so much of education is rooted in reading. 

Module 6: Reading Reflection

Does any of the information presented in Chapter 15 influence your personal philosophy of reading? In what ways? How has your perspective this changed since you took the DeFord TORP a few weeks ago?

The information that Chapter 15 provided, made me believe even more the importance of having every child become successful in reading. While this is important for test scores and other standardized items, reading is what all education stems from. If we do not make our students successful readers at their young age, we are basically making them unsuccessful for the rest of their educational career. 
The chapter also made my philosophy that reading should be done for meaning and not word identification even stronger. Studies show that while traditional ways of teaching, such as decodeable texts and focus on phonics, sometimes work they do not compare to the amount of success comprehensive programs show. As educators, it is our responsibility to stay up to date on the latest models and ideas in education. The same is true for reading. Despite what those in authority tell us, we know that phonics and letter-sound correspondence alone does not work for our students. We need to find ways to give students a variety of opportunities and tools to become successful readers and writers. 

When scoring myself on the DeFord TORP earlier in the course, I determined that I scored a 79 which put me on the low to mid range of believing in teaching reading skills. Since then, I do not think my perspective has changed drastically. I still believe it is important that teachers introduce, use, model and teach students the skills they need to become good readers. Much of this can happen during the different elements of a comprehensive literacy program, which I now strongly believe in. When I took the TORP then, and still now, I do not believe that phonics instruction should dominate reading instruction. In the same way, I do not strongly believe that whole language should dominate either. Instead, educators should use a balance of all these approaches and ideas and work towards making each individual student a successful reader. While it is up to the teacher to design their literacy program, they have much to keep in mind and balance in doing so to meet the needs of all readers. 

Final Personal Model of the Theory of Reading

            At the beginning of this course, I felt that my undergrad classes had given me a decent foundation on what reading is and how to teach it to students. However, after taking this course, reading Weaver’s book and participating in group presentations and discussions, I feel that that foundation is now stronger and more solidified. Looking back on my previous personal model, I see that while the ideas I had, such as reading aloud, enjoyment of texts and giving students tools to be successful, were just part of a comprehensive literacy program. I now believe that teachers implementing effective comprehensive literacy programs that account for all levels and types of readers is the best way to make students successful, lifelong readers.

            A comprehensive literacy program is so important because it gives teachers a way to introduce and teach students reading in a variety of ways. Moreover, it can be used with any type of text and with any age of student. I believe that its components such as shared reading and guided reading would be best for students in younger grades as well as emerging readers. These would be best for such students because it shows them how reading occurs and how it takes place. It also gives students the skills and strategies they need during reading such as using context cues, self-correction and fluency. On the other hand, I believe that reading workshops and writing workshops are better geared to upper elementary grade students. This is because students are given freedom to work at their own pace and discover things on their own. In addition, students are given more freedom to choose what they want to read and write about. While these were ideas that I had heard of and tried using prior to this course, I know feel confident that I could use them in a classroom and have ways to make them effective for all students.

            I believe that components of a literacy program such as read alouds, mini-lessons and conferencing could be used at all ages and for all readers. Read alouds are so important because it shows students that even adults value reading. Also, it can help them in a variety of ways including learning new concepts and being able to enjoy reading. Mini-lessons are useful because they can be planned or unplanned. In either situation, the teacher is able to address a topic or issue pertaining to the reading or writing process. Students can then directly apply to what has been briefly taught to their work. Lastly, conferences are also valuable to both teachers and students in a literacy program. Conferences give students a way to express to the teacher what they have been reading, learning and what they are struggling with. They are beneficial to the teacher because they show the teacher the student’s progress and allows them to better meet them where they are. I think these components should be used in all comprehensive literacy programs, but with a careful balance to other components.

            Finally, this course has changed much of my views on phonics and phonics instruction. Prior to this class I thought that phonics was just as effective as any other approach to reading. I thought the ability to sound out words and decode would produce strong readers just as a whole language approach would. However, after considering what Weaver lays out in her book, I believe that phonics should never dominate a literacy program. While it can of course be included, particularly with emergent readers, having it dominate the program is usually a disservice to students. It is a disservice because as educators, we should always have the ultimate goal of reading be meaning. However, meaning is often lost or cast aside during phonics instruction because so much emphasis is on the words themselves and not how they are being used. My belief that students learn better with less focus on phonics was proven in the studies that Weaver lays out in the text. In addition, the studies of my prominent theorist Ken Goodman also proved to me how whole language learning is so much better for readers. The sounds the letters in words make is not as important as the words themselves. Sounds and patterns are too time consuming and have too many exceptions. Again, phonics should not be thrown out altogether, but it should never be total focus. 

My biggest takeaway from this class is what I mentioned earlier: the purpose of reading is meaning. I believe it should be our constant goal and focus to find ways to help students gain meaning from texts. Whether it is incorporated into the various components of a literacy program, or during tutoring time when things such as miscue analysis and think-alouds occur, we should always bear this mind. If our students gain meaning from reading, they will inevitably be successful. I want for all my students to know what it feels like to be successful in reading and carry that with them always. 

Module 5: Instructional Challenge

As your school year starts, you realize that you have three ELLs who are newcomers to the United States. Discuss how a comprehensive literacy program addresses their needs, drawing attention to specific components of the framework that are particularly relevant. Then discuss any additional scaffolding you would offer to support these children's needs. 

In the literacy program, the read aloud part would be a great place for ELLs to see how a book is supposed to be read. In particular, if the read aloud models strong ways to read fluently, check for meaning and to hold discussions the ELLs will begin to develop ideas of what reading is supposed to be like. Guided reading would be important to ELLs as well because they will get direct instruction that pertains to their needs in a small group setting. It will also provide them with strategies and skills that they can use when they eventually move on to reading alone. Of course, these students might need more tutoring time than just guided reading, but it will provide a foundation. Like all students, ELLs will benefit from the mini-lessons that teachers lead during the literacy program. They will begin to learn the reading process, different reasons for reading and reading strategies that strong readers use. Also, it would be beneficial for these students to be included in literature groups in the classroom. In this way, they will be able to read according to their interest but also have the opportunity to spend time with their classmates discussing the reading, problems that occurred during reading and other issues that may arise. Like reading, writing will also probably be difficult for the ELLs. However, holding conferences with them as they practice their writing to see how they are doing, shared writing that models writing strategies and guided writing which allows writing to happen in small groups would all be helpful. These components would give them strong roots in becoming good writers which is heavily connected to becoming a good reader.
These ELLs will probably need extra reading and writing scaffolding that is strongly based in their specific and individual needs. Challenges such as, learning grammar patterns and cues in order to determine words in the text will exist. Other places that will need scaffolding will exist in determining letter-sound patterns and phonics knowledge. Time will need to be focused on such topics in order for them to begin forming meaning and comprehension. Teachers may need to set aside time to work just with them and track their progress. These students will likely have trouble working independently at first, but with scaffolding will be able to as the year goes on.  Like any other learner however, they will each have their own strengths as well as their own weaknesses. It is up to the teacher to determine these and then work from there. Teachers also need to make sure they are constantly encouraging these students and celebrating all successes. 

Module 5: Reading Reflection

After completing the reading for the week, consider these questions:
Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics?

When using a literacy program in your classroom, there are many opportunities to include teaching and using phonics. One place it fits well is during the shared reading portion of the literacy program. In shared reading, the teacher reads a book aloud with students and helps them with skills and strategies they need during reading. Phonics skills such as letter-sound relationships, word predictions and word recognition can be introduced and modeled. Guided reading would also be a place for phonics instruction to fit into the literacy program. By using guided reading, the teacher has the chance to work with students in a small-group setting and help them specifically with what they need. During guided reading, skills such as breaking words down into chunks or reading words by analogy could be focused on. In this way, the teacher can help students find ways to read unfamiliar words using phonics skills. However, it is important that this time is also spent on gaining meaning and comprehension in order to make students strong readers. In addition, mini-lessons are another place where phonics instruction could take place. While mini-lessons can cover a multitude of topics, teachers can spend time on strategies such as decoding, thinking ahead and checking for comprehension. In lessons such as these, students will gain an understanding of how phonics is connected to reading and when and how to use it. They can then take these skills with them and use them in reading throughout the literacy program.
Writing components of the literacy program would also give teachers a way to help students understand phonics. For example, in guided writing the teacher can work with students in small groups to see how they are developing words and in what way they are writing them. They can then take time to show students how to write according to phonics in such ways as chunks and sounds they already know. In the same way reading mini-lessons help to teach students skills and strategies, writing mini-lessons can do the same. Teachers can explain ways to spell words and develop them based on phonics. Individual conferences in both reading and writing would also be ways for teachers to check to make sure students are using the correct phonics skills while reading to determine words they do not know or to help them when they make miscues.
Each of these components of the literacy program allow for teachers to find ways to teach phonics. However, it is important to keep in mind that much of phonics instruction should be geared towards younger students and emerging readers. Often when students spend too much time breaking down reading into each word and its parts, they lose sight of the reading's meaning. Still, teaching phonics gives students a way to be on the path to becoming a strong reader. 

Module 4: Activity 2

Which NRP topic area(s) or "missing pillar(s)" that Allington describes do you find to be most vital for children's literacy success? 

While I believe that Allington makes several great and interesting points in her "missing pillars" I believe that the most vital two are giving children access to interesting texts and organizing the classroom teaching to include whole class and small groups. I think it is important to give children interesting texts because it lets them read while enjoying it. Even if they do not realize it, while they are reading these texts they are gaining background knowledge, discovering new words, seeing word patters, using fluency and gaining meaning. While these are all important reading strategies, they are strategies that can be used in reading of all subjects. Like Allington mentions in another pillar, it is important students can read their science book. So, if they are comfortable with reading and know how to do it well, when it comes time to read their science book they will be able to. I also think it is important to teach to the whole class as well as to small groups during reading. Teaching to the whole class allows you to introduce topics, look for meaning and have general discussion. Small groups allow for all of these things to be refined, but on a level that truly caters to the students in the small group. In a small group teachers can also better determine where each of their students are and help them accordingly. Small groups also allow for certain reading strategies to take place in a meaningful and useful way for the students. I particularly agree with these two points Allington makes. 

Module 4: Activity 1

Robin's Journey to Literacy 

When learning how to read, Robin incorporated a variety of strategies that helped him become literate, even at the age of 50. One strategy I often saw Robin using was breaking individual words into chunks. He even looked for parts of the word that he already knew, no matter which part of the word it was, and worked from there. Most of the time it was basic parts, such as "rat" in congratulations. In this same way, he used letter patterns in words to help him discover what words were. Another strategy Robin used was pulling from his prior knowledge to determine if what he was reading made sense. Robin had figured out by this point that reading was supposed to make sense, so when he came to a word that he pronounced wrong or did not know, he was able to catch his miscue. He then thought about what would make sense grammatically and in the context and then could pull from what he knew about chunks or patterns to determine the word. Writing was also something that helped Robin. He thought about what he already knew about letters and sounds to come up with the spelling of the word. This writing was important to his reading skills as well. Lastly, the most important strategy that Robin had on his side was encouragement. This encouragement from friends, family and teachers motivated him to continue to read and write even when it was difficult.
This video really opened my eyes to how much in this world depends on reading. It is not only something that is done daily at school and for pleasure. It is needed for electronic communication, reading the newspaper, looking at advertisements and even going to the grocery store. Robin's story reminded me that it is important to take the time needed with every student and find ways to make them successful readers and writers for their future!

Module 4: Instructional Challenge

Marcus is a student who very frequently miscues by substituting words that start with the same letter or first few letters of the word in the text, but his substitutions often are not syntactically or semantically acceptable (they neither sound right grammatically nor make sense). What possible teaching strategies would you suggest to help Marcus? 

One of the first things Marcus should be introduced to is, to make sure that he knows reading is supposed to make sense. In this way Marcus will begin to see that reading is not just something that takes place in the classroom, but it is a way to learn new things.
If Marcus realizes he is supposed to read for meaning, he can then transition into learning letter-sound patterns found in reading. This can be done in shared reading. He can start making connections between the words he hears and the way they appear on the page. Then hopefully he will stop substituting words that only have the beginning sound(s), but try and include all of the word. However, it is important that he does not get bogged down by focusing on letter-sounds in all reading. Guided writing might also help Marcus. Guided writing will give him the chance to see how letters in words sound and work together. Again, he can use this strategy when trying to determine a word in the text.
Lastly, Marcus should be introduced to the "think ahead" strategy. In this way, Marcus will use cues that he sees in the text to determine what is coming next and what kind of word would best fit next grammatically. He should be introduced to pulling from his prior knowledge as well as knowledge he has learned from other strategies such as shared reading. This will help him narrow down the choices, so to speak, of words that would fit into the text. 
If Marcus is familiar with how words in sentences should flow, he will be better able to guess what grammatically appropriate word is coming next. And if he is familiar with letter-sound patterns then he will be able to better determine what the unknown word is. Although Marcus could benefit from a variety of reading strategies, this would best fit his need at the time. It is also critical that Marcus be a part of all reading discussions in the classroom, both small group and whole group! 

Module 4: Reading Reflection

Looking across Chapters 10 and 11, which of the understandings and strategies in the comprehensive literacy program are you already addressing/doing with your students (or have you done, or do you plan to do)?

Although I teach Pre-K, and my students are only at the very beginning stages of reading, I was happy to find that I am implementing several strategies in the Literacy Program already. In my classroom one of the things I try to do at least two to three times a day is read-aloud with my students. I was taught the importance of this in my undergrad classes and have now seen its benefits work firsthand. My students love having stories read to them and it gives them a glimpse into what reading is supposed to be like. Also, I like to take the time to make sure that they are understanding what I am reading and we discuss it. I enjoy reading aloud to my students a variety of texts. Another strategy I often use in my classroom is shared reading. Once my kids have been in my class for more than half the year, we begin to learn sight words. When I am confident of their grasp on them as a class, we begin reading simple stories together. Some use decodable words and some do not. I always instruct students though to say a word in the story out loud if they know it, and they will hear the rest from me. Shared reading is also great for my young students because it gives them a feel for how to read the lines in a book, look at the pictures to help you and so on. My students also love taking part in the sustained reading part of the literacy program. Again, although they cannot read themselves, they look forward to the time when I let them select a book from our library and they "read" it to themselves. They get excitement in finding letters and words they recognize and often make up their own story using the pictures. My class this year did especially well with this activity. 

While my students are a little too young for several of the literacy program strategies, I feel confident that I am putting them on the path to being good readers in the future. In the next year, I might strive to include some ideas from the program such as shared writing and reading conferences. Although they would not look like a typical elementary school class, my students will at least get a taste for what they will hopefully be introduced to when they are older. 

Prominent Theorist Paper

Here is a link to my research paper on Ken Goodman. Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8PE3k6A1yk9UVItYmQ1b2tSRUE/edit

Module 3: Activity 2

What do you think of this? What do such activities and "cracking the code" contribute to proficient reading? What else might a reader need to become proficient? Record your thoughts in a blog posting. 

During my undergrad studies at Auburn University I used a technique very similar to the one we saw in the video during a summer reading program (the child did not have identified learning disabilities). The professor I was taking the class from had a very strong belief in this method and believed that we should teach our students to read this way. At the time, and still today, I see the benefits of "cracking the code" this way. Having the students break down words into their phoneme parts allows them to see patterns and get a feel for letter sounds. Also, by having them physically touch the letter tiles, makes everything more tangible and real for them. However, I am not confident that this strategy makes children fully proficient readers. What are they to do when they come to a word that does not follow previous letter patterns or is an exception to the rule? By telling them the correct word isn't that switching the teaching style back to whole language? As far as nonsense words, I think they are something unique that we should use as a way to gage the level of phonics comprehension our students have. They should not hold a lot of weight, but can certainly be used as a tool if the teacher chooses. 

Because of these reasons, I think it so important that we teach reading instruction from a variety of angles. Like our text states, children do not end up reading words letter for letter when they are proficient- so it is unrealistic to exclusively teach them in a way that does so. Of course phonics should be a focus, but we should include whole language and other aspects as well. In this same way, I believe children should read words in interesting and meaningful texts to become proficient readers. They need texts that they can comprehend, because that is the ultimate goal of reading. 

One thing the video did get right though, is encouraging and supporting students when they make reading successes! Teachers should always find ways to do this, praising even the smallest of successes with every student.

Weaver, C. (2002). Reading Process & Practice (3^rd Edition), Portsmouth, NH: Heinenmann. 

Module 3: Mock Memo from a Reading Specialist

Dear Teacher,
First of all, do not be discouraged by what you are seeing in Erica. This is something that actually happens quite often. Some students get so caught up in the number of words they are reading and lose sight of the true meaning of reading- comprehension! I think we need to discuss with Erica that it is okay to slow down. We need to let her know the importance of actually take the time to understand what she is reading. We should be sure to let her know that she can keep reading the same texts she is reading and still do this. However, she needs to take the focus away from speed and completion and turn it to comprehension and understanding. We need to let Erica know that while fluency is important, it is not everything. I believe that if you and I work together in a way that makes Erica feel confident about being a good reader, we will be able to get her going in the right direction.
As far as what you can do in the classroom to help other students, it might be a good idea to find some ways to strengthen comprehension while reading. There are a variety of ways to do this. One way that Weaver has found works well is the "Think Aloud" Strategy. In this strategy you would meet with a small group of students and model how a strong reader would read. Use an appropriate pace, and pause to think things out if you need to. Also, be sure to use the correct expression during the reading. Students will begin to see that you are not rushing through things, but that you are being mindful of what you are reading. It is the goal that they will see you are truly reading for meaning. Whether you use this strategy or one that you prefer, it is so crucial that you take the time to teach reading instruction in small groups. I believe students get so much more out of reading in this way. Lastly, remember to always stay positive with your students! Meet them where they are and celebrate even the smallest of successes.
You and your students should keep up the good work. Reading can be tricky sometimes, but the benefits of it for our students are immeasurable.
Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I would be happy to talk with you again.

Mary Kaish
Reading Specialist

Weaver, C. (2002). Reading Process & Practice (3^rd Edition), Portsmouth, NH: Heinenmann. 

Module 3: Reading Reflection

Do you agree with Marilyn Adams (1990, p. 108) who argued that rather than relying on context, "Skillful readers of English thoroughly process the individual letters of words in their texts?" Why or why not?

I do not agree with Marilyn Adam's statement. As we read, we do not look at each individual word that is written in the sentence. Moreover, as we read we do not look at each individual letter in the words. Like page 101 states, often our phonics rules do not apply to each and every word. English is language of exceptions. Therefore, if we looked at each individual letter in the words like Adams suggests we would be bogged down and overwhelmed. Taking time to do this would take away from the meaning of the text, which is why students are reading in the first place. 
In addition, as I learned from the activities on page 92, we do not need every letter in every word to determine what the word is. As we gain more experience with reading we begin to find  letter patterns in words. These patterns let us predetermine what a word is coming. One of my favorite things the book pointed out in Chapter 5 is on page 97, "Without ever having been told, we know what is possible in English, and what is not". 
Lastly, Marilyn Adams is wrong to note that we should not rely on context. I believe that context is one of the most important resources students have while reading. They can use what they know from it and what they gain from it to help them when they are struggling. They are able to take clues from it to determine what they are not sure of. 

Weaver, C. (2002). Reading Process & Practice. (3rd Ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Module 2: Activities 1 & 2

Activity 1: Exercise #3c, page 58

creech- a quiet movement
droogs- a scary creature
glazzies- a structure made of ice
goloss- look at slowly
malenky- something described as being bad
messel- a small bump
millicents- unimportant things
poogly- goofy or awkward
razrez- eccentric or over-the-top
skorry- blurry
spatted- completed quickly
zoobies- ghost figures

When choosing meaning for these words, I found myself using one of two strategies. The first strategy was that I chose the meaning of the word based on the part of speech I believe that it is. I determined this by using the word endings to help me. The second strategy I used was basing these meanings off words that I already know and have similar letters, sounds, or chunks of the word. These were the two best ways I could think of to make sense out of these nonsensical words.

"A Clockwork Orange" Meanings

droogs- friends or people you hang out with
goloss- voice (was used when talking about a singer)
creech- scream or yell (used when a man was obviously afraid and fearful)
poogly- scared or afraid (used when the boys were harassing the teacher)
razrez- rip, tear or destroy (what the boys did to the teacher's belongings)
zoobies- teeth (described when the boys ripped them out of the man's mouth)

I was able to determine the meanings of these words by using clues in the context. However, many of these words took several tries for me to get before finally deciding on a meaning that I thought was best. I was only able to partly knew words that I already knew to help me since the text contained so many other words I was not familiar with in addition to these.

Activity 2: Exercise 7, page 85

- I did not try to read the words letter by letter.
- I instead tried to read the word by chunking them into syllables. I tried to use syllables that I already knew as best I could.
- I did try to read some of these words using all of the letters all at once. When I went back, I noticed that this often made me miss syllable chunks because I moved too quickly.
- I do not immediately know the meanings of any of these words. I think if I studied them for a bit I might be able to determine some meaning using root words. Pulling on prior knowledge might jog my memory as well. Also, seeing the words in context would be helpful, too. The words I would feel the most confident about would be- sycophant, submandibular and demesne.
- Yes, pronouncing the words helped me gain some insight into the meanings of these words. I was able to use my memory to recall where I had heard these words before and the context they were used in. I still would not be totally confident giving a full meaning for any of them.
- When I encounter unknown words in normal reading, I have several strategies that I turn to in order to help me. One of these is reading the word again carefully, using the context it is being used in. I also pull from my prior knowledge to see if I have read or heard it previously. Sometimes I even find myself skipping it and seeing what word would most make sense in its place and coming to a meaning that way. Lastly, in today's world of technology I am often able to highlight a word if I am reading it on a screen and my device will link me to the definition of the word. This is such a convenience in today's society.
- I think this experiment should show us that students are inevitably going to run into words that they are not familiar with. However, instead of letting it go unaddressed or telling them the meaning right away, we should give them some time to think and try to figure it out for themselves. However, they cannot do this unless they are equipped with the strategies to do so. Therefore, it is our jobs to instruct them on how to use their prior knowledge, pull from their schema, use the context (or pictures if they are available), or skip and come back. If they feel confident about their abilities to use these strategies, hopefully they will come to a meaning more often than not. This experiment also showed me that word meanings are much harder to come by when they are in isolation. Therefore, we should give students opportunities to read interesting texts where they will find words that challenge them and ask them to work on finding the meaning themselves.

Module 2: Instructional Challenge

Dialect Based Miscues 

I believe that these child's miscues are evidence of a proficient reader. I believe this because they are getting most of the words in the phrases correct. The only words that are missing are sight words or words that influence the grammar of the phrase. A child who reads with these miscues would most likely still gain meaning from the text.
If I were teaching a child who made these miscues I would wait until they were finished reading to start assisting them. Also, before I assisted them I would check to see what meaning they had gotten from the text. If they had gotten the meaning, I would simply tell them what errors they made and be sure to praise them for what they had gotten correct. If they had not gotten the meaning I would review the sight words or grammar cues with them so that they could try again and hopefully gain meaning on the next try. It is important to note too, that when assisting a child with reading it needs to be handled based on the situation and on the individual child. A strategy that works for one, might not work for all and vice versa.

Module 2: Reading Reflection

"The major folklore of reading instruction relates to the "theory" that reading is considered an exact process. In other words, the reader is expected to read everything exactly as printed on the page in order to understand the message of the author. In general the consuming public, legislatures, courts and too many educators hold to this theory. It is like the theory of the world being flat during the time of Columbus" -Robert Harper and Gary Kilarr

I agree with Harper and Kilarr's statement. Reading cannot be done exactly right every time and in every situation. And even if it was, students would never learn or benefit from reading. Part of learning how to read is learning from your mistakes- just as it is with so many other things in life.
A reader who might not be proficient in word recognition might still be able to gain meaning from text. One way this can be done is through personal context, mentioned on page 43, "We can and do use our entire personal context of knowledge and experience, our schema (including our entire social and cultural context, our background) to help us identify (and sometimes misidentify) words". Sometimes a student can simply rely on their prior knowledge to help them reach the meaning of a text, despite miscues. Readers can also gain meaning using language cues, "our intuitive knowledge of syntax, our grammatical schemas, enable us to use word endings, function words, and cues, the meaning relations among words and sentences in the text we are reading" as described on page 52. If a reader is familiar with these things they will be able to determine meaning even if they miss words occasionally. These are just two ways that prove that reading is not all about total accuracy. A student who can read every word perfectly might have trouble gaining meaning, making connections or reading for pleasure.  Lastly, the book tells us on page 63 that good readers, "are reading to construct meaning, rather than to identify words". Getting bogged down by all of the words in the text will make the reader lose sight of the meaning, and I believe that there is no point in reading unless you are gaining the meaning.
As teachers we have to accept that every child learns differently. They come from all walks of life and have all different experiences. As long as our first priority is for all children is the same- making them the best readers we can who enjoy doing it, too- the theories we teach them with should be second. Harper and Kilarr are right, there is no way that reading could only be taught using an exact process and doing so would only show you to be an ignorant educator.

References: 

Weaver, C. (2002). Reading Process & Practice (3rd ed.). Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.