Professional Development
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Theories
Mental discipline is one of the earliest educational theories that is woven into nearly all areas of literacy. The theory is built upon the notion that the mind is like a muscle that is strengthened through repetition, resulting in learning. This principle of a muscle being strengthened with repetition is supported by brain research which claims that connections increase in the brain with repeated exposure to learnings.
Associationism, is another significant theory because it highlights the importance of activating the students’ prior knowledge and making connections.
Constructivism focuses on knowledge being actively constructed through an interaction with what students already know.
Schema theory, a type of constructivist theory, centers around how knowledge is built and utilized by the learner, therefore, abstract concepts are best comprehended when they are scaffold on more concrete concepts.
Motivation is a central component in learning. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation facilitate learning.
Professional Development
Historically, teachers are custodians; they pass on the knowledge and mores to the different generations. It is strongly believed that teacher quality is the most important variable that impacts students’ achievement. Teacher quality is viewed as more significant than class size, therefore, ensuring that teachers are properly trained, especially in the elementary schools, can significantly affect the achievement gap. Teacher expertise in a domain, has an impact on their pedagogy which can influence students’ achievement. Teacher quality is crucial; African American and Latino students have registered consistent low achievement when compared to Caucasians, hence improving teacher quality in minority neighborhoods should be a goal for everyone.
Professional Development (PD) for teachers is significant because it addresses various areas of literacy development. PD stimulates inquiry which allows learners to make sense of the world.
Literacy
For most individuals, a simple definition of literacy is the ability to read and write. However, this definition does not capture the scope of the topic especially when the impact of social media is considered. Today many educated adults are illiterate in the eyes of their grandchildren. Consequently, it is not a simple task to define literacy. It is multifaceted, and complex. A thorough understanding of literacy is best demonstrated in different cultural settings. A close examination of the historical development of literacy, reveals an evolution. Literacy is more than the ability to read and write; it is communication within a social setting.
Information Processing Developmental Stages
There are four development stages for the processing of information: the first ranges from birth to 2 years; during this stage the child’s world is centered only on his senses so bright-colored pictures, books with sound and activities for him or her to touch are appropriate at this time. The second stage is 2 to 7 years. During this time the child uses words to identify his world, so story book reading and discussions on the story are ideal for this period. From 7 to 11 years is the third stage; the child begins exposure to abstract concepts; a child is now ready for maps and Venn Diagrams. The fourth and final stage runs from 11 years to adult; here the child can use language in more complex ways.
Six Standards for Reading Professionals
1. Foundation Knowledge
2. Curriculum and Instruction
3. Assessment and Evaluation
4. Diversity
5. Literate Environment
6. Professional Learning and Leadership
Assessment
It is said that in a highly organized assessment-based classroom no one can tell instructional activities from assessment activities. Assessment is a scientific evaluation of where the students are.
Concept of Print
Concept of print is the way a child understands that words are marks within spaces on a line. This concept is important for students to learn early in their literacy experience because it presents a relationship between letters and words through print. Proficient readers are sometimes unaware of important skills that emergent readers need to acquire in order to read; these include knowing that reading in English, the spine of the book is on the left and we read from left to right as well as from top to bottom.
Story Retelling
During the second part of the assessment of concept of print, story retelling, the teacher asks the student to retell the story without looking back at the book. The teacher evaluates the child based on story element present in the response. Areas of focus include: mention of characters, plot, coherence as well as the presence of experience with the narrative; the teacher records the assessment setting.
Pillars of Reading Instruction
There are five pillars of reading instruction namely: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary fluency, and comprehension. Whereas all the components are essential, vocabulary is a fundamental component in the acquisition of literacy. It is obvious, based on current research findings teachers need to be competent is their vocabulary delivery if they wish to remain relevant in literacy acquisition.
Pillars of Literacy
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is an understanding that speech is composed of individual sounds and these sounds are manipulated to make words.
Phonics
Phonics is one of the fundamental building blocks of reading. The reader reads sounds, not the letters she sees. The dynamic connection between print and pronunciation is an important tool for readers.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is important to learning to read; it is not an isolated skill, and it is directly related to reading comprehension. It is estimated that students can add up to 3,000 words to their reading vocabulary repertoire annually. It is one of the most significant differences between proficient and low functioning readers.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read a passage accurately with expression. Fluency has been identified as another critical factor in reading. Students who read a passage in a timely manner, with expression, generally read better and have greater comprehension of texts. Teachers can teach fluency by modeling and teaching students how to use expressions and pace words.
Comprehension
One of the most researched topics in reading is comprehension, with more research being done in cognitive processes educators are nearer to understanding how comprehension occurs. Comprehension is the reason for reading, but there are many variables involved. Comprehension involves many processes; prior knowledge, inference, encoding of facts, all done so that understanding can be memorable. Cognitive processes such as vocabulary, the use of context and experience, work together for full comprehension to take place. A correlation exists between vocabulary and comprehension, however the rate of reading text impacts comprehension since delay hinders understanding.