Double entry #9

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read?  It causes major problems for kids as they grow up. When they don’t know how to read in school, then school becomes like a prison. They then stop participating and withdrawal from school all together.

2. Why is this fact so strange? When I talked to the school based assistance team, they said that their job was to “level the playing field.” They are not giving anyone an advantage. It is still difficult for students if we don’t catch this early.

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who at good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good a learning? They have to find out what about that they like. They have to draw similarities to the learning style and implement them in their everyday learning environment.

4. What is the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators? Traditionalist use the typical old school approach. You have a book and you read it. Then you take a test on it. You might have some work sheets in-between. Progressive teachers are reading the book differently. They add activities into the lessons that help reach students who have trouble comprehending off the text. They develop ways to reach students who have different learning styles.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language? I believe that learning to read is a natural process for some. People who have a good home environment and get instruction at home from their parents during the early ages it becomes a natural process. Students who do not have a good home life will struggle more and will require more work.

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under? I think that it should be considered as a cultural process. This is how they are raised whether or not school is important to that family. Does the family take time with the child growing up.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school? Each person is different. People will learn different ways and I think that I learn best through cultural process. I also know people who learn best through instructional process. It depends on the genetic makeup of the child.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grad slump." The author says, “Children who do not bring such prototypes to school can learn to read in the sense of decoding vernacular language that is written down. But they cannot later read the early versions of academic varieties of language they see in books and sometimes hear teachers speak around fourth grade.”

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness? The author says, “Measures of semantic and syntactic skills.” This is their knowledge of what they words mean and can they use it.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area.  Vernacular language is the type used for face-to-face conversation and for everyday purposes.  This is how a person talks to their family, friends, and other people in their community.  Specialist language or also known as “academic language” is connected to learning and using information for school-based content areas. 

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed? Early language ability is what the student has learned before school. They learn this through their family and their personal experiences that they have already had.

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail? They are not teaching the student how to read the language, they are teaching them how to read the words written. That is where we need to change the traditionalist approach.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school? Peoples cards that they are dealt can be rough and I do not think they are to fully take the blame. They brought the kids into the world they are responsible to do their best to prepare their kids.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language? I am not a great reader and the main reason why is I do not enjoy it. I do not find it fun and it is a drag to do so. I can read Sports Illustrated, but would not even read a review on Harry Potter.