Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h38CMlU05129; Tue, 8 Apr 2003 08:22:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 08:22:47 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3E92BE0D.524F4008@ellijay.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Art LaChance <arthur@ellijay.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:128] Fwd: Re: E-Panel Discussion, Positionality X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) Status: O Content-Length: 4779 Lines: 114 Morning All, I have to agree with Andres here, and add some from my perspective. We've done work with children from PreK through 9th (LD, ADD, normal, etc) in reading skills and have worked with adults who required the same level of reading remediation. For base level phonics training we use the LTK computerized curriculum that is based on Orton-Gillingham methodology along with one-on-one teacher course correction and student reading out loud to a teacher. It appears to me that much confusion is induced into the childs brain by avoiding complete mastery of the critical decoding skills in the early grades. Whether this is a regional, ethnic, cuirriculum, or whatever - the truth is that if a student does not understand the decoding parameters for the alphabet, ie how the letters sound in various conditions and how those sounds make up words, they will not be able to understand how those words make up thoughts or complete sentences. (there is a lot of quotations I left out of that sentence but read the emphasis in please). The association with real life issues only makes it easier to make the association, it doesn't do much for learning the language itself. Relying on memory of words in association with real life issues very definitely has absolute limits. The most noticeable of which is the inability to decode unfamiliar words. Persons who experienced the 'whole language' curriculum without extensive decoding or phonics training very often lose the motivation for continuance of language training because they suddenly find they aren't capable of progressing into the higher stages mentioned by Andres. This particular malady can appear in the K-3 range and it doesn't go away of it's own accord, it must be identified and corrected by an outside source. A major problem exists in our current system of diagnosing those children as LD and never addressing the confusion. art Art LaChance Gilmer Learning Center Ellijay, Ga Tom: I think that we are talking about teaching methods. However, there has been a division between those who advocate whole language vs those who advocate discrete language approaches. The idea of whole language is that in order to teach discrete skills such as phonetics, you need to explore themes that will capture students' interest and desire to know more about something. Once you have captured their interest, it is more likely that they will want to read and write about something and therefore, master the discrete skills necessary to read or write. On the other hand, teaching discrete skills separated from content, does not capture the elements necessary to master the language. Carol Chomsky conducted research in which she found 5 stages of reading and writing acquisition. She found that in the first stage people master the ability to recognize simple words such as cat, dog, ball, etc. In the second stage people master the ability to put words together into simple sentences such as: the cat runs, the dog sleeps, etc. Chomsky explains that everyone will master these two stages with very little instruction and exposure, unless people have a learning disability. In fact, in the US, the majority of adults have mastered the first two stages of literacy. The literacy limitation is at the third stage, fourth and fifth stages. The third stage does not focus on word or simple sentence construction but rather with the construction of meaning of more complex texts. So, while a person may be able to read: the dog runs, the cat sleeps, they have difficulty understanding the meaning of: "while the dog was sleeping and the cat was running, my mom was balancing the budget, in order to be able to purchase groceries for next week"; or metaphorical meanings like "what happens to a dream deferred, it dries up like a raisin in the sun" Chomsky argued that to master stages 3 and above, teachers need not to focus in simple word and sentence construction, but rather in exposing learners to rich and varied texts of different levels of complexity. The richer, more varied and interesting the literature, the more that learners will be able to master literacy skills. So, unless you are working with students with considerable disabilities, the suggested methodology is that you do not focus in simple word or sentence construction. This is something that the students will master pretty much on their own. Rather, you need to focus on exploring meaning. Two things to note: First, Chomsky's research was conducted with children, but in my experience, her findings apply to adults. Second, I am not suggesting that LD people learn better with phonetics or by mastering discrete skills. Rather, that the method I suggest needs to be adapted to meet the need of the learners. Andres
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