Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iB3NllF28316; Fri, 3 Dec 2004 18:47:47 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2004 18:47:47 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <BAY4-F2571F2935AD6DBB7446F8C5B10@phx.gbl> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "George demetrion" <gdemetrion@msn.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1226] connected text and adult literacy students X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 3543 Lines: 70 Hi Anne, If you take a look at the text I cited--equivalent in reading level to the NRP News for You, it will be evident that more is at work than memorizing and guessing. With you, I accept the importance of phonemic based instruction, and we include it in the program to which I'm referring, both in context and in separate lessons. Reading is also facilitated by work in fluency in which manageable and interesting connected text taps into other thinking processes than what is learned via isolated skill work. With Victoria Purcell Gates, I view the whole-part-whole approach sound, with caveats always toward individualizing instruction according to the abilities and modalities of specific students. Thus, while I understand the importance of phonemic mastery, I do not view it as the foundation, or even, necessarily, as the single most important aptitude. What I do think is that unless one has a fluent grasp of the phonemic principle, practically speaking it would be difficult to become an independent fluent reader, but the process of getting there is another matter. On reading and interesting text, Tom Sticht argues that, given a basic baseline to begin with--and he may place that baseline at a higher level than I--student scan read more of such text in which the text is calibrated at a given grade level, than the same level of reading level of uninteresting text. There is also another factor to consider in the process of learning to read, which is what Lev Vygotsky refers to as the "zone of proximal development." The concept here is that an individual can learn to master that which he or she cannot indendently with the timely assistance of a more knowledgeable other, and the "other" may be a person or a prompt which facilitates that process of extension. When Vygotsky's "zone" is applied to the very edge of a student's current ability positive learning takes place in a manner in which students actually experience new learning, which, in turn, moves into the fruitful arena of learning to learn. I think that learning along these lines is the more accurate phenomenon of the students I was referring to in the reading of the African American biographies. Much practice with a broad array of text and multiple year participation are the important additional areas. These are the folks who are at the edge of the plateau levels Jean's posts initially sparked, and some have moved a bit beyond even as they still exhibit substantial difficulties with many aspects of the reading process. Here's a quirky little web document detailing a single learning incident that may bring out a bit more something of what I'm getting at: Teaching the Word Restaurant http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/George/Rest/cover.htm Anne, I appreciate your work, your knowledge of reading, and the evident passion and concern for your students that comes across in your messages. Best, George Demetrion ----- Original Message ----- From: Anne Murr Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 5:17 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1222] RE: Plateaus for ABE readers--2nd/3rd+Big Ideas What we find with adults who have low literacy skills in our Center is that they plateau at the 2nd to 3rd grade reading level because they lack the decoding skills to read text beyond that level. George, you said, "These adults, obviously could read some, but were still quite basic in the scheme of things." Their "read some" is most often based on memorization and guessing at words.
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