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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I’m so happy to read this
response. Being an effective teacher means addressing the needs of your
students. Since our students are all different with obviously different
needs, we’d be doing a great injustice to not differentiate our teaching
strategies. The key is who is in the classroom and how can we best
facilitate their learning!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Phyllis Bonneau<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Regional Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>EASTCONN Adult Services<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Danielson, CT<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
englishlanguage-bounces@nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces@nifl.gov] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Pamela Haran<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, December 04, 2008
12:37 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> The Adult English Language
Learners Discussion List<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [EnglishLanguage 3244]
Re: I don't understand the currentthinkingbehind teaching reading to adults!</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This has been a very interesting discussion. However,
some of us seem to forget that every clasroom is different. In my experience, I
haven't found that any one rule applies. To say that one should never use
children's books is just silly. It depends on the book and how you use it, and
it depends on the level of your class and their personalities and their
backgrounds, etc. Also, some of you must have the great luxury of
teaching students who are highly literate and have a lot of free time to go to
the library and get books. I teach workers in a hospital. We get
four hours a week. They all work two jobs. And they take care of
families and homes. They are exhausted. If they ever get a day off,
they don't head to the library. They sleep. If I want them to
improve their reading skills, I have to choose materials for them to
read. And I don't think I am some sort of literacy dictator when I do so.
I do ask for their imput, but some of them are low literacy in their own
languages and don't know what to ask for. We do lots of practical things
(like forms and work related materials and realia from daily life), but that
does get a little dull as a steady diet. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I am using a children's book (God forbid!) tonight. It
is "The Treasure." It's a beautiful folktale. I have
three different levels of readers in my class, so I have written out the story
with exercises at three different levels. We will work with this in
class. When they have finished the reading, I will then show them the book.
The language is not "babyish" and the pictures in the book are not,
either. I will present it as a work of art that both adults and children
enjoy. I always ask them if they enjoyed what we just read, or if
they would like to try something different. They have been my students
for two years now. They do tell me if they don't like something. They are
not in awe of me. I make plenty of mistakes, and I make sure they see
them. And I respect my students and they know it. They do know they can come
and talk to me about what we study, and they often do. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Enough with the children's book bashing. It would be
better to share they ways people have used them successfully as well as
mentioning when they have not worked--in a constructive manner. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Just my two cents.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Pam Haran</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>ESL Instructor</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>AACA</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Boston</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style='font-color:black'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:carolkubota@comcast.net" title="carolkubota@comcast.net">carolkubota@comcast.net</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>To:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:englishlanguage@nifl.gov" title="englishlanguage@nifl.gov">The
Adult English Language Learners Discussion List</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Thursday, December
04, 2008 9:13 AM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> [EnglishLanguage
3234] Re: I don't understand the current thinkingbehind teaching reading to
adults!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>This discussion has been quite interesting. I appreciate everyone's
views on teaching reading in the Adult ESL classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>My personal experience has been that adults do not really like reading
children's books in the classroom. Many of our children's books have the
same moral lessons that our students read in their own language. I have also
found that men do not like to read children's books.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>My students have asked to read magazines and newspapers. There are
quite a few of these resources available. The newspapers are written for
ESL Adult students. They include events that are happening now. The newspapers
also include editorials, crossword puzzles and comics My students really enjoy
reading these articles and discussing them with their peers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I have added a couple of links about using newspapers and magazines in
the classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9216/esl.htm">http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9216/esl.htm</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krajka-OnlineNews.html">http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krajka-OnlineNews.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>This is my personal experience. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div id=signature>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>--<br>
Director/Language and Culture Specialist <br>
Battle Creek Language and Culture Center <br>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">7 Heritage Oak Lane #4</st1:Street>
<br>
<st1:City w:st="on">Battle Creek</st1:City></st1:address>, Mi 49015 <br>
269-979-8432 <br>
http://www.bclanguageculture.com <br>
carolkubota@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #1010FF 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>-------------- Original
message -------------- <br>
From: Tom Zurinskas <truespel@hotmail.com> <br>
Someone said here: "I have the opinion that reading and writing need to be
connected."<br>
<br>
This was tested for thousands of k-1 kids in the 80's. The method was IBM's
"writing to read" program using PC Jr's (remember them?). The
theory is that someone must write before another can read. Why not teach
writing along with reading at the same time. The k-1 kids used keyboards
even before they knew how to use cursive.<br>
<br>
The writing to read system was phonetic. The kids need to learn to
spell only the 40 sounds of US English to spell anything in English. Then
they transitioned to traditional spelling after phonetic spelling. The
book "Writing to Read" by Dr. John Henry Martin and Ardy Friedberg
documents the method. It worked very well. Kids were far ahead of
their peers in reading and writing But it was expensive, requiring
new computers. There also were some special phonetic symbols in volved
. Not so good. <br>
<br>
Today the same methodology can be done for free using truespel phonetic
spelling. It uses no special symbols, just letters, thus it's email
friendly. I believe that experiment should be replicated using the free
truespel converter at truespel.com to generate text and phonetic
lessons. The result will be that finally there is a way phonetics can
reasonably be used in the kids classrooms. And it can be integrated with
pronunciation and translation guides. This would be a first. <br>
<br>
Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+ <br>
Learn truespel in 15 minutes at <a href="http://tinypaste.com/764f4"
target="_blank"><span class=yshortcuts><font color="#003399"><span
style='color:#003399'><span id="lw_1228326516_2">http://tinypaste.com/764f4</span></span></font></span></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
> Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:02:26 -0800<br>
> From: kolgin@glendale.edu<br>
> To: englishlanguage@nifl.gov<br>
> CC: englishlanguage@nifl.gov<br>
> S ubject: [EnglishLanguage 3207] Re: I don't understand the current
thinking behind teaching reading to adults!<br>
> <br>
> > Well, Ali congratulations. You've hit the nail right on the head. In<br>
> Pearson's Reading in the Twentieth Century, he comments on how "other<br>
> disciplines thought that the educationalists had got it all wrong, and it<br>
> was time for another group to have their say"(p.11). So, the<br>
> different disciplines took a crack at how to read including the<br>
> linguists, psycolinguists,cognitive psychologists, sociolinguists,<br>
> philosophers literary critics and critical theorists. And then the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region><br>
> Health Department (NICHD)and religous right threw in their two cents. If<br>
> you go to an International Reading Association Conference, you will find a<br>
> hundred methods to reading all claiming to be a panacea. The problem is<br>
> there is no size fits all when it comes to reading. In my experience, I<br>
> hav e had the best result with shared reading (a form of LEA) and<br>
> Literature Circles (higher levels). I have the opinion that reading and<br>
> writing need to be connected. That is, they need to be taught together<br>
> and not separately. Although the book's focus is children,Beyond<br>
> Traditional Phonics: Research Discoveries and Reading Instruction<br>
> (Moustafa, 1997)was an eye opener for me.<br>
> Reading for adult;especially, low level educated adults has become a deep<br>
> interest to many. Welcome to the club.<br>
> Kirk Olgin<br>
> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Glendale</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
> <br>
> Hello all.<br>
> > My name is Ali Hesami, and I am currently a graduate student in the<br>
> adult<br>
> > literacy program at <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Virginia</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Commonwealth</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>
in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Richmond</st1:place></st1:City>,<br>
> <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:State>.<br>
> > I've been attending a class called "Teaching Reading to
Adults" as part<br>
> of<br>
> > my required curriculum, and I have been wondering about the current<br>
> method s<br>
> > used to teach reading to adults. It seems to me that the teacher
teach<br>
> adults just as they would teach children, often even using research and<br>
> writing on teaching reading to children as guidelines.<br>
> > While I understand the usefulness of phonics, phonetics, etc. by<br>
> themselves,<br>
> > I firmly believe that an adult can better benefit from learning to
read<br>
> by<br>
> > simply reading in a classroom environment, guided by teachers,
tutors,<br>
> etc.<br>
> > An adult in his or her 40s or even 50s simply should not have to sit<br>
> through<br>
> > long sessions of syllable by syllable instruction if all they desire
id<br>
> to<br>
> > be better able to communicate with others and better express their<br>
> opinions<br>
> > about the world surrounding them.<br>
> > I speak from experience here. I began learning English as a 14 year
old<br>
> in<br>
> > an international school in Ta nzania. I placed into the 9th grade to<br>
> start;<br>
> > no one ever even approached phonics, phonemes, etc. I read and
listened,<br>
> all<br>
> > the while guided by teachers who helped me with the material at hand.
I<br>
> became conversational in about three months or so, while I worked on my<br>
> writing, also with guidance from my teachers. Conversely, while in school<br>
> > in<br>
> > my native <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Tehran</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region></st1:place>, I was
taught English in a similar manner as<br>
> here,<br>
> > and I spoke a grand total of three phrases when I left <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> for<br>
> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tanzania</st1:place></st1:country-region>:<br>
> > Hello, Fine thank you, and Beg your pardon? I'm not even joking here!
I<br>
> admit as a 14 year old I had an advantage over adults here, but I<br>
> can't<br>
> > help but wonder if what worked for me would help adults much more
than<br>
> playing word games and reading children's books.<br>
> > Let's have them read material they can identify with in so me way ,
and<br>
> keep<br>
> > them reading, while slowly working on their writing skill alongside.
Let<br>
> me know any thoughts, ideas, criticisms, etc. It has been eating<br>
> away<br>
> > at<br>
> > me for a few months now.<br>
> > Thanks in advance,<br>
> > Ali Hesami<br>
> > hesamiar@gmail.com<br>
> > ----------------------------------------------------<br>
> > National Institute for Literacy<br>
> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list<br>
> > EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov<br>
> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to<br>
> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage<br>
> > Email delivered to kolgin@glendale.edu<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> ----------------------------------------------------<br>
> National Institute for Literacy<br>
> Adult English Language Learners mailing list<br>
> EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov<br>
> To uns ubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage<br>
> Email delivered to truespel@hotmail.com<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass. <a
href="http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_anywhere_122008"
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