School Reading Philosophy
Please tell me about your school/district's reading philosophy. In your response, include what you feel are the strengths and areas that need improvement.
This information will be beneficial to me so I can tailor this class to your individual needs.
Please click on the comments icon to submit your response.
This information will be beneficial to me so I can tailor this class to your individual needs.
Please click on the comments icon to submit your response.
posted by Christi Slowey at 5:41 PM
2 Comments:
Here is my district's reading philosophy:
We believe that if children love to read, they will read. Thematic, integrated, motivating teaching is the heart of our English Language arts program. Objectives include listening, speaking, literature and reading, and writing to meet the goals identified in Wisconsin’s Learning Standards. Reading instruction includes a balance of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Our instructional methodology is based on the philosophy that children must construct their own knowledge. This means that the program must be individualized as the children move through the continuum at their own pace. It means providing stories that are meaningful to children. Singing and chanting become important. It means understanding and following directions. Humor must be recognized. The literacy curriculum recognizes the recursiveness of literacy skills. Thus, the curriculum provides increasingly sophisticated content and fosters increased independence of the learner.
We believe that children should be immersed in print: high interest children’s literature, magazines, newspapers, student developed books, and books from different genres and reading levels. The K-12 curriculum encourages students to become knowledgeable, reflective citizens who possess a life-long passion for learning.
I think the number one thing that I hoped to gain fromthis class was I wanted to get some ideas for some new stories to use as trade books and read alouds. The one I use now are getting a little stale. I also would like to find ways to make my current stories more exciting as I teach them. I want the unmotivated reader to enjoy reading more.
It took me awhile because I didn't know our reading philosophy. I contacted the district and two administrators collaborated to send me an elevan page document called "Philosophy of Muskego-Norway's Literacy Program." It's interesting reading, but I'll give you the high points.
The following are the 7 principles of best practice that guide teachers: 1. Learning is meaning making 2. Prior Knowledge guides learning 3. The gradual release of responsibility model and scaffolded instruction facilitates learning 4. Social Collaboration enhances learning 5. Learners learn best when they are interested and involved 6. the goal of best practice is to develop high-level, strategic readers and writers who think, reason and problem solve 7. Best practices are a result of informed decision-making. I'm not sure I understand all the buzz words, but I'll read it again to try to figure out what ZAD's, Vygotskian Teaching, and ZPD's are. I think these confusing terms are drawbacks from the policy and I think it's a weakness that I never knew it existed.
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