Last Thursday, Time.com posted an interested article about the role of parents in a child’s education development. But, the role described here is no ordinary one. In many cities including Miami and Philadelphia, parents receive a welcome kit upon the arrival of their child. It included a baby book in three different languages along with a note from the “Parent Academy.” These “Parent Academies” are geared to parents who would normally not play a large role in their child’s development. These parents include low-income, single parents, and immigrants. The push of the “Parent Academies” emphasizes just how pivotal a role the home plays in a child’s literal development. Parents who might normally be uncomfortable with homework, reading lessons, and other perils are given an opportunity to learn how to help them.
This article is worth taking a look at. These programs are designed to make parents feel much more comfortable with literacy (and many other areas!) development. More often than not, we tend to focus on literacy development primarily in the classroom. There are some minor flaws for the “Parent Academy.” First of all, these organizations tend not to receive the necessary funding. In addition, those parents who may need it the most may not have access to these programs. Furthermore, these programs last about ten weeks. Ten weeks is not long enough to truly make one feel comfortable in teaching their babies on the way to read. The idea of a “Parent Academy” has a lot of potential if parents are given adequate preparation to hone their skills and give them an enhanced sense of confidence.
As soon as I received the syllabus, I knew exactly who my case study would be. TJ is a second grade student at the school where I work. I have known him for a few years as I had occasionally substituted in his first grade classroom as an undergraduate. I also know him outside of the school. Prior to teaching, I used to be a private tutor. My tutee’s mother babysat TJ while I tutored her son. TJ is a sweet and kind boy but he has a reputation around school as being a bit of a pain. His teacher has him in the front of her room as he is constantly talking and getting out of his seat. His grades are also not up to par. But, when I asked him to work with me a once a week, he was thrilled. He now asks me each day if we are going to do some extra work together. He even follows me around the lunchroom to find out when our next session is. I believe he might be doing this because he is familiar with me as a private tutor. It has been easy working with him thus far as it is a true treat for him!
It has been quite easy to formulate an educational background on TJ. The school has a Title I program which is implemented to help schools that have poor children meet all of their academic needs. The program is designed to meet the state’s standards and provide extra review for what is being taught in the classroom. He receives extra help four times a week for 45 minutes in both reading and math. I met with his reading teacher and she provided me all of his information from the end of last year. While I did not receive a copy of his reading assessment, he scored in the 20% percentile. At the end of first grade, he was reading at 1.4, meaning he was reading at the fourth month of first grade. I also learned that he received below average marks on his report cards. I also have spoken to his current year and she plans on having a sit-down with me in order to discuss his progress in the next few weeks.
I have done three assessments with TJ: the student interview, a writing sample, and a COW. In his student interview, he described himself as a great reader. (He always shows him the new book that he is reading!) He believes that chapter books are hard to read and when he has trouble with a word, he will ask his mom. TJ genuinely seems to enjoy reading and does it as home with his family. From what I have learned, he has a huge support system at home. I am told that his homework is always excellent but this does not translate on his tests.
I think working with TJ will be both fun and challenging for me. I only did the COW assessment yesterday, but he seems to have a solid concept of word. On the other hand, his writing sample and student interview leave a lot to be desired. His writing sample was quite interesting to read. He included a title without my directions. But, his sample did have any focus or sequence. He described an instance where he was scared when he was in the forest with his dog. He did not provide any information about why he was scared or what had happened. I am contemplating redoing the writing assessment with him. He did not seem tired or unwilling to be doing this assignment with me. In fact, he was excited but could still not even verbally communicate the story to me. This led me to wonder if he was making the story up and was simply following my example about a time when I was scared.
My goal for this case study is twofold. This is a great opportunity to learn how to assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses. I would also like to figure out if his grades are more due to not paying attention or if something else is actually going on. I am going to learn valuable skills to become an effective teacher. In addition, I have a vested interest in TJ as I will probably have in my classroom next year. I hope to learn more about his struggles and what actions can be taken to stop them. I want him to be a great reader and writer all while I can learn how to give out assessments. TJ is very confident and I want to make sure that he can perform at his expected grade level.
Perhaps, the most surprising aspect of this class is just how complicated the English language actually is. Reading and writing is something that I have always taken for granted. The vast breakdown of the English language is fascinating and it’s no wonder that so many children struggle with reading. Looking at different writing samples of different levels of children was very helpful. It is fascinating to use these models and understand exactly where a child is in terms of writing. It is much more complex than what I would have expected. The 6-Trait Assessments are extremely useful in evaluating beginning writers and helping a teacher pinpoint exactly what needs to be fixed! I have gained a lot of valuable information thus far. I am excited to learn more about spelling. I found it fascinating to discover how and why children spell words incorrectly based on salient sounds and the point of articulation.
I have to admit that I am still puzzled by Phonological and Phonemic Awareness. As I took Moats’ Informal Survey of Linguistic Knowledge, I found myself repeating each word to myself until I figured it out. (And believe me, this took longer than it should have!) I found myself clapping out some of the words in order to determine the number of syllables! One of my new goals for this class is to make sure I am Moat’s desired teacher: “one who knows language will understand why students say and write the puzzling things they do.” (Moats 1) I am still confused about the breakdown of words and how to locate phonemes, graphemes, and morphemes in words. It is much easier to understand consonant blending than it is to keep up with the many different breakdowns of the vowels. My goal is to be able to breakdown these words instantly in order to be better able to explain these rules to students.
The article is very useful guide for teachers. It promotes oral language acquisition, something that tends to be overlooked in many classrooms. One of the many useful points in the article is the idea of generative language. English is constantly evolving and it is important to have a general understanding of the fundamentals. (2) It is important for teachers to understand that children need to be taught to understand all parts of English language. The teacher needs to take full responsibility for a child’s reading development. While Moats points out students can achieve success by reading with parents and tutors, it all begins with the teacher. A teacher with a strong background with language and creates systematic and consistent lesson plans has the best potential to reach a student. (5) Students must be taught based on their own levels with both spoken and written language. (13) Students who are deficient in reading skills will not have success in other areas of education. (4) According to Moats, it is essential for children to develop these skills early on. Those who cannot read cannot fully succeed in society.
It is up to the teacher to formulate the best possible reading and language lessons. The teacher needs to know the students and understand the levels. It can no longer be assumed that students who struggle in upper grades do not comprehend the material. There is a strong connection to weakness in phonological processing. (8)The teacher can get the student involved by introducing a wide variety of literature. It is the job of the teacher to create strong relations with sounds and letters at an early age. Finally, Moats provides a guideline of principles of effectively teaching reading, spelling, and writing. Moats hopes to create a feeling of confidence in both teachers and learners by teaching both structure and fluency.
