| Tina Walker LIST 5325 � Dr. Hirtle Sept. 22, 2005 Book Club Response: Chapters 9 and 10 What do you see that might be engaging to many different students? � There are three reasons that literature is significant to reading and language arts programs: 1) modeling of language structures, 2) connecting lessons to students� prior knowledge, and 3) motivating readers. All of these aspects of using language are vital to encouraging all students to have positive attitudes about reading. The text mentions read aloud to children to model language structure. I think it�s important for teachers to read to students on a daily basis, regardless of the grade. Secondary students can benefit from this just as much as elementary students in activating prior knowledge and making connections. � Read, Write, Pair, and Share is a wonderful activity to engage different students in the learning process. This activity can be used across the curriculum and provides and opportunity for all students to participate. � The text mentions KWL charts. I�ve found these charts to be effective for different students to assess and reflect on their learning. What do you see that might meet more than one learning modality? � The use of literature in itself meets the needs of more than one modality. As long as we are select books that all children in our class can connect to, then we are helping them all broaden their views about the world. I teach an ESL class. I have Hispanic and Black kids in my class. I�m always conscious of this when I select books to share with the students. This month we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, so I�ve included several books about the Hispanic culture and other books that are relevant to Hispanics in our library. I do the same for Cinco De Mayo, Black History Month, Martin Luther King Day, etc. � Performance based assessments meet the needs of more than one modality. These types assessments allow for a broader range of ways to assess for mastery. They are student centered and allows for flexibility. What do you see that might support/hinder students with special needs? � Using books that encourage playing with sounds through the use of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition are good in a balanced literary approach (pg.179). I think activities that address phonemic awareness will support students with special needs by helping them make connections between sounds and words. What do you see that might support/hinder English Language Learners? � I love the Read, Write, Pair, Share activity. I use it with my students. But this can be a hindrance to ELLs if they have not built up the confidence to share during group discussions. If they are rushed into this type of activity, it may undermine future projects similar to these in the future. � As mentioned above for special needs students, providing activities that address phonemic awareness is also beneficial to ELLs for the same reason. Foreign languages are built on a different concept than English in that they usually don�t have two sounds for one letter. This being the case for English, many ELLs have difficult time knowing when the sounds should be used and sometimes can�t distinguish between them, which makes it hard to acquire the language. What do you see that might be bias in the language used in the assignments discussed in the chapter? I did not see any bias in this reading. What do you wonder about with respect to equity in regard to what you�ve read in the chapters? I wonder what other teachers do to ensure that the literature in their classrooms are reflective of all of their students. What are you reading in your elementary classrooms, especially those teachers that teacher K-2? What activities are you incorporating that engage the students in learning and broadening their views of the world? |