If you're wondering at this point ... What does reading through a list of dogs names have to do with teaching reading (and phonics) (!!), here's a quick thought for you. (My argument here might be more meaningful to you if you've finished the Smith article.)
In his article, he makes the argument that how we teach phonics raises questions about what we believe about reading, learning, and teaching. When it comes to teaching, the question he poses for us is this: Will I rely on what a prepackaged program tells me are important words for kids to know, and/or will I also rely on my own decision-making based upon what I know about children (and specifically my group of students)?
The blog you create over the course of this semester asks you to make decisions about words! It asks you to become curious about words! It asks you to enjoy words! It asks you to think about words from a child's perspective! It asks you to see teaching as decision-making ... and text selection ... and word selection ... and resource selection!
So you will notice that in each blog I ask you not only to share some words/texts/resources but also to start reflecting on your choices and making visible your decision-making process as a teacher.
(By the way, this means you might prefer to look for cats or horses or other types of animal names or even different names of things, period. Happy hunting and let me know why you've made the decisions you've made! That will be the key for this blog!)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dog Names!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_breeds
Try reading the breeds of dogs on here out loud (or better yet with your child or with a friend)! Which names sound the best to you? Or, which names do you think your future students might have fun trying to say? What sorts of conversations do you think this might lead to with your students? Would these be authentic? How do you think phonics might be connected to this conversation?
Briefly discuss the questions above and share a few dog names that you enjoyed, were tricky to say, and/or that your students might like saying.
Try reading the breeds of dogs on here out loud (or better yet with your child or with a friend)! Which names sound the best to you? Or, which names do you think your future students might have fun trying to say? What sorts of conversations do you think this might lead to with your students? Would these be authentic? How do you think phonics might be connected to this conversation?
Briefly discuss the questions above and share a few dog names that you enjoyed, were tricky to say, and/or that your students might like saying.
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