Phonemes were referred to as building blocks in developing phonemic awareness and other aspects of literacy. This indicates the importance of phonemic awareness, but also the ability for all to develop phonemic awareness. The process begins smalls and then expands to something so broad. I definitely agree that instruction of phonemic awareness needs to be very purposeful and deliberate, as mentioned in Cunningham's and Allington's fifth chapter. However, I feel that word play and student interactions can create literacy experiences unintentionally and those should be embraced and extended. By doing so students will become more observant and feel connected to everyday language. Not spending a considerable amount of time on things such as "Word of the Day" is another point I completely agree with. Having the letters of the alphabet displayed along with a picture seem to be adequate enough. Associating literacy sounds with letters is something that often unfolds naturally, and should be elaborated on rather than dwelling on the simple notion. What are your thoughts on classroom rituals you experienced growing up, such as Word of the Day maybe? Helping our students move along at a comfortable pace is all about learning to be a literacy coach. As a future special educator I plan on having to focus more of my time of specific cuing and coaching to help my students grasp concepts. The Make a Word, Bag Game and the clapping of syllables seem like great ways to get students up and moving. I also LOVED the word sorts that Dr. Gilrane showed in my El Ed Friday class as a way to break down and introduce new language patterns and vocabulary. Having as many outlets as possible with phonemes and all aspects of literacy seems to be an affective and achievable route for teachers (aka coaches) and students. Are there any phonemic or other literacy activities you engaged in as a student that grabbed your attention and fostered understanding?
When I was younger we learned phonics through a computer program at my school. It used to be my least favorite part of the day! I agree that teachers need to be interactive with all of the students in their classroom to foster skills that will benefit them throughout their entire education careers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working in a Preschool classroom, we would do many activities that helped the children become aware of syllables and phonemic awareness. We would clap out the syllables in all of the children's names and favorite objects around the room. We would also sing the song "Willaby Wollaby Woo." They loved these techniques!
ReplyDeleteI remember as a child when working with phonics and I have done this in my daycare classroom is clapping along with the syllables. This can be a fun way to distinguish words and be able to become aware of how that word is pronounced. I feel that motor movements are also often remembered by younger students if they are not able to remember it cognitively, they may remember it physically.
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