Blog Post for Jan-Feb 2016

Blog Post for Jan-Feb 2016

Text: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

            Chapter Four in the Routman text discusses using “daily evaluation and reflection to make wise teaching decisions” (Routman, 2003, p 41). To be completely candid, in all the chapters this learner has read from this text, chapter four was the most predictable and seemed to restate what many teachers garner from experience in the classroom.

            The author reiterates and restates the importance of almost continuous reflection to guide teaching decisions on a daily basis. It also stresses the need to link assessment to instruction. Perhaps, this learner’s less-than-enthusiastic response to this chapter lies in the fact that it seems repetitive and a trifle obvious. After the first years of teaching, many teachers eventually come to the conclusion that the worksheet approach or the implementation of cute projects for special occasions are a waste of time. In addition, curricula at teacher education colleges and universities focus heavily on differentiation of instruction as well as scaffolding, which is what the chapter discusses at length. The Optimum Learning Model which follows a prescriptive method for teaching reading has been discussed in previous publications as well. While it is always wise to review its many components, this learner felt that the chapter functioned more as a review of prior knowledge than new constructs in the realm of teaching reading.

            The one part of this chapter that resonated with this learner was the teaching of phonics using real texts. This learner learnt languages with the whole language approach. Too many programs rely heavily on the phonetic method, using materials that only emphasize concept attainment in isolation. Consequently, many students do not generalize those skills from one setting to the other. Therefore, any programming, in the general education classroom or out of it needs to rely on real texts. The emphasis on the acquisition of oral language that is also emphasized in this chapter is important. Many teachers minimize oral language skills as a strength in a child’s repertoire but it is as critical as reading and writing skills in the process of acquiring a formal education.

Reference:

Routman, R. (2003). Reading essentials: The specifics you need to teach reading well. Portsmouth, NH. ISBN: 0325004927