In this chapter, Flint talks about four theories of literacy development (bottom-up, top-down, transactional & critical) demonstrated by four different teachers. The literacy development practice that is most common in my 4th grade classroom is the bottom-up theory. This theory is where "learning to read is based on a series of small discrete steps from the simplest to most complex." The school that I am placed at has an industrial based model of learning, therefore this practice seems to fit best. The curriculum that we are following has layed out all of the lessons and activities where there is a predetermined series of skills. With this curriculum there is little to no room for differentiation.
In a perfect world I would love to be able to teach from a top-down perspective where meaning is essential to the reading process. Ms. Battle, who was the teacher discussed in the section was able to plan the curriculum based on the interests/needs of her students. Like I said before, in a perfect world I would love to be able to plan my curriculum solely on what the students need, but with No Child Left Behind this is not as prevalent as it once used to be. This model and theory of literacy gives the teacher a lot of freedom what he/she can do in the classroom.
While in the chapter each individual model was described and illustrated separately, I think that it is best to use each model in conjunction with one another. When I get my own classroom, I hope that I will be able to take things from each model to create my own best teaching practice.
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1 year ago
Hi Liz :) I think it is a great idea to try and blend the different models together in a classroom. I think this will help to equip the students with a variety of skills and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI also would love to plan my curriculum based on the interests of my students. I noticed when I did my literacy interviews that my student did not love to read unless it was something that he enjoyed. He said that he did not like the reading that was being done in class. I think that it could really make a different if there were some books that he could relate to and enjoy. So I agree with you that in a perfect world, it would be great to do that.
I think that a lot of us see the bottom-up model being used in the school. It's a lot easier for the teachers to teach the students phonics rather then focusing on comprehension and other more complex ideas. And I think that in lower grades it is the best model so that students can gain the phonemic awareness that will be beneficial to them later on in life. I also think it is a great idea to combine all of the models together into one classroom! Students learn well when things are related to them and I really think that is the best way to teach students... hopefully I can do that when I start teaching!!
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