Emerging readers

Throughout the last few months I have spent in a classroom I have seen a lot of support for emergent literacy learners. The first aspect of emergent literacy that I read about in this article that I have seen in my classroom is that the kids that were read to at an early age are far beyond the kids who were not read to. The way I know this is because my teacher sends out a survey to all the parents at the beginning of the year that asks them questions such as: Do you read to your child? At what age did you start reading to your child? How frequently? I found this very interesting as she pointed out our highest readers and then showed me the results of the survey. It was very fascinating to then read this in the article and see that it is not just a coincidence but that it in fact does make a huge difference.

The next aspect I have seen is using a greater goal to implement writing and reading. My 7th grade teacher set up a lesson where the kids were supposed to read about one particular common issue that comes up in middle schools and then as a class they were going to choose one issue and write a letter to the principal proposing a change. This lesson incorporates reading and writing but gives the kids a greater purpose for what they are trying to accomplish. They were so excited about it and didn't even realize they were developing their reading and writing skills.

Another aspect I see being used to support the growth of young children's literacy is demonstration. In my main placement my teacher starts every morning by sitting down with the class and she asks them to help her write a list of everything they're doing that day. This shows the kids that she is using her writing and reading skills for her organizational purpose and helps them see the higher purpose. The kids enjoy doing this and are subconsciously grasping the importance of being able to write.

I really saw consistency in what Sulzby and Teale were saying about reading to their students with the way my master teacher reads to her students. "Preview the book, establish a receptive story listening context, briefly introduce this book, and read with expression" I also see her engaging the children in discussion about what is being read and talking about the characters and motivations (pg. 7). The kids look forward to reading aloud time every day and without these things I cant help but think that it would be different.

I also really like the way she sets up her library in the room. She has open shelves, there is room for at least 6 students to go back and pick books out together and there are lots of fun and colorful posters and bulletin boards all around. These are the exact things that Sulzby and Teale talk about and I have seen first hand why these are important. The classrooms I have observed make reading fun and directly coincide with the concepts for emergent literacy. I found this article extremely encouraging considering I have seen most of these concepts be successful in the classroom I have observed.