Effective Teachers of Reading (con’t)

Effective Teachers Understand How Children Learn:

Learning Theories

•Behaviorism (Skinner)▫teacher centered/teacher as dispenser of

knowledge▫reading is viewed as a conditioned response ▫children learn by learning a series of skills

and sub-skills▫Teachers use instruction to teach in a

planned sequential order▫students work individually▫teacher control –rewards and punishments

Constructivism (Piaget)-

▫emphasis on background knowledge/schema and prior experiences

▫children actively construct meaning/knowledge (Dewey)

▫Teachers engage students with classroom experiences

▫Collaboration-students work together to construct meaning

▫Engagement –engaged students believe they can succeed/have high self-efficacy (Bandura)

▫Motivation-engaged students are motivated

Sociolinguistics (Vygotsky)

▫ Oral language provides the foundation for learning to read and write

▫children learn through language and social interaction

▫Reading and writing are social and cultural activities

▫Zone of Proximal Development (range between dev. level and potential level

▫Teacher’s role as scaffolding-support mechanisms▫Authentic Literacy Activities▫culturally and socially responsive▫Incorporates “Critical Literacy” (Friere)-

challenges students to confront injustices and inequities in society

Cognitive/Information Processing ▫unobservable mental processes▫compares mind to computer▫students are active learners using

knowledge to solve problems▫Reading and writing integrated▫Reading and Writing are Meaning making

processes▫Describes Students as Strategic Readers▫Reader’s interpretations are individualized

Transactive/Reader Response (Rosenblatt)• Readers interpretations are individualized • Readers create meaning as they read-• A two way transaction between readers and

texts• efferent stance- reading for information• aesthetic stance- reading for pleasure• Students may use a combination of the two• Teachers need to clearly set purpose • Teachers need to give students opportunities to

read aesthetically to develop a love of reading

Linking Theory to PracticeSociolinguistic Theory Classroom Practice

• Children learn by interacting with one another through language

• Children’ learn best through authentic activities

• Teacher’s role is scaffolding—a facilitator

• Literature Circles – In literature circles, students are able read and discuss literature of their choice. The teacher sets the guidelines, but the students are ultimately in charge of the literature circle meetings

Effective Teachers Use a Balanced Approach (Comprehensive View of Literacy)Combines: explicit instruction, guided practice,

collaborative learning, and independent reading and writing

• Involves oral language, reading, and writing• Involves phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,

vocabulary, comprehension, and writing• Includes the writing process, qualities of good

writing, spelling, grammar• Reading is a foundation for content area

learning• Students collaborate and work together• Student participate in authentic activities and

texts

YOUR TURN: GROUP WORKEffective Teachers SCAFFOLD through:•Modeled Reading- Group 1•Shared Reading- Group 2•Interactive Reading- Group 3•Guided Reading – Group 4•Independent Reading – Group 5Use the Chart Paper and Markers Provided

to describe and illustrate the type of Literacy Instruction Assigned to your Group.

•