WHOLE LANGUAGE

Refers to an approach--not a program. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are presented as an integrated whole. Children are challenged to take risks in using language for a purpose.The teacher always moves from the whole rather than the part. Skills are not taught in isolation, but in context of language that is real. Therefore, literature is a vital focus in whole language teaching. It is used to expand students' vocabularies and to give them words and patterns they need to express their feelings and thoughts to others. There is a natural integration with other areas of the curriculum such as math, social studies, science, and music. Emphasis is placed on developing the thinking processes such as organizing information for speaking and writing, making predictions, and making inferences. These processes are essential for preparing the ESL student to develop readiness to enter the mainstream curriculum.Curriculum Guide for ESL.

Alief ISD

Whole Language

• Commonsense Assumptions– Learning proceeds from part to whole.

Whole LanguagePrinciples1. I.Learning proceedsfrom whole to part.2. Lessons should be 2.Lessons should beteacher centered learner centeredbecause learning because learningis the transfer of is the acti ve con -knowledge from the struction of know-teacher to the ledge by thestudent. student.3 .Lessons should pre- 3 .Lessons shouldpare .students to have meaning andfunction in society purpose forafter schooling. students now.4 .Learning takes 4 .Learning takesplace as indivi- place as groupsduals practice engage in mean-skills and form ful socialhabits. interaction.

Whole Language

Commonsense Assumptions

Learning proceeds from part to whole.

Lessons should be teacher centeredbecause learning is the transfer ofknowledge from the teacher to the student.

L.Lessons should prepare students to function in society after schooling .

Learning takes place as individuals practice skills and form habits .

Whole Language Principles1 .Learning proceedsfrom whole to part.2. Lessons should belearner centeredbecause learningis the active con-~ struction of know-ledge by thestudent.-3.Lessons shouldhave meaning andpurpose forstudents now.4 .Learning takesplace as groups.engage m mean-ful social..InteractIon.

5 .In a secondlanguage, orallanguage acqui-si tion precedesthe developmentof literacy.6. Learning shouldtake place inEnglish to facili -tate the acquisi -tion of English.7 .The learningpotential ofbilingual stu-dents is limited.

5.In a secondlanguage, oraland writtenlanguage areacquired simu-taneously.6. Learning shouldtake place in thefirst language tobuild conceptsand facilitate theacquisition ofEnglish.7 .Learning poten -tial is expandedthrough faith inthe learner.

(Freeman & Freeman, 1991)

WHOLE LANGUAGE CHECKLIST

I. DOES THE LESSON MOVE FROM THEGENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC? AREDET AILS PRESENTED WITHIN A GENERALCONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK?2. IS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO DRAW ONSTUDENT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGEAND INTERESTS? ARE STUDENTS GIVENCHOICES?3. IS THE CONTENT MEANINGFUL ? DOESIT SERVE A PURPOSE FOR THELEARNERS?4. DO STUDENTS WORK TOGETHERCOOPERATIVELY? DO STUDENTSINTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER OR DOTHEY ONLY REACT TO THE TEACHER?5. DO STUDENTS HA VE ANOPPORTUNITY TO READ AND WRITE ASWELL AS SPEAK AND LISTEN DURINGTHE LESSON?6. IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THESTUDENTS' FIRST LANGUAGE ANDCULTURE?

COMPONENT PROCESSES OF LEARNING TO READ

Phonological AwarenessListening games, rhymes, sentences and words,syllables, initial sounds (s-and), final sounds (san-d),phonemic segmentation (s-a-n-d), letter names andsoundsKindergarten through grade one--precedes alphabeticprinciple--should precede assessment in this area.Print Awareness.Alphabetic Awareness.Orthographic Awareness.Comprehension.Practice(The PEER Program, HISD, 1996)

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DEFIN ITIONSPHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS/PHONOLOGICAL

PROCESSING/PHONOLOGICAL SKILLS

Sensitivity to segments in the speech stream.Demonstrated by ability to produce and recognizerhymes, to alliterate, and to segment and blendwords into syllables (e.g., re-pub-lic), onset; rimes(e.g. c-at); and phonemes--e.g., [ability to segmentmedial phonemes and transpose phonemes--e.g.,play Pig Latin--is reciprocal, with, rather than aprecursor to reading]PHONEMIC AWARENESS is the ability to dealexplicitly and segmentally with sound units smallerthan the syllable (i.e., phonemes).(The PEER Program, HISD, 1996)

READING

A balanced approach (Honig, 1996) is:"one that combines the language and literature andliterature rich activities associated with whole languageaimed at enhancing meaning, understanding, and the loveof language with explicit teaching of the skills needed todevelop fluency with print, including the automaticrecognition of a growing number of words and the ability todecode new words."(p. 2).One in five have trouble reading (Shaywitz, Shaywitz,Fletcher and Esobar, 1990)all children take what they know about internalsound structures of words and apply this knowledge to print(Liberman, Shankweiler, and Liberman, 1989).Consequently, all children learn to read by sounding outwords regardless of how they are taught. When children

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are successful early readers, it is clear that this ski ii ismaximized. When they fail to learn to read, it is clear thatthis particular skill does not develop properly (Stanovich,1986; Vellutino, 1987).children raised in alternative languageenvironments may have difficulty learning to decode wordsbecause of differences in dialect or because they hadsignificant exposure to languages other than the primarylanguage of instruction. In many of these children, theproblem still revolves around their development ofphonological awareness skillls (Vellutino, 1987)..Approximately 80 percent of all children served aslearning disabled in the public schools have problems withreading (Lerner, 1989). Of these cases, it has beenestimated that 90 percent have problems with developmentof decoding skills (Lyon, 1995; Lyon and Watson, 1981 ).(The PEER Program, HISD, 1996)

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative Learning is thestructuring of classrooms so thatstudents work together in smallheterogeneous groups to meetcommon learning objectives. Theircontribution to group work results ingroup as well as personalaccomplishment. The studentinteraction occurring duringCooperative Learning promotesacademic achievement and positivefeelings about school, teachers, otherstudents, and self .SEDL, Spring 1988

ROLE OF TEACHERS INCOOPERATIVE LEARNING

1. Set instructional objectives.2. Make decisions relevant togrouping, room arrangements,materials, and role assignments.3. Set tasks and positiveinterdependence..4. Evaluate learning and groupcooperation."It is important to explain that theirrole has shifted from transmitters ofknowledge to mediators of thinking."IDRA NEWSLETTER XVI {9), 1989

PROCESS WRITING

1. Prewriting (preparing, purpose, main idea, details).talking, questioning, clustering, reading, journals2. Drafting (getting ideas on paper).fast writing, buddy/dialogue journals, logs3. Revising (reordering, reviewing).peer response groups, show and not tell4. Editing (correcting grammar, spelling, mechanics).peer editing groups, proof reading5. Publishing (creating classroom library, sharing).bulletin boards, school papers, school book fairsPeregoy & Boyle, 2001

ACTIVE LEARNING

DefinitionIt refers to the level of engagement by thestudent in the instructional process. The teacherand student share the responsibility for learning.T heoretical BaseIt derives from situated cognition theorists suchas Paolo Freire (instruction is most effective whensituated within a student's own knowledge and worldview), and L.S. Vygotsky's "zone of proximaldevelopment" ( students learn best when newi nformation presented is just beyond the reach oftheir present knowledge) .Community and CultureKey elements of the approach come from LuisMoll's "Funds of Knowledge" model (languageminority students come to school with knowledgeand strengths that should be utilized bythe school).Students learn content, develop conceptualknowledge, acquire language through a discoveryoriented approach to learning. The learner is viewedas responsible for discovering, constructing, andcreating something new--and the teacher is seen asa resource and facilitator .V. Fern, K. Anstrom, B. Silcox, Directions inLanguage and Education, Vol. 1 (2), NCBE

Freirei (1970, 1973, 1985) 1985)andFreire&Macedo (1987) have argued for a literacy thatmakes oppressed communities socially andpomically conscious about their subservientrole and lowly status in society. Theargument is that literacy must go welt beyondthe skills of reading and writing. It mustmake people aware of their socioculturalcontext and their political environment. Thismay occur through mother tongue literacy,multilingual literacy ( and local/international'multiple' literacies of value in differingcontexts) and localllteracies (Street,1984).(Baker, C. , 1996, p. 308)

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