Module+5+Questions

Participants: Ashly Call, Lori Jones, Audra Bull, PJ Parsons - Group 2

Module 5 Questions:

1. What does research say about the topic?

AC - The research in this chapter is in support of phonics instruction. However, the research has restrictions on the way phonics is taught. Decoding needs to be influenced by semantic cues as well as graphophonic cues. Highly decodable texts need to be used in moderation and with a combination of other texts. Students should learn to decode words by pattern and analogy (like in Making Words and Reading/Writing Rhymes). The most important piece of information (in my opinion) is that students need to spend about 3/4 of their time in reading and writing activities.

LJ - The research supports phonics instruction yet there are restrictions on the way it is taught. Students need cognitive clarity about what they are learning. Children need to be engaged and instruction that is multifaceted and multileveled. What is known about teaching phonics is: Children need to learn sequential decoding but not necessarily through synthetic phonics instruction. Children need more than phonemic awarness. Children need to apply phonics but do not need to be restricted to decodable text. Children use patterns and analogy to decode as they learn more words. Children decode multisyllabic words using patterns. And something that I really liked was the section titled "Children should spend most of their Reading/Language Arts Time Reading and Writing. I feel that writing is left out too often.

AB - The research has two main topics: good teaching and teaching phonics. To be a good teacher, all instruction must be as multifacted and multilevel as possible. Teachers must have cognitive clarity, understanding where the instruction is going before deciding how to get there. Steven Covey, author of //7 Habits of Highly Effective People// would refer to this as 'beginning with the end in mind'. Phonics instruction needs to be explicit and systematic. However, when asessing all of the various phonics programs, no significant difference was found in the effectiveness between any of the programs. In addition, the research did not find any significant difference in phonics instruction to individuals, small groups, or whole class instruction. Phonemic awareness taught by itself is not enough though.

PJ - The research in Chapter 5 says phonics should be taught through multilevel activities that emphasize transfer of knowledge. Using the Four Blocks model for teaching literacy instruction, three-fourths of the block should be spent on reading/writing activities with only one-fourth spent on phonics work, like word play, rhyming, vocabulary. Those phonics activities should be related back to writing in authentic uses. The research says children need to use all the word identification cues when learning to decode--sight word oriented, decoding oriented, and meaning-cue oriented. Research does not support the use of highly decodable texts alone as a way to get children to read. They need to interact with many types of text to develop their skills at word identification cues. The way I read it, the research says there is a progression to children learning to read: Words they know combined with knowledge of language and pictures to decode; word patterns and analogy; morpheme patterns for multisyllabic words.

2. The NRP differs in the way to teach phonics from the textbook and other sources? Which way do you support and why?

AC - The NRP seems to prefer a highly systematic and explicit approach to teaching phonics. They imply that highly decodable texts be used. I prefer the research in our books about learning patterns and working with onsets and rimes and transferring that knowledge to learn new words. I do agree with the NRP that phonics needs to be sytematic. It is important to plan out instruction and teach sequentially.

LJ - The National Reading Panel seems to use an explicit and systematic approach as AC said and they support the use of decodable texts. I agree that most phonics skills are taught explicitly and systematically. Some students and some skills don't have to learn this way. I taught kindergarten this last year for a few months and using word families worked incredibly for my children. They in a few short months learned 100s of words by just teaching the word families.

AB - In all honesty, I do not know how to answer this question. I have absolutely no experience with teaching phonics so I find it difficult to be discerning as I am reading. I take everything as I read it because I have no background knowledge.

PJ - Honestly, before reading this chapter, I believed a huge chunck of time spent on letter-sound identification and blending of those sounds (phonemic awareness) was phonics instruction. Last school year, I had began to question how to teach homophone patterns, what to do with odd spelling patterns, etc. The work we've completed this summer and in the Spring semester has cleared up a lot of my questions. I have all the right pieces to the puzzle, I just have to adjust my time spent. Now, I know I need to make writing daily and not just what we get to on Friday. I believe the activities provided in the chapter and the information therein is the right way to teach phonics. I wanted to change my approach, but previously, I didn't have the knowledge to do so. Now I do. I agree with the book, not the NRP, on using authentic activities that are multilevel to teach children more about words and phonics.

3. Evaluate your phonics programs at your school. What can you do to get it more in line with research?

AC - Our phonics instruction is embedded in our reading series. The activities really focus on sounding out words and teaching phonics in isolation of reading and writing. Although, they emphasize patterns in spelling instruction; I feel that they could have done much more with it. I don't know if I can change the series we are using, but I know that I can implement Cunningham's practices in my classroom. I definitely plan to use Making Words and reading/writing rhymes in my phonics instruction this upcoming year.

LJ - Our phonics instruction is in our reading series yet I use Literacy First to guide my instruction. I use this as my testing to determine what skills students need and then I go through the Words their Way book to find activities to meet those needs. As a whole group I do use some of the activities mentioned in the reading series. I also use activities involving making words, manipulating words, and word sorts 3-4 times a week.

AB - There isn't a phonics program because I teach at a middle school. However, as of this next year, we are going to be implementing READ 180 which seeks to mediate some of the literacy gaps.

PJ - The lower elementary is still using Saxon Phonics. Then, when our students enter 4th grade, they are expected to read everything and comprehend it with accuracy. If Saxon Phonics worked, why do so many of our students enter 4th grade with reading problems that range from decoding to comprehension? And, if Saxon Phonics worked, why are so many children referred for special ed testing and referred to the Title I reading teacher? Saxon Phonics is the only commonality among the classrooms from K to 3rd grade. All other phonics and word play instruction is up to each teacher. Saxon Phonics materials are good (though expensive) especially as an extension product to send work home for homework, but it uses highly decodable texts. If a time limit was placed on the Saxon Phonics work, and more complex stories used for guided reading and familiar reading, and other word play activities used in class, it would be an okay part of the phonics in our school. But so many teachers think Saxon is a means to an end and don't include many other activities to expand the acquisition of words and patterns. The worksheets provided are so convenient. I use the Multisensory Reading and Spelling program in my class and realize the work with students related to it needs to be decreased and more word families and rhyming activities added. Dr. Smith says writing is the key to learning to read. I absolutely believe that.

MS: I AGREE WITH DR. SMITH. I ALSO AGREE SAXON PHONICS IS A CANNED PROGRAM WHICH MEETS ONLY 1/2 OF THE STUDENTS. THE OTHER HALF EITHER NEEDS REMEDIATION OR ENRICHMENT. THE TEACHERS HAVE TO MODIFY AND ADAPT THE PROGRAM TO THEIR SPECIFIC CLASSROOM. NO CANNED PROGRAMS WORK WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS TO MEET THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF AN INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM.

4. Your questions for your group.

AC - 1. What do you think of highly decodable texts? If you do not like them, what do you think should be used instead? 2. Do you think phonics should be taught in upper grades (3rd and up)?* MS: PASS SAYS PHONICS IS TAUGHT IN SECOND GRADE AND REVIEWED IN THIRD GRADE. IT IS MY OPINION IF THE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE PHONICS (AND HAVE BEEN TAUGHT PHONICS) BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE THAT ANOTHER APPROACH SHOULD HAPPEN. MAYBE SIGHT WORD APPROACH OR WHOLE LANGUAGE?

AB - What I am finding, is not necessarily a phonics issue but rather issues with word recognition, text structure identification, and insignifiant background knowledge.

3. Going back to chapter 1 and the definitions of research-proven vs. research-based, do you think the Cunninghams’ research-based instruction should be research-proven before implemented in schools?

LJ - 1. To answer and extend AC's question #2 I think some students still need these skills but if they haven't processed it this way by 3rd grade what is the next approach? MS: WORD STUDY SHOULD ONLY TAKE NO MORE THAN 1/4 TO 1/3 OF THE BLOCK TIME FOR DIRECT INSTRUCTION. THE WRITING AND THE READING WILL BE AN INDIRECT TIME FOR PHONICS INSTRUCTION. PHONICS INSTRUCTION ALSO 3. Are there any books that you have read that you feel are wonderful for phonics instruction (besides Words their Way)?
 * 2. What percentage of the reading block should be dedicated to phonics skills in the 1st grade?

AC - I really love Making Words and anything else by Cunningham (Four Blocks). The chapter in our book was fantastic! I felt like I could apply many of those strategies in my own classroom right away.

AB - 1. This is more of an observation than a question. Think of the teachers you work or have worked wth. Which of them suffered fom lack of cognitive clarity? How did this deficiency affect teaching effectiveness? Affect classroom management?

AC - I don't know if I can really answer this one. I see teachers that I think don't really understand how to teach students effectively, but since I do not know their students' abilities I can't make a judgement on how effective they really are.

2. Do you agree with the definition of motivation (p.89, 1st full para.)? Why or why not? PASS SKILLS DICTATES CERTAIN AFFIXES BE TAUGHT AT SPECIFIC GRADES. RESEARCH SAYS STUDENTS WHO KNOW A SMALL NUMBER OF MORPHEMES BY THE END OF THE THIRD GRADE CAN READ A HUGE NUMBER OF WORDS AND UNDERSTAND THEM. IF THE TEACHERS WOULD ONLY IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED PASS OBJECTIVES AS RECOMMENDED BY EACH GRADE, THEN MORPHEMIC AWARENESS WOULD HAPPEN.
 * 3. How do I help my fellow staff members become morphologically aware enough to help their students develop vocabulary in their content area?

4. What constitutes "real" reading time?

AC - When students are engaged in reading and are not daydreaming or engaged in anything else. During small groups, it is easy to determine that students are really reading. It is sustained silent reading that's the pickle.

PJ - i BOUGHT MONTH-BY MONTH PHONICS FOR UPPER GRADES BY CUNNINGHAM AND HALL. I AM NOT ENTHRALLED WITH IT BUT THE BOOK HAS POSSIBILITIES. I LIKE WORD LADDERS, WORD STUDY, MORPHOLOGY, AND OTHER PLAYFUL WORD STUDY IDEAS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LESSONS.
 * 1. Are there books on the market to buy with multilevel activities related to phonics to have a model for developing my own lessons?

I ALSO THINK THINK ALOUDS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AS YOU INTRODUCE KEY WORDS AND READ ALOUD TO THE STUDENTS.

2. I have placed a ton of writing papers, fun pens, coloring utensils, and everything I am supposed to put in a fun writing center, but my students resist writing of any type, even notes to each other! How do I motivate them to write?

AC - That's a tough one. My kids don't always like to write, but writing notes to each other is one of their favorite things to do. I wonder if they are concerned about spelling. I always emphasize that I want them to stretch out the words to spell while writing. I focus on getting ideas down and tell them we will work on spelling together. You might try modeling how to write a letter to a friend. That might spark some interest.

3. Should sight words, word families, and morphemes all be introduced at the same time or did I read it as a progressive acquisition of reading in the chapter according to each child's ability to progress?

AC - I don't think it is progressive. I teach new sight words and morphemes/word families each week in my class.

Step 6 - Case Study #3 is due -- See Wiki Swansomf.