Blog #4

        I chose to look at adult text in Russian.  My in-laws adopted three Russian kids two years ago, they are now sophomores and seniors in high school, and I have watched them learning their new language. I have my ESL endorsement and have done some work with them when they first arrived in the country. It was absolutely remarkable to watch how quickly they were able to pick up the language.  Because of my relationship with these kids I have looked at the Russian written language a time or two and have not seen ANY similarities to English.
        I first looked at a Russian newspaper that Nikita showed me online. I was not able to understand a single word of the text. The basic rules still applied, I could see there was a title and what looked like a city name, but after that I was lost. In order to comprehend anything I had to go all the way back to a children's book, a basic children's book. Even at this level the only level of comprehension that occurred was via the pictures.
        I think that the implication on the teacher is to consistently be aware that the information in the text you are wanting students to read is not always accessible. The strategies that are designed for English Language Learners are beneficial for the entire class and should be used consistently. This experience of attempting to read a foreign text was a great eye opener for me and I will remember it the next time a language learner is struggling in my room.

Oral Language and the Reading Process

    Oral language is the backbone of the reading process.  The written word is simply oral language written down. Students who have been exposed to quality and correct language orally will have an easier time understanding the nuances of written language. This is especially true with grammar, often times we can tell if something is correct simply by how it sounds. For example, "There are four dogs" as opposed to "There is four dogs".  Students exposed to correct oral language will have a much easier time with both the reading process and written language.

Writing Instruction

   The writing I have received in my past most closely relates with the Acquisition View. I believe that most of my writing skills were acquired through feel. I had very little direct writing instruction, instead I was told to simply write. When I was in 8th grade I had a literacy teacher who had us do a lot of journal writing in order to gain writing topics. I really enjoyed this because writing came very naturally to me, however, I think some students may have suffered due to lack of direct instruction.

Philosophy of Teaching Literacy

      I believe that students want to be successful and it is our job as teachers to give them the skills necessary to get there. As students age, we tend to turn our attention from teaching to read, to only evaluating what we read. I believe it is critical to continue to instruct the older student on how to best utilize what they are reading. These higher level skills will prove to be beneficial in the student's continued education.