Blog week 3. Entry # 6 Determine Learning vs. Acquisition

LT/# 3 The Reading and  Writing Connection

Entry # 6

The students

1.L            Look up words in the dictionary 

2 A             -make a Venn diagram to compare two stories

3.L            practice sounding out words

4.L            read in round-robin fashion

5.L            -correct peers when they make a mistake during reading

6.L,A            identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound

7.L            group cards with classmates names by a criterion on such as first of last letter

8.A            write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound

9.L            ask the teacher to spell any word they don’t know

10.A            read a language experience story they have created with the teacher

11.A            -work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences

12.L              divide words into syllables

13.L     on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the

                        same sound

14.A             make alphabet books on different topics

Assignments1,3,4,5,7,9,12,13 are examples of Old school of learning because according to D.Freeman & Y.Freeman,”one view is that a second language is learned. Traditional methods of second and foreign language teaching follow the learning model….This is best accomplished by teaching each part of the language –the pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary-directly and systematically.” (p.33) Numbers 1, 3,4,7,9, 12 12 13 are the activities that students will be asked to do in traditional classroom.

Assignments 2,8,10,11are the examples of a more contemporary method of teaching, called acquisition. According to D.Freeman & Y.Freeman, “ The second view is that languages are acquired. Students use language in communicative situations”. (p.33)

Assignment 6 combines both approaches.

The teacher

1.             L            preteaches vocabulary

2.            A            does a shared reading with a big book

3.            L            makes sure that students read only books that fit their level

4.            L            has students segment words into phonemes

5.            A            writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the                                     spelling of difficult words

6.            L            asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a                                     certain letter

7.            L            uses decodable texts

8.            A            sets aside to me for SSR (sustained silent reading) every day

9.            L            teaches Latin and Greek roots

10.            A            has students meet in literature circles

11.            L            conducts phonics drills

12.            L            chooses predictable texts

13.            L            teaches students different comprehension strategies

14.            L,A            does a picture walk of a new book

15.            L            uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills

Teaching practices 1,3,4,6,7,9,11,12,13,15 are based on the conventional approach of teaching the language to the students (see quote above).  These activities are conscientiously planned and directed by a teacher. Teaching practices 2,5,8,10 are the examples of “making language comprehensible so students can use language for different purposes.”( D. Freeman & Y Freeman. , p.33)

Teaching practice 14 is an example of both approaches.

References: D.E Freeman & Yvonne S.Freeman. Essential Linguistics.