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I have chosen a picture of my little puppy, Kirby. You may be wondering what Kirby has to do with literacy. Some may scoff and say I'm just trying to find a way to show everyone how cute little Puck is. You would be right, but only partially. This is Kirby after he has learned that this is the only shoe he is allowed to chew on. Being only four months old, Kirby has a lot to learn about his new environment and how he fits in. He is using reading, speaking, listening, and viewing skills all the time in order to adapt to his new life in the Heasley household. Kirby watches and reads each of us to know when he is doing something right or wrong and when he can push his boundaries. This picture, I think, perfectly captures Kirby in an attempt to cautiously read the situation. I have the shoelace in my mouth, but is it ok for me to be chewing on this shoe? It seems like they don't mind, but maybe I should move a respective distance away, just in case. Kirby has also learned to listen to us to know what sounds mean that he's being good and which are bad. When can he get away with what he is doing based on the tone of our voices? He even speaks when he feels the urge. The noises he makes bring my family great joy, but they are also a way that we know something is up with Kirby and we need to find out what it is.
Well that's all well and good, but what does it have to do with English and language arts. Everything! In looking through the standards for English, almost all of them cover some form of literacy from reading and writing to listening, speaking, and viewing. In a lot of ways, the standards that have to be met in English seem like a basis for literacy in content areas. The knowledge gained about how to comprehend what we are reading in English class can be used to get through a text book in another class. Honing essay writing skills in a language arts classroom will benefit you when writing a history paper. Learning how to listen and communicate effectively are skills that are used in all classrooms. One of the national standards discusses the use of a student's knowledge of their native language as a way to help them develop competency in other areas. In English classrooms, kids learn the basic skills they need in order to be literate in other content areas and in life, just as Kirby is learning the basic skills he needs to find his own place in our family.
I love how you brought Kirby into this photovoice. It reminds me of how kids learn their boundaries the same way. While they may not understand all of the words that adults use with them, they definitely understand the tone of voice and when a person means business. The same is their reaction especially if they have been scolded, they may show body language that shows that they understood what they are doing was not ok, but aren't able to express it in words.
ReplyDeleteJust like kids can't always explain when they aren't feeling well, they cry to get attention and we have to read those sounds to know how to help them out. I think it is important that children learn that being literate is not just being able to read the words on a page, but also being able to read it out loud, explain it, and comprehend it. I agree, it goes with every content area, including physical education. While I may not use a text book with my classes, there may be times I want the to read something and not just know the words, but understand the point I am trying to get across. Every person, regardless of the field they are in, needs to be able to read, write, and speak. This is why meeting the English standards are so important and the more we can integrate our content areas, the better our students will be.
First off. ADORABLE. Secondly, I enjoyed a lot of things that you had to say in your post. I like that you connected even the tone of your voice as being a form of literacy...I assume that things like body language, too, are a form of literacy.
ReplyDeleteI also liked your interdisciplinary connection. We all (of different content areas) have a responsibility to one another and to our students to further our students' literacy so that they can have the best possible chance to succeed in every class.
I think your post also brought up how important it is that we as teachers communicate with more than just our words. It matters what we say, yes, but it also matters HOW we say it.
I think it's interesting that Allie, as a future English teacher, was willing to take responsibility for supporting literacy skill/strategies across the curriculum. In our class, I try to impress upon everyone that English teachers are NOT responsible for teaching kids to read/write like mathematicians, historians, artists, etc.; instead, they teach kids to read poetry well, to write critical essays, to learn to read like a writer and write like a reader. Allie's post, though, shows that there are some basic literacy skills, and ways of thinking about reading, that do translate to thinking in other disciplines. I'm with her on this, but I don't want anyone to get lazy and think Allie's going to take care of all students' literacy needs :-)
ReplyDeleteI too, enjoyed your point that understanding tone is a form of literacy. In this digital world, we all have probably learned first-hand, at least once, how difficult it can be to convey tone in writing. Without the proper inflection, meaning can easily be misinterpreted.
ReplyDeleteI also like that Jenna brought up the use of gesture as a form of literacy. In the World Languages Methods class that I am taking, there is a heavy emphasis on the use of gesture to convey meaning to students. In the world languages classroom, gesture can replace translation when teaching new vocabulary to students.
As teachers, we can use our hands, faces, and vocal tone to create world language literacy.