In chapter 3 on page 37 Hicks writes that “I am filled with words and images that do not readily fit within the discourses of cultural and critical literacy research.” As I thought about this statement it made me think about all the different cultural experiences each individual faces every day. As Hicks wrote about Hook and learning to be a “good girl” I thought about a previous comment someone posted to one of my posts about how we are all trying to be “good” people, but there are so many different roads that lead to different outcomes in each person’s life, that even if we think we are on the “good” road, we are side tracked by all our surroundings. Every road we may travel down may include bumps, smooth surfaces, or come to a sudden dead end and with each detour in life; we must make a choice to decide what path to take next. Hook’s spoke of the difficulties she faced as she created her own identity guided by the experiences she had faced in life. How do we truly understand where we come from if no one is willing to explain to us where our ancestors have come from?
As I continued to read and think I thought that the quote on page 42, “Reinvent everyday, mundane experiences and create new ones,” guides Frame’s writing performance and explains to me a good writer’s process, through some guidance on how to teach writing. Going off of life experiences and taking those experiences to begin her writing. She explores her life, but recreates her writing to make it relevant to others or the events she is a part of. I like the use of the word REINVENT, because as writers, students should be able to have a mentor text or author to use as a guide for their own writing. One of my favorite books is by Sharon Creech, Love That Dog; it is a book about a young boy who doesn’t think he can write poetry, but through dialogue with his teacher and a mentor text as a guide the boy becomes a writer. I think it is a great idea to let children use other books to help guide their writing, and many authors who are knowledgeable of their work being used as mentor texts love the fact they are helping children begin to become writers.
In chapter 4 Laurie is constantly building her social and self confidence by putting Nicholas down, since he is not as knowledgeable as she is in different areas. I find this to be very common in the school system as well as in social settings. Students use their strengths to make themselves feel better, without regard to how they are making the others feel. What does this do to children who are trying their best to learn how to read and write or even ride a bike when they are constantly being belittled by others? As children grow and see others receive incentives for good behavior they too want those incentives. Teachers try everything under the sun to get students excited about good behavior, reading, learning math facts, etc. exhausting all odds when instructing. Much of my experience with rewards has been successful and a lot of the times it didn’t take me hounding my student for their bad choices, but instead continuing to rewards those for their good work and behavior. The students who want the rewards begin to reshape themselves as Laurie did with her actions.
Many children struggle with literacy as Laurie did and I found the use of the ”Young Reader’s Card” incentive to not only helped build Laurie’s personal library but also helped her build her knowledge of books that she could use to further her writing practices. This “Personal Library” idea gave me the idea that I will try to buy books at yard sales, at the dollar spot from scholastic, or find double copies in my book collection to use as incentives in my own classroom to help my students build their own library, since many of my students do not have a lot of these materials at home and love to borrow the books from our reading area to read.
In the end 2 questions lingered in my head: How does medicine for ADD or ADHD affect a child’s academics and social lives? Is retention a successful approach to helping children grow socially and academically in the areas they are having difficulty.
Meredith
Comments (4)
I too havee thought about the last question you posed-Is retention a successful approach to helping children grow socially and academically in the areas they are having difficulty?
I am not sure I have an answere, but will give you my views. This year I have a student that I feel would benifit greatly from retention. She was knew to the school this year, but very far behind academically. I teach fifth grade and she was reading between a second and at the end of the year a third grade level. She was equally behind in math. Her EOGs were both level 1s and she was in single digit percentiles. During readng class I would place volunteers to read with her and she would only half try. I would read with her and as soon as I would walk away she would shut the book, or turn it upside down. When she did not get her way she would have temper tantrums. She was tested through the EC department, but due to an IQ in the low 80s, she did not show a large enough discrepency. So when I thought about retention I asked myself, would another year in fifth grade help to catch her up? Could she use another year of social skills at this level as well? I answered yes to both of these. Her immature behavior towards reading and her peers led me to believe that she needed another year to mature. Also because she was behind in every subject she could be exposed to the same subjects and learn more. I also felt another year of working with me providing reading material on her level would help her gain another years growth, so she would not be as far behind in sixth grade. However, her parents (working class) did not want her retained and the principal went with their decision. In my opinion letting her go on to sixth grade will not help her, this will be an endless cycle of continual failure until she drops out. I think that all of this needs to be looked at when deciding if retention is right for the child.
Hope this helps!
Amy REEp
Posted by Amy Reep | June 23, 2010 3:52 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 15:52
Meredith,
I had never thought about the idea of encouraging children to "reinvent" writing, but I can definitely see the benefits. Teachers could use this type of writing with works of literature that students have read or working with. I often encourage students to not "copy" an author's writing, but allow them to use the same ideas that the author uses. I have found that this helps students to get their ideas flowing. Another way to use "reinventing" is by having children write an alternate ending to a story that they have read. I have found that my students really enjoy this writing.
Your idea of using books as incentives is a great idea. I may have to implement that as well. Instead of small toys, candy, etc., we can allow students to receive something that they will benefit from.
Posted by Katie Johnson | June 23, 2010 6:09 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 18:09
I liked your two questions at the end. I have had several students on medicine for ADD/ADHD. I can see where some students have social issues that may or may not be related to the medicine. One student in particular came to me on medicine so I am not sure if his personality had always been affected. He was very withdrawn and kept to himself. Other students I have had do not seem to be affected by the medicine.
I have recently decided that retention does not really seem to be a positive thing for a student academically or socially. There are instances where it does seem to have benefited the child academically and socially when maturity is a major concern. I teach kindergarten so I think that many students do not need a full year of kindergarten again. It has helped a few, but for the most part I have not seen the benefits. I think as students get older it is definitely a social issue with peers.
Posted by Michelle Moffitt | June 23, 2010 9:46 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 21:46
Dear Meredith,
I'm responding to your two questions at the end. I think that ADD & ADHD medicine effects children differently. I have seen some children helped by it and have very little negative side effects academically, socially, or otherwise. However, I had a student once in first grade that I didn't think needed it. The parents thought she did. They took her to the doctor and the very next day she was on medicine. Before, she was always outgoing, excited, and full of life. She had the cutest smile in the whole class! But, after she was on medicine, she became withdrawn, sad, & lethargic. She wouldn't even participate in her events for field day no matter how much I tried to talk her into it. I had them come to school and we discussed what I had been seeing. The doctor changed her medicine, but she wasn't the same bubbly little girl. It's quite sad really and I think she's still on it in third grade.
Now about retention, I remember researching this topic and finding that it was not an effective means of helping a child learn what he/she didn't master in a grade level. I know we as teachers still do this because the other positive alternatives like additional after school or summer schhool help are just not there anymore due to lack of funding. Really what needs to be done when we notice a child falling behind is for them to receive intensive one-on-one tutoring in the area/s they're struggling in so that they won't have to repeat a grade. That's what would happen in an ideal world.
Reshawna Greene
Posted by Reshawna Greene | June 24, 2010 8:54 PM
Posted on June 24, 2010 20:54