#6 AbelsM_Learning/ Word recognition vs. Acquisition/ Sociopsycholinguistics

           There are two different views of how to teach reading, according to Freeman and Freeman (2004). Word Recognition is the view that students need to be directly taught how to read and all of the skills and strategies that accompany reading. The sociopsycholinguistic view is that students, to some degree, will pick up on written language and acquire the necessary skills they will need to become readers. Both different perspectives, in the end, produce the same goal, they just are different paths of getting there.

**All information listed below is from Freeman and Freeman, 2004

Word Recognition View:
*The main idea:

• The main task is to identify words so that students can later phrase them together to read
• By directly teaching reading, students will have the skill set to make these necessary connections

*Goal:

• Help students learn to identify words
• Link words on paper to words that are already present in a student's vocabulary. Then use these words to make meaning of a text
• If a student can pronounce a word, they can understand that word
• Recoding- changing written language into oral language- which means the student understands
• There is the danger that students can read the words without knowing the meaning, so this part of the word recognition stage will be lost (happens more often with ELLs)

*Method

• Learning the rules of phonics- primary tool
• Develop a set of sight words, since there are some words that break the common patterns
• Learn how to chunk words into smaller components and then sound them out (learn the structural analysis of words)

*Classroom Practices

• Teach skills directly
• Pre-teach words or vocabulary students might not know using phonics, sight words, or structural analysis
• Define words, write definitions
• Have students read aloud often in the classroom
• Round-robin reading- teachers correct students or supply them with a word

Sociopsycholingustic View:
*The main idea:

• Reading is a process of constructing meaning (p. 24)
• Readers use their background knowledge in addition to their current reading skills to decode works and make sense out of texts that are unfamiliar to them, which helps them become proficient readers

*Goal:

•  Construct meaning based on background knowledge instead of identifying individual words
• This process of combining background knowledge and what the students know about the text in front of them occurs quickly
• Different readers come up with different meanings since they all have different background knowledge

*Method

• Letters and sounds are one source of information, but they are not the only source of information that students have- they should be combined with other methods to make the most meaning out of reading
• Look at visuals to infer meaning
• Look at the sentence structure (syntax) to help infer meaning
• Use knowledge of word parts- prefixes and suffixes

*Classroom Practices

• Students read on their own to gain vocabulary words and build up their individual vocabularies when they see words in different contexts and at different levels
• Students can figure out roles a word plays, endings it might have, multiple meanings, and if it is formal/informal if they see it on their own multiple times
• Read aloud is only done in reader's theater- most reading in this view is done silently
• Teach strategies for silent reading

          Both views of reading are very different, but could be successful for different students depending on their learning styles or the classrooms in which they are implemented.

#5 AbelsM_Writing Instruction_LT3

While I was growing up, there were many things that caused me to be the writer that I am today. The teachers that I had when I was younger made a huge difference in my writing education because most of them were so passionate about the subject to begin with.

In writing, we spent a lot of time learning about a specific genre, looking at mentor texts and authors that used that particular genre. After we studied this and were familiar with the genre itself, we got time to free write and practice using those skills on our own. We wrote many times in contents that were not just writing so that we got the opportunity to practice our writing skills in non-evaluative areas. For example, in fourth grade we studied Mesa Verde while we were researching Colorado History. We wrote haiku poems, cinquain poems, acrostic poems, and learned about different types of poems. We had to include our knowledge of Mesa Verde and Colorado History content in our poems, showing that our Social Studies knowledge was present in our writing as well. I remember receiving tons of positive feedback about my writing during this unit, and it is then that I developed a love of writing.

            We also looked at our own writing as a class after we had written a piece to see what constructive criticism our classmates could give us to be better writers. Our teachers would put our writing up on the overhead and we would talk as a class about what elements were strong in a piece of writing and talk about what elements could still use work. The student whose writing was presented would then get the opportunity to add the ideas that they gained from the rest of the class before writing their final copies. This really helped me as a writer because I was able to see what good techniques my classmates used and I was able to emulate them in my own writing. I was also able to get ideas if I were struggling with a topic or part of a written piece. I could also listen to paragraphs or pieces that didn’t flow and notice what those students did in their paragraphs that I would not want to do in mine.

            I always remember having lots of pieces of writing that I was incredibly proud of, and I remember the genres and topics that we wrote about, but I don’t necessarily remember sitting down and writing them. I don’t know if we ever had mini lessons that taught us a skill and I can’t remember if we had time to silently, independently write. I think sometimes time for mini lessons and using these skills in written work can be helpful for students.

            We would also have writers workshop, get feedback from our teacher, and then conference with our peers. We would present our research papers or longer pieces that we had worked on for a while in a creative way to the class. This was another way to help us become invested in the topic and remember the information that we learned, and it worked on our public speaking skills. This was also a way for our classmates to learn about the topics that we were so passionate about. 

            The view of writing that my writing instruction is most similar to is Process Writing. Not only was I asked to produce writing that was of high quality, but I also learned about the actual writing process throughout my journey as a student. I was familiar with the steps of writing, was able to do them on my own after I had enough practice, and I was able to "internalize the process involved" (Freeman and Freeman, 2004, p.30). During the time I spent in school, I developed the "skills needed to produce the message" that I was trying to convey to my reader instead of simply starting with one part and working step by step onto the next part, as mentioned in the Traditional Writing Classroom (Freeman and Freeman, 2004, p.29). We were taught to enjoy writing, and the classroom was set up with many opportunities for us to write authentically. Writing was an avenue of expression instead of simply a subject of turning "words into sentences, and then sentences into paragraphs" (Freeman and Freeman, 2004, p.29). I learned about grammar and mechanics naturally as I grew as a writer, and these things were never forced on me. My writing grew better as my talents as a writer grew better. It was also important that the teacher was not the only person looking at my writing to help correct it, but that my peers, other adults, or sometimes I was the one who was responsible to edit and revise my drafts. My experience definitely was most similar to a Process Writing Classroom.

            Today I love to write. I love to show kids the different ways that writing can be used in the classroom. It is sometimes hard for me to teach the direct steps of writing since it does come so naturally to me, but it is something I continue to work on. I think that my education when I was little helped shape this love, because I had so many great teachers who instilled this in me. I also think that the way I was taught made a difference because it kept me engaged and constantly learning.

#4 AbelsM_Children's Books Components_LT2

There are many pieces in a picture book that can affect comprehension, but missing important cultural implications or text references can be one of them. In many historical fiction books, students, especially students who are learning English in addition to another language that they speak at home, may have a difficult time understanding a book when they do not understand the context that a book is written in. Different events were important to different cultures, which means that all students may not have the same knowledge and background information about each time in history. For this assignment, I chose two books that are based on true events or stories, as I find that these books are particularly hard for ELL students to understand since history may be taught differently depending on cultures.

The books I chose are:
Pink and Say by Particia Pollacco (1994, First Scholastic Printing)
Pink and Say is a book about two boys who became friends while they were both fighting in the Civil War. It describes their journey through the war, especially because Pink is black and he is fighting for his own freedom. This book talks about the importance of working together and being courageous, even though the boys are young. This book takes place in the south, during the war, so all of the language is southern dialect. In the end of the book, while the boys are fighting for their freedoms, they are captured and taken to one of the worst Confederate Army camps. They are separated forever. The last page of the book states that Say, who was white, was released from this camp months after he entered, but he was very skinny and sick. Pink was hanged hours after he was taken into camp and his body was thrown into a pit. It turns out that Say turns out to be a very distant relative of Patricia Polacco, who is the author of this story.

Rough, Tough Charley by Verla Kay (2007, Tricycle Press)
Rough, Tough Charley is a non-fiction book written in short, rhyming poems about a child named Charley Parkhurst who is an orphan. Charley was sleeping in a barn, the owner found him, and he began working with the owner's horses making sure that they were taken care of. As Charley grew up, he learned how to drive stagecoaches and transport people safely to where they needed to be. Charley was always a safe driver and on time, but many people gossiped about him saying that he was vulgar, odd, and that he was fancy-dressed. Charley, throughout his life, faced many hardships. A horse kicked him in the eye, making him blind in one eye, and he saved his passengers and loot in the stagecoach by killing a bandit. After Charley retired from driving, he joined a gentleman's lodge and was able to vote for presidents. Charley became very sick when he was older, but insisted that no doctor came. When Charley died, everyone was shocked to find out that Charley was actually a woman. Charley disguised her identity her entire life so that she could participate in the same luxuries that men could. She wanted to vote for presidents, drive stagecoaches, and simply be equal.

In Pink and Say, this book is written in a southern dialect that is very hard for most students to understand. It is written this way to show the authenticity of the Civil War in the south, but this is especially hard for ELL students to understand, since they still are acquiring correct English.This book is written as a conversation between two friends, and is filled with southern slang. It bridges the gap between academic and conversational language, yet that it is hard for ELL students to understand that academic and conversational language can be combined into one. Students are beginning to understand that "academic language is the language of the classroom" but when they see that academic language and conversational language are combined, this can be quite confusing (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.17) This language in itself is hard to understand, since we do not often speak using phrases such as "ridin' drag and lookin' for wounded" (Polacco, 1994, p.5). Exposing all students, especially ELL students, to this dialect and giving them opportunities to hear and practice speaking in this dialect can help them understand that authors use different styles of language when they are trying to portray different time periods, parts of the country or world, or characters. This will help my students "activate prior knowledge" about a subject during other lessons, which is so important for ELL students (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p. 7).

Pink and Say also is written during the Civil War. The book talks a lot about the Union and the Confederate armies. Without adequate knowledge about the Civil War or this time period, students may not know about these armies or what they were fighting for. These vocabulary words are crucial to the book, as Pink and Say end up in a Confederate Army at the end of the book. To teach these concepts, I might show a picture of a Confederate flag and a Union flag. I could also show the students pictures of a Union uniform and a Confederate uniform so they know that these two armies were fighting against each other. Identifying the similarities and differences between the two uniforms allows students to "make new connections, experience new insights, and correct misconceptions" (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.12). It also might help to show the students a map of the United States during the Civil War and explain to them where the different armies were fighting against each other. Also on the map, I could explain which states were part of the Confederacy and which were part of the Union. This would help students by "enhanc[ing] [their] ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images" (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.7). Exposing students to images would help them recall information when they see this same topic in the future.

This book is also written at a higher level, and is filled with complex vocabulary. Polacco uses words such as, "mahogany, bluffs, smote, lad, marauders, and muskets." Before reading this book, the students should be familiar with the vocabulary that is important to understanding this book. They could preview the words and activate their prior knowledge about these concepts. They could converse with their peers around them and discuss what they already know about specific vocabulary words in this text. This cooperative learning would allow students to "make sense of new knowledge by interacting with others" (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.9). Students could also learn about these new vocabulary words by acting out or illustrating what the words mean. For example, students could write the word mahogany and then use a brown crayon to illustrate that mahogany is the color brown. Giving students the chance to act out or illustrate their new vocabulary words helps these new ideas sink in even more.

The last component in Pink and Say that ELL students might have a hard time relating to is location. There are many different locations throughout the United States mentioned throughout the book that many students might not be familiar with. Many of my students rarely get the chance to travel, let alone to many of the places mentioned throughout the book. Polacco mentions "our farm in Ohio, the slave plantation, places associated with Yankees, Andersonville, and Saranac, Michigan." I could locate the places mentioned in the book on a map for my students so they have a visual of where this book takes place. I could also give the students an opportunity to talk with their classmates about the places mentioned in the book to see if they have any connections about these places that might help them make more sense of these aspects in Pink and Say.

Rough, Tough Charley is written in cryptic rhyme, which is a form of poetry. An example of this is the very first stanza where Verla Kay writes, "Charley, orphan/ Runs from town/ Hides in stable/ Hunkers down" (2007, p.1). This rhyme could be hard for ELL students to understand just because the language is so broken up and different than the way we actually speak. This style of writing contradicts intermediate and advanced fluency, which is something that teachers hope their ELL students will achieve (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.15). To teach the choppy idea of telling a story through poetry to ELL students, the students could recite the story itself, taking the text of the story as a "script" of sorts for reader's theater. Giving students the opportunity to become fluent with poetry, which is a text that they aren't as familiar with, does give them the chance to understand meaning by internalizing the content. They take ownership of the story, since they are directly interacting with the script. This will help them understand the story even better, and it will also positively impact their fluency, as it gives them time to practice reciting words in a dramatic setting.

Rough, Tough Charley also focuses a lot on different vocabulary than we use today, since the story takes place in the 1800's. There are many new words in this text, such as, "stagecoach, stable, reins, steamship, and petticoats" (Kay, 2007). To teach these words that students may not be famiiliar with, I would give the students the definition of the words before we read the story so that they have some background knowledge as they encoutner these words. Then  as we read the story, I would show the students a picture of a stagecoach, for example, so that they are able to visualize how these new vocabulary words can relate to the story. Again, using non-linguistic representations help students "not only understand material better but also recall the knowledge more readily" (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.7). This is important so that students are able to add new vocabulary words to their language base.

Many pictures in Rough, Tough Charley show Charley driving a six-horse stagecoach, voting for presidents, or working as a child. Many of the events that Charley engages in throughout the book, my students have never done. Giving them the opportunity to look at the pictures and talk about their own experiences of when maybe they have seen or interacted with horses and what that was like may give the students a better understanding of the important components of this book. Again, when students are able to talk about their own experiences with each other, it strengthens their background knowledge or interest in a specific topic.

The most important thing to understand in Rough, Tough Charley is the big surprise in the end of the story. Students need to understand that the main idea of this story is that Charley is actually a girl and disguised her identity so that she was equal and had the same freedoms men did during this time. History is such an important aspect of this book, and students really need to understand that women were not treated as equals during this time because they were seen as fragile and delicate. At the very end of this book, there are two pages titled "Facts About Charley." Reading these pages to the students and then giving students time to discuss their feelings or reflect about this story could help students really understand that Charley had to take drastic measures to ensure that she was guaranteed the same freedoms that men were.

I would also make sure to talk about the setting in Rough, Tough Charley, as it is set in the 1800s, in the country and in the stables, and it is different than most of the students in an ELL classroom might have seen before. Providing students with background knowledge about these places would help them understand more completely when we do go to read the book. I could do this by reading books about the 1800s or times when stagecoaches were used. We could also talk as a group about why people did have to use stagecoaches or even talk about how history has changed, which touches on one of the History Standards. Students might also want to talk about their personal experiences as well.

Rough, Tough Charley and Pink and Say are both excellent texts that students can learn a lot from. Teachers just need to make sure that they teach the aspects of these books that may be hard for children who grow up in different cultures or who come from various backgrounds so that all children feel successful when comprehending a text.

#3 AbelsM_Recipe in Spanish_ LT 2

I looked up a recipe in Spanish. It is as follows. My guess of what the words mean are to the right of the recipe in red.

Tiempo de preparación: 20 minutos Time for preparation: 20 minutes
Tiempo de cocción: 40 a 50 minutos Time for concoction: 40 to 50 minutes
Rinde: 4 a 6 porciones Yields: 4-6 portions

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Lo Que Necesita You will need:

1/2	taza de azúcar, DIVIDIDA 1/2 teaspoons? of sugar divided
1/3	taza de cacao en polvo sin azúcar 1/3 of chocolate... without sugar
1/4	de harina multi-usos
1/8	cucharadita de sal 1/8... with salt
1	taza de leche 1... of milk
1/2	cucharadita de vainilla 1/2... of vanilla
4	CLARAS DE HUEVO, a temperatura ambiente 4 clears of an egg? the temperature should be like the ambiance (room temperature)
1/2	cucharadita de crema tártara 1/2... cream of tartar
4	YEMAS DE HUEVO 4 yellows/yolks of egg

Cómo Prepararlo How to Prepare

1. CALIENTE el horno a 350°F. Heat the oven to 350. MEZCLE measure 1/4 taza de azúcar, the sugar el cacao en polvo, the chocolate and ? la harina y la sal ? and the salt en una cacerola mediana, in one medium casserole dish mezcle con la leche poco a poco hasta que quede suave. with the milk and a little of ? COCINE a fuego medio, cook? a medium fire revolviendo revolve constantemente constantly, hasta que la mezcla with the measuring dish hierva y se espese. AGREGUE la vainilla. add the vanilla Retire del fuego.retire/end the fire
2. BATA las claras de huevo y la crema tártara en un tazón para batidora, bata a alta velocidad hasta conseguir una textura espumosa. put the clear eggs and the cream of tartat and other ingredients together until they have a smooth texture. Bata constantemente, añadir el restante 1/4 taza de azúcar, 2 cucharadas a la vez, batiendo después de cada adición, hasta que el azúcar se disuelva. let the sugar dissolve (Frote un poco de la mezcla con el pulgar y el dedo índice, debe sentirse completamente lisa.) Seguir batiendo hasta que la clara esté brillante y cree puntas suaves.
3. REVUELVA las yemas de huevo en la salsa, hasta mezclarlas. VOLTEE, suavemente pero completamente, la mezcla de yemas en las claras, hasta que no se observen vetas blancas. VIERTA cuidadosamente en un plato para soufflé engrasado, de 1-1/2 a 2. Para decorar la parte superior, sostenga una espátula metálica en forma vertical y haga un anillo en la parte superior de la mezcla de soufflé, a 1 pulgada del borde del plato y de 1 pulgada de profundidad, si lo desea.
4. HORNEE a 350°F hasta que el soufflé se hinche, cook at 350 degrees so the souflee is done dórelo un poco y muévalo suavemente hacia delante y hacia atrás, 30 a 40 minutos. SERVIR INMEDIATAMENTE. serve immediately.  

When translating this recipe, I started by looking for words that were familiar to words I already knew in English. For example, "inmediatamente" was similar to immediately, so I was able to deduct its definition. I also have a little knowledge of French, so I looked for words that were similar to words I knew in French. "Servir" is the same verb as "to serve" in French, so I was able to figure out its meaning by relying on my backgound information and experiences with other languages. I relied on techniques that "help[ed] to activate prior knowledge" so that navigating through this text was not as difficult (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.7). This scaffolding is important so that I wasn't completely overwhelmed with the experience or what I needed to do.

I then went through the recipe and thought about words that I already knew in Spanish. I knew, for example, through experience, that leche is milk and that huevos are eggs. This helped me become more familiar with the recipe because I was able to retrieve "what I already [knew] about a topic" to help me understand the text at hand even more (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.7). I knew that all the terms would have something to do with cooking or food.

For the words that I did not know, I knew that they would have to do with baking or cooking something with this souflee. I was able to guess that "agregue la vainilla" meant add the vanilla, since it was the last step in a sequence and it was located all by itself. I am not sure if this guess is correct, but it would make sense in the recipe itself. This step of generating and testing hypothesis was very useful for me throughout this experience, as there were many parts of the recipe that I was unable to translate due to language barriers (Hill and Flynn, 2006, p.11). 

As the recipe became more complicated, I was unable to decipher what the steps were asking me to do. I would not be confident making this souflee, but I do understand that pictures, other visuals, and talking out ideas with others is very beneficial for students who are not native English speakers.

This was a very eye-opening experience, since I had such a hard time reading and translating this text.  ELL students need multiple ways of understanding texts that are unfamiliar to them so that they have a way to access the lessons or the texts without becoming overwhelmed or frustrated.