Through today's readings we learn a lot about literacy foundations and how important they are in helping a child become a reader. Through everyday activities a child can build a strong literacy foundation long before he or she starts to school. By seeing adults reading and writing, being read to, seeing words on advertisements/television, and imitating story telling, children are given a foundation in their home in which they are able to see the importance and need of being literate. From my own life I can see just how important my literacy foundation has been to my own life. I saw my parents and brother reading long before I could read and saw how integral it was to life, in turn fuelling my desire to read. If I would not have had this literacy foundation in my home life I do not believe I would have had the desire to read near as quickly as I did.
In the third chapter of Classrooms that Work we are given some great information on literacy foundations and ways to build a stronger foundation in children that come from homes without literacy at the forefront of their lives. It seems as though the ways in which the author points out to build a strong literacy foundation in the classroom closely mimic the ways in which one can be built in the home. Allowing children time to scribble and practice writing, reading to them, and showing them words allows for them to start to recognize important words before they even start to read on their own. One of my favorite points made by the author was the suggestions of having many different types of writing utensils and materials available for children to practice on. Children learn in different ways and I believe this would give more opportunities for some of them that maybe do not want to write on paper with a pencil the option to write using things that are not usually written on or with. I especially liked the shaving cream on a table idea!
In reading about the Jones family in "The Jones Family's Culture of Literacy" by Amy Suzanne Johnson we are given a personalized view of a family that has made literacy an important part of their lives. Much like my own family the children build their literacy foundations on seeing their parents and grandparents reading books, reading newspapers, writing letters, and paying bills. It goes to show how activities that may not seem that important or unusual can really make an impact on a child's life and future as a reader.
After reading the various ways to build up children's literacy foundation in the classroom, I am curious as to whether or not anyone else has any ideas different from those of the author?
Reflecting on my own time in school I do not remember writing with anything other than pencils and crayons while learning to read and write. This explains why I was so intrigued by the various ways in which the author suggested to let kids practice writing. Does anyone remember being free to write in so many different ways in their early classrooms? I think I would have liked writing much more if I would have been able to practice in so many different ways!
(Photo source: http://www.jmeacham.com/handwriting.htm)
I'm sorry that you didn't get a chance to write with different kinds of materials. That was one of my favorite aspects of my early education. We practiced the shaving cream spelling activity and it was a huge hit. When teachers are able use creative means of instruction, students are better able to absorb the material and really make that information a part of the child's core knowledge. I sometimes feel that when concepts or information is taught conventionally, it is easy for that material to go "in one ear and out the other." We as teachers must actively seek out creative instructional practices.
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