Reading

Mrs. Smith's Philosophy:

This I Believe...

• Reading is a construction of meaning from text. It is an active, cognitive, and affective process.
• Background knowledge and prior experience are critical to the reading process.
• Social interaction is essential in learning to read.
• Reading and writing develop together.
• Environments rich in literacy experiences, resources, and models facilitate reading development.
• Engagement in the reading task is key in successfully learning to read.
• Children develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of phonics through a variety of literacy opportunities, models, and demonstrations.
• Children learn successful reading strategies in the context of real reading.
• Children learn best when teachers employ a variety of strategies to model and demonstrate reading knowledge, strategy and skills.
• Children need the opportunity to read, read, read!
• Monitoring the development of reading processes is vital to student success.
• Skills must be taught as part of relevant and meaningful literacy events.
• Children's oral language is the basis for beginning instruction.
• Effective teachers demonstrate, guide, share, celebrate and evaluate.
• Effective teachers negotiate the curriculum with their students.
• Learners need a variety of engaging books, reading materials, and resources.

EXCERPTED FROM:

Braunger, J. & Lewis, J. (1998). Building a knowledge base in reading. Portland: NWREL; Urbana, IL: NCTE; Newark, DE: IRA.

Routman, R., (2000). Conversations: Strategies for teaching, learning, and evaluating.. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann