Why did you choose to submit this item?

I chose this exercise because it is a great way to get the students talking and find a meaningful cultural connection to build on their knowledge. It allows the students to think about the book, analyze their understanding and share it. It also provides more engagement by having to create an activity that they will share. It gives a reason for the kids to speak, share ideas, and be evaluated on orality without feeling like they are being assessed.

Which course concepts/ideas are reflected in the activity?

The concept of orality is reflected in this activity. The goal of the exercise is to share thoughts and ideas through oral language. By selecting culturally relevant material, the teacher can engage all the students to think outside what they may consider is normal. Sharing the books orally allows the students to develop their ideas about what is happening and evaluate the use of language and how it changes their ideas. It can also help them build their mental models of what they are reading. As Lynch et al (2017) explains, "children's learning of oral language is governed by the experiences they have and the range of social situations they experience" (p.29). This activity allows the students to read together and then experience the thoughts and conversations of others as they contribute themselves to the discussion. It expands their learning experience through both comprehension and orality.

Course goals

What instructional approaches are useful for teaching readers and writers in elementary contexts?

Genishi (n.d.) indicates that students learn an aspect of language without necessarily being taught. As Crooks (2021) explains, "Nurturing oral language development is seen as an important role for teachers. But explicit instruction in oral language is not seen as helpful" (Personal Communication, ELNG 310.010, Week 4, p.3). Activities like the one listed that are culturally respectful and done aloud allow the students to work on their oral comprehension and thought development. Also, incorporating the Wholistic Anishinaabe Pedagogy framework (Peltier, 2017) into our activity would help lessen the emphasis on understanding based on text and increase the focus on listening and processing verbal information and provide time for reflection (p.13).

How can I design an engaging literacy learning environment that is responsive to the cultural and linguistic diversity in contemporary classrooms?

The story that Peltier (2017) shared about the child who may have had deficits according to Western-based criteria, actually had suitable learning supports in place, reiterated the importance of creating a (w)holistic environment for learning (p.11). Using the framework shared by Peltier (2017) to incorporate a (w)holistic learning method would be an excellent way to integrate that practice in the classroom. It also appears to be an excellent method to engage kids of any culture. The Wholistic Anishinaabe Pedagogy framework is a tool that could help include indigenous learners in language development and provide the teacher with a method of inclusion and (w)holistic education. Additionally, reading books to the students from authors of different cultural backgrounds brings in cultural and linguistic diversity to the class. It allows the students to see different perspectives and creates a more diverse and accepting culture within the class.

How has your thinking about the activity changed over the semester? What more would you like to learn about this activity?

The many ways to incorporate different cultures into the class have changed throughout the semester. Previously, I had not considered all the various books that could be read to students to be culturally inclusive. I have found this process very beneficial, and now I am recognizing how schools and libraries promote and culturally respectful books in their encouragement of literacy. In the class I am working in, I have been pleasantly surprised by the numerous diverse books held in the classroom library and how well the students receive them.