Functional literacy activities and strategies for teaching reading to young children

¶ … functional literacy activities? What are some examples?

Functional literacy activities refer to activities that focus on reading or writing in direct connection to actual tasks that can be easily applied or used in the real world. For example, functional literary activities might involve reading street signs, reading maps or drafting a grocery list.

What are ways to share literature with young children? What are important factors to consider when selecting literature to share and stocking classroom libraries? What are some effective story-reading strategies (read-alouds and shared reading)?

One way to share literature with young children would be to present it in the most dynamic and hands on approach possible. For example, using puppets or dolls or figurines when presenting a new book to students can be a way to help engage students' minds and imagination. Or dynamic follow-up activities which relate to the text can also be used with success: for example, students can do work in a community garden after reading The Secret Garden. When it comes to selecting literature and stocking classroom libraries, certain factors to consider revolve around the types of characters and situations presented: children need to be exposed to diversity: they need to explore cultures, neighborhoods, and ethnicities which are different from their own. Furthermore, the role models presented to these children also need to demonstrate strong, solid individuals who reflect the values that are desirable for the children to develop over time. Certain story-reading strategies that are ideal besides read-alouds and shared reading are reading with a partner or a buddy and having students draft their own (a new) ending to the story. If the students are too young to write, they can draw a new ending to the story.

What are some motivating ways to link literacy and play?

Motivating ways to link literacy and play are to make them as dynamic together as possible. Students need to be asked to create things based on the stories they read. This is important because it helps them build more meaningful associations between reading and play. For example, students can create a "magical spell" after reading Harry Potter or they can come up with a prank to play on Boo Radley, if they're reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Alternatively, if they're reading The Great Gatsby, one can ask them to build models of the Gatsby mansion or design gowns which were of the fashion of the 1920s. Any age-appropriate and creatively-based learning activity which can be adapted for children and which is an organic extension of the story read will be sufficient for story-telling.

What is "shared writing"? How does it help to build a child's understanding of print and support reading?

Shared writing is beneficial platform which can not only enhance a student's entire learning experience, but it can also help to reinforce the text as a whole. A shared writing method "…enables teachers to make the writing process concrete and visible to students. In shared writing, the teacher and students compose text together, with both contributing their thoughts and ideas to the process, while the teacher acts as scribe, writing the text as it is composed" (teachervision.com, 2013). This method allows for maximum student participation, makes it possible for a closer analysis and examination of texts and demonstrates important pillars of learning for the student to experience firsthand (teachervision.com, 2013).

Unit 4 seminar

What learning activities should early childhood teachers provide to children to help prepare them for reading?

The importance of early education absolutely cannot be overestimated. There are certain skills that preschoolers need to be able to develop and have honed before they even enter kindergarten. For instance, children need to be able to retell a basic story, recognize certain letters of the alphabet and other skills so that they can start off the year strong (Golembeski, 2013). Basic activities like tracing shapes of letters and numbers on paper can help pre-schoolers exponentially. Other activities which help them to recognize the title of a book, or match rhyming sounds are all important for preschool success (Golembeski, 2013). Even activities which focus on helping students to learn how to sit quietly and listen to a story or to hold a pencil are essential for a strong kindergarten skill set development.

What is the difference between phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics? How should this knowledge guide instruction for young children?

It's understandable that there can sometimes be confusion between phonological and phonemic awareness as there's a focus on the sound elements between the spoken words. Phonological awareness is different in that it has a strong focus on the phonemic awareness, and identifying and manipulating larger parts of spoken language, along with things like alliteration, rhyme, words and syllables (Virginia.edu, 2003). On the other hand, phonemic awareness refers to a narrower subcategory this arena which focuses on being able to pinpoint and manipulate specific sounds within spoken words (Virginia.edu, 2003). Finally phonics is the focus on the letter sound relationship of written words. This knowledge should be used to help guide instruction for children so that educators understand that their job is to help children understand the connection "between letters of the written language and the sounds of the spoken language. Phonics instruction focuses on the 1:1 correspondence between letters and sounds" (Virginia.edu, 2003).

What are some activities for introducing children to the letters of the alphabet?

Some good activities for introducing children to letters of the alphabet generally involve matching and saying or sound out the name of the letter. For example, an alphabet pumpkin patch or an alphabet car wash or any activity which uses upper-case and lowercase letters in a matching formation in the form of a craft activity are suitable.

How can you create an effective and motivating writing center?

An effective and motivating writing center is one which allows kids to be creative and to write about the things which are important to them. A motivating writing center would be highly visual and focus on stimulating kids' imagination through images, along with the freedom to write about the things they want.

What is the "writing workshop"? Why is publishing such an important part of the writing workshop?

A writing workshop is a highly focused writing class which specializes in helping children to produced finished pieces of writing that is ripe for being presented and for being "published." The publishing process gives children a sense that their work is being finished and put on display. It gives their work and the effort their work took, a sense of accomplishment.

Unit 6 seminar

How can issues such as the time designated for reading, the availability of a variety of reading materials and the types of reading (independent, shared, and guided) contribute to reading achievement?

Those issues can contribute enormously to reading development in that they are all factors which directly impact how students view the process of reading. For example, students need to view reading as though it is not a chore. In order for that to be achieved, students need a wide variety of things to read and need to experience reading in a wide variety of forms. If reading is presented to them in a narrow format, they're going to view it as tedious.

What do the following components of reading refer to; word identification, vocabulary, and connection to text. What are examples of each of these?

Word identification refers to the process by which students are able to identify words they know and explain them in some manner. Vocabulary refers to the working lexicon of words that students have a command of. Connection to text refers to the ability of a student to understand the meaning of a word based on how it is used in the text. A

What are some strategies to build vocabulary, enhance comprehension, and increase reading fluency?

Building vocabulary can be done by simply introducing a new vocabulary word each day and giving examples of it and providing a visual connection to the word so that students are able to recall it easily. Furthermore, to enhance comprehension and increase reading fluency, there needs to be the pressure to use each new word once it is understood, so that it is immediately placed in the student's working vocabulary. Once the word is used it needs to be reused until it is a permanent part of the student vocabulary.

What are some strategies that may be especially effective for teaching English Language Learners?

Strategies which might be particularly effective for English Language Learners would be ones which revolve around visual/image support. Images can be of tremendous help when it comes to teaching ESL and the educator should lean heavily on their support.

What are some strategies that may be especially effective for teaching children with special needs?

For children with special needs, I've always found that using hands-on materials that the children can touch can help them to understand the narrative. For instance, if students are reading about the beach, I bring sand and saltwater for them to feel.