It is important as a teacher of young children to empower your children and make them believe that they are able to read and write. As a teacher, you should always be encouraging of a student's attempts at reading a magazine or writing a thank you card even if they are not quite "perfect". Your children need to be motivated to learn more and to believe that you have faith in them to do it. The example of a teacher asking the children if they could read and then proving that they can by showing them common names such as McDonald's would provide the child with the idea that they are already succeeding in your classroom. A nurturing relationship with the class can allow them to be better secure in their abilities and to succeed.
Symbols such as these can help the child realize that literature is already present in their every day lives and they are already skilled readers!!
As a teacher, one of the most important fundamentals to teach your children is phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognize phonemes and other sounds in the English language. If a child develops phonemic awareness, he/she has developed the ability to differentiate between the sounds used in language and will therefore allow the child to have a better understanding when it comes to reading and writing. A great tool to use to teach your child phonemic awareness is using rhyme. Whether it be your favorite child's song or a silly book, rhyme can help a child gain phonemic awareness.
What tricks would you use to make your students feel as though they are already successful readers and writers? What tricks will you use in your classroom to teach phonemic awareness?
Your idea of using names they are already familiar with, like Barbie or Toys R Us, is a great way to help encourage children in your classroom that they are already reading, and this could be a great skill to utilize to help build confidence in some students who may be weary about reading in the classroom. I think that this just relates back to making the children in your classroom feel comfortable and safe enough to read. With reading comes errors, and that could potentially be discouraging for some early readers. It is important as a teacher to recognize this.
I agree with you, Hannah, and the authors of article in that utilizing familiar terms, images, and icons is extremely useful and encouraging. Like Hannah mentions, it is very scary for children just learning to read because of the inevitability of mistakes. Teachers must create respectful classroom environments so that even shy, reserved children feel comfortable asking questions and making both reading and writing attempts. Teachers must emphasize the fact that mistakes are opportunities for improvement.
Your idea of using names they are already familiar with, like Barbie or Toys R Us, is a great way to help encourage children in your classroom that they are already reading, and this could be a great skill to utilize to help build confidence in some students who may be weary about reading in the classroom. I think that this just relates back to making the children in your classroom feel comfortable and safe enough to read. With reading comes errors, and that could potentially be discouraging for some early readers. It is important as a teacher to recognize this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Hannah, and the authors of article in that utilizing familiar terms, images, and icons is extremely useful and encouraging. Like Hannah mentions, it is very scary for children just learning to read because of the inevitability of mistakes. Teachers must create respectful classroom environments so that even shy, reserved children feel comfortable asking questions and making both reading and writing attempts. Teachers must emphasize the fact that mistakes are opportunities for improvement.
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