The Reading Process

Another day in language arts...
There are two different types of reading, aesthetic and efferent reading. People read for pure enjoyment and also to gain specific information. I loved to read for entertainment. There is nothing better then cuddling up on the couch with a good book. Aesthetic reading is reading for entertainment and enjoyment. Readers respond to these with thoughts, images, feelings, and associations. I love the Emily Griffen books. They are about love, heartbreak, and starting over. They are books that you just don't want to put down. On the other hand, efferent reading is reading for information. I have to do a lot of efferent reading for my classes. Teachers assign books, chapters, or articles to read for class so that their students will gain some specific information.

THE READING PROCESS:
Stage 1: Prereading
This begins before the student even opens the book. Students get background knowledge, set purposes, and plan for reading. Students learn background information about the book before they actually begin reading it. For example, the teacher will explain the topic of the book, the title, the author, the genre, and cover illustration. The teacher might also address questions that the students might have about the book. It is very important for readers to have a purpose for reading the selection because they tend to be more successful. Having a purpose can increase better comprehension, provide motivation and direection, and students do a better job identifying important information as they read.
Stage 2: Reading
There are five different types of reading that can take place in the classroom. These include, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, buddy reading, and reading aloud to students. Shared reading is when the teacher reads aloud to their students as they follow along using their own individual copy of the book. Guided reading is when the teacher supports students as they read books at their reading levels. Students are normally grouped homogeneously. Independent reading is when students read a book independently and normally choose the book. Buddy reading is when two students read or reread a book together. They often switch of every other paragraph or page. Reading aloud to students is when the teacher read aloud to students.
I think it is important for teachers to incorporate each of these 5 types of reading in their classroom because students like to do things differently. It would be rather boring if everytime a student had to read by themselves in the classroom. Students often have a better comprehension if they get to work with another person(s). It can also increase self-esteem among readers who do not feel so confident in their reading abilities.

Stage 3: Responding
"Readers respond to their reading and continue to negotiate meaning to deepen their comprehension" (78). Reading logs are good so that students can write and draw their thoughts and feelings about what they have read. Grand conversations are when the students talk abou the book with their classmates in discussions. Students can share their own thoughts and feelings about what they read. They can also explain what they did or did not like about the book. These conversations can be held with the whole class or in small groups. Children that are younger normally perfer to have discussions as a whole and older children prefer to have them in smaller groups.
Stage 4: Exploring
Exploring includes rereading the selection, examnining the author's craft, focusing on new vocabulary, and participing in minilessons. Students normally rereads texts that are brief. This allows for students to improve their comprehension and make deeper connections between what they read and their own personal experiences. Examining the author's craft is when the teacher plans activities that focus students' attention on the structure, genre, and literary language. Students often use storyboards to talk about the order in which events happened in the story. (Middle, beginning, and end)
Stage 5: Applying
Student apply what they read and learned to their own personal experiences. They can relate it to things that happen in the world. Students can do projects that involve reading, writing, talk and drama, visually representing, or research. For example, student could do a skit to act out event in the story.

Factors that are important in developing capable readers:
1. Word Identification: readers have a large word bank, use phonic analysis to read.
2. Fluency: Readers learn how to read quickly and with expression. Ex. (100 words per minute)
3. Vocabulary: Readers have large vocabulary, learn 7 to 10 new words a day. "Reading is the best way to increase vocabulary"
4. Comprehension: Readers use past experiences to understand the text.

The 6 Language Arts

Language arts is key for all learning. I had never thought about the different strands of language arts before taking this course. I used to think that language arts mostly consisted of just reading and writing. However, learning the significance of each of the 6 strands (Listening, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing) I feel that they all fit well into language arts and are essential for learning. I think that all 6 strands are equally important and educators need to make a better effort to incorporate each of the 6 strands in their curriculum. I was surprised to find viewing and visually representing surprising because I had never thought of those when i thought of language arts. However, I think that they are very important and often educators have a hard time incorporating them into their curriculum because traditionally instruction in language arts have focused on reading and writing. I think that viewing and visually representing are important because it expands the role of language arts which is key because we live in such a technological society. It is important for teachers to know more about the new technology and use it in the classrooms. Technology plays a huge rule in all aspects in the lives of Americans today. I think that that viewing and visually representing are important and should be part of the 6 strands of language arts. It is important for teachers to use them in the classroom because technology will continue to become more and more important in the future.

Language arts in my life...

I have had a lot of experience with all the different strands of language arts. In my early years of school my teachers mainly focused on the first 4 strands, listening, talking, reading, and writing. As technology as expanded and become more and more important my teachers and professors have made an effort to use it in their curriculum. My favorite is viewing because i am a more visual person and I have found that I learn more from watching a movie or using the internet than just listening to someone lecture. The internet has played a huge role in my academic career. I would much rather search and find important information using my computer than going to the library. I also like visually representing. I would much rather make a poster or chart instead of writing a paper. I also feel that illustrations and charts are good ways to show key concepts and facts instead of reading a lot of words that say the same thing.


Sahara Special..
I am enjoying Sahara Special so far and am looking forward to reading more. I like how the author made Sahara a relatable character. Everyone has had a Sahara in their classroom and one point and will continue to have a Sahara in their own classroom. The author does a good job using plenty of detail so that the reader can paint their own picture of the story in their head.