Double Entry Journal 9

Chapter 1: A strange fact about not learning to read.

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read? Some professionals believe that there is a link between poor reading and race and class. There is a grouping of children who fall into a reading category and some of these labeled poor children do not fall into the category and therefore do not read. 

2. Why is this fact so strange? Because learning to read should have no bearing on where you come from. People are people and all people can learn one way or another (possibly excluding major cases of neurological problems.) It seems to me like some people are just wanting to write off and give up on children because they are a certain socioeconomic status or race. I happen to know a very gifted young man who is of very low socioeconomic status.

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who are good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good at learning? We drill and kill phonics and things into the curriculum and forget about the things that interest and motivate student learning. 

4. What is the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators? Traditionalists want to maintain the drill and kill learning of phonics to foster reading programs. They think that students are not getting enough practice on the sounds and letters that make up the words they are reading. They want to build skills, as the book says "assembly line" the skills where one builds off the other in order to learn to read. Progressive educators value a more meaning driven approach. Students should make meaning of what they are reading. It is more of a whole language approach to learning.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language? Whole language advocates say that learning to read is like learning to speak. One picks up the ability to read like they pick up the ability to speak; by seeing and hearing others doing it.Linguists say other wise, they say that reading is not a natural occurance in life and that is has to be taught in some form or another.

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under? Natural occurs on its own and is picked up over time. Instructed is teaching one how to do something. Cultural is when a culture deems something useful and makes sure that all in their culture learn it. Reading can become an instructional process, but works much better as a cultural process.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school? Learning is better through the cultural process but schools generally try to turn it into an instructional process. Reading is taught by learning skills in the schools which takes on a more instructional process.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grade slump." Fourth grade students can read the words but some fail to read for comprehension when the materials begin to become challenging. 

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness? early language ability, this is a poor term to use though according to the author.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area. Vernacular is used in face to face everyday conversation and specialized are used for special events like academics, talking about something that has it's own language (video games.) "We went on a field trip yesterday and I sat with Lucy and Kaila, and Jenny, and Katie, and Megan." "My class went on a field trip yesterday. On the bus ride I sat with my friends."

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed? Early language ability is the developing of skills that can aid in the learning. Most students enter school understanding stories and things of that nature. This is an acquired ability that is learned through experience.

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail? The traditionalists focus on the skills. They tend to teach drill and kill. They teach skills and how to read the words but it is not focused on making meaning from the words the students are reading.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school? No, not in my opinion. Some students who are "poor" have very good language and reading skills. Parents can only do so much at home for language and learning skills because they themselves my only have a limited language from their life and school time. some parents do the best they can to help.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language? I did not really have any trouble reading this text, I kind of enjoy reading some of the points that Gee makes in his writing. I am pretty good with the language things and I did understand the all of the Pokemon references (I never played the games but Pokemon was huge when I was about 10 years old.)