Chapter 1 Teaching Aids
TA 1
The following could be used as a reflection exercise or in-class discussion to help teachers reflect on their own
reading model.
Assessing Your Reading Model
1. Initial reading instruction should focus on learning the names of the letters of the alphabet:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
2. Phonics skills should be taught directly to young learners:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
3. Word recognition in isolation is a vital early reading skill to learn::
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
4. Reading skills can be learned independently if students are in the right learning environment:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
5. Learners should be involved in reading activities based on their interests:
Disagree
Completely
Agree
Completely
6
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
Scripted reading instruction is superior to unscripted reading instruction:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
7. Students learn phonics through their independent reading activities:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
8. Whole-language instruction provides students opportunities to learn reading skills independently:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
Disagree
Disagree
9. Phonics skills should be taught directly and systematically:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
10. Beginning ESL students benefit from direct skills instruction:
Agree
Agree
Neither Agree
Completely
Nor Disagree
Completely
11 Workbook activities help students learn the reading skills they need to read:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
12 There is an important sequence to learning reading skills from letter names to comprehension:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
13 A reader’s background knowledge helps her/him to predict and understand text:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
14 ESL(ELL) students learn to read English best when skills such as phonics are taught in a systematic
sequential fashion:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
15 Bilingual instruction results in cognitive confusion for students:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
16 Results of the National Reading Panel show that systematic phonics instruction is important:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
17 Reading good children’s literature helps learners develop knowledge of phonics, word recognition, and
comprehension skills:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
18 Teaching ESL(ELL) students to recognize words in isolation is a valuable instructional approach:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
19 Having ESL(ELL) students read and write from their first day in school is a good pedagogical approach:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
20 ESL(ELL) students should learn to read first in their first languages:
Agree
Completely
Agree
Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Completely
TA 2
Write a paragraph that Articulates your own personal view of the second language reading process. Also
discuss how your views influence your classroom practice. Compare your ideas with colleagues and see if you
can come to some common agreements about theories beneficially affect classroom practice.
TA 3
Work with your partner to complete the grid below. Rank from 1 to 5 how each of these instructional
approaches addresses each aspect of the “big five” Ideas in reading instruction. Number one would be the most
effective approach for addressing a particular aspect of reading and number five would be the least effective.
After you finish, get together with another pair and discuss your rankings as well as your reasons for your
rankings.
Instructional
approach
DRTA
Language
experience
Initial teaching
alphabet
Whole language
Critical literacy
Multiliteracies
Phonemic
awareness
Alphabetic
principle
Fluency
Comprehension
Vocabulary
TA 4
Compare these two classrooms below. How do you think these pictures reveal how literacy instruction has
changed over the past hundred years?
TA 5
Some Informal Classroom Observations
When you have a chance to visit a classroom or you can make observations in your own classroom. Please do
not sit in the back of a room and write notes or answer the following.
(1) What kind of reading program, if any, do you see in your classroom?
(2) What kinds of language are on the walls? Student work?
(3) Do you see any kind of phonics program? If so, what is it?
(4) Do you see any kind of vocabulary program? If so, what is it?
(5) How does the teacher manage the classroom? Are there instructional groups?
(6) What surprises you most about the classroom?
(7) What kind of lesson plan(s) did you see?
(8) What good tips did you learn about teaching, if any?
(9) What is the model of reading the teacher (or you hold)? How is it evident in classroom activities?