A Fy in the Pavilion

Yesterday I was like a fly on the wall... well, more like a fly in the pavilion.

I was sitting in a pavilion during my children's swimming class busily getting work done on my laptop. But I guess I wasn't as absorbed in my work as I thought I was since I overheard a small portion of a conversation between two waiting mothers.

"... she (nodding towards her daughter) has reached book three in her reading books. But I don't understand her teacher. She is keeping her back from reading!"

"Uh huh," the other mother responded knowingly.

"But every evening she reads three pages easily for me. I just don't understand."

"I know what you mean because..."

Their conversation trailed off and my focus had returned to my work, as I glanced up at regular intervals to observe my children in the pool with their classmates and swimming instructors.

But the discussion between the two mothers was not the least bit unusual. Why do we promote mediocrity in reading by 'keeping back' individual children's desire to progress?

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"Oh no dear, WE haven't reached that page yet. We'll get there eventually. Have patience."

'C' Stream of Tears

There was a young girl in Trinidad,
She had just turned six and was so glad.
Soon she would be in second year,
And with friends by her side she would have no fear.

But suddenly out of the blue one day,
Her teacher told her family, "We have to say,
her work could be better
so to 'C' stream we'll send her."
Now with tears her face is much wetter.

Subconscious Behaviour

I visited a school about a year ago to show the teacher my Hop Along Reading Programme, however she was in the process of listening to one of her second year infant students read for her.

She directed me to a chair next to her desk and asked me if I could kindly wait until she was finished. I obliged but couldn't help but notice the reading activity that ensued. It went something like this...

TEACHER: Go ahead and read the page.
STUDENT: (Tentatively reading) The boy and the dog ...(silence)
TEACHER: went...
STUDENT: went up the...(silence)
TEACHER: tree...
STUDENT: tree and they....(silence)
TEACHER: saw...
STUDENT: saw a very big...(silence)
TEACHER: river...
STUDENT: river. Then they...(silence)
TEACHER: climbed...
STUDENT: climbed...(silence)
TEACHER: down...
STUDENT: down and got in a...(silence)
TEACHER: boat...
STUDENT: boat on the...(silence)
TEACHER: river...
STUDENT: river.
TEACHER: Good. Now learn the next page to read for me tomorrow.

Evidently the teacher behaved subconsciously. I wonder if she has ever thought about what she is actually doing?!

Write Out Loud

Yesterday afternoon I picked up my children from school, "How was your day?" I asked them.

"Great!" my seven year old son unhesitatingly blurted out happily.

"Not good," was his younger sister's response. This was unusual for her since she often enjoys her time in school.

She explained that she had a substitute teacher for the day and was told off quite strongly for having such BIG (and I assume) messy handwriting. Now don't get me wrong, I have only my daughter's words regarding what happened but I cannot ignore the impression that the event left on my child's mind...Big writing is bad; small writing is good; neatness is the only thing that matters.

"But mummy," my five year old continued, "I can't write small!"

Do we as teachers put too much emphasis on penmanship and not enough on the content being written?

Well think of this, I began helping my husband's young cousin with his school work when he was about ten years old. I couldn't help admiring the level of neatness in his books and the beauty of his penmanship. But admiration turned to concern when I began giving him work to do. It seemed to be a monumental task to get him to complete anything that was given, even when he fully understood the work or when I lessened the amount.

The problem? His efforts to maintain the all important level of masterful penmanship that was treasured by his various teachers over the years almost crippled any efforts in speed and efficiency.

I always remember a fellow teacher made an astute comment during a staff meeting one afternoon. At the time she taught a class of 'post-primary' students who were so weak in their academics that they had 'failed' their high school entrance exam (Common Entrance) and had to remain in primary school to try to bring them up to scratch. Some of her students couldn't even read although averaging 13 years of age.

"These students have the BEST handwriting of students that I have ever taught and most can barely read what they write (or copy)."

In fact it is near lunacy when a neighbour of mine comes to me with concern on her face upon learning that her young, barely five year old daughter who had just started a private primary school has been given homework to practice her cursive writing!!!!!

(Fortunately she was smart enough to take her child out of that school.)

So what do I tell my disappointed five year old? Get your thoughts on paper honey, the neatness will follow with practice one day.

Write out loud, write out big, write out loud!

To Learn or Not To Learn - That Is the Question

How often has your child come home and you looked in their reading books only to see that the teacher has marked the word 'learn'. Now have you ever wondered what 'learn' actually means? Here are some possibilities...

1. Try to read the story, including words that you don't know (assuming that there's someone at home who is able or even willing to help you with the new words).

2. Read the story again and again so that you practically know it off by heart (a weekly recital perhaps?).

3. Get someone to read it to you until you can recite it from memory (again assuming that there's someone at home who is able or even willing to help you with the new words).

I'm not trying to be cynical but truly, can anyone explain to me what 'learn' on the page of a reading book really means?

And while we're on this topic...what does it really mean when an infant child is given a Social Studies note and also told to 'learn' it. I personally have found it quite a difficult task to get a five or six year old to actually learn a note! What's the real value of it any way?

To learn or not to learn - that is the question. Any teacher cares to explain?

The Driven Subjects

On Friday I said that Science (including Mathematics) and Social Studies are actually the leading subjects or the drivers. These subjects drive or inspire reading and writing. But they also inspire the arts such as music, dance and fine art.

We respond to the world around us. Language and the arts are different means of communicating that response.

Think about it.

Science and Social Studies - Subjects of a Lesser God

Have you ever heard people make the argument that it makes no sense to teach Science and Social Studies to infant level students since we have to focus on teaching them to read and write first?

Indeed I've heard a few infant teachers passionately make that argument and often they are very dedicated towards teaching their young charges the fundamentals of reading.

Very early on in my teaching career I met such a teacher and every day, for most of the day you could hear her drilling her students in phonics. I never did check since I was only at that school for one term but I'm certain that many of her students became readers. (She later left teaching to promote her own phonics programme.)

As a young teacher I often thought about the notion of the need for Science and Social Studies when teaching five and six year olds. Surely it made sense to dedicate ones time to reading and when that has been mastered time can then be spent on 'less important' subjects. However, if that were the case why would the Ministry of Education insist that Science and Social Studies be on the schools' curriculum for infant students. Could curriculum developers be on such a wrong track?

Then I thought about it...if students are going to learn to read and write the question is just what are they going to read and write about? Naturally it would be about what interests or intrigues them. And what interests a child?

- games, family, animals, friends, funny stories -

Basically, the world around them. And what subjects naturally explore the world around us? Science and Social Studies of course!

Furthermore, how would you describe an educated person? If one were to say a fluent reader then that response is undoubtedly one-dimensional. A truly educated person goes beyond, to include an articulate individual who is able to function well in society by analyzing, evaluating and positively responding to the world around. And to delay the child's opportunities to reason and explore life is to delay or hinder their mental development and consequently their ability to function at a higher level intellectually. Particularly at a stage in their lives when their brains are like sponges.

So is it really fair to exclude those subjects?

I argue that the subjects of Science (including Mathematics) and Social Studies are actually the fundamental subjects that indeed drive reading and writing. So rather than being subjects of a lesser god I propose that Science and Social Studies are the core subjects that allow genuine learning to flourish.

The REAL Neverending Story

A number of years ago I was assigned to teach some 'weak' students who had definite difficulties with reading. One girl specifically stands out in my mind. Out of her school bag she pulled a tattered, well-worn reading book. It was a locally produced book that was meant for introductory reading. This was a book that most of her peers had completed up to a year and a half before.

Now keep in mind this student was classed as weak but upon speaking with her it was clear that she was quite intelligent. However she was definitely left to her own devises at home.

Upon noticing her reading book I asked her whether the book was hers.

"Yes," she responded quietly.

'Wow!' I thought, 'This little girl has been stuck on this one book for almost two years!'

It didn't take very long to realize that there were students even higher up in the other standards who were still unable to read the introductory book...years in the SAME book!!!

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Just last week I asked a group of teachers this...

I just read a fantastic novel. You've got to read it! An exciting ending! Do you want to take a look?
Oh by the way before you answer, it'll take you TWO years to finish. Now anyone still interested?

What are we doing to our children?