Theoretical Discussion Blog Post #1

Fitzgerald Article

         The Fitzgerald article was very interesting.  I found the discussions on the balanced approach to teaching reading very informative.  I paid special attention to the program details of Cunningham & Hall’s four blocks instruction. The four blocks instruction included: guided reading, self-selected reading, writer’s workshop, and working with words.  It struck a cord with me because it describes the type of reading instruction we have been using in my elementary school.  We implemented the guided reading method of reading instruction this past year.  It has been a big undertaking for my colleagues and I, but we have all learned so much.  The information in this article on balance describes many of the teaching methods we have been using already.  The 2^nd program discussed by Baumann included:  creating meanings and responding to good literature, skills and strategy instruction, and a balance between teacher directed versus responsive instruction. 

         The three common characteristics Fitzgerald discussed between the 2 reading techniques were 1) a focus on equal weighting of some key aspects of a program, 2) focus on the method of doing the classroom program, and 3) an inferable shared perspective on what aspects of the reading process are most important.  (Fitzgerald, page 101)  The last component was the most critical one according to this author.  She stated that the authors in this study of balanced approaches, all think that certain abilities in reading are equally important.

         I found the sets of questions that can be used to help teachers find a good starting place when reflecting on reading instruction very useful.  Some of these questions are:  ‘What knowledge about reading do I believe is most important for children?’ Or ‘What are the main goals of my classroom reading instruction?’  Thinking about these types of questions is a wonderful way to get started when deciding on which programs to implement into your classroom.  

 This article was fascinating to me.  Different authors in a study of a balanced reading program can have such differing approaches to teaching reading effectively. In my opinion, this means that there is no “one right way” to teaching reading. 

         My group discussed the different definitions of balanced reading instruction.   We reviewed the questions that the author gave us to consider when deciding which instruction best fit the needs of our students.  We discussed the two approaches and how similar the four blocks instruction is to our guided reading approach.

Duffy and Hoffman Article

                  The members of my group and I have decided that we enjoyed the Duffy and Hoffman article the most.  It was wonderful to us that someone could put the thoughts and feelings we have about education and write them in an article!  It takes a combination of methods and practices together to help a child learn to read.  No two students will learn to read in the same way.  So I agree with the opinion of these authors that we must combine techniques and programs, and adapt parts of each to meet the needs of particular students. 

        

         We found it amusing that so little publicity is given to our successes as teachers, but if the public hears of ONE student who graduated high school without knowing how to read, THAT will make it into the news!  It is sad that so much emphasis is placed on the downfalls that happen in our world and not near as much time on our successes. It is upsetting that some children are “falling into the cracks” in education, but not all teachers should be blamed for those instances.

         We found the idea of ALL educators using a single instructional method to be problematic!  It is unbelievable that after all of our years of education and training in reading instruction that we can’t be trusted enough to make good instructional decisions on our own. The section of the article that discusses the ‘silver bullet’ (the perfect method for reading instruction) made me laugh out loud.  Our group agrees with Duffy and Hoffman “there is no perfect method.” (page 10)  Trying to push one single instructional method on all children would be ineffective and thoughtless.  It would be detrimental to reading instruction, not the key to improving it.  It frustrates me how legislators ignore the evidence. They don’t encourage us to use a variety of teaching methods that fit with the needs of our students.  Instead they pass laws and mandates that fit in with their mold of the ‘perfect method’.  I liked how the authors say that teachers describe the silver bullet as, “one size does not fit all”  (page 12).  Not every method will work for every child every time.  We need to assess the child and find out what works for him. 

         The author gives us 3 ideas that are important:

1) Teacher education is ongoing, not short-term.

2) There is a need to think differently about what teachers must learn.

3) There is a need for teacher educators to talk differently with teachers about our own favored programs and methods.

By using these ideas, it will shift the thinking of teachers, policymakers, researchers, and educators and encourage them to make thoughtful decisions.  Not just be a follower and jump on a ‘program’ bandwagon.