I really can't remember how good/bad of a reader I was in elementary school. I do vividly remember trying to get my parents attention on my reading skills and asking them to read stories to me. I always wanted to know what everything meant. My parents would always give me the immigrant version of a certain topic and my teacher would tell me something totally different. I don't remember reading out loud either. I was always embarrassed that I would mess a word up. I loved books with pictures to assume what the story was about. I loved using my imagination.
I remember when we had DEAR time (drop everything and read) I would open a book and place it in front of my face and make believe I was reading. Now as I sub I see students do the same. It's so important to read and make sure they understand what their reading bc its fun.
Another important aspect of my 3rd grade subbing experience that really caught my eye was when the students were reading their journal entrees and one girl said pezza (pizza) and she spoke fluent English. But since her parents were from another country they taught her to pronounce words how they do. The kids were laughing at her. I felt so bad.
Now all I do is emphasize on how reading is important and how it's makes ppl more intelligent. I really wish I was a better reader so I can be brighter and knowledgeable on various topics.
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3 comments:
Your subbing experience with the student who said "pezza" and not "pizza" caught my attention. It reminded me that there were a couple words that I had mispronounced because my parents had always said the words in a certain way. I don't have any memories of actually saying the words in class, but I do remember thinking certain words were read or said in a certain way. I think it's important to make it clear that reading is fun to do, and not something you have to do. I feel that once students realize how enjoyable reading is, they would be more inclined to read in the future. I've always felt that because I loved to read, reading texts for school was not a hard thing for me to do.
That's interesting when you said about "pezza" for "pizza" too. I notice I still do that when you read something and maybe not sure of the pronunciation of it, but you say it the same way in your head until you or somebody is asked to say it aloud. Then you realized that is not how you were "saying" it in your mind. Like in our family partnership class, I was saying all those culture words like Hmong, and Foua and Merced differently in my mind, then how we were talking about them together as a class. That's def. important to keep in mind and not make students feel inferior if they pronounce something differently based on how they are taught at home or how they just picture it until they are told orally.
Shereen, you're definitely right. We have to make sure that children understand what they read and that when they look like they're reading, they actually are reading. Many students may feel embarassed if they are not able to read and then they pretend to be reading as you did during DEAR time. It is so important for teachers to enable students to read and to make meaning out of the texts they read.
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