1.3 language development and reading acquisition (i.e. emergent, early, fluent) and variations related to cultural and linguistic diversity
Cultural and linguistic backgrounds of students play an important role in reading acquisition. Language is used from an early age for communication and other social purposes. Once language skills are acquired, they can be used to read written text which can serve some of the same functions as oral language. Dialect and language can vary considerably between cultures and can create barriers in reading. Comprehension and vocabulary can be affected because of these differences. The correlation has been proven that children who have more exposure to language and more experience with language are often more successful in school. Culture itself also plays an important role in the success children experience in school because each culture has things that are valued that impact a child’s education. What a culture considers to be literate can hold a student to different standards of learning and higher or lower expectations.
I’ve included a dialect chart from Reading Miscue Inventory by Yetta M. Goodman, Dorothy J. Watson, and Carolyn L. Burke (2005). This chart shows the dialectic differences that can sometimes be expected and shouldn’t be considered an error in reading if the child’s cultural or linguistic background determines the dialect to be appropriate. It’s important for teachers to understand dialect and be aware of how it can affect a student’s reading so that errors are not counted against a student when the cause is dialect. The second artifact is an article titled Theoretical Perspectives and Literacy Studies by Elizabeth A. Baker, P. David Pearson, and Mary S. Rozendal. There was one piece of this article that specifically described the sociocultural perspective of reading. In this section, it is made clear that what is considered literacy in the home culture may not be the same as what is considered literacy in the school culture. Understanding this can have a major impact on the way a teacher interacts with a student and how they motivate the student to read. The third artifact is an article titled Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading by Robert B. Ruddell, Martha Rapp Ruddell, and Harry Singer. This article is similar to Theoretical Perspectives and Literacy Studies, but focuses more on the linguistics and less on the cultural aspect. There is a section that explains the sociolinguistic perspective and how it affects success in school, specifically reading. Many parallels exist between oral language and written language. It’s imperative that students have a strong background in oral language in order to be successful in school. The fourth artifact I’ve included is a reflection that I wrote that I thought went along with these ideas. In this reflection, I discuss how it seems like a majority of time is spent focusing on teaching skills when what some of these kids seems to be lacking is background experiences that allow them to understand the text. This includes language experiences as well as other experiences with the world. Cultural and linguistic backgrounds have a profound effect on success in school and there are many articles similar to the ones I have referenced here that show the connection.
Cultural and linguistic backgrounds of students play an important role in reading acquisition. Language is used from an early age for communication and other social purposes. Once language skills are acquired, they can be used to read written text which can serve some of the same functions as oral language. Dialect and language can vary considerably between cultures and can create barriers in reading. Comprehension and vocabulary can be affected because of these differences. The correlation has been proven that children who have more exposure to language and more experience with language are often more successful in school. Culture itself also plays an important role in the success children experience in school because each culture has things that are valued that impact a child’s education. What a culture considers to be literate can hold a student to different standards of learning and higher or lower expectations.
I’ve included a dialect chart from Reading Miscue Inventory by Yetta M. Goodman, Dorothy J. Watson, and Carolyn L. Burke (2005). This chart shows the dialectic differences that can sometimes be expected and shouldn’t be considered an error in reading if the child’s cultural or linguistic background determines the dialect to be appropriate. It’s important for teachers to understand dialect and be aware of how it can affect a student’s reading so that errors are not counted against a student when the cause is dialect. The second artifact is an article titled Theoretical Perspectives and Literacy Studies by Elizabeth A. Baker, P. David Pearson, and Mary S. Rozendal. There was one piece of this article that specifically described the sociocultural perspective of reading. In this section, it is made clear that what is considered literacy in the home culture may not be the same as what is considered literacy in the school culture. Understanding this can have a major impact on the way a teacher interacts with a student and how they motivate the student to read. The third artifact is an article titled Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading by Robert B. Ruddell, Martha Rapp Ruddell, and Harry Singer. This article is similar to Theoretical Perspectives and Literacy Studies, but focuses more on the linguistics and less on the cultural aspect. There is a section that explains the sociolinguistic perspective and how it affects success in school, specifically reading. Many parallels exist between oral language and written language. It’s imperative that students have a strong background in oral language in order to be successful in school. The fourth artifact I’ve included is a reflection that I wrote that I thought went along with these ideas. In this reflection, I discuss how it seems like a majority of time is spent focusing on teaching skills when what some of these kids seems to be lacking is background experiences that allow them to understand the text. This includes language experiences as well as other experiences with the world. Cultural and linguistic backgrounds have a profound effect on success in school and there are many articles similar to the ones I have referenced here that show the connection.