Lindsey Layton's Blog Post #1: Children's Success as Readers and Writers: It's the Teachers Beliefs that Make the Difference

       While reading the article Children’s Success as Readers and Writers:  It’s the Teacher’s Belief that Makes the Difference, I was able to relate to the article as a teacher and as a parent.  I truly believe that children have to be given options when reading and that reading is a learned trait, usually modeled to children when they are younger.  I began reading to both of my boys while I was pregnant and continue to incorporate reading into our daily routines and at bedtime.  As readers, my own children have learned how to enjoy reading and also how to choose the right fit book for them.  In my classroom, I always begin the school year by reviewing what makes a good fit book and things to look for before picking a good fit book.  I feel this helps my students make better decisions when it comes to reading.  I also feel this helps my students become better readers who are truly enjoying reading and they are not reading a book that is too hard, too difficult, or not interesting to them.

        The article stated, “Teachers’ classroom decisions are neither random nor accidental, but firmly rooted in their beliefs about learning, effective teaching, and the nature of children.”  This is why I believe that is imperative for educators to get to know their students and understand their needs and desires as readers and writers.   This means that adjustments will have to be made to lessons in order for each teacher to best meet the needs of his/her students. 

         In this article, a study was done in 1982 by Deford and Harste in two different learning environments.  In this study, the reading strategies and texts produced from two different learning environments, a basal reader environment and whole language classroom were analyzed.  The findings indicated that basal reading classes produced writing that was similar to the reading material the students were exposed to, whereas, in the whole language classrooms students wrote about more real life experiences.  I truly believe that all students should have exposure to whole language because it allows them more freedom and options as readers and writers.  Students should be able to make real life connections to texts and writing, because it requires the use and demonstration of higher order thinking skills.   Exposure to a variety of texts and books is essential to the building and development of a child’s vocabulary and real life text connections.  As an elementary educator, I believe that it is essential for educators to adjust instruction to meet the differentiated needs of their students.