Valorie Whiteside's Blog Post #1; Children's Success as Readers and Writers: It's the Teachers Beliefs That Make the Difference

The article Children’s Success as Readers and Writers: It’s the Teacher’s Beliefs That Make the Difference by Heidi Mills and Jean Anne Clyde is truly a tale of two tales.  In my opinion it is clear that teacher’s decisions about how to teach reading and writing is not random but is a practice imbedded in their personal beliefs.  These decisions directly affect how and what students learn.

DeFord and Harst (1982) examined reading strategies in two classrooms and text they produced.  Their findings were that children from basal reading dominated classes produced writing similar to the reading material that they were exposed too.  On the other end of the pendulum, children in whole language classrooms wrote stories that reflected their personal experiences as well as literature that was assigned to them in the classroom.  I believe that whole language classrooms promote more open thinking and creativity in students.  I believe that students are guided to higher level of thinking in whole language classrooms.

An example of my opinion is the case study of Matt discussed in the article. Matt entered a Child Development Center after transferring from another kindergarten program.  The Child Development Center used the whole language philosophy whereas the other kindergarten used a different belief system for teaching.  In the whole language classroom, Matt thrived!  In his former kindergarten classroom he struggled and his teacher didn’t want to promote him to the 1^st grade.  This is a prime example that one size does not fit all.  Using just one teaching strategy does not match all of the students learning styles.  Matt’s learning style matched whole language classrooms which is why he was able to thrive in that environment and not in him former environment. 

As an ESOL teacher, I continuously change my teaching style to match every individual students learning styles.  I can’t just make a plan and if one student don’t get is then it’s his problem.  I have to make adjustments and accommodations that will reach that student also.  Therefore, I am in favor of whole language classrooms.

Sincerly, Valorie Whiteside