The Reading Process

Discuss the difference in aesthetic reading and efferent reading. Do you have a preference for one or the other? Which do you employ the most?
In their simplest terms, aesthetic reading is reading for enjoyment, and efferent reading is reading for information. In order to fully comprehend any text, I think a balance between aesthetic reading and efferent reading is crucial. When reading with an aesthetic lens, the reader will focus on images, feelings, and association. With efferent reading, the reader will concentrate on the information in the text and illustrations. I think that both forms of reading are necessary in order for readers to recognize and understand literary devices such as symbolism, metaphors, similes, imagery, etc.


Discuss the five stages of the reading process providing examples of each.
a. Prereading: Prereading involves the activation or building of background knowledge. In Prereading, the teacher sets the stage for reading. In doing so, the teacher may ask broad general questions about the topic at hand or have the student discusses their background knowledge in groups.
b. Reading: Reading occurs independently, with a buddy, using shared reading, using guided reading or listening to a read-aloud. Reading can occur in segments, or by reading through an entire work. While reading, it is important to recognize illustrations, charts and diagrams. Our read-aloud Sahara Special is a great example of reading.
c. Responding: Responding can occur both intrinsically and extrinsically. Reading logs provide a great method for reflection as do group discussions. The strategy of “think pair share” works well when responding to books.
d. Exploring: Exploring occurs when readers reread and think more deeply about the text. In doing so, the reader examines the author’s craft, learns vocabulary words, and participates in mini-lessons. Students can explore the text by creating plot diagrams, adding words to the classroom word wall, and answering context questions.
e. Applying: Applying is employed through the creation of a project, connection with related books, and valuing the reading experience. The stage of applying can highlight the six language arts (reading, writing, talking, listening, viewing, and visually representing) by the creation of skits, research, oral presentations, etc.


What factors are important in developing capable readers?
Capable readers showcase ability in four important areas: word identification, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In terms of word identification, capable readers recognize site words or high frequency words and have a grasp on language phonics. Capable readers are also fluent with their reading; these readers are practiced in terms of reading speed, word recognition, and prosody. Capable readers also have a strong base vocabulary. Lastly, comprehension is a key element of capable readers.


Often, students participate in reading through different means. What ways are there to read and how could the students use the reading process in the classroom?
a. Shared reading: Teachers read aloud while students follow along using individual copies of a book, a class chart, or a big book. This form of reading would work well when using a book with advanced vocabulary; students could follow along in their copy to hear the pronunciation of new words.
b. Guided reading: Teacher support students as they read texts at their reading levels. With guided reading, students are groups homogenously. Guided reading would lend itself well to Literature Circles.
c. Independent reading: Students read a text by themselves. Independent reading is a good exercise and is often used in the classroom during D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time.
d. Buddy reading: Two students read/reread a text together. By heterogeneously pairing a fluent reader with a struggling reader (or non-native speaker), skills can be gained.
e. Reading aloud to students: Teachers or other fluent readers read aloud to students. A read aloud would be a great way to introduce a supplementary novel and increase classroom togetherness.

Digital Age and Language Arts

As technology becomes more and more essential in our every day lives, it seems crucial that both viewing and visually representing are considered Language Arts. As technology progresses, we see that books are not the sole medium for literature. Blogs, online forums, social networking sites, and personal web sites serve to help people share ideas. While Facebook will never replace Shakespeare, visual media is a valid frontier for language development. People of today aim to communicate instantly, and phrases such as "lol" and "brb" have developed. On a small scale, this mimicks the transition from Old English to Modern English. As the fields of viewing and visually representing grow larger, the subject Language Arts will continue to change and develop. By having viewing and visually representing two of the six Language Arts, scholars can take into account the future of these mediums and their impact.

Listening as a Language Art

lis⋅ten
 / Pronunciation [lis-uh n]
–verb
to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.

To begin with, in my experience, listening is a concept that is expected, not taught. It is assumed that as long as a student is quiet, settled in her seat, and facing the board she is listening. It seems as though quite the opposite would be true. Judging by my own personality, those things seem like the perfect recipe for daydreaming. It was interesting to the note the different types of listening: aesthetic, efferent, and critical. Aesthetic listening occurs when listening is done in order to provoke an emotional response. On the other hand, efferent listening focuses on information to be learned, and critical listening to differentiate fact from opinion.

In each of these cases, it is clear that listening is a process, an action. Listening is a process that unites teacher and student, information and learning. Without proper listening, communicate cannot occur: ideas cannot be shared and learning cannot take place. As a teacher, it is important to recognize the difference between quietness and actual listening. In order to keep students listening, they must be fully engaged at all times.

As a real world example, our class recently listened to the read aloud, Sahara Special. Already, I am intrigued by spunky Sahara. At such a young age, she is aware of the repercussions of the dreaded "permanent record" and the labeling that often results. Instead of falling prey to her negative superiors, Sahara maintains her true identity as a writer and daughter. I am looking forward to the future of Sahara and hearing about her story in her own words.