I agree with all of these articles about the importance of literacy which includes reading and writing. So often though it can be bogged down with the necessity to read and write it makes it not fun for children. I think the article that resonated most with me was the "Letter of the Week" article. I think that children without even realizing it knows a lot about literacy before they step into school. They know certain symbols and words that many of them don't even realize because it becomes second nature. I think that by letting children know that right away really improves their confidence in reading and writing. I think that confidence in ones self is something that goes a long way when it comes to reading and writing.
Something that can improve their confidence is showing them how much they already know about reading and writing. An option that they in the reading was an alphabet chart with things that they see in their daily lives. Such as "m" for McDonalds, "L" for Lucky Charms, "S" for a Stop Sign. This encourages them that they can recognize letters with out even knowing it.
I think another that seemed helpful in the reading was the Three Strategies for helping them decipher letters and words while reading. The first one was to Look at the beginning letter or letters. Another one was Look through the words for familiar chunks. And finally Read through to the end. By using these three strategies it allows the student to detect the words using words that they already know. This can also boost their confidence and help them learn more. The article also encouraged the children to write in the way they knew how even if it was scribbling. It encourages children to see more than one view point of learning and to see how others learn. There isn't just one way to teaching so why should there be one way of learning.
Things to Ponder
Do you think that allowing children to write in the way that they can (including just pictures and scribbles) help or hurts a child in the long run?
What are way that you learned how to write? Did you have to be accurate or was spelling it the way you heard it okay?
I think you make a valid point when you say that confidence really makes a difference when a child learns to read and write. If a child feels discouraged, he or she may not take that extra step that is necessary to get to the next level. If a child is not confident, he or she may not even try to sound out the word he or she is having trouble with. If a child knows that he or she can do something, they most likely will.
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