The SEA results are out and it was noted that 2000 students performed below the expected level. These students,except for the few who have to resit the exam,will be entering the secondary school system and teachers will be faced with the challenge of helping these students reach an acceptable level of literacy.
The first step necessary to helping these students is that of diagnosis. As classroom teachers the purpose of this exercise would be ascertain the independent,instructional and frustration level of students so that proper instruction can be devised. The main goal of reading instruction is to help all students develop effective strategies for comprehension. (Barr et. al.2007)
Three main areas teachers can use to diagnose are print skills,vocabulary knowledge and comprehension strategies employed by the student. Print skills refer to the ability to translate printed symbols into spoken language or meaning. Vocabulary knowledge refers to knowledge of the key words contained in a reading selection. Finally, comprehension strategies refer to what students do to gain understanding understanding from what was read.
As challenging as this reality is to any teacher the good news is that teachers can now utilize technology in this diagnostic process. For instance, use of e books and pod-casts can help determine the level of print literacy the student has. Another use of technology can be that of computer based concept maps which can allow students to present graphically their understanding of a specific comprehension passage.
So while the challenge surely exists it is good to know that their are tools which may make the process,for both student and teacher,a bit easier. Of course the blog and wiki can allow for collaboration of teachers in developing strategies to assist the student. An adventure is ahead of us colleagues !
Reference
Barr,Rebecca (et.al.) Reading Diagnosis for Teachers: An instructional approach (2007)
I agree with your comments.Diagnosis is extremely important, but what is needed the most is the support that one receives form the school, district office and curriculum. Our standards are defined by the national curriculum and I feel that the curriculum department of the MOE offers no support and interventions to teachers who are having problems with reading in the primary schools.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers we are left alone with some help from our peers who may be in the same position.
The use of blogs and wikis can be used as the tools for all of us who are having difficulty to exchange our ideas. I see the wiki being used to upload pod casts of best practices within the classroom which other teachers can use or share. The web2.0 technologies are great for use with students but the possibilities for teacher collaboration is enormous.
Zandra
I agree with the fact that support is indeed necessary for increased success in the classroom. The use of wikis to upload pod casts is a great idea as it will assist teachers in their classroom practice.The web 2.0 tools truly allow for the possibility of collaboration. It increases interaction among teachers and other educators and should definitely be seen as a positive step rather than an intrusion.
ReplyDeleteWe must realise that effective teaching can be achieved not just through theory and personal practice but also through collaboration with peers and stakeholders in the child's education.
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