A year ago I watched a PBS clip about mirror neurons. You can watch the video here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/mirror-neurons.html
In a nutshell we learn as we watch others and some of us learn in this manner better than others. Recent events have led me to believe that my daughter has Gifted and Talented mirror neurons.
Earlier today I picked up my daughter from her last day of Kindergarten Kamp. Being that her Kindergarten Kareer will start next week I wanted us to have some bonding time. The plan was to participate in one of our favorite mommy/daughter activities: shopping.
We headed out toward town and had to drive around in circles to find parking outside of one of my favorite little boutiques. I kept telling ms fashionista that we'd have to leave if we didn't find parking and she replied, "Don't give up mommy, keep trying!" So we kept circling wasting our $3.99 a gallon gas and parked at the expensive lot on the fourth turn.
We stopped at the first boutique and picked up a blouse that I had put on hold. The boutique only had "big girl" clothes and I promised her that we would go to another store that had little girl clothes. We walked down the block and came to the boutique. I opened the door and pointed her toward the rack of girl clothes. She immediately walked up the rack, and started oohing and ahhhing at the pretty colorful dresses. Together we picked two dresses in her size and SHE handed them to the fabulous salesgirl. Ms fashionista ran after the salesgirl and followed her to the dressing room. Ms Fashionista told me that she could, "do it herself" and didn't need my help so I sat outside and waited for her. After a few minutes I heard her squealing with delight and I told her to come out. She ran out with a cute little blue dress on and started jumping up and down in excitement. It was the cutest thing ever.
I sent her back in and told her to try on the second dress. A few minutes later more squealing. She came out when I told her and started parading around the store showing the sales aunties the cute little dress. When she was done changing back into her dress I told her she could choose only one and she chose the pink dress (no surprise). I grabbed the pink dress and brought it to the register to pay. She grabbed the blue dress, walked up to the register and told aunty, "Aunty, put my name on the dress and put it in the back so I can buy it tomorrow." Aunty sales gal stood there with her mouth hanging open and muttered, "I've never seen anything like this before." I giggled too thinking...well, ms fashionista sees this happen at least once a week and dyamn she's a fast learner!
Now, if she can convince daddy to go back to Fighting Eel and pick up her HOLD tomorrow I will BOW TO THE MASTER!!!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Is Reading Comprehension Obsolete?
My previous post touched the surface of the effect on bookstore closing on society. I still have much to write on that particular subject and while having my brainstorming conversation in my head about it it led me to ask the question, "Is reading comprehension obsolete?"
I ask this because most Ebooks and Ereaders come with the option to have the text read aloud. I have one audible book downloaded to my Kindle, "Go the F--- to sleep!" read by Samuel L. Jackson. It was free and recommended on Facebook so I said, "What the heck." Samuel L. Jackson does an amazing job reading the text and the words are certainly enhanced by his ability. I laughed and laughed as he read because I could total relate to his angst, anger, and frustration.
In reality I did not READ the book. I listened to the book and believe that my "listening comprehension" was spot on. I got the jist of the book, as well as the literal meaning of the text. I could make personal connections as well as inter-textual connections of the reading. I am positive had I read the text I would be able to do the same as well. Text readability was far below my reading level and it was engaging. I certainly had ownership of the text having been a parent with the same exact feelings (and currently feeling that way) many, may times.
But how about that non-reader or emergent readers? I spend a lot of time with my children around literacy activities. My 3 year old and my 5 year old have a large bank of sight words and have their own strategies to decode words that they are unable to read. They love to have us sit with books and read it to them and they love to have the Ipad "read" books to them. It makes me wonder...will they really NEED to read in their adult lives? And if not, should I spend more time on building their listening comprehension?!!!
Audible books allow us to enjoy the gift of stories while we do other things such as drive, or shower, or cook a meal. They are perfect for multi-taskers who feel as though they can't afford the luxury of sitting down and reading. I really do not believe that they are aimed at the illiterate population. However, as technology advances will the necessity of reading for comprehension die out?
I ask this because most Ebooks and Ereaders come with the option to have the text read aloud. I have one audible book downloaded to my Kindle, "Go the F--- to sleep!" read by Samuel L. Jackson. It was free and recommended on Facebook so I said, "What the heck." Samuel L. Jackson does an amazing job reading the text and the words are certainly enhanced by his ability. I laughed and laughed as he read because I could total relate to his angst, anger, and frustration.
In reality I did not READ the book. I listened to the book and believe that my "listening comprehension" was spot on. I got the jist of the book, as well as the literal meaning of the text. I could make personal connections as well as inter-textual connections of the reading. I am positive had I read the text I would be able to do the same as well. Text readability was far below my reading level and it was engaging. I certainly had ownership of the text having been a parent with the same exact feelings (and currently feeling that way) many, may times.
But how about that non-reader or emergent readers? I spend a lot of time with my children around literacy activities. My 3 year old and my 5 year old have a large bank of sight words and have their own strategies to decode words that they are unable to read. They love to have us sit with books and read it to them and they love to have the Ipad "read" books to them. It makes me wonder...will they really NEED to read in their adult lives? And if not, should I spend more time on building their listening comprehension?!!!
Audible books allow us to enjoy the gift of stories while we do other things such as drive, or shower, or cook a meal. They are perfect for multi-taskers who feel as though they can't afford the luxury of sitting down and reading. I really do not believe that they are aimed at the illiterate population. However, as technology advances will the necessity of reading for comprehension die out?
Bye Bye Borders
The news that Border's Books would be shutting all its stores really hurt. I have a lot of great memories in Border's but it's bigger than losing a place that I would hang out at and bring my kids to. As a reading educator I see the trend of moving toward online books one that will increase stratification in our society. The haves and the have nots as it relates to e-books will have an impact on literacy in our society.
Before I begin. Let me admit that I have a Kindle and read books on my Kindle, computer, and sometimes (but not often phone). I also order a huge amount of my personal books from amazon. Heck, while I am confessing my sins, I also bought my husband an Ipad and downloaded beautiful, engaging, and interactive books onto it for my kids (at 3.99 a pop, they're easy baby sitters).
Perhaps I should stop here. Because I've just admitted that I'm responsible for the demise of Border's Books. People like me as well as avid readers like my parents who buy all their books used from Goodwill once a month when Seniors get discounts on them.
Before I begin. Let me admit that I have a Kindle and read books on my Kindle, computer, and sometimes (but not often phone). I also order a huge amount of my personal books from amazon. Heck, while I am confessing my sins, I also bought my husband an Ipad and downloaded beautiful, engaging, and interactive books onto it for my kids (at 3.99 a pop, they're easy baby sitters).
Perhaps I should stop here. Because I've just admitted that I'm responsible for the demise of Border's Books. People like me as well as avid readers like my parents who buy all their books used from Goodwill once a month when Seniors get discounts on them.
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But this is supposed to be about my fears of the effects of the closing of Border's on literacy in the Central and Leeward areas. The Miliani Border's Express and the Pearlridge Border's were the lone book stores after the Waipio Store was closed. Now that they will be shutting their doors the nearest book stores will be Barnes and Nobles at Kahala Mall and Ala Moana. While I have no problem jumping in my car and driving 20 or so miles to get a book that is not the case for all.
And when I say all, my biggest concern are families of poverty and limited English proficiency. These populations are the ones that will suffer the most with the loss of these stores and physical books. Children in these homes will be less likely to visit book stores, receive books as gifts, and be highly unlikely to purchase Kindles, Ipads or E-books.
As an educator I've always stressed and encouraged parents to read with their kids at home. Even if parents were not literate we still taught them to sit with their kids, open the book, and look at pictures. We often gave books away to families. The shift from physical books to E-readers has me fearful. As physical books become more scarce how do we encourage reading and literacy in the homes that cannot afford such technology?
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As a reader and lover of books I have always collected books. I have a huge library of books ranging from children's books, to coffee table books, to books in Spanish. I love to hold them and look at them as they have deep and significant meaning to me. Since converting to a part-time Kindle user I still buy physical books if they have meaning. I like the ease of holding a Kindle while reading and the ability to transport large amts. of titles so easily..but nothing beats holding a beloved book in my hand. The solidity of holding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows connects me to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I have 10 different versions of the Little Prince...Spanish, hard cover, paper back new, paper back highlighted, french, Special Edition Hong Kong. All collected and loved. I wonder if the generation of readers who are growing up on electronic copies will have the same affinity for books as those of us who have kept libraries for many years.
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I am taking my kids to the book store tomorrow and I am going to let them spend an ungodly amount of money on books. Then I am going to have them pose and take pictures both inside and outside of the stores. Someday they're going to be showing their grandkids these pictures to show them what a book was and what a book store was used for.
Just a sad day for a bibliophile like me.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Teachable Moments...
I am a mommy by choice and a teacher by trade.
Education is in my blood and I've wanted to be a teacher since the first grade. I loved to play school as a child and as an adult I continue to be passionate about learning and teaching.
No longer a classroom teacher I spend a lot of time working with adult learners. I've chosen this path with the hope that I would be able to impact a greater amount of students by working to ensure that all students have a highly effective and qualified teacher. Nevertheless, I miss working with kids. Their inquisitiveness, spontaneity, innocence, questions, and excitement kept me young. There's just no job out there that can make such a huge impact and be so fulfilling.
Now that I am a mom I get to use the strategies that I learned at the College of Education, from my colleagues at work, and from my mentors every day with my own children. Some of the strategies I employ are subtle. Simple acts like asking them how their day was at school when I pick them up and imploring them to answer with details and descriptive words build vocabulary and language skills.
Some days I bump up the teachable moments by ramping up our vocabulary words. I've taught my three and five year old the terms synonyms and opposites. When using adjectives I always ask them for more ways to say typical words. For example, if they tell me that dessert was good, I ask them to tell me other ways to say good. They use words like fabulous, and fantastic. The three year old has taken to using the word, "similar." He will point out objects around him and tell me that the "circle is similar to the ball." Gotta love that!!
Tonight we really took the teachable moment to a higher level since I had just attended two days of the Model School Conference put on by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Inspired, I led my kids through a 30 minute science lesson on Floating and Sinking. I taught them the concepts of "float," "sink," "predict," and "validate." Tough terms for pre-kindergartners? Not at all. I asked them to make guesses whether their shampoo bottle would sink or float. When they told me float I explained that they just made a prediction. We then threw a number of different objects into the tub after making predictions for sink or float. When nothing sank I asked them to think of objects that might sink in the tub and they told me stone. I asked them to validate that a rock would sink by thinking back to a time when they saw a rock sink. They immediately made connections to our day at the beach last week when they were throwing rocks and they were sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
There are many more time fillers that do with my kids. I keep a stack of index cards with sight words in my bag and van to help them practice memorizing basic words they should have in their repertoire. We do a lot of counting, adding, and subtracting of objects. We look for patterns that exist in the world around us. I talk to them pointing out objects that are new to them and naming them and giving them definitions. When we are out and about I ask them to tell me what they like about something. At the museum, I ask for specifics about what they like about the art as well as what they don't like. I ask them to compare to other experiences we've had. And of course we read and experience the world as much as possible.
These teachable moments make learning fun for my kids and I and really encourage the both of us to be life long learners.
Education is in my blood and I've wanted to be a teacher since the first grade. I loved to play school as a child and as an adult I continue to be passionate about learning and teaching.
No longer a classroom teacher I spend a lot of time working with adult learners. I've chosen this path with the hope that I would be able to impact a greater amount of students by working to ensure that all students have a highly effective and qualified teacher. Nevertheless, I miss working with kids. Their inquisitiveness, spontaneity, innocence, questions, and excitement kept me young. There's just no job out there that can make such a huge impact and be so fulfilling.
Now that I am a mom I get to use the strategies that I learned at the College of Education, from my colleagues at work, and from my mentors every day with my own children. Some of the strategies I employ are subtle. Simple acts like asking them how their day was at school when I pick them up and imploring them to answer with details and descriptive words build vocabulary and language skills.
Some days I bump up the teachable moments by ramping up our vocabulary words. I've taught my three and five year old the terms synonyms and opposites. When using adjectives I always ask them for more ways to say typical words. For example, if they tell me that dessert was good, I ask them to tell me other ways to say good. They use words like fabulous, and fantastic. The three year old has taken to using the word, "similar." He will point out objects around him and tell me that the "circle is similar to the ball." Gotta love that!!
Tonight we really took the teachable moment to a higher level since I had just attended two days of the Model School Conference put on by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Inspired, I led my kids through a 30 minute science lesson on Floating and Sinking. I taught them the concepts of "float," "sink," "predict," and "validate." Tough terms for pre-kindergartners? Not at all. I asked them to make guesses whether their shampoo bottle would sink or float. When they told me float I explained that they just made a prediction. We then threw a number of different objects into the tub after making predictions for sink or float. When nothing sank I asked them to think of objects that might sink in the tub and they told me stone. I asked them to validate that a rock would sink by thinking back to a time when they saw a rock sink. They immediately made connections to our day at the beach last week when they were throwing rocks and they were sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
There are many more time fillers that do with my kids. I keep a stack of index cards with sight words in my bag and van to help them practice memorizing basic words they should have in their repertoire. We do a lot of counting, adding, and subtracting of objects. We look for patterns that exist in the world around us. I talk to them pointing out objects that are new to them and naming them and giving them definitions. When we are out and about I ask them to tell me what they like about something. At the museum, I ask for specifics about what they like about the art as well as what they don't like. I ask them to compare to other experiences we've had. And of course we read and experience the world as much as possible.
These teachable moments make learning fun for my kids and I and really encourage the both of us to be life long learners.
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