Double Entry Journal # 9

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read? 

“The majority of children who do not fare well in early reading are poor or come from minority groups whose members have faced a history of prejudice and oppression (Gee, 2004)."

2. Why is this fact so strange?

Because of this question: “Why should being poor or a member of a particular social group have anything whatsoever to do with learning to read in school?” (Gee, 2004, p. 7).  “The strange fact that poverty and learning to read in school are linked is not caused by poor children being less good at learning than rich kids.” (Gee, 2004, p. 8).  “The real issue is failing, for whatever reason, to be a member of a particular group” (Gee, 2004, p. 7)

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who are good at learning things like Pokemon into children who are not good a learning?

I believe that many schools offer different after-school activities for students to better their education. However, many of these activities cost money and the students who come from lower incomes can not afford these different activities. Students from higher income homes are expected to excel in school more so than students who come from lower income homes. Also, many students who come from lower-income homes do not have the support system that the higher-income students have.

4. What are the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators?

When a student is being instructed on how to read, traditionalists teach only the basic skills needed when reading. Traditionalists typically teach only the basic skills needed to read because learning to read is not similar to learning to talk. Learning to talk is a natural process. A progressive approach typically expresses a more meaningful approach. They believe that a student learns to read best when they can acquire the skills that the traditionalist approach is teaching.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language?

Learning to read is not a natural process like learning to speak a language. “Today’s reading traditionalists, supported by many linguists, argue that learning to read, unlike acquiring one’s first oral language, cannot be a biologically supported process and, thus, cannot be ‘natural’ (Gee, 2004)". 

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under?

A natural process occurs without instruction from others. An example of a natural process would be breathing. Instructed processes occur when a person learns from instruction from a skill of information that is given to them. Cultural processes occur when a person learns things from a cultural group that is found important to them.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school?

Humans learn best through cultural processes. However, schools usually teach through instructional processes. Reading is usually taught through an instructional process rather than a cultural process.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grade slump."

The fourth-grade slump occurs when students are active in reading within the early grades but as the content of the upper grade levels increases, the students begin to fall behind. This is an example of phonological awareness. It helps students in the early stages of reading by does not hold and long-term benefits to them.

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness?

A better predictor of reading success other than phonemic awareness would be learning vocabulary, story recall, and comprehension. All of these are gained by interaction with adults.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area.

V: Balance the accounting statement.

S:  Please use your knowledge of the addition and subtraction processes to balance the accounting statement by adding the debit column and subtracting the credit column.

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed?

An early language ability is something that is acquired within the early years of life and are typically developed within the child's own household.  

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail?

According to the author, schools teach children “to read only in the sense of being able to do phonics and dealing with the superficial literal meanings of words mostly in the vernacular.  Poor children suffer the same sort of plight that someone who tries to pass French 4 with out French 1, French 2, and French 3 does.”  I totally agree with this quote from the text. Children are being passed through the different grade levels without the appropriate skills needed to read. They have not gained the proper reading skills to begin learning the advanced reading skills.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school?

I do not believe that it is the economic status of the parents fault for the children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language. For children to become experienced with language it takes interaction with adults, children, and other human beings. Children learn through experiences and if children are exposed to different types of language, they will have a better understanding of the language.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language?

I found that I actually enjoy reading this book. I finding it intriguing and sometimes surprising. While I read, I find myself questioning some of the things that Gee says. However, after I read through them, I realize that many of the things make sense and I agree.