It begins with the dramatic line "Everybody hates me." The author then proceeds to take us on a journey written in the first person from the point-of-view of Tao Symonds, the eleven year old narrator and central character, as he reflects on the previous few months of his life. Tao thinks the whole world is against him. He is suffering pressure from school, his parents and their new partners, as well as from his peers to join in theirescapades and to top it all off, his dog has died. Tao feels confused and angry because his parents, middle aged surfer father, Greg, and his mother, a teacher called Christine, are in the process of a break-up. Tao then lists his troubles and tells the reader of his present dread as he is taken by his mother …show more content…
Tao expects him to gouge out his eyes upon meeting him but Mr Petrovic "...did a remarkable thing. He patted me on the cheek" (Bowles, 1997, p.127). This reveals to the reader that the text has been very one sided and there is another side to the story.
I enjoyed "Surfing Mr Petrovic" very much. This is an important point in teaching English and encouraging children to read for enjoyment. It is unlikely that a teacher can inspire or encourage children to read if the teacher cannot display genuine enthusiasm for the text they are promoting (Elements of an English Program: Sharing Texts, 2007).
Preceding the sharing of the text with students an explanation would occur as to why this particular text was being introduced. It would be stated that the text will be read primarily for enjoyment but also to use the opportunity to explore the themes, structure and features of different text genres. The title, cover and blurb would be used to encourage students to make predictions about the text and what it might be about (see appendix 1).
The approach to the reading of the novel would be varied. It is anticipated that the class study would begin with a shared reading of the opening chapter to foster students' interest. A prepared reading by the teacher is usually much more involving than a hesitant reading-around-the-class activity (Sykes, n.d.). The aim is to motivate each student to read the
As a future teacher of a fast-changing generation that searches restlessly for new interests, I believe that old and new must meet to keep the basic values of a balanced literacy. Focusing on prior knowledge, collaborating with colleagues, peers, families, and community, creating connections with our surrounding, and empowering students’ learning style throughout the process of gaining knowledge of reading and writing. Foremost, my personal philosophy of teaching literacy is based on constructivism and sociolinguistic, where hands on experience and guidance are priority in an informational world. To facilitate a child’s acquisition of literacy skills , as I plan for literacy instruction for my future classroom, I will take into consideration
“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is how Dr. Seuss thought of reading, and I think of it in much the same way. Literacy is everywhere and influences us every day, therefore, it plays a major part in each of our lives. I believe that reading is an interactive activity in which learning happens, or as Clay (2001) defines it, “…a message-getting, problem-solving activity” (p. 1). Reading is the process through which one reads information and from doing so, constructs meaning about the material. The more exposure and practice one has with reading, the more knowledge one gains. In this paper, I will begin by discussing my own personal educational philosophy, then continue by stating and explaining four of my beliefs about the reading process and the research that is found to support each of them before sharing the remaining questions I have about literacy. I am an existentialist, and a strong supporter of a balanced literacy approach. My beliefs about literacy come from these foundations and perspectives that I embrace. For students to be successful in their literacy development, I believe that identity acceptance in the classroom is crucial, instruction for all students must be differentiated, direct and explicit instruction is at times necessary, and vocabulary is a significant component in the ‘Big Five’ of children’s literacy development.
Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning from an early age, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for pupils in all aspects of life and lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work.
Literacy, literacies and multiliteracies bears various meanings to different people. Some believe that literacy is developed by cultures, while others believe that literacy and cultures developed an individual. There are single and multiple definitions of literacy, literacies and multi-literacies. Based on research, literacy is very important and continues to be developed through our rapidly changing world. Throughout this essay, we will focus on views of literacy, literacies, and multiliteracies and how their different meanings affect our approach to teaching literacy.
Moreover, I have learned from this class that while reading a book to write out the meaning of major events on the side of the book. So, when I need to refer to the book over something, I would not have to reread the whole book or essay, over again. Moreover, I have also learned to use a dictionary while reading in case I don’t understand the meaning of a certain word. In addition, I have learned that while reading a book that have questions, it might help to read the questions first before reading the essay. This will help you read a little bit faster and you will have an idea of the main points in the
Literacy is defined as being literate, that is, being able to read and write in a language. My personal experience with literacy began at an early age, at the age of 4 when I began to sit and read words and letters in the back of my mother’s car. Soon enough, she would bring me a magazine called “Majed” which, in the 90’s, was a popular magazine. With this, I began even more interested in reading and writing and reviewed every word in the magazine associated with each of the short pictured stories. It was the first memory I deeply recall of literacy and it was what laid the foundation for my personal love of reading and writing. The methodology used for this is an interview. There are three interviews which are analyzed and brought together in the form of a narrative. This narrative serves to better explain the emotions and thoughts that the interviewees had about the idea of literacy.
The experiences that were going on while reading these books and all of the books this year seemed to open doors, and open the eyes of many in the class to the bigger picture of literature, knowing how someone reads is like knowing how their brain works. The comparisons in the experience of reading books is like comparing
What have you learned about the act of reading and interpreting a text/story/ How have you grown as a reader and critical thinker? Provide examples from both the text and the class.
All three authors seem to genuinely enjoy the interactions they have been able to experience with their readers. Each author brings something special to his or her classroom
Other players in this issue of Summer Reading program’s assignment range from Student orientation leaders to the author of the book in question. This assignment created tensions between incoming freshmen, upperclassmen and the school. A Particular Student at UNC who was effected by this issue was Amir Thomas. He was a student orientation leader. As an orientation leader he was able to experience, thee precautions that the university put in place to help the students who felt uncomfortable with the assignment. Amir said that “they gave us specific discussion points that we could use in case we encountered student who were resistant, to try to encourage them to be more open to the book.” He also said in his experience over the summer during orientation,
Since the book has few pages, while students read they should visualize similar situations. For example, if it says “I like bread with strawberry jam.” I might visualize eating toasted bread with blueberry jam. These activity will help students create a more personal connect with the book and will help them remember what the story was about.
Monday through Thursday we read the novel as a whole, but every Friday our teacher would bring in a basket of goodies that she would share with us as we were to read individually. We were given the choice to either read ahead in the class fiction or start a second book of our choice. Due to my extreme lack of interest in reading, I was ecstatic to hear that our teacher, Mrs.Shaffer, or my other classmates were going to be reading most of the this ridiculous book to me and while I sat and watched and wouldn’t have to take part in any of the class. Not to mention I’d be getting free treats for sitting there and looking pretty. Easy
The first important aspect in the reading is the crediablity to author builds by showing how obserivate he is of his audience. Not so much the reader, even though they are targeted by the author, but the students of the teacher are well understood. It shows us that the author is considerate not nessicarily in a emotional way but that he is able to understand what people are thinking.
Literacy pedagogies have a developing and complex history in education, intertwined with social and cultural change and evolution. Each change has paved a new path for more significant approaches and strategies, which cater to diverse learners allowing them to create meaning and communicate more effectively. These literacy pedagogies brought out by the changes in education have both strengths and weaknesses. As such, educators need to explore and understand the four knowledge processes portrayed by Kalantzis, Cope, Chan and Dalley-Trim; didactic, authentic, functional, and critical literacy approach (2016), to be able to consider how they can influence teaching and learning so they are able to make informed decisions with regards to their students’ literacy learning. Teaching is becoming increasingly complex; this is particularly evident in the area of literacy. This paper will explore the four literacy pedagogies, their limitations and their strengths, and how they have impacted literacy learning within the Australian educational context.
When more than one individual reads a piece of literature the ideas that flow through a discussion are unique. Through the class discussions much is learned through the ideas of fellow classmates. The different perspectives brought to the table allows learners to learn a great deal from one another. Discussing the literature presented in class aids in the understanding of the roles each character in the poem plays. The knowledge about each character’s attitudes, beliefs, and ultimate goals through other individuals helps to see the same major point only from a different perspective.