One of the first things that came to my mind after reading this article was the use of the LeapFrog books that more and more children are starting to use as the first step in learning to read. I always had very mixed feelings about the LeapFrog books. I have always been a firm believer that reading out loud to children at any given opportunity is by far the best way for them to fall in love with books and reading. I felt that having children sit down with a digital book that read to them was in a way cheating them out of a treasure or a treat. I know that one of the reasons I fell in love with reading so much is the fact that reading a book with my mom was something that was routine every single night, as well as something I looked forward to. However, I do think one beneficial aspect of the LeapFrog books is the fac tthat they provide children with autitory pronuciations of words. At the same time, I also feel like these "talking books" don't provide enough evidence of a child's reading level and their abiility to be independent readers.
This article also made me recall my past experiences with technology and literacy. I can not imagine not having the use of PowerPoint in my life right now. It is one of those technologies that I feel has been accomodated into our society, and especially in institutions such as college. It is a way of communication through professors and students during lectures, as well as a great way to make projects. Overall, I feel that there is a great need to stick to the basic way of learning literacy with the use of books, paper, and pencil, however, there is no denying that our world is becoming more and more technology based. This means that while still keeping skills of reading and writing through the means of paper and pencil, we also must educate children on the use of computers and the different software and programs available on a computer. I find this a bit tough though considering that this would mean that we assume all children have access to these types of technologies at their home.
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Having my parents read to me was one of my favorite parts as well. I enjoyed the use of different voices for characters and different infections and such while reading that I think it made an impact on me as a reader. I think that this kind of thing is where children can learn by example. I have not heard a LeapFrog in use, but do they use prosody in the readings or is it just a robotic voice reading words?
ReplyDeleteAnd in response to the second part of your post, I agree that the basics of literacy, using pencil and paper, is still very important for students. The students I work with are starting cursive (because of state standards) when they have yet to master decent print hand writing. Once they get through the instruction of cursive hand writing (I'm sure without it being completely legible) they will more than likely move on to typing up assignments even though they should still be focusing on their hand writing skills. Does anyone think that with younger and younger students using computers, hand writing will be tossed aside in the classroom?
I am really worried that cursive handwriting will no longer be of any importance. It seems to be fading quickly as the years pass and technology increases. I see cursive as an art form and a part of the history of English literacy that should not be allowed to fade. However, most families do have computers available and a lot of teachers like having papers typed. If I end up teaching a grade where my students know the cursive alphabet, I plan on having them use it often. On the topic of electronic books...I am still unsure of what to say. I think it is so much fun to hold a book and have a personal connection with it. I read an electronic book (or had it read to me) last semester and I was very distracted. I know I would have enjoyed the book more if I could have held it and I believe a lot of children are missing out on the pleasure of having books if electronic books is all they use.
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