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Texting and Literacy

Texting and internet memes must surely be the downfall of formal language, right? Quite a few scholarly studies point to no, actually. While it’s true that conventional English spelling and correct grammar are noticeably absent from the majority of texting conversations, the phonetics are accurate. As literacy advocates, seeing the phrase “C U l8r 2nite” is the equivalent of hearing nails on a chalk board, however one must first understand the correct way to write the phrase before it can be broken down to the text version. Texting also provides an “additional resource for learning about and experimenting with letter-sound correspondences and language, and for reading and ‘decoding’ text.” (Vosloo 2009) The same study also stated, “If our children are showing difficulties with reading and spelling attainment, it would seem that this is in spite of the contribution of textism use, not because of it.” When put into this context, it makes it easier to see that language is evolving not necessarily degrading.

The digital age is upon us and like it or not, faster communication means abbreviating and inventive spelling. Not all teachers view this as a plague of the 21^st century. It allows for experimental communication and word play. Most SMS messaging systems allow 160 characters per message. The thought process behind sending a text is more in depth than it appears as far as realizing what needs to be said, how to condense it, and finally how to phrase it so the most information is sent in the fewest words possible. How does this affect the classroom? Teachers need to enforce when and where texting language is appropriate and when conventional English is necessary. Internet celebrity and middle school English teacher, Cindi Rigsbee, sees the front line of this battlefield every day. Instead of ignoring the issue, she addressed it head-on by discussing the Greek and Roman roots of English and eventually leading the conversation down to a popular internet phrase. She also has students translate a barely legible MySpace page into proper English. “We look at Old English, Middle English, and what was contemporary English in the time of Jane Eyre. Then I show them a MySpace page.” (Bernard 2008)

While texting and the language should most definitely not be allowed in the classroom, it is a fact of life in this day and age. What it comes down to ultimately is that texting and internet lingo has a time and a place, much like clothes. Texting isn’t wrong but you wouldn’t wear old sneakers to a formal event, would you?

Bernard, Sara. “Zero-Thumb Game: How to Tame Texting.” Edutopia May 28, 2008. Web. Retrieved April 27, 2010. http://www.edutopia.org/text-messaging-teaching-tool

Vosloo, Steve. “The effects of texting on literacy: Modern scourge or opportunity?” Shuttleworth Foundation Issue Paper April 2009. Web. Retrieved April 27, 2010.

Spring is Here! Help Your Young Readers Bloom

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping… and it’s getting harder and harder to sit still. Reading doesn’t have to be confined to the indoors. In fact, going outside on a walk or taking a book with you to read under a shady tree is quite relaxing.

For those with a more active mindset, take advantage of environmental print. Reading on the go, if you will. Children often recognize logos and short phrases of places they like before they understand the phonics behind it. Use this as a springboard to encourage learning new words. Point out what the word starts with and sound it out syllable by syllable.

Reading can be worked into games as simple as "I Spy." Instead of picking a color say something along the lines of, "I spy, with my little eye, something that starts with S!" Rhymes are great for this game too. Scavenger hunts are excellent for encouraging reading and they can be set up relatively quickly. Children will work to solve the puzzle even harder if there is treasure at the end of their quest! (Something small like a favorite snack or small toy.) You can "kidnap" one of their favorite toys so they must solve the puzzle to rescue it. Leave the first clue where they will find it or you could play the part of the innocent bystander and discover the clue. Set it up so each clue is a simple word puzzle that will lead to the next clue. For example, Clue #1 reads "Clue #2 sounds like chairs and starts with the letter s." Clue #3 would be found on the stairs and lead them to the next place.
Tailor the game to the appropriate difficulty for your players. You also control where the game goes so it could stay in the house or the back yard if you wish. Feel free to go all out and incorporate whatever theme the kids are into at the moment like pirates or explorers.

Just like math or science, reading can be fun and active. Enjoy the beautiful weather and get some exercise for the mind and the body. Remember to keep your eyes open for reading opportunities always. What automatic sight reading for fluent readers is may be a new challenge for beginning readers. Make it fun!

Choosing Books for Preschoolers

There are over 2,000 children’s books published each year, so choosing books for preschool children can feel like an overwhelming task! Walk into any local bookstore or your neighborhood library and you will undoubtedly be faced with rows and rows of books from which to choose. Where do you begin? There are a few guiding questions that you can ask yourself to decide if a book is worth reading.

1. Are the illustrations appropriate, engaging, and relevant? Young children will gravitate more towards the pictures than the text so look at the illustrations carefully. In addition, children will often use the pictures to “read” a story independently so see if the pictures reflect the text.

2. Are the text and the illustrations bias-free? It is important to choose books that do not perpetuate stereotypes about race, gender, religion, and physical/mental ability.

3. Is the text appropriate for my child’s developmental level? You have to walk a fine line here. You want to choose books that your child can comprehend, but also look for books that will introduce your child to new concepts and vocabulary!

4. Does the story inspire the imagination? Some of my favorite children’s books have been turned into movies because of their ability to inspire imaginations of adults and children alike. Search for stories that will give your child opportunities to use his/her imagination!

5. Do you as the adult find the book interesting? This may seem like an odd thing to look for in a book for children, but remember that your joy is often contagious! So why not share your excitement with your children or students!

6. Will your child be interested in the subject? Children will often develop their own interests; Sometimes their interest may last for a few days, a few weeks, or it may turn into a life-long interest or hobby. Nurture those interests! This is also a great way to pull in the reluctant reader. The little girl who is not so interested in reading but loves horses may find an interest in books about horses!

7. Does the book encourage interaction? Some of the books that children love the most encourage participation. Pop-up books, Lift-the-flap books, I-Spy stories, and books with rhythmic, repetitious or call/response text are hot ticket items for the five and under crew!

8. What is the purpose of the book? Expand your child’s literary base by exposing them to all types of books – fiction, biography, how-to/why books, and nature books provide children with opportunities to look at our world from different points of view!

9. Is this a non-fiction book, and if so, is it accurate? When choosing books that are written to provide children information, be sure it is accurate. I once read a book that referred to Africa as a country! So choose books that will give children an accurate picture of our world.

10. Will my child want to read this book more than once? Children learn, as we all do, from repeated exposure to information. So, choose books that your child will want to read more than once.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday: March 2

Dr. Seuss’ imagination and his whimsical rhyming stories have become a staple of childhood for millions of people. His books bridge gaps between generations, allowing parents to share their favorite characters with their children. The 250 words that comprise the Cat in the Hat were a major breakthrough to help fight illiteracy in schools. Beginning reader books were no longer uninteresting as that trouble making, hat sporting, friendly feline lead the way into Dr.Seuss’ world.

With over 40 books published throughout his career, Seuss, touched on various political views incorporating them into his stories. Environmental concern is apparent in The Lorax, while anti-consumerism is touched on in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and The Sneetches preaches equality. Dr. Seuss managed to keep the books light-hearted and interesting for young readers, yet make them deeper than the typical Dick and Jane books of the time.

So raise your glass to honor the day
the Cat in the Hat had asked to play.
On the second of March, it’s Seuss’ birthday!
Read your favorite Seuss books
in your comfy book nook
and remember the one that made reading fun.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss
(Sing to the Tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)

There’s a wocket in your pocket, Dr. Seuss
There are red and blue fish, green fish in there, too
There’s the Cat in the Hat with Horton and the Whos,
Singing Happy, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Oh no, Thing One and Thing Two are on the loose
There’s a fox that’s wearing socks but has no shoes
There’s the Lorax and the Sneetches standing with Bartholomew
Singing Happy, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

There goes Thidwick, he’s the Big-Hearted Moose
And the boy who ran the zoo, he’s Gerald McGrew
There’s the Grinch and Cindy Lou on their way to Solla Sollew
Singing Happy, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Sheet Music and an Instrumental Track to accompany this song are available for purchase.

Journal Writing with Young Children

When most of us think of journal writing, we often conjure up an image of a cute little diary with a lock and key that contains pages of feelings, and is often tucked away in a nightstand or under a mattress. So let’s take a moment to erase that preconceived notion from our heads. Officially, journal writing is “a personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis.” Preschoolers have “occurrences, experiences, and reflections” so why can’t they write in a journal?! I know what you are thinking…preschoolers cannot WRITE so how can we expect them to write in a JOURNAL?

It’s widely established that literacy activities in early childhood are essential building blocks for future school success. However, too often, we think that “literacy” just means that we read books to children and provide a print-rich environment. Children need opportunities to learn that they can use language to communicate with others. Journal writing with young children serves five major purposes:

1. It teaches children that their thoughts, feelings, and words can be transferred from their minds onto paper for others to see and read.

2. Children learn to value writing, and to respect the writing of others.

3. Journal writing gives children REAL and RELEVANT opportunities to learn the conventions of print such as: a)print goes from left to right; b) there is a difference between pictures and text; c) print goes from the top to the bottom of a page; d) letters make up words, and other rules of the written language.

4. Young children need to experiment with letters, letter sounds, and inventive spelling in a non-threatening way.

5. Writing gives children time to practice the fine motor control that will help them become better writers.

When you begin journal writing with young children, there are some general rules to keep in mind:

1. Involve children in creating and decorating the journals. Make it fun and allow them to be creative so that their journal feels special and unique. The journals can be a few pieces of paper tucked in-between construction paper or tag board, or it can be more elaborate. Keep a few blank books handy so children who use up all their pages will be able to continue their writing without missing a beat! Here are some links to book-making for children:

a. Book projects

b. Making books with children

2. I suggest using plain paper on the inside of the journals as opposed to paper with lines. Children will have enough time to HAVE to “write on the lines.” Journal writing should not have such steadfast rules. Besides, if you look at children’s story books, text is not ALWAYS at the bottom. Sometimes the text is next to the pictures, sometimes above, and sometimes below. Let children be the boss of their own writing!

3. The adult (parent or teacher) is NOT allowed to make any corrections. Journal writing is purely free expression and children should not be worried about writing their letters and words the “right” way.

4. Only write in the child’s journal if they ask you to. If a child dictates a sentence to you, ask them WHERE on the page they want you to write and write it EXACTLY as they say it. Do not make any edits. Give the children control over their work.

5. Pictures convey meaning so it’s ok if a child does not want to write words (real or pretend) in their journal.

6. DATE each entry. I would give the children a choice, they could copy the date from a sentence strip that I prepared (sentence strips are easier than writing on the chalkboard because children can take the paper right to their seat) OR they could stamp the date using a stamp and inkpad. Dating the entry helps teachers, parents, and the child see progress over time!

7. Provide a regular time and place for writing. Make the special time happen at least once a week. Also, don’t require children to sit at the table/desk while writing. If they want to curl up in the corner with a pillow and a handful of crayons, then that’s OK. We often impose so many classroom rules that we stifle children. Allow children to choose crayons, markers, or pencils. Again, it’s about giving children some level of control over their creations!

8. Encourage children to use inventive spelling. If they write a string of letters and words, ask them to read those “words” to you. Help them to understand the power of their writing. If you are tracking progress, you may want to write the child’s dictation on a post it note and date it. You can save the post it note with your classroom anecdotal records, but do not rewrite what the child said in his journal. Doing so sends the message that their spelling was incorrect or not good enough.

9. Provide time for children to share their journal with a friend or teacher. After journal writing time, I would randomly pair the children and let them go to any place in the classroom to share their journals with each other. Think of it this way: would the author of a book be happy if NO ONE read her work? Most authors write because they have something to say that they want to share with other people. So give children this same opportunity to share.

10. Most importantly, make journal writing fun and relaxing!

Write On!