Chapter 9 - March 29 - April 4

1. How does this relate to what I have already learned?
There are so many concepts that are extensions of what we have already learned. I first compared the various terms from psycholinguistics to the propositional code. Phoneme refers to the smallest piece of sound, and morpheme is the smallest piece of meaning. I compared these because all of these small pieces are put together to make words, sentences, and meaning. The propositional code connects all of the information visually to form an image.

I also compared the deep structure of text to the deep levels of processing necessary for retention and retrieval. Because all of the text has a deeper meaning than just a string of words, we must really focus on it, and use a deeper level of processing for information that we have read. To me, the surface structure also relates to short term memory. Both serve a purpose, but their importance is not great enough to retain and retrieve.

When reading about the factors that affect comprehension, I was reminded of the Polyana principle where we remember things better in a positive situation. Chapter nine discussed the importance of positive text. It takes longer for people to process negative words. This section also described nesting, which is adding more information than is needed. When I read this, I was reminded about the stimulus overload and some of the blindness factors. We can become "blinded" because there is too much information in the text, which causes confusion.

2. What am I still not clear on?
I enjoyed this chapter much more than chapter 12, and I think that I understand most concepts presented. I think that I will be more cautious when sending letters and notes home to parents. I am quite sure that I have written using all four of the factors that affect comprehension negatively. After reading that section, I could think of several notes where I made some errors in my writing. To me, I was trying to write using a kind, and pleasant tone. In actuality, I might have been writing in a passive voice, which was difficult to understand.

3. Under what conditions will I apply this to my own teaching?
I definitely use both of the direct and indirect approaches to reading in my classroom. Many of my students do not know the basic alphabet code when they enter kindergarten. As the year progresses, we learn the code, as well as some of the "rule-breakers." These rule-breakers are letters and letter combinations that don't follow the basic code. It is during this time, that we also begin to take a look at using sight words, or the direct access approach. My students have to know that "one" can't be sounded out as it is written. I try to include various games and activities that incorporate a combination of the direct and indirect approaches. It is important to have a mixture.

While have a nice mix of both approaches is important, I also believe that I need to know which approach each student uses. Some children are phonics champions, and they can segment the sounds of any words. Some of my students simpy know the words without sounding them out. I have found that I should let my students work on whichever approach is more comfortable for them. It is also important that my students build their skills on the weaker approach. By doing this, they are able to have a balanced approach to literacy.