While reading chapter two, I came across some interesting
information mostly having to do with scaffolding. Scaffolding is a buildup of background
knowledge on a particular subject which enables the learner to move forward and
learn more. In the context of this book,
it is background knowledge on reading and vocabulary which allows for the
extraction of meaning from the text.
Benjamin says, “It is simply boosting the student up to the point where
the reading material is going to make sense.
The value of this scaffolding is so that the student has enough knowledge
that he or she does not have to process the basics along with the details all
at the same time. Many times there is scaffolding
already built for good reading comprehension, but we sometimes need to be
reminded to use what we already know in order to learn more.
One particular thing I like about this book is how the
author gives examples to help the reader understand what is being discussed. To help us understand scaffolding a little
more she gives several examples of students with different learning needs and
describes how a teacher could help them scaffold. The first example she gives is about a girl who
is visually impaired. The teacher may
deal with this by simply reading aloud to her but this would not be a
scaffolding exercise. She is not
building the tools and structure for further learning. Benjamin says that a better way to approach
this would be to provide large print text and sit the girl at the front of the
classroom so she can see what is written on the board. It’s also necessary to write on the board with
large dark letters. When I read this I
thought it was a wonderful idea to teach this student the same things that are
being taught to everyone else, but in a way that also caters to her special
needs. The ever evolving technology of
today, allows us to do this very easily.
You can enlarge font on a page by a hundred plus times and with the
e-readers and tablets, you can do this with books as well.
There are several other example’s included in this section
as well which include a boy with ADHD, a girl who is an English language
learner, a dyslexic boy, a girl with limited decoding skills and a boy who
never does any homework and is disengaged in class and failing. I was very intrigued when I read about the
girl with limited decoding skills. The
book suggests finding a controlled text for her, which is a simplified version
of the text in order for her to better understand what she’s reading. This forces her to use and practice her
reading skills. I didn’t even know one
could obtain a simplified version of a textbook. But perhaps I’m getting overly excited
because the teacher may be simplifying the text herself. If anyone knows about these controlled textbooks,
please share with me. I am very
curious.
References
Benjamin, Amy. But
I’m Not A Reading Teacher: Strategies for Literacy Instruction in the Content
Areas. Larchmont, NY. Eye on Education, 2007
I love the word "scaffold" and as a concept, as it applies to teaching and learning. You do an awesome job of describing, defining and addressing the the need for it with students (and for us teacher/researchers). As technology continues to develop, we have the opportunity to utilize so much to build on our understanding of things; we can scaffold and build structure through constant questioning and researching. And all at our finger tips.
ReplyDeleteDAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) is a technical standard for digital audio books, periodicals and computerized text. DAISY is designed to be a complete audio substitute for print material and is specifically designed for use by people with "print disabilities," including blindness, impaired vision, and dyslexia. Based on MP3 and XML, the format has advanced features in addition to those of a traditional audio book. Users can search, place bookmarks, precisely navigate line by line, and regulate the speaking speed without distortion. DAISY also provides aurally accessible tables, references and additional information. As a result, DAISY allows visually impaired listeners to navigate something as complex as an encyclopedia or textbook, otherwise impossible using conventional audio recordings.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I am excited to learn about DAISY. I am going to look in to it. I want to read Frankenstein with my World Lit class in the upcoming year, but was concerned that the language and terms may be a little advanced for sophomores. So, I wanted to begin by having them listen to the first few chapters on audio. The audio I have is a bit strange, so maybe DAISY will have other forms that they will better relate to. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI like to also use scaffolding as pre-writing activities. Keeping in mind Vygotsky's ZPD, scaffolding really does help students reach a higher level of ability. It is fun to participate in this kind of instruction.
ReplyDeleteBoth the ideas of a controlled text and the DAISY resource seem like great tools. I went to a conference this summer about text complexity, and one focus was how to scaffold students as we move into more difficult texts, especially with the implementation of the common core. So scaffolding is definitely something we need to do in our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post,and extremely helpful comments. As Matt mentioned, I love the term and idea behind scaffolding. My own text discusses at length about our students prior knowledge. The author presents various ways in which we can focus this, or activate it, before we embark on a new reading. With many of our student's it is easy to assume that they are all on the same page or level. This is all too often not the case. I really enjoyed how you take the idea and apply it beyond the cognitive and onto the physical abilities or limitations. It is something that I had not really considered, but that I will need to be conscious of. Knowledge cannot be constructed if the physical needs are not met first.
ReplyDelete