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**// Acquisition of Literacy //** **// RDG/504 //** =**Introduction**= Welcome! For this presentation we will introduce the critical issues that concern the earliest readers’ individual differences.
 * Lisa Grigorieff;** **Margaret Sedner;** **MiChandra Williams**

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We will demonstrate some strategies, offer recommendations and give resources to support reading acquisition.=====


 * __Phonemic / Phonological Recommendations__**
 * Engage children in activities that direct their attention to the sounds in words, such as rhyming and alliteration games.
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 * Teach students to segment and blend.
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 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Videos/Clips/]
 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Games/Say/]
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 * Combine training in segmentation and blending with instruction in letter-sound relationships.
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 * (w sound) []
 * (qu) []
 * (silent e) [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Videos/Clips/]


 * Teach segmentation and blending as complementary processes.
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 * Systematically sequence examples when teaching segmentation and blending.
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 * Teach for transfer to novel tasks and contexts.
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 * To do oddity tasks (comparing and contrasting the sounds of words for rhyme and alliteration)
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 * To blend and split syllables
 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Videos/Clips/]
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 * To perform phonemic segmentation (such as counting out the number of phonemes in a word)
 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Games/Manny/]
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 * To perform phoneme manipulation tasks (such as adding, deleting a particular phoneme and regenerating a word from the remainder).
 * (ing) [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Videos/Clips/]
 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Videos/Clips/]
 * [|http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Games/Word/]


 * Keep a sense of playfulness and fun, avoid drill and rote memorization.
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 * Use group settings that encourage interaction among children.
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 * Encourage children's curiosity about language and their experimentation with it.
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 * Allow for and be prepared for individual differences.
 * Make sure the tone of the activity is not evaluative but rather fun and informal.


 * Websites to check or offer as examples in flipcharts during whole group instruction:**
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 * Comprehensive phonics, reading materials and leveled readers.**
 * http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp
 * www.myon.com

> http://www.esl-galaxy.com/ > http://www.esl-kids.com/
 * Oral Language Development**
 * Oral language in second language learners can develop differently. It depends on age and how deeply immersed the learner is in the language they are trying to acquire. Children up to age 12 are considered to be at the critical period of language acquisition and have the ability to learn a new language quickly. There are learning patterns that have been discovered by researchers that are consistent among second language learners. The extent to which a child is literate in the home language will determine the extent to which he or she will have a positive experience in a second language. (Cobb, Kallus, 2011) *same websites as used as above (depending on skill to focus on)
 * ESL students do best when they use their native language, because of their critical thinking skills and cognitive structuring are conditioned by linguistic and cultural knowledge and experiences they obtain as children in the biome and bring them to school. Students are expected to read and write here in public schools even when it is quite often that students do not read or write in their primary language at home. This is why our ESL students do not do well when asked to write and take tests in their new English language.
 * http:///www.myon.com
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 * http://www.english-4kids.com/

The best practices for language acquisition incorporate four components developed by Thomas and Collier (1997).
 * Teaching Recommendations in Oral Language Development**
 * Prism Model-: Linguistic, academic, cognitive, and sociocultural. Being culturally sensitive to students’’ needs can be the key to learning and establishing rapport with students, This will allow student to feel comfortable and they transition easier because they feel at ease. Through constructive learning scaffolding, and motivational techniques, all students can discover their talents, create goals, and develop lifelong learning skills. (Ovando 2006)
 * Basic Interpersonal communication Skills (BICS) can be developed in two years in an immersion program. Students have the ability to grab meaning from Body language, gestures, facial expressions, intonation, and so on. In order develop CALP, students must participate in activities that require active learning and discussions about content and use a high level of thinking skills.
 * Teachers should be aware of the culture that their students are from. When we talk about celebrating holidays we expect all students to understand what that is when a student may not celebrate holidays, or celebrate the same holidays.
 * Try to read books about the new student’s culture to the class. Help the other students understand that their cultures do things differently. This makes the student more at ease.
 * Teachers need to help the students have a sense of belonging and identification with the culture where they are living. (Violand-Sanchez & Hainer_Violand, 2006).
 * *(same websites as all above)

Phonics is simply the system of relationships between letters and sounds in a language. __Teaching Recommendations__ Educators could foster the acquisition of phonics knowledge indirectly, through various means--
 * Phonics**
 * In kindergarten, children usually learn the sounds of the consonant letters (all letters except the vowels a, e, i, o, and u).
 * First- and second-graders typically learn all the sounds of letters, letter combinations, and word parts (such as "ing" and "ed").
 * Second-graders typically review and practice the phonics skills they have learned to make spelling and reading smooth and automatic.
 * Phonics instruction that is direct and follows a particular sequence--is more effective than phonics instruction that is not systematic or no phonics instruction at all.
 * Systematic, explicit phonics instruction improves children's word recognition, spelling, and reading comprehension skills.
 * Systematic, explicit phonics instruction most benefits children who are having difficulty learning to read.
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 * *also all children websites listed before that would relate to where the students needs assistance.
 * by pointing to words during shared reading experiences with big books, charts, etc.
 * by providing small, multiple copies of many selections, so that children can easily reread favorite stories, songs, and poems
 * by providing tapes of many selections for children to listen to, as they follow along with the written text
 * by attending to letter/sound patterns while modeling the writing process, engaging children in guided writing, and writing down what children have dictated

**Conclusion**

 * The Identification of critical issues that concern early readers’ individual differences in their acquisition of literacy have been identified as: Phonemic Awareness, Oral Language Development and Phonics.
 * While the research continues each year in finding ways in which instruction can be more efficient and effective for these learners.
 * The recommendations here should successfully lead to increases in student growth and effectiveness