Jamie McLaughlin

Case Study
EDUC 340
November 14, 2016
All teachers are teachers of reading..

Part I

All teachers are teachers of reading, is a statement that some may say is straightforward

and others will say is more complex. I believe that it is extremely complex, in fact, I would mark

it up to say All teachers are teachers of literacy. Literacy is defined as, the ability to read and

write, or, knowledge that relates to a specified subject (Merriam-Webster, 2016). Reading is

incorporated in our lives every day and implementing activities based on it in the classroom is

critical. Students learn background knowledge, make connections, enhance their reading ability,

improve comprehension, learn body language, and read tone of voice.

Educators use reading text as a basis for their learning techniques and then build upon it

with other activities. For example, an educator may have students read an article. Instead of just

leaving it at that, they will have students utilize that information in an activity involving

discussion, writing, or building. There are hundreds of techniques teachers use to help students

use reading to think.

Reading is a form of communication and assists with making connections. As students

read, they make connections to their own life. The more connections a student can make the

more likely they are to retain the information. By labelling objects in a classroom, you can help

students read and make a connection to the object visually. This would apply to any classroom
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whether its a foreign language or English class being taught. English language learners will

benefit from this in any classroom. It could even be used to teach new vocabulary to all students.

Using text can reinforce what is being said or taught. For example, when teachers are

giving instructions on an activity it helps to have the instructions posted for the students to

follow as well. Reading the instructions while listening to the teacher say it helps reinforce the

information. When a teacher is lecturing, it helps some students when there are key phrases or

words posted following what is being said. Students were writing lab reports in the classroom I

was assisting in. The teacher posted the components they needed to include on the board and

allowed them to read his report for help. This helped students stay on task and get all of the

required parts in their report.

Not all students are at the same level of reading. Teachers must accommodate all

circumstances and give each student the resources they need to understand. While being a

teachers assistant this semester, I experienced an event that helped me understand the various

levels of students skills. One day a student was struggling keeping up with her peers. She

didnt know how to pronounce some of the words on the worksheet. Not only did it make her

shy and uncomfortable with her group members, but it made her just stop trying all together. To

help her out without embarrassing her, I pulled her aside and worked with her one on one. Her

attitude towards the class and the assignment completely changed. She even finished the

assignment with high confidence.

Reading text is not the only type of reading students learn from teachers. Reading body

language and tone of voice is also a key factor in the classroom. Observing an instructor can

give students some key information when their voice changes or when they move. Sometimes

when a word or phrase is important the teachers tone changes. Learning how to read the tone
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and movements of others helps students focus on what the most important information is. It also

shows them how to respond. When I was in the middle school classroom, students would notice

when the teachers tone changed. They knew when they were pushing his buttons and it was

time to stop. When he would ask questions in a certain tone of voice the students knew the

answer was yes.

Every classroom utilizes reading skills. There is a major movement towards thinking

from reading. Teachers are implementing reading activities more into the classroom. Reading

helps students and teachers make connections as well as build background knowledge. Not all

students are proficient in reading so teachers in all classrooms must help students improve those

skills. Using text with visual aids builds stronger comprehension. A large part of gaining

knowledge is reading the information that is presented as a PowerPoint lecture, article, textbook,

or notes. Reading body language, tone of voice, and responses are all key skills for students to

learn in the classroom.

Part II

My content area is agriculture which encompasses a large variety of topics. Reading will

be used every day in my classroom. There is an endless supply of activities involving reading to

do in my classroom.

By using a closed reading activity, students would make connections to an article. I

would pick out an article discussing a large animal veterinarys experience delivering a calf.

Students would read the short story, underline word they didnt know, highlight things they could

relate to, and circle things they didnt know but are interested in. After working through those
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steps on their own, they would use the give one, take one method. I would ask them to find

someone across the room to share a word they didnt know and write down their partners word.

Then I would have them go find someone else and tell them something they related to in the

article. I would open discussion to the whole class and have them share what they discussed

with their partners.

Having students use the internet to research leaders in agriculture would require reading

skills. They would enhance their research skills along with their reading skills. Then I would

have students do a project based on their leader. There would be several options for them to pick

from. They could write a biography, create a poster or PowerPoint presentation, write a narrative

story, or make a skit. After they have worked on their projects for some time, I would have them

do a peer review. Both the research and peer review activities require reading.

Using comparison models to make connections from text is an important strategy. I

would give the students a presentation on how a cows digestive tract works. I would require

them to take notes then have them build a Venn diagram comparing a cows digestive system to a

humans. Students would have to read the information given to them in the presentation.

I could have students read articles on crop systems. They could pair or group together to

generate questions in each of the three levels of questioning. I would check their questions and

then have them switch to another pair or group. They could discuss in a quiz format. Students

would share their questions and the other students in the group would guess which level the

question belongs in. Then they could answer the questions and use the articles as a resource.

Reading is involved in the beginning and end of the activity to enforce the information.
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Students could read articles representing the uses of public lands. They could choose

which perspective they want to research further. I would have them write up a Talk Show skit

that showed the opinion of the side they choose and accurately explained why they feel that way.

A gallery walk would be the next step of this activity. Students would display their skits

around the classroom. All students would walk around reading the skits and putting sticky notes

on the projects saying what they liked about it and something new that they learned.

Students could read a fun model on a farmer showing his son the family trade. They

could then use the CERC model to write an argumentized piece from any perspective in the

story. CERC stands for claim, evidence, reasoning, and conclusion. Using this model will help

students create a solid argument in a fun way. They can get creative with this activity. I would

then have them share with a partner or group. Reading is required for story and to share with

their peers.