The
National Council of Teachers of English website (http://www.ncte.org/positions
/statements/onreading) gives an overview of the importance
of literacy. The National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE) is a professional association of educators in
English studies, literacy, and language arts.
To summarize the information on the website, it is stated that there is
an ongoing debate about what reading is.
Many people have different opinions as to what reading is, how it is
learned, and how it can be taught effectively.
On this website, the Commission on Reading of the National Council of
Teachers of English put together an overview of what teachers know about
reading. It provides the visitors of the
website to read evidential research about different views on reading. It also outlines policies that promote
reading.
The main section of the homepage of this website is an
article. The article is broken down into
subtopics: “Reading and the Reading Process,” “Learning to Read,” “Effective
Reading Instruction,” and “Policies That Promote Learning to Read.” “Reading and the Reading Process” basically
states that reading is a complex process that is sociocultural, cognitive, and
linguistic. Individuals use their
knowledge of a spoken or written language, their knowledge of the topic, and
knowledge of their culture to understand and comprehend texts. It also states that reading has different
purposes for different learners. In “Learning
to Read,” reading is considered a life-long process. The website article states what skills
students should learn. What I found to be
the most informative was the section “Effective Reading Instruction.” It lists
strategies to try with students such as carefully observing each student’s
reading in multiple contexts in order to provide appropriate instruction and to
monitor progress. It really opened my
eyes and reminded me that I needed to be consciously aware of what I do when I
teach reading to my students. In “Policies
That Promote Learning to Read”, the website gives information on how schools,
school districts, and governmental and non-governmental agencies promote
reading achievement.
The sidebar panel of the homepage of the website has a
list of position statements regarding educational aspects such as language, diversity,
classroom size, assessment, standards, and teaching quality (just to name a
few). For example, if you were to click
on position statements regarding language, it will link you to articles about
English Language Learners. This article
lists statistics based on research, policy history concerning English Language
Learners, common myths about ESL students, and research-based recommendations
for effective ELL instruction. This
website has many articles about different topics in education, most especially
in language and literacy.
This website also provides individuals with resources
such as books, lesson plans, journals, policy research, and newsletters
regarding reading. There is also a
section for professional development.
The website provides groups affiliated with NCTE.
This website seems to be appropriate for students of
higher education seeking to understand the deeper concepts behind the theories
of what reading is. The text on the
website is of academic writing.
The mission of NCTE is to “promote the development of
literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public works and to
achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of
English and the related arts and sciences of language” (2014). I believe this
is an effective literacy website because its mission is to promote and develop
literacy. It is definitely worth
exploring.
Source
2014. NCTE Guidelines.
Retrieved January 2014 from the NCTE website:
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/onreading
Katrina,
ReplyDeleteIndeed! The NCTE website has a wealth of information. I encourage you to continue to use it to get additional ideas for instructional purposes.
Best regards,
Dr. Rivera