The mud between our toes.: November 2009

Notes to accompany the Conference Presentation entitled:

Reading for Pleasure. A group of children’s self identified perceptions and concept of power reading.

Who first said "you can't teach an old dog new tricks?"

My favourite answer from the trusty net being: Somebody dead, no doubt. It's usually impossible to trace traditional proverbs like this example to the first speaker. Researchers are doing well if they can determine what country a saying originated in.

I am not in real terms an old dog, but some might disagree, especially my wife who feels I am many years older in my choices of film, music and books than my actual age. I guess at times we can all feel like old dogs. For example, two years ago when the government in its intermit wisdom released over 200 edits on Literacy in one year alone. Anyone trying to keep up with this would not only feel tired, dated and perhaps confused, but most properly more like an old dog chasing its tale after these endless streams of “New Tricks” to be learnt.

So where are these ramblings leading, well again, I feel like “An Old Dog” when I consider whom my educational Guru’s are. The Books of whom I turn to for moments of wisdom, innovation and inspiration: Frank Smith, Mary Clay, Vivian Gussin Paley and Gervase Phinn. No new, modern academic in this bunch. But these “Old Dogs” have served me well and sit in my mind on a par with Johnny Wilkinson.

Get to the point I hear you cry, I promise I will. Over the past two years I have been developing a case study that is now very close to becoming a piece of research that focuses on the learning journey of the young reader. But my focus is not one on phonic uptake, phonemes, sight word recognition, sounding out skills or any of the other important decoding skills, but one on the study of how a child can redevelop their reading identity. How by embracing childhood culture and voice, we as facilitators of learning, can provide unique and innovative learning experiences, set within a strong central philosophy aside from convention, so developing a pleasurable path to literacy attainment. This allows the child to explore and use their immediate childhood cultures, medias and influences to create their own perceptions of what reading is, why it is important, and how they can see themselves as developing learners, on a journey. Deep I know, but vitally important.

I personally feel that a focus by political powers on the termed, “Phonic War” (debates between synthetic and whole word phonic teaching) have in fact stifled in some cases school creative, innovative and nurturing approaches towards reading, a love for reading and the development of young children identifying themselves as readers. This leaves, in its place a polarized set of two camps, synthetic phonics verses, analytical phonics, no middle ground, but both churning out data, upon data upon data, relating to sight word uptake rates and phoneme sequential lists. There is seemingly little attention or ground for intrinsic motivation, for development of self identity, or learner identity, issues explored in the research of such old dogs like Smith and Clay.

Christina Clark and Kate Rumblod writing in, The National Literacy Trust Paper on Reading for Pleasure, November 2006, make the point that although the review recommended that children are taught synthetic phonics at the first instance, the teaching and development of learning experiences should be firmly placed within a language –rich framework that fosters positive attitudes towards reading and a love of books. Unfortunately this context was lost in the subsequent press coverage.

Clark and Rumbold continue to point out that through their paper it is important that they pressure policy makers to promote reading motivation, creativity and pleasure. Over the past two years, the most important discovery made in the case study was the impact of reading for pleasure.

When looking at value added attainments, overall end of key stage one attainment, since developing this concept, as a school we have never had such a high percentage of children attaining at the highest levels. Summing up the case studies actions, which can easily be done in a few lines, we basically allowed the children to choose their own texts. Football programmes, graphic comics, picture books, online materials, newspapers and magazines. While modelling as adults the texts we enjoyed reading. We opened up a ‘books for breakfast’ club where children and parents could come and read over breakfast shared in school, swap books in our swap shop and enjoy each others companies. Further in class the children were encouraged to form clubs, groups of children reading similar genres together as a group. All old tricks, messages from “The Old Dogs: Clay, Smith, Bruce.”

So, what was the new trick: mirco blogging.

A quick, instantly accessible way for the children to publish their reflections, thoughts, ideas and reviews. This offering peer to peer reflective opportunities and a accessible way for all community members to join the conversations, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties.

Is this really a new trick, or a technical replacement for the home school reading diary? Blogging allowed the publishing of voice and ideas to become instantly accessible and interactive, with this communication being embedded in an attractive, multi media based world in which technology could support the children’s creative responses to the texts they were reading. Micro blogging allowed the children a way to publish their thoughts and interpretations and again receive commentary and enquires from a wide audience, instantly. Through these small changes one group of disengaged readers managed to redevelop their self identity, their perception of themselves as successful readers, seeing the pleasure that reading can offer. As one child proclaimed, “We should call ourselves Power Readers now.” (Frank, 6)

By no way did I mean Old Dogs as a derogatory term, as earlier mentioned, this collection of elderly educators I hold in the highest of esteems. However, I do think, that within a radically changing world, which at times moves at seemingly lightning pace, few old tricks could be redeveloped and held onto.

“I do not like proper novels. In proper novels people say things like, “I am veined with iron, with silver and with streaks of common mud. I cannot contract into the firm fist which those clench who do not depend on stimulus” What does this mean? I do not know. Nor does Father. Nor does Siobhan or Mr Jeavons. I have asked them. But I do like murder mystery novels.”

Christopher John Francis Boone.

How often do we ask the children we teach what books they would like to read and which books they would like us to share with them?

Dan Lea.

www.creativevoice.posterous.com

www.danlea3.blogspot.com

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