PicabooLane » Linguistic Intelligence http://www.picaboolane.com Making learning effortless for children Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:02:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Letters and Sounds: Beginning to Read http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/22/letters-and-sounds/ http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/22/letters-and-sounds/#comments Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:01:22 +0000 admin http://www.picaboolane.com/?p=217 How do we learn to read? Do children read by recognizing whole words or do they use phonics while reading?

For several years, teaching specialists debated the importance of teaching phonics to children learning to read. Some suggested that teaching whole words and whole language should be emphasized over phonics. However, now [...]]]> How do we learn to read? Do children read by recognizing whole words or do they use phonics while reading?

For several years, teaching specialists debated the importance of teaching phonics to children learning to read. Some suggested that teaching whole words and whole language should be emphasized over phonics. However, now researchers agree that teaching phonics is an important part of decoding the written language. The International Reading Association’s policy on teaching phonics also suggests that phonics is an important part of reading instruction. However, the Association does state that phonics knowledge is “critical but not sufficient to support growing independence in reading”. As such, phonics instruction is more effective if it is linked to children’s reading and writing, rather than being practiced in isolation.

The importance of phonics in developing reading skills was also highlighted a couple of years ago, when researchers at NYU showed that all three processes, phonics, whole word recognition and whole language processes, work together to determine reading speed.

  1. Phonics is the process of decoding words letter by letter by using sounds of each letter. Phonics accounts for 62% of reading speed and is the most dominant process in reading.   
  2. Holistic word recognition is the process of recognizing words by their shape. This process accounts for 16% of the reading speed.
  3. Whole language processes are processes where words are recognized by the context of the sentences. These processes account for 22% of the reading speed.

These researchers also showed that the three processes work independently of each other and all three are important in reading speed.

Project EASE (Early Access to Success in Education), which has had great success in increasing the reading level of children, suggests several activities to help children develop phonics awareness. The Project EASE Cracking the Code (letter recognition and sound awareness) activity unit introduces the shapes, names and sounds of letters to children, using most of their senses – sight, hearing, touch and movement. Below are some activities, based on Project EASE that we, as parents, can use to teach phonics to our children.

  1. Making collages of specific letters using words and pictures of items that start with that particular letter. This helps children look at items and think about the starting sound.
  2. Playing games that involve sound. For example, play a rhyming game, where a child is encouraged to come up with words that rhyme.
  3. Playing games that require children to sort through various items, and then sort the items into boxes labeled with the 26 letters of the alphabet. This helps children identify the beginning sound and associate the sound with a printed alphabet.
  4. Reading books which involve playing with letters and identifying the starting sounds of objects. Some recommended books are shown below.

 

Other Related Posts:

Impact of Early Childhood Conversation and Reading

This post is based on the Project EASE Cracking the Code Activity Unit and the following article:

Devitt, J. (2007). Phonics, Whole-Word, and Whole-Language Processes Add Up to Determine Reading Speed. NYU Today, Vol. 21(1). Accessed at http://www.nyu.edu/nyutoday/article/777.

]]> http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/22/letters-and-sounds/feed/ 0 How Intelligent is Your Child? http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/12/how-intelligent-is-your-child/ http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/12/how-intelligent-is-your-child/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:21:31 +0000 admin http://www.picaboolane.com/?p=210 Most people will inform you that your child’s intelligence is IQ and it can be measured by using IQ tests. But, what do most of the IQ tests measure? Also, should we measure a child’s intelligence? Several researchers believe that the traditional IQ tests measure a very narrow range of human abilities, i.e. [...]]]> Most people will inform you that your child’s intelligence is IQ and it can be measured by using IQ tests. But, what do most of the IQ tests measure? Also, should we measure a child’s intelligence? Several researchers believe that the traditional IQ tests measure a very narrow range of human abilities, i.e. language and mathematics. These researchers question the use of IQ tests as the sole measure of intelligence and the narrow view of intelligence. So, the question is NOT, “How intelligent is your child?”, but, “How is your child intelligent?”

One of the opponents of the traditional measures of intelligence and IQ tests is Dr. Howard Gardner. According to Dr. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory (MI), a person has eight different kinds of intelligences. These are:

  1. Linguistic Intelligence is the ability to use language(s) to express oneself and understand others through use of language. Writers, poets, speakers and lawyers have high linguistic intelligence.
  2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence is the ability to manipulate numbers, recognize patterns, and analyze problems logically and scientifically. Scientists, engineers and computer programmers have high logical-mathematical intelligence.
  3. Musical Intelligence is the ability to hear musical patters, recognize them, remember them and perhaps manipulate them. Composers, musicians, and singers have high musical intelligence.
  4. Spatial Intelligence is the ability to represent the spatial world in your mind. This includes ability to rotate 3- and 2-dimensional images in mind, represent 3-dimensional objects on paper and recreating images from memory. Both scientists and artists use spatial intelligence.
  5. Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence is the ability to use the whole or parts of the body (e.g. hands, fingers, arms etc.) to solve a problem, make something or achieve a specific goal. Athletes, dancers and actors have a high level of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
  6. Interpersonal Intelligence is the ability to understand other people. This includes the ability to understand the feelings, beliefs, intentions and moods of other people and to use this understanding to work effectively with them. Political, business and religious leaders, diplomats and negotiators all require high interpersonal intelligence.
  7. Intrapersonal Intelligence is having an understanding of yourself – what you want, what you can do, how you react to situations etc. Poets, artists, motivational speakers, and spiritual leaders use intrapersonal intelligence.
  8. Naturalist Intelligence is the ability to understand the natural world well and to work in it effectively. It involves the ability to distinguish among and use the features of the environment to solve problems and create products. Cooks and farmers use naturalist intelligence.

According to Dr. Gardner, each person has their own unique set of multiple intelligences that they use to solve problems or create products or do work. This is where MI is significantly different from the traditional view of IQ: 1) every person uses several intelligences and not just one, 2) intelligence is expressed in our performance, the products we create and our ideas, and not a test score, and 3) how intelligence is expressed is culturally defined. This implies that intelligence represents the potential that may or may not be realized depending on the values, available opportunities and personal decisions made by a person.

A key aspect of MI is that all intelligences are teachable and children can get smarter. This does not mean that a child will excel in all areas. But, it does mean that we can help children develop an understanding and ability in different areas of intelligence by repeatedly engaging them in different learning environments.

In conclusion, it is important to understand not how intelligent a child is, but what multiple intelligences does he/she possess. Understanding our children allows us to help our children enhance their natural abilities and develop other areas of intelligence so that they can achieve their passion in life.

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Winston Churchill

 

This post is based on the materials available at the website for the Multiple Intelligences Institute.

]]> http://www.picaboolane.com/2009/11/12/how-intelligent-is-your-child/feed/ 0