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PER SON A L REFLECTIONS Are instructional reading strategies that mesh with the Whole Language philosophy of learning effective with adult learners? A GED teacher in New Orleans adapted the "big book" large group reading method to ,-rt forty-year olds and answered, "YES!" New Orleans had produced a they were mature learners, wise in life's In reflection, If~1 that my lnstruc and with shared feelings ofkinship for gray, drizzly, winter morning. I drove a black adolescent brought tolife by lessons, so I knew that the book selec tional strategy was a very sucressful through it toa rundown house located tion would be crucial tothe success of one. Later, when~ visited the public ourreading. beside a large inner city church. lnside, library, I was pleased tonote that sever My career has now taken me tothe this project. the lights were dim; the radiators After considerable deliberation, I alstudents searched for other books college level, but recently I visited this hissed, Anaked bulb hung in the entry haven for the adult norsehooled when chose a personal favorite,! Know~ by Maya Angelou. One physically hall asa beacon tothose who entered. I was feeling melancholy. The paint the Caged Bird Sings (967) by Maya impaired student had the city bus They came, eager for a wann place, a was still peeling off the exterior walls Angelou. I scrounged an overhead retrieve her a little early from the build hot cup of tea, and perhaps a friendly and the bathroom smelled "daintily" projector and amazed the worker at ing's front porch. Inorder not tomiss smile with a hug, toa plare ofaecep asI passed, butthe students and new Kinko's by ordering transparencies of tanoe and hepe. Ten adult students, every page inthe book. teacher greeted me with the smiles and ages ~ty-l\\u toeighty, brought An early arriver had cleaned the hug; I needed for a temporary retreat dreams ofbettering their lives, hopes blackboard; school was ready tobegin! from the problems of my world. They ofcompleting educational goals, and Inmy class students workffi inde reminded me ofthe time~ had spent EadlClay, we left the visions ofimproved and enriched lives. pendently with a one-on-one tutorial together, and each student reminisced Ingetting there, some ofthe stu about the wonderful "story" ~ had approach. I stopped them at midmorn classroom with _ dents had jostled about onthree differ ing for "group time" and the oral read read together each day, the one with ent buses that morning and had ing ofAngelou's book while I simulta the beautiful words. voc3JlBy words, with walked the last l\\ublocks inthe pour neously tracked the words onthe I think the communal reading ing rain covered with plastic sack overhead projector. The events in! enriched ourlives inmany ways, and I ~ thoIW1ts verbaized, wnbrellas. Although some were wrin Know~ the Caged BirdSings know the experience with my students with comet.... _ kled and gray-headed, they had come the autobiography ofa young, intelli has touched me. Also, the Whole lan asexpectantly asfirst graders to their gent, seru;itive black girl reaching guage philosophy ofteaching reading IJIIICIuation reiIforced, with initial day ofschool. And I,a doctoral maturity ina small, segregated south and writing toadults through good lit student inelemental)' education, had em town-<x>mplemented nicely the erature was affirmed for me, a new fiery words written it personal come astheir teacher. life experienres of my students, most of convert. Finally, the oral reading of Iwas full ofnew philaiOphies and whom ~re minorities. this powerful book transported a jonaIs, _ with shnI instructional strategies from my recent The class reeled inthe strength small, insignificant GED class into a Iy completed COUl'St'\Wrk atthe Univer and dignity with which the oppressed gleaming gilded cage with anopen feeie of" for ablack sity of Northern Colorado. I was deter characters inthe book faced their daily door where its birds not only sang; they flew. , mined tomake an impact ontheir lives challenges. They marveled atthe beau adolescent brou&M to Ie by applying the whole language philos ty of the language and at the skill of q>hy for immersion in good literature, the author. The contextual vocabulary by ....... -by Kllren F. Hlea writing, and purposful learning, This introdured through this reading was Southeastern Louisiana educanonal philaiOphy utilizes multi very meaningful tothem. The conven University sensory, internctive methodologies with uors ofthe language were clearly dis Education Department high motivation and purpose for the played asI made the words come dra Hammond, louisiana students. matically alive like a bear awakening the next adventure in the book, she One instructional strategy that I after hibernation. appointed herself toremind me tostart wanted toadapt was the idea ofreading We discussed the rich style of reading by I1:00 each day. This department focuses onthe follow good literature aloud in the form ofa Angelou's writing, as well asthe feel We had laughed,~ had cried, ing types oftopics: How I became an fourteen-by-~ty-inch Big Book. This ing; itelicited inthe listeners. And,~ and~ had shivered atthe escapades adult educator; events that have was the hottest new approach atthe lit always finished these sessions with an Angelou's words relayed. Each day, changed my approach toirstnztion or eracy conferences and incollege open-ended discussion. Following this ~ left the classroom with new vocab administration; strategies that have preparatory classes for teaching ele discussion, the students wrote their ulary words, with beautiful thoughts helped me grow, personally and profes mentary-age students. reactions inpersonal journals, which verbalized, with correct grammar and sionally; the moo important learning Although my students' reading lev left them "hanging" for the next punctuation reiniorced, with fiery experience ofmy life. Author guidelines els ranged from second tosixth grades, episode of this real-life soap opera. words written inpersonal journals, are available from the MACE offire. June 1992 D. 25
Adult Learning – SAGE
Published: Jun 1, 1992
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