Orbit, 1991

36 Pages·1991·3.4 MB·English

by  Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

1
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 4
SPECIAL ISSUE/
ApublicationoftheOntarioInstitute COLLECTOR’S EDITION
forStudiesinEducation
OEDRIBTIORTIALOFFICES: Whole Language: Where Is It Now?
252BloorStreetWest Guest Editor: Sharon Murphy
Toronto,Ontario,M5S 1V6
EDITOR:HeatherBerkeley
CASOSNISSUTLATNATNTEDSI:TDORo:rmDeornnElaliHs,utEcdhiHnisckcox,JaneHill, 1 Whole Language: Where Is It Now?
MarkHolmes,DavidE. Hunt,PeterMcLaren, Shawn Murphy
ChrisNash,andCeciliaReynolds.
GTYRPAEPSHEITCTIDNEGSI:GAN:mhHeelimmutTyWp.eWseetyteirnsgtr&ahDsesign 2 Dialogue on Issues in Whole Language
with Diane de Ford, Irene Fountas, Ken Goodman,
PrintedandBoundinCanada
byThistlePrinting,Ltd. Yetta Goodman, Vera Milz, andSharon Murphy
onrecycledpaper
4
Setting the Stage for Successful Learning:
SUBSCRIPTIONRATES:
Singlecopyprice: $7.00 Children Sharing Ownership ofthe Curriculum
$25.00persubscriptionyear(4issues).Add7%GST
Bobbi Fisher
Toorder:Mailchequeormoneyorderto
ORBIT 6 Does Whole Language Mean Many Books?
P.O. Box 10,StationF
Toronto,Ontario,M4Y2L4 Shirley Castella andElizabeth L. Strong
PhoneorFax: [phone]
SecondClassMailRegistrationNumber451 8 Working with Parents: Sharing Why
ISNN0030-4433
Mary W. Hill
NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR 10 A Community ofLearners: A Fresh Approach
to In-Servicing Whole Language
This entire issue of Orbit is devoted to one of Clare Kosnik
the m—ost controversial subjects in all of educa-
tion how to teach kids how to read. In its 12 Bilingualism and Whole Language
largerfocus it is about literacy.
Learning to read is one of the most complex Mary H. Maguire
skills that most people will everhave to acquire.
It is because the majority of those associated 17 Making Your Eiffel Tower Sturdier:
with the teaching ofreading, or withjudging the Life in the Multi-Age Classroom
efficacy of the process, have done so with rela-
tive ease that a “blame the victim” syndrome Kittye Copeland
often emerges when literacy is discussed. Obvi-
ously, to those who hold an enthusiasm for 18 Classroom-Based Assessment
printed words, those who don’t are either per-
Jenelle Mitchell
verse or stupid.
This issue of Orbit reminds us of the extent
to which every child has his or her own unique 20 On Skills and Whole Language
learning path. Teaching children to read stretch- Sharon Murphy
es our capacity to accept differences in style, in
learning readiness, and in behaviour. 22 Expanding the Whole ofWhole Language
Whole Language: Where IsItNow? provides
a good place to begin a crusade for the recogni- John Willinsky
tion ofthe teacher as an associate learner, ofthe
parent as a teacher-volunteer, and of the com- 24 Experts: Expanding the Definition
munity as a source of strength in the learning
Mary Kenner Glover
task.
WalterPitman
DirectorofOISE 25 Le CREFO est a votre service
1987-1991
Lise Gauthier

ORBIT Orbit raises important educational issues which are too
seldom addressed in standard professional journals. It gets
down to specifics. As a classroom teacher, appreciate
1 it.
~ JOHNMAZUREK
Shouldn’t you have Grades6and7teacher
Dufferin-PeelRCSSB
own
your subscription?
Orbit is a magazine that publishes divergent points of view.
Without may never have been published.
it, 1
RUTH WEIR
Trustee, BoardofEducation
fortheCityofEtobicoke
Orbit is a must for educators who are interested in putting
into practice the latest innovative programs and ideas.
MICHAEL FULLAN
Dean, FacultyofEducation
UniversityofToronto
Whole Language
WHERE
The year 1991 hasjust slipped us by and Language Arts (Teale, 1991) devoted
the year 2000 looms ever closer, chal- IS IT exclusively to this topic for other opin-
lenging us to make sense of the years ions on the role of skills in whole lan-
NOW?
that have passed. guageeducation.
In education, over the past decade and Both Mary GloverandJohn Willinsky
continuing into the present, whole lan- recognize in their articles the fact that
guage seems to have emerged as the education, including whole language
choice of many for how they want to education, can never be static. It must
conceive of literacy. But how does it Sharon Murphy, GuestEditor look to the future. It must challenge us to
stand up to the challenge? Can it ever examine our definitions of whom we
hope to satisfy all the competing con- consider to be experts and what knowl-
texts and situations that confront us, or edge we considerto be ofworth.
will it too be tossed onto the towering For Mary Glover, this means that
discardpile ofeducational innovations? teachers who struggle to make their
In this issue of Orbit, we explore classrooms better places for themselves
whole language within the framework of and their children should receive more
the peculiarcollage ofissues that charac- than token acknowledgment of their
terizes contemporary education. These expertise; they should share the podium
include: with “outside” researchers and be explic-
• factors such as children who have dif- ity recognized for the wisdom they pos-
ficulty in schools (seethe Dialogue on sess because they have “lived through”
the next pages with Ken and Yetta the experience ofeducational change.
Goodman, Dianne deFord, Irene For John Willinsky, the challenge to
Fountas, Vera Milz, and myself), or whole language is to “authentically
children who must work through embrace” contemporary literate life and
acquiring literacy in more than one to recognize that the roots of whole lan-
language (Mary Maguire); guage lie in the history ofliteracy itself.
• situations such as the multi-age class- For some, Mary Glover’s and John
room (Kittye Copeland), or the Willinsky’s articles may be unnerving.
resource-short classroom (Shirley They force us to again make fluid what
CastellaandElizabeth Strong); we are—just now trying to come to terms
• tensions such as the press of interest- with the sensibility of whole lan-
ed parents who are eager to stake out SharonMurphy,AssistantProfessor, guage. But these articles crystallize the
a spot in the future for their children York University, Toronto essence of education: education must be
(Mary Hill) and who are anxious for characterized by fluidity.
teachers todemonstrate that theirchil- Henry PrattJudson put it well in 1921
dren are learning (Jennelle Mitchell); when he argued that the setting of stan-
and dards was an anti-educational move.
• options for professional development Education, he posited, must always look
such as the advice ofan educator who forward to tomorrow’s horizons rather
describes and reflects on her own than backwards to yesterday’s standards.
classroom (Bobbi Fisher) oraplan for I think that writers on whole language
in-service which builds a community must maintain this self-critical stance so
of learners among teachers them- that their vision is a forward-looking one
selves (Clare Kosnik). ratherthan one ofentrenchment.
All of these articles explicitly or
implicitlyJuxtapose whole language edu- REFERENCES
cation with what I describe as “skills- Judson, H. P. (1921). Dangers of the
based” education. I attempt to disentan- standardization movement. The Edu-
gle the relationship of skills to whole cationalRecord, 2(3), 114-115.
language (Sharon Murphy), and I refer Teale, W. (Ed.). (1991). Skill, skilled, or
the interested reader to a recent issue of skills. LanguageArts, 68(7).
ORBIT
1
, ,
DIALOGUE
on Issues
Whole
in
Sharon; Let’s talk abou—t the issue of Vera: I think very often schools forget
kids who have difficulty difficulty in Language that we’re not tu—rning out something like
regular programs or difficulty in whole an automobile as though we get all
language classes. What do you see hap- the parts and in the end they all look
pening? alike. Children come in looking differ-
with ent. They should leave us looking differ-
Ken: I think there’s been a tendency ent.
for people to create part-learners, that is, What is so strong about whole lan-
one dimensional persons characterized Diane De Ford guage is that the teacher says, “Here I
by only one characteristic. Sometimes have a group of learners and I’m cele-
it’s a characteristic like being blind or AssociateProfessor, brating their differences. How can I help
deaf or sometimes it’s a test-created Reading,LanguageArts & Children’s these children and take them as far as I
characteristic like being learning dis- Literature, OhioState University. can through this year? Howcan I support
abled. Once the person is characterized them? What materials can I find to help
people act as if that automatically meant Irene Fountas them?” If I only have one program and
the person would have difficulty learn- every kidhas to be slotted i—nto it, the dif-
ing. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. AssociateProfessor, ferences are not celebrated everybody
I think whole language looks at the GraduateSchoolofEducation,Lesley is supposed todo the samething.
learner as a whole person. It looks for College, Massachusetts.
strength and looks at how people are Ken: In that case a difference is a defi-
coping. When we discover that some Ken Goodman ciency.
people aren’t functioning well in school,
we don’t blame it on the students’ char- ProfessorofLanguage Vera: You know, I really don’t think
acteristics but look to see what we’re Reading andCulture, I’ve ever had a child who was a failure.
doingthat isn’tmeshing with thosekids. University ofArizona. I’ve had children who were different. As
— a second grade teacher. I’ve had children
Diane: I think that’s true people Yetta Goodman come to me with their files saying, “This
want simplistic answers. For example, if Regent’sProfessorofLanguage child can’t read the little red storybook.”
I say achild comes from a disadvantaged Reading andCulture, I’ve seen these children grow and change
home, then thatremoves the responsibili- when given alternatives when
ty for the teacher to do something. A University ofArizona. they’ve found a book that.th.e.y love,
whole language perspective, however, when they can write for the first time,
says that what you have before you is a Vera Milz even a little booklet of little things that
learner and what he or she brings is a SecondGradeTeacher, they like that they can take and read.
strength, even ifit is a set ofexperiences ConantElementarySchool, There’s so much power in being able to
that might not have prepared that child Michigan. do something. Sometimes they can bring
for formal schooling. Our job as educa- their logic to the surface and talk about
tors is to get beyond the simplistic view it, andthathelps us as teachers.
and
and open up to the complexities of chil-
dren as they enter school. Diane: I think you’re saying that not
Sharon Murphy only do we need to look for strengths,
Irene: The whole complexity and but we have to find the ways in which
organic nature of learning is lost by the AssistantProfessor, children are making sense oftheir world.
structure of schooling, of homogenizing, FacultyofEducation, York University, The meanings they’re making should
structuring, labelling, systematizing, and Toronto. give us a starting point so we can move
dealing with the masses. I feel encour- forward with thechild.
aged that there is a shift to the humanis-
tic aspects ofeducation. Schools became Orbitgratefullyacknowledgestheassistance Yetta: Sometimes when I visit whole
so mechanistic, such rigid hierarchical oftheWholeLanguageUmbrellaConference language classes where there are some
places, that they totally lost sight of a(nAdugAulslta,nF1l9u9r1k)eya,ndinitpsrCoov-iCdhianigrfsa,ciJlaitniees children who don’t seem to be succeed-
learning in thegreatercontextoflife. forthetapingofthisdialogue. ing, the teacher has a very strong direc-
2 ORBIT
.
tion going. For example, the teacher is of the critique that Sharon talked about. speak. We become defensive instead of
into literature studies and you have kids While I think whole language people questioning those standards. It’s like a
who just haven’t tuned into that kind of must be self-critical, it seems that some backwards thing . . . it’s the wrong ques-
thing; yet, the teacher is bent on this ofthese critics are looking for some kind tion ... it’s the wrong language ... it
wonderful thing that turns on all kids of perfection. People keep looking for sets you up for something that isn’t even
except that it hasn’t turned on these one the best teacher, for example. They want there.
or two kids. Teachers should be flexible to clone a teacher who will bring all the
no matter what they’re looking for, kids to a particular point in time and Diane: The question that some people
whether it’s writing process, whether it’s have them all do the—same kinds of might be asking in Canada right now
making books, whether it’s literature things. There is no field —not medicine, about children who are having problems
study. not law, not any field that has this in whole language is the wrong question.
notion that everybody is going to be The children I work with are at risk in
Sharon: What you’re saying is that the “schooling.” But no matter what the
diversity in whole language is its methodology, there will be some chil-
strength. But is it also its weakness? This We have tofind ways dren who are not going to engage in
past spring, a well known radio broad- group settings in ways that meet the
caster in Canada had some guests on his ofbringing parents and expectations that their teachers have. In
program who were promoting a phonics teachers together those circumstances, teachers have to be
board game that they had created . . able to step back from theirown assump-
because of the “holes in whole lan- tions andtheirown expectations.
guage.” operating in the same way at the same
point in time. T—his has to be addressed Sharon: In essence then, you’re saying
Ken: The notion of holes in whole lan- by the critics the expectation that that when we talk about “difficulty” we
guage is really one of people trying to whole language is going to do what noth- need to look at the whole situation, at the
look with one head and see something ing else has ever done in terms of bring- system, ratherthan the child.
conceived in another head. As an exam- ingeverybody to a single point.
ple, once I was trying to sell my sister’s The other issue I’ve been playing Diane: The child will always have
house in-Detroit. People came to see it around with is the concept of how we strengths and areas that they are puzzled
and stood in the living room and asked, define achild. When you begin to look at by, and you need to work with that child
“Where’s the living room?” Their con- this, you realize that what comes out of to findout whatthey arepuzzledby.
cept was that the living room should be many test-driven special ed. programs is
at the front of the house, and this one an institutionalized definition ofa partic- Yetta: It seems to me that a problem is
was at the back of the house. I always ular child. Then when you talk to the itself a strength. Isn’t that what Piaget
think ofthat when somebody talks about parents ofthat child, you find the parents was talking about when he talked abouta
the holes in whole language. Those folks have a different definition of what that child’s d—isequilibrium? That’s part of
with the phonics game don’t understand child is like, and then the childhas his or learning the puzzlement. Can we real-
that phonics is happening in whole lan- her own definition. The interesting thing ly learn anything if we haven’t reached
guage classrooms. It couldn’t not hap- to me is how children begin to pick up some kind ofquestion orinquiry? Again,
pen. The same people who object to on all these definitions and that has a big I would say that all children are faced
invented spelling say we’re not teaching impact on how children are going to with puzzlements and these are things
phonics; yet invented spelling shows the respond in the various contexts in which we workout ina variety ofways.
development of alphabetic relationships they find themselves. So again we see
in anatural authentic sense. the complexity. You can have some kids Diane: The teacher has to establish a
Actually, these criticisms don’t bother who are very disoriented in schools positive stance to those puzzlements
me too much. What bothers me more are doing incredible things out in the streets, rather than looking at them as weakness-
the people who quickly decide that in their homes, and so on. Somehow we es and deficits. What the teacher has to
whole language is using literature or that have to find ways of bringing parents be able to do is ask “What does this
whole language is writing process and and teachers and all personnel together show the child is asking about?”
then move into the activity without to collaborate in the development of a
understanding the—basic things we’ve child. Ken: I was listening to Vera’s response
been talking about the terribly impor- to kids who have problems. Vera’s
tant thing of starting where learners are, Irene: Which really means a re-exami- response as a teacher is “How can I
of building on their strengths, of negoti- nation ofvalues. One ofthe ways I have adapt to this child?” not “How far does
ating curriculum in terms of what chil- found success in effecting change is to this child fall short of my fixed expecta-
dren are. Underlying all the decisions go back to the children’s lives in a tions?” If you take that attitude, that is,
we’re making is this philosophy. It’s not broader way. Things make a lot of sense that it’s never an issue of what’s wrong
simply the activities. when you look at the whole learner with the kid, then it’s always an issue of
beyond the artificial environment. It’s where do we start with this kid, how do
Yetta: I have two things going through rather comical that people are measuring we adapt, and what expectations do we
my head. The first is related to the issue us against the wrong standards, so to have.
ORBIT 3
Setting the Stage
Successful Learning
for
CHILDREN SHARING OWNERSHIP
OF THE CURRICULUM
Bobbi Fisher paper, clay); science (scales and bal-
ances, magnets, magnifying glasses, bird
Teacher,HaynesSchool,
nests, sand table); a dramatic play area
Sudbury,Massachusetts
(big blocks, telephone, store front) and a
message area with mailboxes, bulletin
At the Eighth Annual Summer Literacy
board, and a sharing table.
Institute at Lesley College this year, The daily schedule is flexible and
Diane DeFordchallenged the audience to
includes six large blocks of time: shared
consider whether our statements about
teaching and learning reflect our practice
and beliefs, or as the saying goes, “Do
we practise what we preach?” Her chal-
lenge had been at the centre ofmy think-
ing as I prepared to move from
kindergarten tofirst grade.
I believe that “children learn best
when they make their own choices”
(Fisher, 1991). Because of this belief, I
strive to create a classroom environment
in which the children can pursue their
own interests, while enabling me to
include curriculum choices ofmy own as
well as those specifically required by the
school system.
As any classroom teacher well knows,
a busy, productive classroom, where
children are engaged in pursuing their reading, individual reading, writing, inte-
own interests, does not just happen. grated workshop, math, and sharing
Here, I present my plan for creating a time. As the year goes on, I expect read-
physical environment, daily schedule, ing, writing, and integrated workshops to
and framework for an integrated curricu- flow togetheras the children gain experi-
lum that sets the context in which chil- ence in pursuing theirown interests.
dren can become increasingly responsi-
ble for making their own learning choic- Organizing the Curriculum
es. Looking at the first grade curriculum in
literature, science, and social studies, I are broad and will allow for in-depth
Organizing the Space feel that teacher and student interests study as individual interests arise.
At the beginning of the year I set up the will integrate easily. In literature we are
main areas in the room, with the goal requiredto focus on the picturebook as a Anticipation ofthe First Days
that as the children gain ownership of genre. Among the suggested titles are To start the year, I have chosen to focus
the curriculum, they will change the Where the Wild Things Are, Crow Boy, on books about children at school, and
physical layout to meet their individual and Polar Express. We are asked to include CrowBoy as one ofmy first read
and collective interests. I start with the focus on the senses and properties for alouds. The story takes place inJapan, so
following areas: reading (with books, physical science, organisms for life sci- we take out the globe and map and begin
charts, tape recorder, puppet theater); ence, and seasons, sun, and shadows for to talk about what schools are like in that
writing (paper, crayons, rulers, date earth science. In social studies the country. I have selected a weather station
stamp, alphabet cards); math (unit emphasis is on different cultures around as the first dramatic play environment.
blocks, math manipulatives, dice, the world. Hopi Indians, Japan, and The children will be invited to share
games); art (easel, recycled materials. Ghana are suggested. All ofthese topics what they know about weather. Then
4 ORBIT V
children learn
...
best when they
make own
their
choices.
learn about, and I’ll watch them as they REFERENCES
begin to examine the possibilities. I’ll DeFord, D. (1991, July 23). Talk given
notice what books they select and at Lesley College Summer Institute,
taking the role of meteorologists, they whether they read alone or with a friend. Cambridge, MA.
will record and report the weather. I’ll also note down which area of the Fisher, B. (1990). Children as authorities
There will be time for personal reading room they choose to play in first, and on their own reading. In N. Atwell
and writing and opportunities to explore observe whatthey write anddraw about. (Ed.), Workshop 2. Portsmouth, NH:
themathmanipulatives andthe artarea. Together we’ll share the responsibili- Heinemann.
From that first day I’ll listen to the ty for creating a classroom in which the Sendack, M. (1963). Where the wild
children. I’ll ask them to bring in their children make more and more of their thingsare. New York: HarperRow.
favourite book from home. We’ll discuss own choices, and which more closely Van Allsburg, C. (1985). Polar express.
what else we need in the weather station. reflects what I say I believe about teach- New York: Houghton Mifflin.
We’ll explore what countries interest ing and learning: that children learn best Yashima, T. (1985). Crow boy. New
them. I’ll ask them what they want to when they make theirownchoices. York: Viking.
ORBIT 5
Does
Whole
Language
Mean
Shirley Castella
PodOne Teacher, MacDonald
DriveElementarySchool,Newfoundland
Elizabeth L. Strong
PrimaryEducation Co-ordinator,
Avalon ConsolidatedSchoolBoard,
Newfoundland
CANADA
NELSON
FROM
AVAILABLE
BOOKS