RUTH LEBLANC spoke of Spelling...           1/3 to CHARLES BEAMS on 09-
27-96
RL>Hi Charles,
Ruth,
RL>You say that practising the art of making gibberish on a piece of
RL>paper does not develop language skills any better than would the
RL>process of storytelling or news-time each day.
RL>Charles, what is your knowledge of what language is? Teachers here
RL>would just shudder to hear you say such a thing. Language is just not
RL>reading and writing.
Yes!  Language is Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.  And what 
many upper-grade educators fail at most is in their limited 
understanding of early childhood education.  Charles sees random writing 
on a piece of paper as gibberish.  You and I would probably see a child 
who has become aware that print on paper contains meaning.  This 
"gibberish" is a very important step for that child becoming more and 
more print aware.  Soon the so-called gibberish becomes letters which 
soon become words -- some approximated and others correctly spelled.  
Very natural!
RL>In answer to my second question, children do not come to school
RL>knowing nothing about the writing/reading experience - even it is not
RL>what we as adults think it should be. They come with the building
RL>blocks in place. Some have better built foundations than others, etc.
RL>Let's face it, even children in soccer have some knowledge of the
RL>ball and kicking it before they arrive.
Very well said Ruth....
Dan
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
I'm not tense, just terribly alert!
* ++++++  *
     _   /|    ACK!
     \'o.O'   /
     =(__)+
       U
 
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
---------------