As we have learned in class, reading and vocabulary are closely related.  The research from this article reinforces this concept.  Students that are exposed to a large variety of text and are familiar with many words have an easier time decoding a word in a text and are able to break down larger words to find its meaning.  I feel that it is important for students to know the meaning of root, prefixes, and suffixes.  If a student can conquer this task, they will have an easier time comprehending complex text.

To help build students knowledge, the text suggest several strategies.  Some believe that exposure to a large and multiple text will help develop this skill in students, while others believe that students need direct instruction.  However, it is suggested that the best way is to analyze the students and find out what words best for that student.

This article also gives four principles to help teach morphology and vocabulary.  It suggest to begin with rich vocabulary words, to use commonly used words, and to teach word relationships.  Next, one would teach students how to find the meaning of a word through looking at the suffixes, prefixes, and then to try to find meaning in the text.  For Spanish speaking students, it is suggested that by using their native language they could find meaning in the English language.

I really liked how this article discussed how teachers are to be models for their students.  I feel that it is important as a future teacher to help students be able to read and fully comprehend texts.  While reading this, it reminded me of my practicum teacher Ms. Gant.  She did shared reading with the class and when they came to a word that they did not know, she would pause and they would read the passage again to find the meaning of the unknown word.  I think it is important to take the extra time to guide students to find the meaning of the word.  If they could not discover the word’s meaning, she would then have students to look up the word and write it in their journal.  Modeling is so important for students, and I think this article refreshed my memory to why modeling is so important.

Pirates seem to spark the interest of many children.  I feel that this article presented some very useful information.  I agree that children should be shown fiction and nonfiction books that have the same theme.  Children should know the correct history of pirates but yet still have the fictional books that allow their imagination to run wild.  I think that too many times children are forced to grow up much to fast.  They need to be able to read and discover books that encourage their imagination.

The Pirates Notebook is also a great ideal for students.  Keeping a K-W-L and response journal would help students see how they have developed through the lesson and would also be an assessment tool for the teacher.  I also like the fact that students kept a dictionary of their pirate words.

The combination of having students read fiction and nonfiction along with journals, web site exploration, and listening and watching a variety of pirate related material is an excellent way to spark the interest of students and have them to be fully engaged in the lesson at hand.  The combining of these teaching strategies should meet the need of every child in the classroom and reach all learning styles.

The article Swashbuckling Adventures on the High Seas:  Classroom Activities for a Unit on Pirates gives various and useful information for teachers to use in the classroom to help develop student’s knowledge of pirates.

In this article, Frye, Trathen, and Koopenhaver stress the importance of integrating technology into Social Studies.  They suggest that by teachers taking the time to create a blog for students, students will be more willing to research and discover new information so that they are able to publish that information on the classroom blog.   The authors also say that by integrating social studies and technology a variety of barriers can be overcome.  Teaching is difficult at times, especially when trying to find a text that challenges all levels of readers.  By allowing technology in the classroom, teachers are able to overcome all types of barriers.

I thought this article was relevant for me as an upcoming teacher.  It gave steps and websites to help set up blogs, ensure that students understand how the blog works and that the students are safe when blogging.  While learning about blogs students will develop critical research, evaluation, and literacy skills.  Once students have completed the introduction of blogs and how to effectively collect information, they will become contributors of the blog.  Sharing and publishing information that they have found.

It is important to help students want to success in school.  This article gives much needed information on creating blogs and helping students to be engaged in research and publishing their work.

This article covered some very important guidelines to help struggling readers succeed and be engaged in what they are reading.  It also suggests that all students read books that have a similar genre.  I completely agree with this statement.  The example gave of having students read a variety of text on Slavery and the Civil War.  I thought this was an interesting concept.  Each group of readers would be able to contribute to discussions about this period in American history, all while having success while reading each story.  I also think that this would boost a child’s confidence because they would be seen as a contributor and a valued member of the class.

Reading is nothing if it is not understood.  Children that are struggling with reading need to have options in order to succeed.  The reading material needs to be challenging enough to promote growth but not putting them at the frustration level.  I also liked having students read the text to the teacher until they are able to self select text.  The tables, 1-4, are also very helpful in selecting text for a variety of readers.

According to behindthename.com, Jennifer is a form of the Welsh name Gwenhwfar.  The name gained popularity after I was in a George Bernard Shaw’s play “The Doctor’s Dilemma.”  I also found out that my middle name Carol is the short form of Caroline.  It also means “song or hymn.”

When my parents named me, Jennifer was just a name that they both liked.  However, my middle name Carol is my Dad’s first name.  They are spelled different though.  His is spelled Carroll and mine is Carol.

After I was married I dropped my middle name and kept my maiden name, Jennifer Reece Leasure.  I was and am so use to every one calling me Jenny Reece that I did not want to give up my maiden name.

I also checked on ww2.howmanyofme.com/search to find out that there are only 22 people in the United States that have the name Jennifer Leasure.

Poems seem to find detail in life and embrace that detail to show the richness of ordinary life and objects.  The poem “magnifying glass” does exactly that.  The poem tells the detail of looking through a magnifying glass, it reminds me of a child first exploring the world with a magnifying.  Especially the last stanza of the poem, “My thumb, Is wrapped, In rich, Satin wrinkles”.  For adults we rarely think of how our finger prints may look but for a child, it describes a new discovery.

Another poem that I enjoyed was “barefoot.”  It reminds me of summer days gone by and just being able to be outside and feel the grass beneath my feet.  It gave a  rush of summer!

Overall, this collection of poetry was an easy and delightful read.  It had many poems that flooded me with memories of my childhood and also gave me a new perspective on an old thought.

As I began reading this book of poetry I wasn’t sure what was going on.  Then I realize this is somewhat like our journal except it is like a more like a response journal.  It seemed like the poems or on going activities were connected to whatever Jack had been studying or had read.

In the beginning of his writings he spoke of wheelbarrows and chickens and also refereed to a poem by Robert Frost.  However, as the poetry journal continued he began to go into depth about other things.  He mentioned the blue car with mud and his dog Yellow, over and over again.  I did not make the connection between the two until closer to the end.  Then I realized that why he kept revisiting these two topics.  Yellow was his beloved dog that was hit by the blue car with mud.

The next major focus of Jack’s was the author Walter Dean Myers.  Jack loved his poems and wanted to meet Mr. Myers.  After encourage by the teacher Jack finally wrote the Mr. Myers and he agreed to come to Jack’s clean school.  I think this should be a goal of teachers, to have students feel confident enough to write to an author.  I also like how Jack came to be proud of his poems and not be afraid of putting his name on his own work.

I think this is an adorable and simple collection of poems.  The poems are simple to read and could be used in a variety of subject matters.

My favorite of this collection is the poem “Prayer.” I love the stanzas, “And have such gifts to give, Sweet joy, sweet love, Sweet laughter, Sweet wondrous life to life.”  I think is this true of any child, they have so much to other.  That is if adults will take time to see the true and wonderful value of a child.

Several of Myers poems used repetitive lines.  This technique gave a feeling of emphasis and at times seemed as if was drawing the readers attention to a certain aspect of the poem.  In the poem “Love That Boy” Myers states, “He walk like his grandpa grins like his uncle Ben, I said he walks like his grandpa and grins like his Uncle Ben.”  I believe he does this to show family traits that are passed along from one generation to the next, and the reasons to celebrate family heritage.