Week12 Reading Blog

Analyst – What does this do to me?

1.2 Explains how young children’s literacy & numeracy learning can be socially conveyed through their behavior, feelings or approach 

4.2 Describes how parents, peers & communities may see, feel & shape young children’s early literacy & numeracy experiences 

Keywords: critical questions, mathematics, students, critical readers, mathematical problems, critical thinking

What?

The two readings I have selected for this week are the following two articles:

·      Critical questions: Whose questions?

o   Simpson, Anne

·      The Classroom that Math Built: Encouraging young Mathematicians to pose problems.

o   Wallace, Ann., Abbott, Deborah, and Blary, Reneé McAlhaney

So What?

Critical questions: Whose questions?

o   Simpson, Anne

The objective of the author is help children to be critical readers and ask questions based on their understanding of the texts. By teaching readers, including educators, to unmask unwritten words, to enable them to choose whether or not to accept the standards and morals of the text, by being more aware of how to relate to the story and less vulnerable to manipulation.   Although majority of this article talks about her experience with upper primary and lower secondary students/classes, I still believe the strategies used by Simpson (Simpson, 1996) is relevant to the younger age groups.   “Ideals of critical literacy are at best provisional. They are the most favorable constructions possible at given times out of what we have available in the way of theory and practice” (Lankshear, 1994, p. 4) Teaching is a political practice, it is impossible to be neutral with the literacy works that we select and the manner in which we work with them. (Luke, 1988) As teachers we have our own schemas and opinions that will unavoidably impact how and what we teach and affect how students react to texts. The article goes on to say the questions are necessarily the best way to establish critical understanding. Different strategies work with different kinds of texts. When working with questions we must not forget to appreciate and respect children’s own agendas and not influence their talk and thinking with our grown up questions. Our views and predictions can inhibit us from acknowledging what the children are talking about, causing us to anxiously wait to hear what we prefer they talk about. It is not necessary for all questions to be critical, maybe only some.  The best starting points to engaging children’s learning is by listening and responding to their interests and concerns. Textural features and cultural issues can be considered later when they have gained confidence and skill. “if the children don’t care about the answers, we may as well not bother with the questions.” (Simpson, 1996, p. 126)

The Classroom That Math Built: Encouraging Young Mathematicians to Pose Problems

o   Wallace, Ann., Abbott, Deborah. & Blary, Reneé McAlhaney

The author talks about sharing and supporting the construction of mathematical thinking to her year two students.  She incorporated multiple and varied math resources into her activities to augment mathematical learning. Resources such as two and three dimensional geometric shapes, linking cubes, counters, number tiles, pattern blocks, measuring tapes, rulers, calculators, graph paper and writing supplies. The National Council of teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) encourages teachers to create problem-solving scenarios that will inspire children to develop and resolve their own problems. By building on their curiosity and promoting children’s engagement in genuine mathematical activity that allows them to encounter many problems, techniques and answers rather that just one. In the real world there are no set procedures or answers.  To be an effective teacher we should acknowledge and offer options and instances to construct math skills and ideas with in the environment, by guiding classroom discussions regarding children’s problem solving experiences. We should give children the responsibility of putting value to their learning, highlighting the vital part the teacher plays in the process.  “Effective early childhood educators teach children how to think. The goal of problem posing is for children to figure out how to ask a question from or about a given situation.” (Wallace, 2007, p. 48)

Now What?

Both article highlight how our personal bias may affect what and how we teach our students so it is important to appreciate and respect children’s agendas even when they are different from our own.

Bibliography

Lankshear, C. (1994). Critical literacy. Occasiona paper , No. 3.

Luke, A. (1988). The non-neutrality of literacy: A critical introduction. Australian Journal of Reading , 11, 79-83.

NCTM. (2000). Standards for grades Pre-K-2. In Principles and standards for school mathematics. 29-140.

Simpson, A. (1996). Critical questions: Whose questionS? The Reading Teacher , 50 (2), 118-128.

Wallace, A. A. (2007). The Classroom that math built: Encouraging Young Mathematicians to Pose Problems. YC Young Children , 62 (5), 42-48.