What chidren CAN do

As children enter kindergarten and are working on developing their literacy skills, it's important that as teachers we focus on how each child is learning, growing, and progressing. Each child comes into the classroom with their own personal experiences with literacy, whether they be derived from teachings at home or their cultural backgrounds. Using each child's strengths is valuable when we are focusing on their literacy skills. In her article, "Sounding Out: A Pervasive Cultural Model of Reading", Catherine Compton-Lily states how teacher and family practices should focus beyond the "sounding it out" approach when helping young and struggling readers learn to read. Compton-Lily explains that ""sounding out" draws through a reliance on letter sound association" (2005, p.442) and is giving students the idea that reading is just a form of breaking down sounds, therefore, children are not engaging with what they are reading. Compton-Lily, along with others mentioned in the article, suggest that there are other strategies that draw upon children's knowledge that can be used to help students read. Students and parents who took part in the Compton-Lily's research showed that instead of just "sounding it out" students were looking for context within the reading. For some, that context was looking at the picture and from then drawing on their previous knowledge and being able to work through the word they were reading. While this strategy may vary from student to student, it's a strategy that children are already using when they are making meaning of the stories they read through during independent reading time. Children are constructing their own meaning and stories if they are not yet able to read all or most of the words. It only makes sense that we apply this same approach when they are learning to read and come across words that may seem unfamiliar to them.

For readers who seem to struggle with comprehension it's important that we also look at their strengths instead of focusing on their inability to understand. Modeling strategies for understanding can aid children in using these strategies. It's also important to keep in mind that children may be already using their own strategies when engaging with a text. In their book Catching Readers before They Fall Pat Johnson and Katie Keier talk about the different ways that readers use their previous knowledge and skills to understand or comprehend a text. While some strategies can be taught it's important to understand that not all children use them in a sequential order. The child will use these strategies "when he or she deems necessary to understand a text or solve a problem while reading" (2010, p. 136).  Some of these strategies may include children taping into their previous background knowledge to make connections with the text. Using this in order to help children comprehend can be very powerful. Children may also be able to visualize what they are reading in order to comprehend and that's another way in which teachers can use what children already know in order to connect with the text.

Focusing on students' strengths allows students to be able to tap into their literacy skills in a much more positive and engaging manner. Using the skills they already have and bring into the classroom allows for children to create strategies that helps them with their reading and comprehension.