I have been challenged by McLachlan
& Arrow (2014) after reading their article on Promoting alphabet knowledge
and phonological awareness in low socioeconomic child care settings: A quasi
experimental study in five New Zealand centers.
The authors raised my level of thinking about my own personal
development needs in teaching reading.
McLachlan & Arrow (2014) reiterated what Nuttall (2005) shared as
important things for teachers to consider:
“Three main things shape curriculum decision making: teachers’ initial
training; their awareness of different curricula and theories; and their
conception of their own role” (p. 820).
As you read through this article,
you will be reminded of a few Early Childhood Courses that exclusively taught on
the importance of literacy. Yet, as this
article points out, many certified preschool teachers are not properly skilled
in the alphabet principle in literacy acquisition, phoneme and phonemic
awareness, (McLachlan & Arrow, 2014 p. 821). This article suggests more time is needed for
professional development in order for teachers to teach reading properly. Are you confident in your ability to teach
reading considering its importance in cognitive child development? List curriculum and personal development
training that has helped you to become confident in teaching literacy in
primary grades.
McLachlan, C., & Arrow, A. (2014). Promoting
alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness in low socioeconomic child care
settings: A quasi experimental study in five New Zealand centers. Reading
And Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 27(5), 819-839.
