Definitions*taken from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th ed. (2003)* :
Definitions*taken from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th ed. (2003)* Phonics
Reading
Culture
Phonic Programs :
Phonic Programs Meyer states that :
“…during the teaching of phonics, issues of [cultural] difference are erased and ignored by the phonic programs.”
Problems with Phonic Programs :
Problems with Phonic Programs They are scripted
They do not address specific needs of specific learners
They lack in sensitivity to cultural differences
They use language from the “dominant culture”
Diversity Matters :
Diversity Matters Meyer states that:
“…teaching [reading] is rooted in identities and that comes from family life, cultural life, and other factors of living and learning in a diverse society. But all that is placed aside during phonics.”
My Experience :
My Experience from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
“I celebrate myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you…” from “The Book of Genesis According to St. Miguelito” by Miguel Piñero
“Before the beginning
God created God
In the beginning
God created the ghettos & slums
and God saw this…”
Conclusion :
Conclusion Culture influences every context to which we come
Our cultural links are what support us in bringing meaning to a language event [such as reading]
As teachers we need to gain insight into the communities in which we teach and our students’ way with words