Although my clip is not from youtube, instead it is from hulu, I find it supplementing our class reading in a very interesting way. Many times oral reading is considered perhaps the most important part of guided reading. In the video that I watched is a segment on how dogs are helping low-income kids in Chicago improve their reading. It is a program that combines children, dogs, volunteers, schools, and great results. The reason why oral language is such an important aspect in guided reading is it allows teachers a great assessment opportunity. This reading is not completed in a homogeneous context yet it has a larger audience. The goal of the "Sit, Stay, Read" program is to get students to read aloud to the dogs and volunteers in the classroom. Later on these students are accessed on their reading comprehension. This program has opened up a new aspect of reading. Kids love dogs, and many of these students who have struggled in their reading have come to love reading. Because the dogs are non-judgmental and if students mispronounce a word at first they have no reason to feel embarressed. Many critics believe that reading aloud is critical to beginning literacy. This method may not work as well as student's reading matures, even so these needy readers have many substantial progress. Many students that come from low-income families have had very few hours read to them at home. We discussed this in class earlier in the year how important it was to children to be introduced to literacy at a very young age. Since these students were not raised in households that encourage reading, they fall behind in class. It is not necessarily the fact that these students come from low income families, but because they are only read to on average for 25 hours before they enter school compared to average income families that read to their children for 1000 hours.
The students also write about their experience. Teachers are also able to evaluate students not only in their reading and oral skills but also comprehension and writing. Children who participate in this program improve 24 word per minute in their oral reading and children not using the program increased only 9 words per minute. Another important concept to remember is the student's attitudes in the classroom and towards reading. We discussed this in class when referring to our own teaching philosophies. This program changes kids attitudes about reading because they are now motivated to read because they feel comfortable in their surroundings and who they are reading to. Some students work together when writing their experience and interact better than they did during the normal school year. It is important to remember that audience plays a factor in children's ability to learn. Dogs have made a positive literacy experience for many children in Chicago
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This is so interesting! I never would have thought of having children read to animals. I think this is the most interesting idea, and could also be useful for children with special needs.
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