DOCUMENT RESUME EIS 251 857 CS 208 718 AUTHOR Jaggar, Angela, Ed.; Smith-Burke, M. Trika, Ed. TITLE Observing the Language Levrner. INSTITUTION International Reading Association, Newark, Del.; National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, REPORT NO ISBN-0-87207-890-6 PUB DATE 85 NOTE 261p.; This publication is the result of work of the NCTE and IRA Joint Committee on the Impact of Child Language Development Research on Curriculum and Instruction and of the "Impact Conference" sponsored by that committee. AVAILABLE FROMNational Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801 (Stock No. 33991, $11.00 nonmember, $8.00 member); International Reading Association, 800 Barksdale Rd., Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714 (Book. Order No. 890, $11.00 nonmember, $8.00 msmber). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) -- Books (010) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Beginning Reading; *Child Development; Child Language; Classroom Environment; *Classroom Observation Techniques; *Classroom Techniques; Elementary Education; *Language Acquisition; Language Patterns; *Language Processing; Language Research; *Learning Strategies; Literature Appreciation; Oral Language; Student Behavior; Teacher Student Relationship; Writing Instruction ABSTRACT Intended for teachers and others having responsibility for shaping language policy in the schools, this collection of invited, original articles is based on tha belief that a teacher's task is not to "teach" children language but,rather, to create an environment that will allow language learning to occur naturally. The book is divided into four interrelated parts. The two chapters in the first part provide the rationale for observing children's language and establish the central theme. Parts two and three comprise the heart of the book and deal with the different, but overlapping, facets of language development described by M. A. K. Halliday. Chapters in both parts contain sections on observing oral language and written language. Specifically, chapters in part two concentrate on what children learn as they construct the symbol system, the strategies they use, and how their behavior reveals their developing awareness of language. Chapters in part three focus on school age children by looking at ways in which they use language. Chapters in part four highlight the importance of continually monitoring the effect of curriculum and instruction on children's language use and learning. (HOD) b _As U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCA rIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER tERICI ThisT tIoLurnenthat;been reproduced as rei.eiseil Pont the person or organization orictinahng it Weir changes have been MICIO to improve reprotiElition podlit Ponts of sivw ill opinions stated lit des doeu mem do not 105cessarav represent official NIE pnsdnve or pot, C\I OBSERVING THE LANGUAGE LEARNER LAJ Edited by Angela Jaggar and M. Trika Smith-Burke New York University Copublished by the International Reading Association 800 Barksdale Road, Box 8139, Newark, Delaware 19714 National Council of Teachers of English 1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801 "PERMISSION TO Ht IODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY NOTE IRA TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION OFFICERS 1984.1985 PresidentBernice E. Cullinan, New York University, New York City Vice PresidentJohn C. Manning, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Vice President ElectRoselmina Indrisano, Boston University, Massachusetts Executive DirectorRonald W. Mitchell, International Reading Association, Newark, Delaware DIRECTORS Term Expiring Spring 1985 Bobbye S. Goldstein, New York City Public Schools, New York Doris Roettger, Heartland Education Agency, Ankeny, Iowa Judith N. The len, Frostburg State College, Frostburg, Maryland Term Expiring Spring 1986 Marie M. Clay, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Dale D. Johnson, University of Wisconsin, Madison Barbara M. Valdez, North Sacramento School District, Sacramento, California Term Expiring Spring 1987 Carl Braun, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Nora Forester, Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas Susan Mandel Glazer, Rider College, Lawrenceville, New Jersey Copyright 1985 by the International Reading Association, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: Observing the language learner. Includes bibliographies. I. Language arts (Elementary). Congresses. 2. ChildrenLanguageCongresses.I. Jaggar, Angela. IL Smith-Bur!te. M. Trika.III. IRMNrrE Committee on the Impact of Child Language Development Research on Curriculum and Instruction. I.B1576.027 1985 372.6 84-12986 ISBN 0-87207.890-6 3 ii Contents Foreword v Prefacevii 1 OnObserving the Language Learner:Introduction and Overview AngelaM. Jaggar Part One Knowing Children and Language 8 Introduction 9 Kidwatching: Observing Children in the Classroom Yetta M. Goodman 19 Language ;,:nd Language Learning for Child Watchers Martha L. King Part Two Children Learning Language and Learning about Language 39 Introduction Oral Language Learning 41 Understanding the Development of Language Structure Judith WellsLindfors 57 Ways to Look at the Functions of Children's Language Gay Su Pinnell Written Language Learning 73 A Young Child's Developing Concepts of Print Myna M. Haussler 82 Reading-Like Behavior: Its Role in Learning to Read David B. Doake 99Watching Young Writers Glenda L. Bissex 115 Watching and Listening to Children Read Dorothy Watson Part Three Children Using Language and Learning through Language 129 Introduction Oral Language Use 131 Observing Communicative Performance in Young Children Celia Genishi 143 Peer-Peer Learning: Evidence from a Student-Run Sharing Time Sarah Michaels and Michele Foster 159 Cultures Together in the Classroom: "What You Sayin?" Barbara Z. Kiefer and Johanna S. De Stefano Written Language Use 173 First Graders' Uses for Writing Vera Milz 190 Learning to Think through Writing Lucy McCormick Calkins 199 Reading and Talking: Learning through Interaction M. Trika Smith-Burke 212 Looking at Response to Literature Janet Hickman Part Four Curriculum and Instruction: The Language Learning Environment 220 Introduction 221 When You Get the Right Answer to the Wrong Question: Observing and Understanding Communication in Classrooms Judith 0. Harker and Judith L. Green 232 Classroom Contexts for Language and Literacy Moira G. McKenzie iv Foreword During times of public insecurity about educational quality in the schools, an uncertainty often emerges about what directions the schools should take. This is particularly true in so critical an area as the teaching of lan- guage. Public demands for increased student achievement generally begin with criticism of instruction in the communicative artsreading, writing, listening, and speaking. Educators react to public pressure for increased pupil performance in a variety of ways. Those least informed about language learning often respond by centering the language curriculum on a narrow set of language skills thought to be easily defined and measured. Unfortunately, this kind of response almost inevitably leads to an elimination of many goals impor- tant to the language curriculum. It may produce assessments that yield triv- ial and even misleading results and may even restrict good classroom practice. Without question. educators have a responsibility to respond to public concern for student progress. The response is best offered, however, by informed professionals acting in the best interest of long term develop- ment of the children they teach. Fortunately for students and teachers, recent research has added sig- nificantly to our understanding of how children learn language. The new research draws upon a diversity of disciplines. Psycho linguistics, sociolin- guistics, anthropology, child development, cognitive psychology, and edu- cation are among the fields contributing to the emerging theories and methodologies. The new research has extended our knowledge base and changed our understanding of how children develop and use language to make sense of the world around them. At the he of these investigations has been the importance of the social and functional nature of language learning. All of the language proc- esseslistening. speaking. reading. and writing are viewed as means by which learners construct meaning. Students are regarded as active partici- (; pants in their own learning, and the interdependence of language, thinking, and learning is stressed. Teaching techniquesare encouraged that promote genuine student-generated purposes for language use and allow time for free give-and-take among students to solve problems, explore ideas, and confer regarding their work. The importance of process rather than product in the development and use of language is emphasized, New research points out the importance of a process approach to the evaluation of language growth. Evaluation is viewedas an integral part of language instruction. Assessments of student progress made in isolation from ongoing teacher observations are virtually worthless in gaining infor- mation with which to make instructional decisions, Teachers of reading and writing need to be available to students (watching, discussing,re- sponding), gaining insight into the why and what of language learning. Research to practice has never been easy. Applying these insights in school settings is even more difficult at a time when teachersmay feel dis- couraged because tests and texts tend to