Build on the rock: teacher feedback and reading competence.

Build on the rock: teacher feedback and reading competence. Introduction It is expected that children leave primary school able to read,write and speak well enough to meet the demands of secondary school. Therock upon which the high school curriculum is built is the premise thatstudents can read, write and speak with reasonable competence, both totake in printed material and to communicate their own thoughts throughspeech and writing. These skills are needed to understand more about theworld outside school (Eisner 1993), and are important for survival andsuccess as adults in our culture. The relevant responses to a questionnaire completed by Year 7students from a rural area in South-east Queensland, however, revealthat only 66% of those students were confident of their competence inreading. In line with this finding, comparatively few students admittingto lack of confidence agreed that they read outside school or attained`good' marks for their schoolwork, yet not all could see a linkbetween lack of reading competence and low marks in schoolwork anddifficulties with homework. The study revealed little correlationbetween their reading habits and either parental reading and support orrime spent at the computer or television screen. The research suggests the need for both teachers and parents togive regular explicit feedback to children and to stress more forcibly forc��i��ble?adj.1. Effected against resistance through the use of force: The police used forcible restraint in order to subdue the assailant.2. Characterized by force; powerful. the objectives and value of literacy skills. Methodology The purpose of the research was not to investigate reading alone,but to probe the expectations of students in their final year at primaryschool as they approached the transition to high school, but not simplyto replicate rep��li��catev.1. To duplicate, copy, reproduce, or repeat.2. To reproduce or make an exact copy or copies of genetic material, a cell, or an organism.n.A repetition of an experiment or a procedure. what other researchers had done. In the belief thatstudents' habits and attitudes, personal experiences andaspirations aspirationsnpl → aspiraciones fpl(= ambition); ambici��n faspirationsnpl (= hopes, ambition) → aspirations fplmight have a bearing on their expectations about highschool, the questionnaire was devised to include statements and bothclosed and open questions which, it was hoped, would reveal such links.Ample room was available for comments, but only a handful took fulladvantage of the opportunity. As part of wider research into thetransition, 185 students from 13 Year 7 classes in 11 schools completedthe questionnaire during November 1998. Two were one-teacher schools,one had two teachers, one four, and the others at least one class atevery year level. Two were church schools, one of which is part of aP-12 college. Four day-girls from the grammar school in a nearby city,easily accessible from outlying out��ly��ing?adj.Relatively distant or remote from a center or middle: outlying regions.outlyingAdjectivefar away from the main areaAdj. 1. areas, also completed the questionnaire. This paper concerns only parts of the questionnaire that directlyor indirectly involve reading: how students see themselves as readers,how they manage schoolwork and homework, how the teacher interacts withthem, whether or not they believe the ability to read easily affects theway they cope academically, their own and their parents' readinghabits, the amount of time spent on video and computer games andtelevision, and their perceptions of parental support. Results It was necessary, first, to find those who did not see themselvesas `good' readers. The term `good' was not defined, nor werestudents asked to define it. It was expected that in the context of thisquestionnaire, a broad, `common-sense' understanding of the termwas sufficient. Of the total cohort cohort/co��hort/ (ko��hort)1. in epidemiology, a group of individuals sharing a common characteristic and observed over time in the group.2. , over one-third could not agree that they weregood readers. In the belief that reading habits would reflect reading ability,students were also asked about the frequency of their reading outsideschool. The percentage of students in each category who often readdecreases as their images of themselves as readers diminish, while thepercentage of those who seldom read increases. It is reasonable to assume that the 17 students who marked `Notsure' and claimed to read once or twice a week or more often aremore competent, but either unsure of what constitutes good reading ormindful mind��ful?adj.Attentive; heedful: always mindful of family responsibilities.See Synonyms at careful.mind of their patchy PATCHY - A Fortran code management program written at CERN. performance and/or comprehension, even generallymodest in disposition and lacking self-confidence. The 22 who statedthey seldom read could probably be classed as poorer readers. It was necessary, also, to ascertain whether or not perceived lackof reading competence equated with perceived lack of competence inschoolwork generally. The proportion of competent readers claiming to get good marksexceeds that of their reading peers claiming not to get good marks. Inthe case of less competent readers the reverse occurs. It isacknowledged that the `common-sense' meaning of the term`good' may not have been clear to some of the respondents. Again, the researcher sought information on student perceptions ofwhether difficulties in coping with schoolwork correlate withdifficulties in reading. From their personal experience and/or observations, 64.3% of allrespondents perceive a link between difficulty in reading and difficultyin coping with schoolwork. Of the 63 respondents who were not confidentreaders 69.8% gave their opinion that lack of reading competence makesschoolwork harder. The researcher presumed that if students see a link betweendifficulty in reading and difficulty in coping with schoolwork, theywould probably also see a link between reading problems and difficultyin coping with homework. Difficulties with schoolwork carry over into the homework area, ashalf the non-readers attested at��test?v. at��test��ed, at��test��ing, at��testsv.tr.1. To affirm to be correct, true, or genuine: The date of the painting was attested by the appraiser.2. , compared to 42.1% of those not sure oftheir reading status. On the other hand, of those claiming to benon-readers and those unsure of their ability, 40.2% and 44.7%,respectively, saw no link. A total of 11.1% of those less confidentreaders were not sure of the effects on homework due to lack of readingcompetence. If this is so, there may be students who avoid doing the sethomework. Q. 12. I only do my homework because I get into trouble if Idon't. Of the total cohort, 45.4% agreed that the avoidance of trouble istheir motivation for doing homework: 42.6% of better readers, comparedto 50% of the less able or unconfident. Why do so many students see such little value in homework? The proportion of students who profess pro��fess?v. pro��fessed, pro��fess��ing, pro��fess��esv.tr.1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major that they do not know whatthe teacher thinks rises with lack of confidence in reading ability. Ofthe total cohort 39.5% of students agree that they do not know what theteacher is thinking about their work, 33.5% are not sure whether theyknow or not (probably recalling specific instances), and 27% disagreewith Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people"hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" the statement, satisfied that they do know. There may be other instances where students do not pick up theteacher's thoughts. As confidence in reading declines, so also does agreement that theteacher always makes things clear. Of the total cohort 23.8% agree withthe statement, 21.6% are not sure (perhaps recalling specificinstances), and 54.6% disagree that the teacher makes things clear. It could be assumed also, that family and home factors andactivities might play a part in student responses to the schoolsituation. Analysis of results revealed no apparent pattern in family orgender with reference to reading ability. Even so, Ken Rowe Kenneth Darrell (Ken) Rowe (born December 31, 1933 in Ferndale, Michigan) is a former middle-relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1963) and Baltimore Orioles (1964-65). He batted and threw right handed. , ofMelbourne University's Faculty of Education, quoted by Horin(1996), claims that home reading activities are a crucial factor inliteracy development. It was thought, therefore, that the questionnairemight reveal links between poor reading and what happens at home:parental reading and/or time spent by the student on reading andtelevision, video and computer games. Almost all students who respondedto the questionnaire indicated that they see their parents readregularly, usually every day. Only one student (from a farming area), ofthe few who stated that they never read, stated that he never sees hisparents read. Four students stated that they see their parents read onlyonce or twice a month. Although Wells (1980, cited in College of StScholastica, 1999) believes that parental reading habits will usually bemodelled by their children, that was not so in this study. Of those 122students who see themselves as good readers, 14 professed pro��fess?v. pro��fessed, pro��fess��ing, pro��fess��esv.tr.1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major to read onlyonce or twice a month and six hardly ever, their leisure time perhapstaken up in the screen-watching which was not an alternative until thelast few years. Time spent watching television is also regarded as one of thepredictors of reading performance (Neumann & Prowda 1982). Fivenon-reading students, including the boy who stated that he never readsand never sees his parents read, indicated that they spend in excess offive hours a day in front of a screen. The other non-readers claimedthat they spend varying amounts of time in these pursuits, some verylittle, while many of their more confident peers also spend longperiods, even more than five hours a day, in such activities. In fact,only one of all the respondents professed not to spend any time in theseactivities. Discussion Reading competence and reading confidence are vital for success atsecondary school and beyond. Here, reading and the influences on studentattitudes towards literacy are discussed. Assessment and feedback arepart of instruction, and influence students' perceptions of theirability. Home background also plays a part. Reading Most children appear to master decoding de��code?tr.v. de��cod��ed, de��cod��ing, de��codes1. To convert from code into plain text.2. To convert from a scrambled electronic signal into an interpretable one.3. in the early primary years(Hinds Hinds may refer to:People with the surname Hinds: Hinds (surname) In places: Hinds, New Zealand, a small town Hinds County, Mississippi, a US county In business: F. 1999), after specific and incidental Contingent upon or pertaining to something that is more important; that which is necessary, appertaining to, or depending upon another known as the principal.Under Workers' Compensation statutes, a risk is deemed incidental to employment when it is related to whatever a teaching of skills by theteacher, occasional reading to the teacher at other times, and regularreading to an aide or volunteer at school and a parent a home.Children's desire to read at least partially reflects theirperception of their competence in reading (Beach 1994, cited in Collegeof St Scholastica 1999). Students to whom the art of reading comeseasily usually read often, enjoying the story as it unfolds or gatheringinformation from an expository text. They then keep reading, which makesthem even more facile (language) Facile - A concurrent extension of ML from ECRC.http://ecrc.de/facile/facile_home.html.["Facile: A Symmetric Integration of Concurrent and Functional Programming", A. Giacalone et al, Intl J Parallel Prog 18(2):121-160, Apr 1989]. . Lack of competence, however, blocks access to thestory line or the information being sought. Without pleasure orsatisfaction from reading, young readers will read little or nothing andso lose their skills. In this study, 63 students were in that position,not able to agree that they were good readers (see Table 1). Over halfof them seldom or never read (Table 2). As students progress through the grades there is a tendency toreduce the time spent in class or group reading instruction, with lessemphasis on reading as a separate subject. Instead, individual readingto aides and volunteers continues, with varying degrees of usefulness.In upper primary years the move from skills- and narrative-basedapproaches to reading instruction gradually changes to an approach wherecontent knowledge plays a greater role. Peters (1990) points out theimportance of balanced integration of process and content in knowledgeacquisition, helping students move beyond the surface to deeper levelsof understanding and revealing how content influences presentation anddemands variety in reading strategies. Subject teachers at high schoolwill use this approach as they expose students to a wider range of textsdiffering in purpose, style and subtlety sub��tle��ty?n. pl. sub��tle��ties1. The quality or state of being subtle.2. Something subtle, especially a nicety of thought or a fine distinction. (Curriculum Corporation 1994). Whether its purpose is to teach reading strategies or expandcontent knowledge, reading instruction is a three-way process, involvingreader and text, plus context, which includes the teacher and his or herpurpose. Not only does the teacher provide general material thatstraddles, illustrates and integrates content and process, reading andsubject areas, but he or she also notes weaknesses or misunderstandingsfor follow-up. This can be done only through direct interaction with thestudent. Without guidance and feedback, students, even those who readwell, will not come to see the reading act as growth in skills increating a schema, finding meaning, thinking and reasoning. Ifpurposeful pur��pose��ful?adj.1. Having a purpose; intentional: a purposeful musician.2. Having or manifesting purpose; determined: entered the room with a purposeful look. reading lessons, with orientation, reading and follow-up, arenot given regularly, children may read, but miss the real skills ofgathering literal and inferential in��fer��en��tial?adj.1. Of, relating to, or involving inference.2. Derived or capable of being derived by inference.in meaning from their reading and beingable to relate what they read to their own lives and what they alreadyknow. Remembering is built on such reflection. It is important forteachers to understand student attitudes to both reading generally andcurrent reading in particular, which are a potent factor in thedevelopment of reading skills. Even more important, however, Vaughan andEstes (1986) remind us, is the need for teachers to understand thatstudent attitudes reflect their judgement of, and respect for, theteacher's expectations, helpfulness and enthusiasm for reading andits place as one of the skills of literacy. Assessment and feedback If students derive their attitudes from their perceptions ofteacher attitudes, it behooves teachers to ensure that their input ispositive, and that they do provide needed input. In the primary classroom the practice of having students engaged indifferent activities as individuals or in groups is expected and so doesnot excite particular attention. Reid et al. (1989) maintain that theintimacy of small groups promotes greater involvement, interaction andlanguage growth. The teacher is constantly on the move, ready to giveassistance, listening and questioning, making comments or suggestions inan effort to match the demands of a task with student ability andfurther learning appropriate to that level. Because there are alwaysother individuals or groups waiting for the teacher's attention,however, interaction may be curtailed, perhaps too soon. The teacher's position has been likened to that of coach, withresponsibility for individual as well as team development. Wiggins(1993) makes the point that students must also be given the criteria bywhich classroom performance is judged, just as expectations for athletesand musicians are made clear to them. Only then will students know whatthey are aiming for. Aspirations create and sustain enthusiasm,improvement and empowerment. MacIver et al. (1995) acknowledge thedesirability of having children with learning difficulties strive forthe same exit as their peers, but believe it would be wiser tocollaborate with individual students to set specific realisable, butchallenging goals, then work with them to fulfil those goals, givingpositive reinforcement positive reinforcement,n a technique used to encourage a desirable behavior. Also calledpositive feedback, in which the patient or subject receives encouraging and favorable communication from another person. without exaggerating ex��ag��ger��ate?v. ex��ag��ger��at��ed, ex��ag��ger��at��ing, ex��ag��ger��atesv.tr.1. To represent as greater than is actually the case; overstate: the quality of theirperformance (Venezsky 1996). The questions the teacher asks, Wixson (1983) stresses, influencewhat children learn. What the teacher does to explain, demonstrate andencourage practice in real-life or similar situations is important inthe transfer of skills, but it is important too, to excite and enthuse en��thuse?v. en��thused, en��thus��ing, en��thus��es Usage Problemv.tr.To cause to become enthusiastic.v.intr. students in a positive environment based on the value the teacher putson reading. Vaughan and Estes (1986) also believe that the enthusiasticteacher who communicates attention to detail, realistic expectations ofstudents and fairness to them, and the valuing of reading in bothlearning and relaxation, has the power to affect student attitudestowards reading. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Kohl (1976), if teachers do not believestudents can learn, students will know it, and come to feel the sameway. Those who do poorly are shielded, and unobtrusive efforts made, notonly to build up their skills, but also to stress outside-class thingsthey do well and so bolster their self-esteem and self-confidence.Cormack (1992) points out, however, that differential treatment givessuch students the opposite, negative, message. In spite of goodintentions, in the rush of classroom life the teacher may not provideadequate individually designed support for students with difficulties. Often, too, students do not realise the value of mistakes asopportunities to grow, but see them as a sign of failure. Although it isdesirable that all students experience success (Wang 1992), only whenthey are challenged through failure to reflect on, deal with and come toa resolution of the problem will they engage in authentic learning. Toobviate the possibility of error, requirements may be watered down toomuch, to suit an individual or a group, when there would be greatervalue in a task which needs more hard thinking and the development offurther skills, albeit with more intervention, both planned andspontaneous, from the teacher (Hornsby & Sukarna 1986). In an effortto interact with all students, the teacher may give the neededinstruction to individuals, group or class, but omit o��mit?tr.v. o��mit��ted, o��mit��ting, o��mits1. To fail to include or mention; leave out: omit a word.2. a. To pass over; neglect.b. feedback on whathas already been done. According to Table 6, slightly less than half of the more ablereaders, and none of the remainder of the total cohort, claim to beaware of what the teacher thinks about their work. On the other hand,the proportion of those who agree that they do not know what the teacherthinks rises steeply as professed incompetence in��com��pe��tenceor in��com��pe��ten��cyn.1. The quality of being incompetent or incapable of performing a function, as the failure of the cardiac valves to close properly.2. in reading rises. Thosewho are not sure about their reading ponder Ponder - A non-strict polymorphic, functional language by Jon Fairbairn <jf@cl.cam.ac.uk>.Ponder's type system is unusual. It is more powerful than the Hindley-Milner type system used by ML and Miranda and extended by Haskell. about teacher feedback also,nearly one half concluding that they are not sure of that either. If these figures are linked with those in Table 3, which showsstudents who claim to get good marks for their work, it can be seen thatover 60% of able readers agree that they do so. This suggests, then,that some of those students do not know what aspects of their work ledto the good marks. Of the remaining respondents, 30.2% claim to get goodmarks for their schoolwork, yet they do not know what the teacher isthinking, and so do not know the reason for those good marks. In myexperience, students are often more interested in the marks they receivefor the tangible product than in what they learn from the experience.They are often inclined, also, not to look beyond the appearance of theproduct as an indicator of work that deserves good marks. Although this is linked with feedback, it may also be linked withthe degree to which students understand what the teacher is saying.Table 7 shows that this decreases as competence in reading decreases.The situation is a spiral: the ability to read broadens both knowledgeand thinking, so that shades of Noun 1. shades of - something that reminds you of someone or something; "aren't there shades of 1948 here?"reminder - an experience that causes you to remember something meaning in the teacher's utterancesare picked up, to add to knowledge and to make further connections,which in their turn enhance both the reading process and what isgathered from it, and so on. The process is similar in the case of lessable readers: through lack of competence in reading and the consequentdisinclination dis��in��cli��na��tion?n.A lack of inclination; a mild aversion or reluctance.Noun 1. disinclination - that toward which you are inclined to feel dislike; "his disinclination for modesty is well known" to engage in the activity a student's comprehensionof the world is limited, so that not all the teacher says is understood,and opportunities are lost for further cognition cognitionAct or process of knowing. Cognition includes every mental process that may be described as an experience of knowing (including perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning), as distinguished from an experience of feeling or of willing. , and so on. Moyle(1968) stresses that poor reading achievement limits success in otherareas of the curriculum, leads to avoidance of reading and furtherdecline in skills, and even creates negative social attitudes. Figuresin Table 4 show that over 64% of all respondents in the study definitelyagree that lack of reading makes schoolwork harder. There are however,four of the 24 poorer readers, who definitely disagree. Teachers are always in a bind as to where it is best to spendtime--in individual or small group interaction. Who will benefit more?Time spent with more able readers appears to be more profitable, whereasspecial attention paid to less able readers may not only make a certainpoint clear but also inspire them to greater exertions. Wang (1992)points out that the pattern of interaction in the latter case has astrong influence on interest and motivation, not just busy-ness. Assessment is part of the curriculum, providing information on boththe quality of instruction and student progress. It is not enough,however, no matter how laudable laud��a��bleadj.Healthy; favorable. , for teachers to gather information oneach student's development for the purposes of building on existingskills and giving feedback to parents. Students need an evaluation ofpast performance, not only concentration on future requirements. Theproblem of time constraints can be lessened if students are trained toself-evaluate their reading. In the early '70s, Holdaway (1972) wasa pioneer in the field of promoting independence in reading. Hesuspected that students work with their classmates Classmates can refer to either: Classmates.com, a social networking website. Classmates (film), a 2006 Malayalam blockbuster directed by Lal Jose, starring Prithviraj, Jayasurya, Indragith, Sunil, Jagathy, Kavya Madhavan, Balachandra Menon, ... as they assimilate as��sim��i��latev.1. To consume and incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion.2. To transform food into living tissue by the process of anabolism. and integrate ideas, and receive training in reading and responding onto tape, either spontaneously or through directed activities, or byjournalling, writing, drama, music or art. The teacher keeps in touchwith each student, but in regular interviews can induce students toreflect further on their growing attainments as well as on what acertain reading event has meant to them. They thus accept a portion ofthe responsibility for their own learning, practice and development,which, after ail, a coach expects of players. Such training, withteacher feedback, helps give students realistic perceptions of theirskills and abilities. This is certainly done in many classrooms. How todo it in the most appropriate manner for an individual, however, is notalways easy to decide. For instance, the student in the study with themost negative attitude to school has no doubt about what he believieshis teacher thinks of his work: `She says it is horrible, disgusting(sic Latin, In such manner; so; thus.A misspelled or incorrect word in a quotation followed by "[sic]" indicates that the error appeared in the original source. )'. Is this part of the cause or part of the result of hisnegativity? Has the perceived bluntness of her feedback brought anyimprovement, made him determined to show her what he can do, ordestroyed motivation completely? Perceptions of ability Over one-third of students stated that they are not good readers orare not sure of their ability and do not read often. This is well overthe rough estimate of one-quarter, given by Year 8 teachers interviewedas part of the research, of students who enter high school with skillsinadequate to cope with its demands. Year 7 teachers interviewed fromlarger schools quote the same approximate figure in referring tostudents who require modifications in the work presented to them and/orexpected of them. They claim that the problems did not arise in Year 7:students who are not secure in their knowledge, skills and understandingas they leave primary school were struggling long before they enteredtheir final primary year. Whatever the cause of their insecurity InsecurityInseparability (See FRIENDSHIP.)Insolence (See ARROGANCE.)Hamletintrospective, vacillating Prince of Denmark. [Br. Lit.: Hamlet]Linuscartoon character who is lost without his security blanket. , it isdisturbing to find such a substantial number who do not have thepersonal academic resources to withstand the storms and shocks of Year 8where so much depends on rock-solid reading. The questionnaire was designed to help students reflect on theirprimary school experience as well as on their expectations regardinghigh school. It was reasonable to suppose that their perceptions oftheir ability as readers and students would form the basis for theirresponses. The questionnaire did not define the word good, pertaining per��tain?intr.v. per��tained, per��tain��ing, per��tains1. To have reference; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident.2. toreading and marks awarded to schoolwork, but expected that studentswould have a commonality of understanding that it inferred a certaindegree of facility in word recognition and understanding of content,satisfaction from teachers and parents, and no negative repercussions repercussionsnpl → r��percussions fplrepercussionsnpl → Auswirkungen plateither school or home. In probing feelings about marks for schoolwork(Q. 2, Table 3), the word always may have been a stumbling block stum��bling blockn.An obstacle or impediment.stumbling blockNounany obstacle that prevents something from taking place or progressingNoun 1. tostudents doing their best to answer honestly. Those whose response wasNot sure may indeed have been more sensitive respondents, who realisedthat they do not have in equal measure the various skills required fordifferent types of schoolwork, including reading. Even so, allowing fordifferences in their understanding of the concept of good marks,students' perceptions of their own ability, their aspirations, thevalue of the subject to them, and the classroom environment will allplay a part in the effort they make to do well, especially withassessment in mind. In any case, with 63 negative responses to Q. 5, I am a goodreader, it can be presumed from Table 1 that 122, 66% of the totalcohort, see themselves as competent readers. Of that number, almost 40%doubt that their marks for work are always good, compared to 60.7% whoclaim good marks, 26% and 40% of the total cohort, respectively. Amongthe less able readers, only 30.2% claim to get good marks, compared toalmost 70% who do not do so, 10.3% and 23.7% of the total cohort,respectively. These figures come from Table 3. If students have not been trained to evaluate their own performancein reading, they may be unaware of what constitutes good reading. Theymay not have opportunities to compare their own fluency flu��ent?adj.1. a. Able to express oneself readily and effortlessly: a fluent speaker; fluent in three languages.b. andcomprehension with those of others. Reading aloud in group work isprobably incidental, but for a specific purpose, and perhaps eager,facile readers simply take over. Unless students hear other studentsread and comment during discussion they may not realise thepossibilities that open out when a passage is considered. Perhaps, too,the pressures of time allow fewer opportunities for the teacher to readto the class, an activity which is often seen as unimportant un��im��por��tant?adj.Not important; petty.unim��portance n. . Modellingof expressive reading, making personal connections, which illuminate il��lu��mi��nate?v. il��lu��mi��nat��ed, il��lu��mi��nat��ing, il��lu��mi��natesv.tr.1. To provide or brighten with light.2. To decorate or hang with lights.3. theauthor's meaning and the successful location of information, willemphasise to students the value of literacy. With the trend towards student-centred education, as Brady andKennedy (1998) suggest, then the necessity for student co-operation,self-assessment and personal responsibility will be met, not by subjector teacher needs, but from consideration of student needs. This meansthat students must receive early feedback from the teacher, which theycan comprehend and act upon. Home background Parents are in a unique position to offer feedback andencouragement. Cairney and Munsie (1995) emphasise the relationshipbetween school success and factors associated with home and family whichaccount, at least to a large extent, for differences in literacyperformance. Findings in this study were inconclusive INCONCLUSIVE. What does not put an end to a thing. Inconclusive presumptions are those which may be overcome by opposing proof; for example, the law presumes that he who possesses personal property is the owner of it, but evidence is allowed to contradict this presumption, and show who is , showing nopatterns of home background or activity which might suggest a link withpoor reading skills. On the contrary, almost all students respondedpositively to Q. 15 and Q. 16, My parents think it is important for meto do well at school and My parents are happy if I'm doing my best,respectively. They believe their parents value education and at leastgive verbal, if not practical, support. Only the boy mentioned on page15 was completely negative, strongly disagreeing that his parents weresupportive or that they ever read. His perceptions of his parents andthat of his teacher as lacking interest in his progress were evident inhis responses about his hatred of all schoolwork in primary school andhis expectations that it would be the same at secondary school. Positionin family did not seem to have any relevance to the outcomes of thisstudy. Table 8 shows that, of the less able readers, only two, bothboys, were only children; 5 boys and 1 girl were the youngest, the samenumbers were the eldest, and 7 boys and 3 girls middle children. It iscommon to find more boys than girls experiencing reading difficulties. It was not possible to perceive any correlation between time spentin screen-watching and reading/academic ability. There are good readerswho claim good marks for schoolwork who say they spend over five hoursper day in front of the television or computer screen, while there areless able readers who are little involved in such activities. This doesnot agree with Ashley's (1998) contention that an increase intelevision watching is linked with a decline in literacy. Nor does interest in the screen seem to be related to astudent's attitude towards homework, which depends on pastdifficulties and successes, as well as on the purpose and importanceattached to it perceived in the statements and actions of parents andteachers. Over 45% of the total cohort gives their reason for doinghomework as their desire to keep out of trouble. This includes over halfof the weaker readers. Murphy and Murphy (1990) believe that homeworkcreates more anxiety for high school students than any other aspect ofschool life, seldom free of the pressures that come from having to docertain activities by a certain date. On the other hand, Coulter andMcHale (1980) maintain that careful preparation by the teacher can makehomework, perhaps not a pleasure, but at least a useful activity whichall students can manage and appreciate. As one respondent In Equity practice, the party who answers a bill or other proceeding in equity. The party against whom an appeal or motion, an application for a court order, is instituted and who is required to answer in order to protect his or her interests. commented,more students would do their homework willingly if they derivedsatisfaction and enjoyment from it. Reifer et al. (1989) believe thatthe purpose of homework is to develop independence, confidence and goodwork habits as well as to practice and reinforce what has already beenlearned or to show that it has not been learned. Do students understandthis? Together, teachers and parents need to decide on a homework policy.According to Cairney and Munsie (1995), a reciprocal relationshipbetween home and school not only helps children to cope more effectivelywith school, but also breaks down barriers between parents and teachersas they come to a better understanding, and ultimately leads to progressin literacy development. Parents of young children are usually keen to explore the potentialof home reading, which includes both reading to children and listeningto them read. This is an opportunity to help children delight in booksand reading, both now and in the future. A scheduled amount of readingfrom a reading book may still be set to be read to someone at home, forthe purpose of providing practice and developing the reading ethic. Goodreaders, eager for the story or the information, will read regularly oftheir own accord. In the case of poor readers, however, their slownesscauses them to lose the thread of the material, and they derive neitherpleasure nor benefit from the reading activity. The time is misery forboth child and listener, and, in the long run, destroys the desire toread. The gap widens between ardent (Ardent Software, Inc., Westboro, MA) A database vendor formed in 1998 as the merger of VMARK Software, Unidata and O2 Technology. Its products included the UniVerse and UniData databases and DataStage data warehouse utility. readers and those who read at onlyfunctional level and only when it is required of them. Frustrations felt day after day by parent and child may make homereading and homework things to be dreaded dread?v. dread��ed, dread��ing, dreadsv.tr.1. To be in terror of.2. To anticipate with alarm, distaste, or reluctance: dreaded the long drive home. . Certainly, many parents mayspend more time than can reasonably be expected in working with studentswho have reading and/or other academic difficulties to ensure that thework is done correctly--and this after a day where work is made moredifficult for those very reasons. Parental motives for supporting theirchildren can be understood, but may not ultimately be in the bestinterests of the children. Cairney and Munsie (1995) claim, however, notall parents feel competent enough to deal with their children'shomework, and there are many who do not feel secure enough in the schoolsetting to complain. Waterland (1988) points out the advantages of home support: time,individual attention, fewer interruptions, less pressure and lovingconcern to complement the expertise, variety of materials andprogression in reading skills which the school offers. Tinker andMcCullough (1975) point out that parents provide the best model.Teachers, therefore, must work hard to convince even diffident,unwilling parents of the value of their support and occasional inputinto homework, as part of the parent-teacher partnership (Gianetti &Sagarese 1998). Yet their expectations of parents must be realistic. Inanother section of the questionnaire, one boy agreed with Q. 14, Myparents don't want to be bothered with my homework, but went on toexplain that his parents both work. Even a few students from non-stateschools stated that their parents don't want to be bothered. Oneboy from a rural area quoted his parents: `Homework is doing the dishesand cleaning up.' Only one able reader admitted to having both homework problems andparents who do not help, but simply urge him to work harder. Table 5shows that half the non-readers and 42.1% of the tentative readers whoresponded admitted to homework difficulties related to reading problems,a total of 28 students who do not claim to read well. On the other hand,7 students were not sure that poor reading makes homework harder, and 27disagreed. The homework for some in the last group may be tailored totheir needs, giving them practice in work they have already grasped. Inother cases, however, strong parental input may make a difference tostudent attitude and ability to cope with the work set. Students who aremore independent may not appreciate that input. As one girl said, `Ifonly ...'. Comments from students in one classroom reveal thedisparity dis��par��i��ty?n. pl. dis��par��i��ties1. The condition or fact of being unequal, as in age, rank, or degree; difference: "narrow the economic disparities among regions and industries"of views, which affects not only homework, but every facet facet/fac��et/ (fas��it) a small plane surface on a hard body, as on a bone. fac��etn.1. A small smooth area on a bone or other firm structure.2. ofclassroom life. Able readers comment that there is not enough homework,that it is seldom set, that it is too easy, and boring, while a readerless sure of her ability wishes the teacher would explain it further,and to yet another it is a challenge. Every student in that classroomdoes the homework, knowing he or she will get into trouble if it is notdone. Such an admirably ad��mi��ra��ble?adj.Deserving admiration.admi��ra��ble��ness n.ad consistent approach from the teacher isimportant feedback in itself. Conclusion Weak readers entering high school are likely to have a negativeattitude towards reading, even to school, developed over long experienceof reading difficulties. The high school has an obligation to cater forspecial needs, but the curriculum depends on basic literacy. It canbuild on and extend a student's secure foundation, but is notdesigned for readers who need differentiated teaching. Frater Fra´tern. 1. (Eccl.) A monk; also, a frater house.Frater housean apartament in a convent used as an eating room; a refectory; - called also a fratery ltname>. (1998)points out that all subject teachers need linguistically informedskills, to do more than identify students with problems; in theirday-to-day teaching they need to systematically identify the errors andmisunderstandings that cause those problems. They must then collaboratewith resource teachers regarding content, as students are withdrawn forsupport to overcome specific identified difficulties. Using relevantmaterial ensures that their access to subject teaching will not becompromised. On the student's return to the classroom the teacherwill be active in both supporting and monitoring the student'sreading and progress. The chorus says You're safe forevermore for��ev��er��more?adv.Forever.Adv. 1. forevermore - at any future time; in the future; "lead a blameless life evermore"evermore if you build on therock. As the rock on which high school learning and authentic academicprogress are built, reading competence is an indicator of success atschool, as well as cognitive and social development. These affect thecommunication process, which contributes to better decision-making andself-development to create a literate society. According to their responses, it seems that many Year 7 studentsare floundering, unsure of their competence in schoolwork, includingreading. Nor do they see any connection between reading competence andsuccess in other aspects of school life. Most parents provideappropriate reading models and are positive in their support, verballyat least. Student ability to read, and success in school, according tothis study, do not seem to be related to amount of time spent on TV andcomputer games. If lack of surety An individual who undertakes an obligation to pay a sum of money or to perform some duty or promise for another in the event that person fails to act. suretyn. about reading competence cannot beattributed to the home, factors in the classroom may be contributing tothe situation. As students progress through the school, it seems that teacherstake less part in the teaching of reading. The input of aides,volunteers and parents is valued, and so is independent reading. It isthe teacher, however, who needs to have greater knowledge of the readingprocess and ability to impart its complexity of skills, who can linkother classroom learning with a passage, who can diagnose diagnose/di��ag��nose/ (di��ag-nos) to identify or recognize a disease. di��ag��nosev.1. To distinguish or identify a disease by diagnosis.2. miscues anddevise ways to correct misunderstandings. The teacher needs not only toinstruct in��struct?v. in��struct��ed, in��struct��ing, in��structsv.tr.1. To provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. See Synonyms at teach.2. To give orders to; direct.v. and support students during a lesson, but also to providefeedback on the strengths of past performance and areas for improvement,and to let students know the goals of a unit of work. Students then havesomething for which to strive. With feedback, careful guidance and goalsetting, modelling and evidence of the valuing of literacy by teachers,students can realistically assess their own literacy progress and makeuseful decisions about their academic future.Q. 5. I am a good reader.Table 1. Negative responses to the statement, I am a good reader. Total number of respondents N = 185 B G Total %Disagree/strongly disagree 17 7 24 13Not sure 19 20 39 21.1Total 36 27 63 34Q. 17. How often do you read for your own pleasure or informationoutside school?Table 2. Frequency of personal reading episodes. Students who claim Students not sure of to be good readers their reading status N = 122 N = 39Read Read Read Never/ Read Read Read Never/every once/ once/ hardly every once/ once/ hardly day twice a twice a ever day twice a twice a ever week month read week month read 60 42 14 6 6 11 10 12 83.6% 16.4% 43.6% 56.4% Students who claim not to be good readers N = 24Read Read Read Never/every once/ once/ hardly day twice a twice a ever week month read 1 9 3 11 41.7% 58.3%Q. 2. I always get good marks for my work.Table 3. Students who claim to get good marks for their work. Students who responded Students who responded positively to Q.5. I am negatively to Q.5. I am a good reader. a good reader. N = 122 N = 63 Students Students who Students Students who who claim do not claim who claim do not claim to get good to get good to get good to get good marks in marks in marks in marks in their work their work their work their work 78 44 19 44% 60.7 39.3 30.2 69.8% of total cohort 40 26 10.3 23.7Q. 6. If you can't read easily schoolwork is harder.Table 4. Students' perceptions of a link between difficultyin reading and difficulty in coping with school work. Strongly Agree/Agree Not Sure Poor Readers Able Poor Readers Ablereaders not sure readers readers not sure readers of status of status 19 25 75 1 5 26 119 32 34 64.3% 17.3%Disagree/Strongly Disagree Poor Readers Ablereaders not sure readers of status 4 9 21 18.4%Q. 13. I have problems reading, and so homework is difficult.Table 5. Responses from poorer readers regarding a link betweenreading ability and difficulty in coping with homework. Non-readers Students not sure of reading status N = 24 N = 39Strongly Not Sure Disagree/ Strongly Not Sure Disagree/ Agree/ Strongly Agree/ Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree 12 2 10 16 5 17 1 gave no response 50% 9.8% 40.2% 42.1% 13.2% 44.7%Q. 8. I don't know what my teacher thinks about my work.Table 6. Responses from students regarding teacher feedback. Students who claim Students not sure of to be good readers their reading status N = 122 N = 39Strongly Not Disagree/ Strongly Not Disagree/ agree/ sure strongly agree/ sure strongly agree disagree agree disagree 35 37 50 20 19 0 28.6% 29.5% 41.9% 51.2% 48.8% 0 Students who claim not to be good readers N = 24Strongly Not Disagree/ agree/ sure strongly agree disagree 18 6 0 75% 25% 0Q. 7. My teacher does not make things clear to me.Table 7. Responses from students regarding clarityof the teacher's explanations. Students who claim Students not sure of to be good readers their reading status N = 122 N = 39Strongly Not Disagree/ Strongly Not Disagree/ agree/ sure strongly agree/ sure strongly agree disagree agree disagree 24 14 84 11 12 16 19.6% 11.5% 68.9% 28.2% 30.8% 41% Students who claim not to be good readers N = 24Strongly Not Disagree/ agree/ sure strongly agree disagree 9 14 1 37.5% 58.3% 4.2%Table 8. Position in family, and gender of self-perceived poor readers.Students who claim not to be good readers (N = 24) Only children Youngest Eldest Middle childrenBoys 2 5 5 7Girls 0 1 1 3Total 2 6 6 10% 8.2% 25% 25% 41.8% Note: This article is part of a larger study being completed for adoctorate in education at Central Queensland University Central Queensland University is an Australian public university based in Queensland. Its main campus in North Rockhampton Queensland, but it has operations throught Asia-Pacific. . 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Waterland, L. 1988, Read with Me: An Apprenticeship apprenticeship,system of learning a craft or trade from one who is engaged in it and of paying for the instruction by a given number of years of work. The practice was known in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as in modern Europe and to some extent Approach toReading. (2nd rev. ed.). Thimble Press The Thimble Press was an eighteenth century printing device thought to be invented by Jefferson Hume, a relatively unknown Scottish engineer.Resembling a thimble in shape, the metal container was worn over a finger and used to imprint ornate drop capital characters onto , Stroud stroud?n.A coarse woolen cloth or blanket.[After Stroud, an urban district of southwest-central England.] , England. Wiggins, G. 1993, Assessing Student Performance: Exploring thePurpose and Limits of Testing, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco San Francisco(săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , CA. Wixson, K. K. 1983, `Questions about a text: What you ask about iswhat children learn', The Reading Teacher, vol. 37, no. 3, pp.287-294. Isabelle Kearsley has been a resource teacher for many years and ispresently studying in a doctoral program at Central QueenslandUniversity. Her research interest is in the transition of strugglinglearners from primary to high school settings. Address: 73 Matthew Street, Rosewood rosewood,popular name for the ornamental wood of several species of tropical trees, especially for the heartwood of certain leguminous trees of the genus Dalbergia of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). Brazilian rosewood, or jacaranda (D. , Qld 4340