题目内容
Teaching children to read well from the start is the most important task of elementary schools.But relying on educators to approach this task correctly can be a great mistake.Many schools continue to employ instructional methods that have been proven ineffective.The staying power of the “look-say” or “whole-word” method of teaching beginning reading is perhaps the most flagrant example of this failure to instruct effectively.
The whole-word approach to reading stresses the meaning of words over the meaning of letters, thinking over decoding, developing a sight vocabulary of familiar words over developing the ability to unlock the pronunciation of unfamiliar words.It fits in with the self-directed, “learning how to learn” activities recommended by advocates of “open” classrooms and with the concept that children have to be developmentally ready to begin reading.Before 1963, no major publisher put out anything but these “Run-Spot-Run” readers.
However, in 1955, Rudolf Flesch touched off what has been called “the great debate” in beginning reading.In his best-seller Why Johnny Can’t Read, Flesch indicted(控诉)the nation’s public schools for miseducating students by using the look-say method.He said – and more scholarly studies by Jeane Chall and Rovert Dykstra later confirmed – that another approach to beginning reading, founded on phonics, is far superior.
Systematic phonics first teaches children to associate letters and letter combinations with sounds; it then teaches them how to blend these sounds together to make words.Rather than building up a relatively limited vocabulary of memorized words, it imparts a code by which the pronunciations of the vast majority of the most common words in the English language can be learned.Phonics does not devalue the importance of thinking about the meaning of words and sentences; it simply recognizes that decoding is the logical and necessary first step.
1.The author indicts the look-say reading approach because _________________.
A.it overlooks decoding
B.Rudolf Flesch agrees with him
C.he says it is boring
D.many schools continue to use this method
2.One major difference between the look-say method of learning reading and the phonics method is _______________.
A.look-say is simpler
B.Phonics takes longer to learn
C.look-say is easier to teach
D.phonics gives readers access to far more words
3.The phrase “touch-off” (Para 3, Line 1) most probably means _____________.
A.talk about shortly B.start or cause
C.compare with D.oppose
4.According to the author, which of the following statements is true?
A.Phonics approach regards whole-word method as unimportant.
B.The whole-word approach emphasizes decoding.
C.In phonics approach, it is necessary and logical to employ decoding.
D.Phonics is superior because it stresses the meaning of words thus the vast majority of most common words can be learned.
ADBC
The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphones, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe(转换) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot(发现) spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
【小题1】What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?
A.The absence of blackboard in classroom. |
B.The use of new technologies in teaching. |
C.The lack of practice in handwriting. |
D.The popular use of smartphones. |
A.focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer |
B.indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper |
C.found that good essays are made up of long sentences |
D.discussed the importance of writing speed |
A.Spelling improves one’s memory of words. |
B.Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability. |
C.Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas. |
D.Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas. |
A.Window. | B.Soul | C.Picture | D.Imagination. |
A.Computers can help people with their choice of words. |
B.Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching. |
C.Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms. |
D.Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade. |