I worked at a daycare for two years and I always saw the younger children "writing" notes and stories that were nothing but scribbles. I don't know if I would call it "writing" because it was more like a first attempt before they had any knowledge on how to form letters and create words. All they knew was that they had seen their parents and teachers making funny unrecognizable marks on paper and calling it words. They would watch us read and write and want to do it too because children always want to do something new that has been modeled for them. They are good imitators and shadows to the people that they look up to. I would consider this more of a desire to write and be "grown-up" than actual "writing," unless I just consider it their first draft ( which doesn't have to make sense). It is their first attempt of trying to tell a story through symbols on paper.
At our daycare, we taught them a combination approach, I think. We taught the children how to sound out letters and combination letters. The children would sound out the words by the individual letter sounds. However, we also taught a lot of sight words and had sight words and phrases on the walls that we practiced reading. I don't think we were aware of the different methods we were using (at least I know I wasn't). We were just trying to get the children to understand and they needed various teaching methods before we could reach most of them.
I don't know how I feel about "inventive spelling". I wouldn't mind if the children were freewriting or just playing. Children who are just learning do not know how to spell a lot of words and they automatically guess at the spelling if they are alone or with friends in a social environment. A lot of children ask how to spell words though because they want to make sure it is right when they are making a present or doing something for school. I wouldn't want to encourage "inventive spelling" in school because school is where they are suppossed to learn how to do it correctly. It is okay if they do it wrong the first time, but the teacher should review the correct spelling with the student and have them write it the correct way once the error has been identified. I wouldn't want my child to be a horrible speller because they were never corrected in school.
I can't believe that people argue that phonics is discriminatory. What?! There are plently of different slang terms, dialects, etc. that effect the way people speak, but we want to teach a basic universal language to children so that they have a common foundation. There people who say the "tomato", "water", and many others with a different emphasis. It is just how you say the words. I guess it could be considered as stifling their vernacular a little, but I wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal to voice against an entire teaching method.
I have heard the myth of the more you read the better you write. I do think there is some truth to it, but it is not an absolute truth. I love to read and write. I think I have a good sense of how to write because I have read so much. I have seen models of every genre. I can see how an author writes dialogue, flashbacks, or how they end their chapters. It is good to dissect books that you really enjoy if you want to write something in a similiar syle or genre. However, just because you read a lot does not mean that you will be a good writer. They are still two different processes and you need to work at both of them. Reading doesn't guarantee great writing, but it can help.
Okay, the most shocking thing in this chapter was reading about the teachers who force their students to copy their papers in cursive. Who are these people? It is easier, cleaner, and more effective to type a paper. There are so many benefits. I find it unbelievable that someone during this time would not accept typed papers. It seems absurd. I don't remember the last time a teacher would accept a handwritten paper. It must have been in junior high or high school, but I don't remember doing it. Even in 2003 (the book's copyright) it would have seemed ridiculous. I graduated high school in 2002 and I remember typing all of my papers the last year or so.