Fluency & Learning Essay Example for Free

Fluency Learning Essay The purpose of this paper is to specify an interesting story and design reading activities around it to increase the reading fluency of students. The paper starts with a synopsis of The Cay, a tale of survival, in which a young boy is blinded by a severe blow on the back of his head while his ship which makes him entirely dependent on Timothy. The adventurous nature of this story makes it interesting for the students to read and carry out different activities on it, thus contributing to their reading fluency The Cay The book is written by Theodore Taylor. The story deals with a young boy’s misconceptions about race and a black sea man, Timothy, with whom he gets shipwrecked on a deserted island. The young boy, Philip, is blinded by a severe blow on the back of his head while his ship was destroyed by the enemy torpedo. This makes him entirely dependant on Timothy, at least initially through his stay at the island. As Philip explores the island and learns the art of survival and relies less on Timothy, their relationship and mutual respect grows for each other, when they learn to survive and live within the means available at the island. Their struggle to face the odds and survive on an isolated island with no food and water, indeed makes this an interesting tale of survival. (Polette, 1995) I’ll be employing following five different activities for the children to work with the story. Student-Adult Reading In student-adult reading, the class will be divided into small groups and each group will be assigned a chapter from the novel to read. The student will read out loud from the novel with me while the rest of the children listen. I will read the text first, which will actually give the student a model of fluent reading. This is followed by the student reading the same text, while I would assist and encourage him or her during the process. I would repeat this process with individual student until the subject gains fluency in reading the particular passage. (Fluency Learning to Read Reading Fluency) c In this activity the students will read a particular passage from the novel along with me as a group. To carry out this activity, each student will be provided his/her own copy of the novel. I would read a particular passage starting from the first chapter so that the children begin to comprehend the story ad they are familiarized with the words. After reading a particular passage I would re-read the passage aloud to model fluent reading but this time asking the students to join in and read the passage along with me. This would be repeated three to five times on selected days of the week. At the end of this routine students should be able to read the text independently. (Reading Fluency, 2002) Tape-assisted Reading This activity follows a different method. Students are supposed to read from their books while they hear and follow a fluent reader read the text from the book on an audiotape. For this activity to be a success the recorded voice should be reading the text at about 80-100 words per minutes. Each student must have his/her copy of the novel in front of him/her and the recorded voice should be loud and audible. To start with, student should point along the text with his finger while listening to the recorded voice. After this practice the student must read out the text aloud with the tape. Reading the text loud with the tape must continue until the student gains fluency and can read the material without the support of the recorded voice. Fluency is important in readind as it allows the particiants to groud words together and focus more on their meanning rather than decoding the text. On the other hand less fluet readers direct more attention towards word recognition than comprehension of the given text. The above mentioned exercise is therefore aimed at easing the hesitation in reading. (Fluency, 2001) Partner Reading Partner reading is an activity which involves a couple of students taking turns to read the text aloud to each other. This would turn out to be an effective reading practice in which fluent readers can be paired with less fluent ones. The less fluent reader will use the fluent reader’s style of expression as a model and learn quickly. The better skilled reader provides help to the weak reader with word recognition and assists him in the process. Another approach to partner reading is check list reading where both the partners are given checklists. After explaining the students how they can change the pitch of their voice to make it more realistic, each students is asked to read out the passage to their respective partners thrice following the above instructions. At the end each students submits a report regarding their partner’s fluency which can be improved upon in the next session. (Murray) Readers theatre Readers theatre involves students rehearsing and performing a play for their fellow students and friends. Characters from the novel can be assigned to different students who can then act out the play by reading from their individual scripts derived from the novel. ‘The Cay’ will be a suitable book for this practice as it is rich in dialogues. This kind of activity makes reading more appealing and enhances fluency by providing students with the opportunity to interact with their peers on a different level. References Fluency Learning to Read Reading Fluency. (n. d. ). Retrieved July 2008, from http://www. time4learning.com/readingpyramid/fluency. htm Fluency. (2001). Retrieved July 2008, from Reading Rockets: http://www. readingrockets. org/teaching/reading101/fluency Murray, D. B. (n. d. ). Developing Reading Fluency. Retrieved July 2008, from http://www. auburn. edu/%7Emurraba/ Polette, N. (1995). The Cay by Theodore Taylor. Retrieved July 2008, from http://www. nancypolette. com/LitGuides/cay. pdf Reading Fluency. (2002). Retrieved July 2008, from http://readingserver. edb. utexas. edu/downloads/primary/guides/Fluency_Presentation. PDF

The Media?s Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Ne

The Media's Influence on Eating Disorders Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect more than 7 million American women and usually develop in girls ages 12-25. The most common age for a girl to begin having an eating disorder is 17 years old (Discovery Health?). The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). It is evident that the media influences teenage girls to develop eating disorders based on these reasons: the media promotes a thin and unrealistic body image, the media helps define cultural standards of attractiveness, and being exposed to these images can cause one to develop body dissatisfaction. General risk factors for the development of an eating disorder are being a female living in a western society during adolescence or early adulthood. Some characteristics of people who develop eating disorders are low self-esteem, perfectionism, obesity, anxiety and anxiety disorders. Development of eating disorders can arise from a variety of issues besides the media including: biological, psychological or social factors, family issues, and cultural pressures. Eating disorders and certain associated traits can run in the family. Obsessive-compulsive and sensitive-avoidant personality types are more vulnerable to eating disorders. People with a mother or sister with anorexia nervosa are twelve times more likely to develop the disease. If there is family history of any type of eating disorder, ... ..._England_paper.pdf.> National Eating Disorders Association. 2002. 5 Apr. 2005 . National Women?s Health Resource Center. Discovery Health. 2005. 24 Apr. 2005 . Thompson, Kevin J., and Leslie J. Heinberg. ?The Media?s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We?ve Reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-353. Valois, Robert F., Keith J. Zullig, E. Scott Huebner, and J. Wanzer Drane. ?Dieting Behaviors, Weight Perceptions, and Life Satisfaction Among Public High School Adolescents.? Eating Disorders 11.4 (2003): 271-288. Women?s Fashion. 17 Apr. 2005 .

My Self-Assessment as a Writer Essay

Up to this point I’ve never really considered myself a writer at all. After skimming through the chapters and reading about all the processes, my assessment is, as a writer, I’m probably not very good. So this brings me to, what are you able to bring to the class? Well that’s easy. I’ve really wanted to learn how to write correctly. I’m extremely excited about all the information our textbook has to offer. I’ve wondered in the past how to do certain things and how they’re supposed to be done. This whole class is going to bring the pieces together. So I guess I bring excitement and enthusiasm to learn. My Strengths and Weaknesses in writing are hard to identify. Since I don’t write a lot, there’s not much to relate to. My sentence structure and vocabulary are weak areas. Sometimes when I write an e-mail, and then come back to re-read it; it just doesn’t sound or flow right. I’m uncertain and feel embarrassed by my use of grammar and punctuation, so I tend to make every attempt to avoid writing at all. My spoken thoughts are much easier to transform into what I’m trying to communicate. Strengths are an active imagination. I have thoughts or can take a side on almost anything. I could just pick any topic and write about whatever. Discovering material, planning out my ideas, and drafting it all together would also be strengths. Learning from others in the class will require interaction with the class. The discussion board will offer those opportunities. I hope to learn how others chose a topic or decide how they layout their work. I’d like gain some knowledge from their perspectives and ingenuity.

Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements

The University of Wisconsin System has a holistic admissions process that includes at least one personal statement. The flagship campus in Madison requires two essays. Applicants can apply using either the Common Application or the University of Wisconsin Application. This article addresses strategies for responding to the essay prompts.   Personal Statements for the University of Wisconsin-Madison The main campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison is the most selective of all the UW schools, and it has an application separate from all the other campuses. It also asks for two personal statements. If you apply using the Common Application, you will need to respond to one of the seven essay prompts. This gives you the freedom to write about anything you choose, for not only do the prompts cover a wide range of topics, but option #7 allows you to write on a topic of your choice.   If you use the University of Wisconsin application,  the first essay prompt asks the following: Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why its important to you. You have so many options here that you might find the essay prompt daunting. As you figure out what the something in your life is that you should write about, keep in mind the reason why UW-Madison is asking this question. The admissions process is holistic, so the university wants to get to know you as a whole person, not just as a set of empirical data such as grades, class rank, and standardized test scores. Your extracurricular activities and employment history are part of the holistic portrait, but they dont tell the whole story.   Use this prompt to explore something that isnt obvious from the rest of your application. If one of your jobs or extracurricular activities is particularly important to you, you could use this essay to explain why that is so (much like a typical  short answer essay  on the Common Application). Or you could use this essay to present a side of your personality that doesnt appear on your application at all. Perhaps you like rebuilding motorcycles, fishing with your younger sister, or writing poetry. Almost anything thats important to you is fair game here, just make sure you follow through and explain  why  its important to you. If you fail to address the why of the question, youve failed to present the admissions folks a full window into your passions and interests. The second essay prompt is the same whether you use the Common Application or the UW Application. It asks the following: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, share with us the academic, extracurricular, or research opportunities you would take advantage of as a student. If applicable, provide details of any circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement. UW-Madison has packed a lot into this essay prompt, and it might be best to view it as three essay prompts, not one. The first—why UW-Madison?—is typical of the supplemental essays for many other colleges. The key here is to be specific. If your answer could be applied to schools other than UW-Madison, then youre being too vague and generic. What  specifically  about UW-Madison appeals to you? What unique features of the university distinguish it from other places youre considering? Similarly, with the question about academic, extracurricular and research opportunities, be sure to do your research. Make sure you know what the university offers so that you know what opportunities you can take advantage of should you be admitted. UW-Madison is trying to make sure applicants are familiar with the university and can imagine themselves being active and engaged members of the campus community. When it comes to explaining circumstances that may have had a negative impact on your grades and extracurricular involvement, keep in mind that this part of the prompt is optional. As the article Should You Explain A Bad Grade? notes, youre not always doing yourself a favor if you make a big deal out of slightly off semester in high school. That said, if you did have a major disruption in your life—a significant injury, a death of a parent or sibling, divorce of your parents, or an ill-timed move to a different school—it can be a good idea to comment on the event if it impacted your academic or extracurricular record in a significant way. The Personal Statement for all Other UW Campuses For all of the other University of Wisconsin campuses, youll be asked to respond to this personal essay prompt: Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our specific campus that will enrich our community. The question is refreshing in its directness, for, in truth, it is asking what every college admissions essay asks—How will you enrich our community? Colleges want more than students with good grades and high test scores; they also want students who will contribute to campus life in a positive way. Before you write your essay or take part in a college interview, youd be wise to figure out your own answer to the question. What is it that you will contribute? Why will the college be a better place because of your presence? Think about your hobbies, your sense of humor, your quirks, your academic passions... all of the features that make you you. Each of the Common Application essay options  is really getting at this very issue. Whether you are writing about a a challenge youve faced, a problem youve solved, an important accomplishment in your life, or an important dimension of your life experiences, a good essay shows that you bring to campus the type of passion and personality that will enrich the university community. Make Your University of Wisconsin Essay Shine You have lots of breadth in choosing what to write about, but youd be wise to steer clear of bad essay topics that often go astray. Also, dont just focus on what to write, but also how you write it. Pay attention to the style of your essay so that your narrative is tight, engaging, and powerful.   Also be sure to follow the tips on the UW website. One important tip relates to your essay length. While the application allows you to write essays that are up to 650 words, UW recommends essays in the 300-500 word range. While you may be tempted to use the entire available space, youd be wise to heed the universitys recommendation and exceed 500 words.