I found Ella's story very interesting. It was sad that she felt so intimidated by and uncomfortable around other people. It made me think about my own presence and how I may come across to other people. It is so important to make both your students and their parents feel comfortable about talking to you. If they feel as though you are more educated than them, it may cut off communication because they are embarrassed. I think that teachers need to find a way to reach these parents who may feel intimidated and make them feel as though you are equals. Only then will there be successful communication.

I also found it interesting how she said that her daughter corrected her speech a lot. I think this happens a lot in today's society, and may add to the problems that I spoke about above.

"The frequently made programmatic assumption is that programs can and should be developed to train parents to read to their children as a way to solve, or perhaps prevent, reading problems of beginning readers. On the one hand, such an approach might seem misguided on purely practical grounds; how could all the parents who do not read to their children (or who do not read "the right way") be trained? Beyond this, however, one may question such an approach because it diverts attention away from the school on the assumption that the "problem" originates in the home and because it assumes "right" and "wrong" forms of parenting, based on a dominant group model" (Gallego, 206).

This section stood out to me because I think it is a good idea that parents be "trained" on how to read to their children. Of course, it would be difficult to train parents before their children attend school. Once they enter Kindergarten, however, I think that the child's teacher should take responsibility for helping the parents of his/her students. Formal training is not necessary and may not be welcomed by all, but I feel as though the teacher can continue to give tips and offer direction.

When I have my own classroom, I plan on creating a strong connection between me and the parents of my students. I would like to offer tips on how to help their child read and complete other learning activities. Simply sending a letter home, or discussing it with them during open house would be beneficial. I think that some parents may resist the advice, however, many parents are always willing to learn about ways to help their children. So while formal training of every parent may be impossible, it is definitely feasable to think that classroom teachers can help to "train" the parents of their students.

I really enjoyed reading the article by Silin, titled Reading, writing, and the wrath of my father. I found it interesting mostly because it talked about something other than what we've been reading about for the past five weeks. I feel as though a lot of the articles are repetitive, but this one had new and interesting information. The quote that stuck with me was "I did not imagine that in learning a new way of being in the world, a child might also give up an old way, one that had worked for her in the past-- the physical intimacy that occurs when an adult cares for her clothing or the social connection she experiences when accompanied by a caregiver on the walk home from school" (p 38).

I have never thought of this before! It definitely makes sense now that I think about it, that some children may resist change, and make it seem as though they aren't learning or don't want to learn. Many children and adults have trouble with change, and it makes sense that some children may have a hard time giving up old ways. When learning to read on their own, they are giving up a lot of the support and attention that they received as a non-reader. For this reason, I feel that it is so important to let your students know that they will still be receiving attention and support, even after they become more independent.

I think that this article has forced me to think in new ways and has ultimately made me a better teacher. Just by understanding that some children may be resistant to change, it increases the chances that I will be able to reach more students.