Question 1: Overarching Question: What model of reading guides the design of this

reading program?

a) The model that guides the design of the TN FSCS lesson plans is the Adams model. It is the
basis for the instructional plan.

Question 2: Analyze the Reading Cue Systems/Knowledge Sources targeted for

teacher instruction or demonstration:

a) What cue systems/knowledge sources are targeted for explicit instruction or teacher
demonstration in the TN FSCS program (Unit 1, Week 4)? Cite examples from the TN
FSCS materials to support your points.

The cue systems apart from Adam's theory that are targeted for explicit instruction or teacher
demonstration are the orthographic, phonological, context, and meaning processors.
The orthographic processor is described by Adams as “receiv[ing] information directly from
the printed page” and that “it is the learned associations between and among individual letters
that are responsible for the easy, holistic manner in which skillful readers respond to printed
words (Adams, p.789-790).” TN FSCS curriculum puts this theory into practice by introducing
students to the concept of letter order. An example is in the teaching of digraphs. One of Week 4
lesson 20’s objectives is for students to be able to “read and write letter-sound correspondences
‘ng’ > /ng/ and ‘qu’ > /k/ + /w/ (FSCS PDF p.190).” To meet this objective, the teacher is
instructed to provide direct instruction on the digraphs of “ng” and “qu” and the sounds they
make. There are then multiple opportunities for the students to practice hand-writing these letter
orders/combinations in their student workbook (FSCS Student WB PDF 89). The idea is that the
more the students associate the two individual letters and their common order, the faster their
decoding will be. This is directly connected to Adam’s idea that when readers “learn more about
likely and unlikely sequences of letters… [it helps] compensate for the visual system’s inherent
difficulty with letter order (Adams, p. 791).”
The phonological processor is defined as relating to sounds/pronunciation and gaining
information from speech. Emphasis on the phonological processor occurs throughout the TN
FSCS curriculum. For instance, four of Lesson 16’s objectives are connected to the phonological
processor. One example of such an objective is “Segment words into phonemes by tapping one
finger for each phoneme and then blend the phonemes together to form one syllable words.”
(FSCS PDF p.145) This objective is addressed in a warmup activity that actually occurs at the
start of almost every lesson in the curriculum. A teacher provides sounds for a word in a
sound-segmented way “marking each sound with a thumb-finger tap (FSCS PDF p.30).” The
students repeat the sounds after the teacher and then attempt to blend the sounds while
simultaneously making a fist with their hand. For instance, in lesson 16, the students blend the
sounds of /t/ /u/ /b/ to make the words tub (FSCS PDF p.146). Therefore, because the warm-up
has students practice their phonemic awareness, the activity is working their phonological
processor.
Context processor works in Adam’s model to help the reader determine meaning that best
maintains the coherence of the written message. Part of the context processor is that it helps the
mind compare rival candidates of word meanings. Adam’s claims that during the early stages of
reading, a child’s context processor can work in conflict with the orthographic and phonological
processors because of their lack of decoding ability. This can lead to reading errors. She says to
help students through this stage teachers should encourage “a lot of reading and rereading of
interesting and beneath-frustration-level texts (Adams, p. 795).” As a child’s decoding matures
their processors can work more in coordination with the context processor. This aspect of
Adam’s model is reflected in the TN FSCS curriculum when in lessons 19 and 20 students
re-read stories (like the story of Beth) either independently or with partners that have already
been read to them by their teacher (FSCS PDF p.185). The stories also reflect the phonological
awareness concepts and related skills they have learned. The re-reading of the story helps
diminish reading errors, improve fluency, and provides students an opportunity to read below
frustration level (since the text has a level of familiarity). According to Adams, this then
facilitates their context processor to work more accurately.
Meaning processor is related to how people acquire the meaning of new words. Adams
identified direct vocabulary instruction and learning word meanings from context as an important
part of the development of a student's meaning processor. The inclusion of the tricky word card
activities and the discussion of vocabulary related to the stories read in class are examples how
the TN FSCS curriculum reflects this part of Adam’s model. In lesson 19, before the teacher
starts reading a book called Snap Shots, the teacher is scripted to ask the students "What is a
snapshot?” and then is supposed to directly explain the concept to the students using the picture
on the cover of the book for reference (FSCS PDF p. 183). In lessons 16, 19, and 20 there are
“tricky word” activities. “Tricky word” activities introduce high-frequency words that students
need to know to create meaning in a text but would not be able to easily sound out. An example
of a “tricky word” from lesson 16 is ‘once’ (FSCS PDF p.149). The students practice writing it
and reading different phrases aloud that include the word. Both parts of the lesson I discussed
reflect how the TN FSCS curriculum is trying to help students build their vocabulary so that they
can create meaning from a text. The TN FSCS curriculum introduces new vocabulary to students
and then exposes it to them repeatedly allowing them to add it to their meaning processor.

b) Which of these cue systems/knowledge sources get the most instructional emphasis
when you look at the three sample lessons as a whole? How does this instructional
emphasis reflect the identified model of reading?
 The phonological processor is most emphasized. As I mentioned in a previous paragraph
every lesson starts with a phonological processor related warm-up activity. Additionally, every
lesson starts with “sounds first activities.” (FSCS PDF p.141) Adams described the Phonological
processor to be connected to speech and sounds. These sound first activities include exercises
with rhymes and manipulating phonemes. For example, in the sound first activities that proceed
lesson 16 students are asked to “cut off a sound” in the word “bread” (FSCS PDF p. 143). Every
lesson also includes other activities beyond the warm-ups related to the phonological processor.
Activities related to “chaining” appear throughout the curriculum (like in lesson 16). Chaining is
the practice of changing a word by a single phoneme/grapheme to help reinforce “students’
ability to manipulate the sounds in words” (FSCS PDF p. 27). The consistent practice of
phonological skills in the TN FSCS curriculum reflects Adam’s belief that Phonemic awareness
“is not natural” and therefore should be taught and that “the development of phonemic awareness
is…vital…component of the preschool and primary classroom.” (Adams, p. 802)

Question 3: Analyze the texts included in the lesson and the accompanying activities.

In the TN FSCS lessons students encounter texts that are read aloud to them by teachers,
and then they are expected to read those texts independently or with partners. (See the Big
Book and Student Reader).

Question 3a: Describe the characteristics of the texts/stories read aloud by the
teacher.
1) Why would your identified model choose this kind of text for the teacher to read
aloud to the students?

The texts used in the curriculum can be described as decodable texts. The texts are focused
on students practicing their phonics related skills and tricky sight words and not on meaning
making. The texts only include sight words, letter-orders, and letter-pairings that the students
are already familiar with/have been taught and can successfully decode. The pictures in the
decodable cannot be used by the students for clues to what the words say on the page. Adams
would choose this kind of text for the teacher because it is a text that students could
afterwards try to read to themselves or partner. The text allows the teacher to model
decoding/phonics skills and help the students make a connection between the lesson they
learned and the text.

2) What parts of the reading process are targeted for instruction through the teacher
read aloud portions of the lesson? (Consider the comments and actions scripted for the
teacher.)
 The parts of the reading process that are targeted are the orthographic, context, and meaning
processors. The meaning processor is engaged with the direct vocabulary instruction that
happens before reading starts. For example, in lesson 20 the teacher introduces the words
“raft” and “U.K”. (FSCS PDF p.195). The orthographic processor is targeted when the
teacher is instructed by the script to “run a finger or pointer beneath the words as you read
them” which helps students understand the connection between spoken sounds and words on
the page. (FSCS PDF p.196) The context processor is activated when the teacher is asked to
read the story a second time and draw attention to syntaxial cues. For example, in Lesson 20
the teacher asks, “Why does the word Nat begin with an uppercase letter?” (FSCS PDF
p.196) This question would help students’ context processors differentiate between the word
“nat” as a bug and the word “Nat” as a name.

Question 3b: Describe the characteristics of the texts read by the students.

3) Why would your identified model choose this kind of text for students to read?

The text is the same decodable text that the teacher reads aloud to the students. Adams would
choose this text because it supports the students in practicing the phonological awareness
skills they are developing during the lessons (like blending letter sounds to create words).
Decodable texts provide opportunities to apply phoneme-grapheme correspondence. The
text’s pictures would not be something students could use for clues. This supports Adams'
idea that good readers sound out unknown words to identify them instead of using semantic
context. This decodable text would allow students to see the same tricky words they are
learning in a new context. This Adams believes is a key part of being students reading
comprehension and word memory.

4) What parts of the reading process are targeted for instruction through the student’s
own reading of the text? (Consider organization of the student reading activity as well
as teacher talk directed to the students before, during, or after the student reads the
text.)

All parts of the reading process (orthographic, phonological, context, and meaning
processors) are targeted for instruction through the student’s own reading of the text. The
student is using their orthographic and phonological processors to independently read the
text. They are using the phonics skills they learned in the lesson to understand
phoneme-grapheme correspondence that occurs in the decodable. The students are able to use
their meaning processor to independently identify and understand vocabulary words and
tricky words they received direct instruction on like the words “U.K” and “snapshot.” Lastly,
they are encouraged to reread the text again after they finish. This repeated rereading of the
 same text is designed to help improve the student’s context processor by improving fluency
and diminishing errors.

Question 4: Analyze the materials from a sociocultural perspective (Gee):

Gee argues that as children engage in the Discourse of reading instruction in school,
they acquire social practices that involve specific “ways with printed words.”
Children co-construct an identity as a particular type of reader and acquire cultural
models about what reading is (for children of their age and experience level).

a) If students consistently participated in these TN FSCS lessons (as written in the

teacher’s guide) what cultural model of reading would they form? What would they
think reading was like? What purposes, values, attitudes about reading are likely to
be formed as part of this cultural model? What reading roles are first grade
students expected to take? What stances or actions toward text are part of these
roles? What reading roles are not yet offered to first grade readers?

The cultural model of reading that the students would form would be one shaped around
the idea that the purpose of reading is to understand phoneme-grapheme correspondence
and apply it to a text. Additionally, when a student picks up a book their goal would be to
read each word successfully and fluently. If this is the only form of reading that students
are exposed to then they will only play the role of decoders and not of meaning-makers.
This would most likely lead them to view reading as a means to an end and boring. It
would prevent them from seeing it as a fun leisure activity or a mind-broadening pursuit.
Decodable texts do not include strong storylines, character development, symbolism,
themes, and connections to real-world historical events. Therefore, if these are the only
texts that kids are exposed to then they would be prevented from developing a cultural
model of reading that included “intertextuality…where the world is treated almost like a
text.” (Gee, p. 40) They would not see books as potential windows, mirrors, and sliding
doors. The students would be kept from playing the role of critical thinkers. The TN
FSCS curriculum prepares students to decode words, but not to analyze how the words
come together to craft a message and how that message relates to the child’s life. The TN
FSCS curriculum does not provide a space for teachers to understand a child’s “multiple
literacies'' and incorporate a child’s “culturally specific way with words.” (Gee, p.41) For
instance, the curriculum does not incorporate interlanguage into its model, but is fully
monolingual. This could lead bi-lingual students to craft a model of reading that does not
encourage them to utilize their entire language repertoire.
 References

Neuman, S.B., Dickinson, D.K. and Gee, J.P. (2001) ‘A Sociocultural Perspective on Early

Literacy Development ’, in Handbook of Early Literacy Research. New York:

Guilford Press.

Alvermann, D.E., Unrau, N.J. and Adams , M. (2013) ‘Modeling the Connections Between

Word Recognition and and Reading’, in Theoretical models and processes of

reading. Newark: International Reading Association.