Learning Vs. Acquisition Views

There is much debate about whether language is acquired or learned.  Teachers who hold the learning view believe that language should be taught directly.  The learning view mirrors more of a traditional classroom.  In reading, they identify words to get to the meaning of text.  Teachers will engage their students in oral drills and written exercise to teach students phonics, vocabulary, grammar, and high frequency words.  In the learning view, teachers will often correct students' errors to help them develop good habits from the start.  

In the acquisition view, teachers believe that language is acquired and the primary focus is on making meaning.  In the acquisition view students use background knowledge and cues from three cuing system (graphophonics, semantics, and syntax) to make sense of what they are reading.  Teachers who believe in this view will engage their students in extensive amounts of reading and writing and will teach them the strategies they need to construct meaning.



The students:
L-Look up words in the dictionary to write definitions
A-Make a Venn diagram to compare two stories
L-Practice sounding out words
L-Read in round-robin fashion
L-Correct peers when they make a mistake during reading
L/A-Identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
L/A-Group cards with classmates' names by a criterion on such as first or last letter
A-Write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
L-Ask the teacher how to spell any word they don't know
A-Read the language experience story they have created with the teacher
A-Work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences
L/A-Divide words into syllables
L-On a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
L/A-Make alphabet books on different topics


The teacher:
 L-Preteaches vocabulary
A-Does a shared reading with a big book
L-Makes sure that students read only books that fit their level
L/A-Has students segment words into phonemes
L-Write words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of difficult words
L/A-Asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter
L-Uses decodable text
A-Sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day
L-Teaches Latin and Greek roots
A-Has students meet in literature circles
L-Conducts phonics drills
L/A-Chooses predictable texts
A-Teaches students different comprehension strategies
A-Does a picture walk of a new book
L-Uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills