Papers by Francine Johnston
Words their way with English learners : word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction
*Word Study with English Learners and the Development of Orthographic Knowledge *Assessment *Word... more *Word Study with English Learners and the Development of Orthographic Knowledge *Assessment *Word Study Organization with English Learners *Word Study for English Learners in the Emergent Stage *Word Study for English Learners in the Letter Name-Alphabetic Stage *Word Study for English Learners in the Within Word Pattern Stage *Word Study for English Learners in the Syllables and Affixes and Derivational Relations Stages Appendix
The Reading Teacher, 2011
English orthography is not easily reduced to a few rules, but there are some general recommendati... more English orthography is not easily reduced to a few rules, but there are some general recommendations for teaching about vowels that can be helpful. Article: Theodore Clymer's analysis of the utility of 45 phonic generalizations (1963) has been hailed as a landmark study and been reprinted as a "classic" (1996). It continues to be frequently cited almost 40 years after it was originally published. His conclusion that only 18 out of 45 phonic generalizations met criteria of usefulness is more often than not used as evidence that phonics instruction itself is of limited usefulness. Depending on one's philosophical orientation Clymer's findings may be disappointing or vindicating, but in view of the current interest in phonics instruction it is worthwhile to take a closer look at the study. Clymer collected 121 generalizations from the teacher manuals of four primary basal series used in the early 1960s. In a manner Clymer described as "somewhat arbitrary," he selected 45 generalizations that "were stated specifically enough so that it can be said to aid or hinder in the pronunciation of a particular word" (1963, p. 254). He combined the vocabulary introduced in the four basals with the Gates Reading Vocabulary for the Primary Grades to form a list of 2,600 words for analysis. Merriam-Webster 's New Collegiate Dictionary, 6th ed. was used as a guide to pronunciation. He compared the actual pronunciation of each word to the generalizations that should apply and calculated a percentage of agreement for each generalization by dividing the number of words actually conforming to the rule by the total number of words that could possibly conform. Using 75% as a reasonable level of utility, and eliminating any generalizations that did not apply to more than 20 words, he found that only 18 of the 45 generalizations met his criteria. He concluded, "many generalizations that are commonly taught are of limited value" (p. 255) but noted that "some of the generalizations might be useful if stated in different terms or restricted to certain types of words" (p. 258). Clymer's original analysis needs to be reexamined, not only in terms of his findings and conclusions, but also in terms of what we currently know about how children learn to recognize words. After looking back at some little-known replications of Clymer's study, I will present a current analysis of vowel regularity done with slightly different parameters. The findings of this analysis will be compared to Clymer and other studies in order to demonstrate some of the issues that affect interpretation of this kind of analysis. The utility of phonic generalizations continues to be an issue as teachers make decisions about what to teach. Teachers will find some specific suggestions about the teaching of vowels scattered throughout this article, as well as some general recommendations at the end. Replications of Clymer's work After the appearance of Clymer's study in the early 1960s there was a flurry of replications. They appear to fall into two general categories: those that merely changed the collection of words for analysis and those that attempted to restate the generalizations or to call into question the kind of generalizations students should be taught.
How do predictable texts fit with children's early reading experiences? In this article, Johnston... more How do predictable texts fit with children's early reading experiences? In this article, Johnston explores three important factors in facilitating young children's word learning: the reader, the text, and the task. Article: I began teaching first grade when basal reading programs were standard in most class rooms. I was bothered by the fact that my students had to learn a great many sounds and sight words before they read anything, but I didn't know an alternative. I was introduced to predictable texts and the shared book approach (Holdaway, 1979) in a university reading course in 1986. That fall I taught all my children to read The Cat on the Mat by Brian Wildsmith (1982) on the first day of school. Of course the children could not actually read it in a conventional sense. They had quickly memorized it and with the help of pictures could recite it accurately, but they were, I felt sure, on their way to becoming engaged and confident readers. It was not until I worked with an older child that my faith in predictable text began to falter. Eliza was a third grader reading at a beginning level, but she was bright and had good language skills. After we read a predictable book together she reread it easily, but I could see she was paying only superficial attention to the print on the page even when I asked her to slow down and point to the words. One more event had an important influence on my thinking about predictable text. Pat Crook, my professor of children's literature, told me about her grandson, Kenny. His kindergarten class had been reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Martin, 1967), and he recited the entire text to her over the phone. Pat's response was, "Kenny, you are learning to read." But Kenny replied, "I don't have to read it; I already know it." Despite his love for and mastery of the language in this predictable book, Kenny knew reading involved something more than memorization. He was right, of course. In order to read we must be able to identify the words on the page, and to read well we must be able to identify those words effortlessly and accurately. While contextual cuing strategies (Clay, 1985) have captured the attention of the reading community, a large and stable sight vocabulary continues to be the hallmark of a successful reader. Good evidence exists that only beginning and struggling readers rely upon context to identify words (Biemiller, 1970; Nicholson, 1991; Stanovich, 1994). Extensive and automatic word knowledge frees fluent readers to focus on the meaning of what they read rather than figuring out or guessing at unfamiliar words (Perfetti, 1985). I grappled with the question of how to facilitate word learning as a classroom teacher and now as I instruct future teachers. From the reading and research I have done, as well as from my experiences working with students in the early stages of reading, I have identified three critical factors: the reader, the text, and the task. The reader The young reader brings varying amounts of word knowledge and print skills to the task of recognizing and learning words. This developmental continuum has been well researched by Ehri (1994, 1995) and Juel (1991).
This phenomenon in word study has always been extremely popular for its developmental approach an... more This phenomenon in word study has always been extremely popular for its developmental approach and hands-on methods for teaching children phonics, vocabulary, and spelling skills. The revision offers a new laser sharp focus on assessment, organization for word study, research, and teacher-friendly word sorts and games. Included is a new CD ROM that provides an amazing electronic format for managing student assessment. It also contains hundreds of alternate word and picture sorts and sorting and game templates that allow teachers to create instructional materials including games from the CD's bank of word and picture lists. These materials can be printed or saved to a hard drive for later use. The new edition also includes a DVD tutorial that walks users through every step of the Words Their Way approach, from assessment to classroom organization to developmentally-driven, hands on instruction. Words Their Way engages learners and scaffolds the development of all students including English learners. Features: Streamlined Chapter 2 provides thoughtful stepby-step guidelines for assessing students and determining their developmental level. Word Study with English Learner sections in each chapter help you organize and adapt instruction to meet the needs of students whose first language is not English. The Appendix at the back of the book contains a comprehensive bank of word lists, word sorts, picture sorts, games and templates. Media Notes for each chapter will link concepts with specific content on the DVD and CD.
Letter and picture sorts for emergent spellers
Allyn & Bacon eBooks, 2010
Abstract: Word family pattern recognition is a key to understanding the complexities of the Engli... more Abstract: Word family pattern recognition is a key to understanding the complexities of the English language. Teaching of the patterns is easier if you can recognize the readiness of your students. Article: After rereading the familiar predictable book Cat on the Mat by Brian Wildsmith (1982), Mrs. Beatty (not her real name) asked a group of her first graders to name the rhyming words they noticed in the story as she wrote them in a column on the board. The children named and then read the words cat, mat, and sat together. Then Mrs. Beatty asked her students (all names are pseudonyms) what they noticed about the words. Dylan answered that they rhymed. Mrs. Beatty agreed that they did have the same rhyming sound, then encouraged the children to look closely at the letters in the words. A hand shot up, and Amanda said, "They all have a t at the end!" "That's right," replied Mrs. Beatty, and she led the children in reading each word again, emphasizing the final...
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Word family pattern recognition is a key to understanding the complexities of the English languag... more Word family pattern recognition is a key to understanding the complexities of the English language. Teaching of the patterns is easier if you can recognize the readiness of your students. Article: After rereading the familiar predictable book Cat on the Mat by Brian Wildsmith (1982), Mrs. Beatty (not her real name) asked a group of her first graders to name the rhyming words they noticed in the story as she wrote them in a column on the board. The children named and then read the words cat, mat, and sat together. Then Mrs. Beatty asked her students (all names are pseudonyms) what they noticed about the words. Dylan answered that they rhymed. Mrs. Beatty agreed that they did have the same rhyming sound, then encouraged the children to look closely at the letters in the words. A hand shot up, and Amanda said, "They all have a t at the end!" "That's right," replied Mrs. Beatty, and she led the children in reading each word again, emphasizing the final letter and...
Words Their Way with English Learners
Words Their Way with English Learners, 2/e is the most complete resource available for teachers t... more Words Their Way with English Learners, 2/e is the most complete resource available for teachers to use as they facilitate research-based word study in classrooms with students from varying language backgrounds. Included in this new edition arechapter by chapter examples of ...
Spelling Exceptions: Problems or Possibilities?
Reading Teacher, 2001
Spelling exceptions: Problems or possibilities
Word learning in predictable text
Book Buddies: Guidelines for Volunteer Tutors of Emergent and Early Readers
Page 1. Guidelines for Volunteer Tutors of Emergent and Early Readers Francine R. Johnston Marcia... more Page 1. Guidelines for Volunteer Tutors of Emergent and Early Readers Francine R. Johnston Marcia Invemizzi Connie Juel Page 2. Page 3. SOOK Guidelines for Volunteer Tutors of Emergent and Early Readers Francine R. Johnston ...
Exploring classroom teachers' spelling practices and beliefs
Read Res Instruct, 2000
Using three perspectives on spelling instruction (i.e., memorization, generalizations, and develo... more Using three perspectives on spelling instruction (i.e., memorization, generalizations, and developmental) as a framework, teachers in grades 2 to 5 were interviewed to investigate the practices and beliefs about spelling instruction which exist in a school system which has de‐emphasized formal spelling instruction. An analysis of the respones to open‐ended questions suggests that the classroom teachers in this sample (n=42)
The timing and teaching of word families
Page 1. Francine R. Johnston ... fter rereading the familiar predictable book Cat on the Mat by B... more Page 1. Francine R. Johnston ... fter rereading the familiar predictable book Cat on the Mat by Brian Wildsmith (1982), Mrs. Beatty (not her real name) asked a group of her first graders to name the rhyming words they noticed in the story as she wrote them in a column on the board. ...
Exploring classroom teachers' spelling practices and beliefs
Reading Research and Instruction, 2000
Page 1. Reading Research and Instruction Winter 2001,40 (2) 143-156 Exploring Classroom Teachers&... more Page 1. Reading Research and Instruction Winter 2001,40 (2) 143-156 Exploring Classroom Teachers' Spelling Practices and Beliefs Francine R. Johnston University of North Carolina at Greensboro ABSTRACT Using three ...