Whether its soccer, football, or tennis a good coach can make a big impact on the performance abilities an athlete. A good coach knows what skills to teach their athletes so they may be the best the can be and reach their full potential. This same idea goes for learning to read. A good "coach" or teacher, can play a major role in the reading abilities of the children. As Clark (2004) points out in her article, "knowledgeable teachers have crafted cues for readers to apply their developing knowledge of word recognition strategies so they have the ability to become strategic and independent readers" (p. 440). Providing students with the skills and abilities to discover the vast world of literacy is a vital responsibility of every teacher. I think Clark's three factors are important to consider as teachers put on their coaching hat and begin to train their young athletes to succeed. #1. Teachers must have considerable knowledge of phonics and English orthography. #2. Teachers must be aware of each student's instructional histories. #3. Teachers must be aware of each student's individual strengths and weaknesses (p. 448). Every teacher can be the leader of a winning team if they take the appropriate steps to learn and understand each child and encourage his/her literary development, no matter what stage he/she may be in. Lets all be winners in the game of reading!
I love this reference to a sports coach. Just like a basketball coach, who understands all the elements of the sport, a reading teacher must understand all of the elements of reading.
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