The 6 Language Arts

When thinking about language arts, most people assume it only revolves around reading and writing, but it was interesting to discover there is so much more than that. After discussing the areas of listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing, I have learned that all of these areas are important in teaching language arts. Throughout this class, I truly hope to learn how to better teach these methods and use the information I learn and bring that into my future classroom. I want my students to appreciate language arts and I am hoping to learn a variety of techniques to teach it best to them.

This day and age, technology is a huge part of our daily lives. When my parents were in college, they did not have their own personal laptops or even cell phones, but today is much different. Our society has grown to rely on technology, and we are now able to do things that were not possible just a few years ago. I believe that technology in the classroom can be very beneficial and there are so many ways to use it efficiently to better teach students. I am a firm believer in all people learn differently, and viewing and visually representing can truly help the visual learners and can keep their attention. I am certainly not saying that technology should be the only thing used in the classroom, but demonstrations are definitely a part of language arts and can make learning fun and educational.

As a student, I have always preferred a variety of techniques used in the classroom because I feel that if a teacher does the same thing every single day, students get bored and know exactly what to expect. I want my students to experience a variety of learning activities and to be excited about doing different things. Saying this, I believe that all 6 of the language arts components are important in their own individual way. In my personal experiences, I tend to take the most out of listening and talking because I enjoy working with other people and it helps me to learn information better. Reading and writing are definitely crucial because students are able to practice their language arts skills and become more proficient in this area. Although I prefer writing over reading, I do have goals to read more and become better at it. Like I mentioned before, I do feel that viewing and visually representing are important aspects in language arts and they can make things fun and interesting for children.

So far, I really do like the book, Sahara Special. It sounds like a very interesting book and I am looking forward to what is to come. I do feel that too many "labels" are placed on children and this should not hinder their education. Every student is special in their own way and I believe that teachers have to do everything in their power to make sure each student is getting the proper education and they are working towards their full potential.