Why Automacity and Fluency is measured in education Essay Example

Why Automacity and Fluency is measured in education Essay Example Why Automacity and Fluency is measured in education Essay Why Automacity and Fluency is measured in education Essay In every reading lesson, there are various ways in which a teacher measures the level of comprehension. Some of the guidelines used in measurement are automaticity and fluency. Automaticity is the way in which a learner develops the unconscious speed after being fluent. In this process, he is able to understand more, other than focusing on reading of vocabulary only. This paper will discuss the two concepts with a clear description of a theoretical analysis on automaticity. There are very many reasons why the two concepts are measured, which will also be brought out clearly in the essay. Additionally, the importance of fluency and automaticity is also revealed. It is therefore very necessary for teachers and students to understand that the two concepts are very beneficial for every learner so that they can comprehend more difficult work as they progress in learning. Otherwise, there would be a lot of problems in relation to learning as they progress to higher grades, and even at the college level, since they lacked proper orientation and foundation. Why Automacity and Fluency is measured in education Introduction In any classroom context, especially for young learners, it is necessary for the teacher to ensure that all the students develop the skills of fluency and automacity in all subjects. The academic performance of a child will only be good if the child has good skills in reading. Therefore, the teachers are always keen on measuring the level of fluency and automacity in the children they teach using various methods. This research paper seeks to discuss why fluency and automacity should be measured. Automacity and fluency The words automacity and fluency are intertwined. However, they are defined differently. Automacity is a process which is defined asâ€Å"quick, correct and effortless word recognition at the single word level. It is also defined as the ability to perform a task without significant demands on attention† (Philips, 2008). Automaticity comes form the word automotize, which basically means ‘automatic or unconsciously† (Miguel, 2008). On the other hand, fluency, or fluent reading is a process which is described as â€Å"the link between decoding and comprehension† (Morrow, Rueda, Lapp Gordon, 2009). It is a process which gives all learners the ability to move from monotonous and difficult reading to a kind of reading described as expressive and smooth. It is also defined as an automatic and accurate way of recognizing words, in addition to the proper use of prosody (Morrow, Rueda, Lapp Gordon, 2009). Fluency and automaticity are very important elements in all subjects. In language, there are several important skills, which include reading, writing, listening and speaking. The most important skill, which is in fact the opener to the other three, is reading. Since a student is required to know how to read in order to interpret comprehensions and understand all the other subjects, it is important for the teachers to emphasize on the skill. The recognition of the automatic word enables the reader to be attentive to all written texts. As a student begins to read, there is so much attention which is put on the exercise. With time, the ability of the learner in reading becomes automatic, and as a result, his or her attention lessens. This is described as â€Å"freeing up of cognitive resources for the construction of meaning† (Morrow, Rueda, Lapp Gordon, 2009). According to NIFL (2007), learners at the beginning and intermediate level are generally slow readers, but they increase their reading speed as they advance. Non- native speakers of a certain language and adults in the literacy classes also have the same characteristics. The only way that the students can be helped to move from intentional, slow decoding to the word recognition level is through constant practice. Practice is very beneficial as it enables learners to have the wide exposure in printing (alphabetic), makes work easier for the learners and the students get to learn any form of written work whether phonologically, orthographically and morphologically presented (Morrow, Rueda, Lapp Gordon, 2009). All the same, development of automaticity is not the endpoint of the reading process. It is not the only way that measurement can take place. Once all reading cycles begin, there should be fluency developed, and the learners should also be shown how to apply the skills they have learnt. Additionally, the learners should also been made aware of the need to use the skills learnt and therefore should be encouraged in monitoring of the skills (Wifischer, Holmes Yang, 2007). Theoretical discussion on automaticity The automatist theorists state that attention is very vital in any form of automatic information processing. Attention consists of external and internal. Internal attention is abstract and cannot be observed directly. It has three major properties, selectivity, alertness and limited capacity (Philips, 2008).On the other hand, external attention is revealed by the attitude of the readers through all senses. This is discussed in a model referred to as the La Berge Samuel model. The theory suggests that if too much energy is spent on easy tasks like decoding, there will be very minimal energy for giving the comprehension. Additionally, meaning must be derived, as there must be printed words which are decoded. As reader becomes fluent, he or she requires very little attention so as to decode words. Therefore, they only require putting much focus on comprehension of the text (Philips, 2008). Reasons of measuring automaticity and fluency One of the reasons why the two concepts are measured is to ensure that the learners have the ability of reading words in all texts so that all the readers can direct all their few cognitive resources from just recognizing words, and use them also in reading and understanding of all comprehensions. Word recognition is measured initially through prosodic or expressive reading, which is commonly known ad the melodic reading. In this case, the learners try to make out the meaning of words through their voices. In silent reading, however, the meaning of all texts is also revealed by the manner in which the words are read, with phrasing, expression, different pace, stressing some words through making some dramatic pauses. In the long run, the learner develops fluency and automaticity (Rasinski Griffith, 2008). The other reason why automaticity and fluency is measured in learners is to model the students so that they can be braced to face the curriculum introduced to them in future. This begins by ensuring that the learners are fluent readers. So as to mould good fluency skills, the teacher first reads a text loudly in class as the learners follow. The teacher also asks them to follow the teachers’ voice, and even assigns some if the reading tasks to the parents so that they can assist their children at home. The teachers are also instrumental as he or she helps the learner to realize that learning is not only a matter of reading fast, but reading expressively through listening to the teachers directions (Rasinski Griffith, 2008).The reading process of a learner who is not well oriented to the concept of fluency and automatization is characterized by halting, inappropriate expressions, oral speech problems and several decoding errors (Fink Samuels, 2008). It is also important to measure fluency and automaticity in learners because the teacher is able to identify any learner who could be having eyesight problems. Therefore, the learner with the eyesight problem can be referred to an eye specialist as early as possible. Children with eye problems tend to struggle so much when reading. According to Getz, (2008), using the ‘Snellen eye chart test’ is not a good way of testing any visual activity. Once it happens, the teachers and parents get a false notion that the child is fit for learning. However, it is through reading that the child is able to assess whether the child has got any form of visual interference. There would be maximum development of the child’s potential if at all the visual pathways of the child are interfered with. Brain-based research reveals all the neurological reasons why the development of automaticity is so vital in all learning processes. There are very many clinical trials in several computer-based interventions which reveal the real world classroom results. The studies have revealed that the brain is â€Å"a limited control processor that isn’t capable of efficiently managing both fixed knowledge processing and higher order reasoning at once† (Auto Skill, 2009). Therefore, by automatizing knowledge which is fixed, for example decoding of letters, the students can focus on a high level of reasoning and comprehension. When automaticity continues developing, the processes of the brain also continue advancing. There are also ninety percent reductions in the activities of the cortex (Auto Skill, 2009). Learners who have good mathematics skills could probably have been exposed to very good fluency and automaticity orientation. This is because they learn how to decide information at a faster rate compared to those who have problems in fluency and automaticity. Therefore According to Auto Skill, (2009), development of mathematics skills is also measured by the students laying necessary work so as to attain all their academic goals. The core of fluency is in the automaticity concept, and it is also meaningful in mathematics. According to Teacher to Teacher (2010), teachers provide a great deal of practice so as to make sure that there is computational fluency Automaticity is generally derived from over-learning. This is usually through the process of repeated drilling and practice. This has got very many implications in the classrooms of students who are learning English as a second language, and all other subjects. For effective fluency and automatization, the teacher is supposed to give information from the general to specific, known to unknown, simple to complex. This is what is referred to as bottom –up processing (Miguel, 2008). Conclusion From the discussion, fluency and automaticity are very important terms in education of the learners. Once fluency is developed through the help of a teacher, automaticity develops unconsciously. It is therefore very important for all teachers to ensure that their learners have good automaticity and fluent skills so that they can perform well in their class work. Otherwise, the learners will always have problems in learning. Learners who have problems should get the right assistance from their teachers. They should be referred to specialists if at all they have problems in their academics, so that the problems might not become worse in future.

How to Write a Top-Scoring ACT Essay

How to Write a Top-Scoring ACT Essay In the fall of 2015, the ACT underwent quite a bit of a change. The single prompt and response essay task of the past was  replaced by a single, somewhat controversial prompt with three different perspectives on the Enhanced ACT Writing Test. The ACT writers also started including probing writing questions and pre-writing space to help inspire thoughtful, organized, and analytical essays by ACT test-takers across the United States. So, how do you nail this thing? How do you ensure a top score on the ACT Essay? Well, first, go back and read through the Enhanced ACT Writing Test details and click on a few of the writing prompts so you know what Im talking about below. Then, get back here and keep reading.  Ã‚   Enhanced Writing Test Expectations Your essay will be graded on whether you can complete these three tasks: â€Å"evaluate and analyze† the given perspectivesâ€Å"state and develop† your own perspectiveâ€Å"explain the relationship† between your perspective and those given 1. Critique as You Read the Prompt (5 minutes) Read the prompt with your pencil in your hand. Evaluate means to judge or critique and analyze means to break down into parts. So, basically, youre going to need to find the strengths and weaknesses of the initial argument and the three perspectives quickly before you write anything. Here are some easy ways of doing just that: Underline the premises of each perspective. Premises are the statements that present the evidence.  Since President Jones raised taxes on businesses, business owners have had to fire employees because they cant afford to pay both.Circle the conclusions of each perspective. Conclusions are the claims the perspectives are making. Its what they say will or did happen because of the premise.  Since President Jones raised taxes on businesses, business owners have had to fire employees because they cant afford to pay both.Poke holes in each perspective as you read. Familiarize yourself with logical fallacies like post hoc, appeal to pity, etc., so you can accurately determine if the logic is sound within the perspectives.   Some perspectives will be logically inaccurate and you can use that as fuel for your own ideas. (Do business owners rely on the President for all financial decisions? Where is the personal responsibility of management? Fiscal responsibility? The President is not r esponsible for a small business owners poor budgeting skills.)    Create alternatives instead of the conclusions offered by the premises. (Instead of firing people, business owners could reduce bonuses, stock options and salaries of top executives. Instead of firing people, business owners could offer buy-outs to dissatisfied employees as incentives to leave voluntarily.) 2. Create a Supportable Thesis (1 minute) Now that youve thoroughly evaluated and analyzed the initial issue paragraph and each of the three perspectives, its time to state your own idea. Its important that you come up with a firm thesis or main point, here. Your perspective may completely agree with an offered perspective, partly agree with a perspective, or be completely different. Whatever the case, you must choose. You may not, under any circumstance, write an essay where you waffle back and forth between agreeing and disagreeing and end up saying nothing at all. 3. Sketch a Quick Outline (10 minutes) Heres where you get organized so your essay develops your idea and explains the relationships between your perspective and others, both of which youll be scored on. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Youll dip into your personal experience, knowledge and values to prove your points. In your quick outline, youll scratch out where those points will go so you have a roadmap for your essay. Youll also make sure to add in the strengths and weaknesses of the given perspectives, adding in that analysis and evaluation you did when you read the prompt.   It does not have to, but your outline could look something like this: Introduction with thesis A. Point 1 which strongly supports my thesis. My support for Point 1 - development of your ideaHow Perspective 3 supports Point 1 with a strong argument, but Perspective 2 potentially weakens it until you realize that Perspective 2 is using faulty reasoning.   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ explanation of the relationship between their ideas and yours B. Point 2 which strongly supports my thesis. My support for Point 2 – development of your ideaHow Perspective 1 opposes Point 2, but Perspective 1 fails to consider my stellar personal experience and values. – explanation of the relationship between their ideas and yours   Conclusion with challenge 4. Write Your Heart Out (25 minutes) Go for it. Take your outline and dig deep into the task using your very best language and grammar. Vary your sentence structure and language. Make your introduction stand out. (For heavens sake, dont start with a question.) For the body, present just two arguments instead of the standard three youre often taught in the five-paragraph-essay format. Why? Because you need to get into those perspectives to present counterarguments, implications and complicating factors. Youll need to use facts, experience, and authority. Logic. Appeal to emotions. Youll need to move between general statements and specific reasons, examples and details with transitions. You simply do not have enough time to do all that for three separate ideas! 5. Proofread (4 minutes) Try to set aside a few minutes at the end of your essay to proof your essay. I know its tough, but youll save yourself some points if you catch a major logical flaw and have a chance to rewrite a few sentences.Youll be scored on your  ideas and analysis, development and support, organization, and language use on a 2-12 point scale. Ensure you get every point you deserve. Practice Your Essay There is no better way to prepare for this exam than by practicing for it. Try a few of these prompts with your timer on so you know what youll face on test day.   Enhanced ACT Writing Prompts