# 6 Learning vs. Acquisition Student and Teacher Activities

The students:   
1. L  looking up words in the dictionary to write definitions is learning/word recognition. It is isolated and conscious.
2. A  making a Venn diagram to compare two stories builds meaning.
3. L  practicing sounding out words is a drill .
4. L  reading in round-robin fashion is teacher-directed.
5. L  correcting peers when they make a mistake during reading is conscious and a habit.
6. L & A identifying words on a big book page that start the same way is a combination of L & A. There is  phonemic awareness and letter recognition that is isolated and conscious, while reading a big book promotes meaning.
7. L  grouping cards with classmates names by criterion is a clearly stated objective and skill.
8. A  writing rhyming poetry and then discussing different spellings for the same sound is authentic, and skills are embedded.
9. L  asking a teacher how to spell a word is explicit and isolated.
10. A  reading a language experience story they have created with the teacher is student-directed and authentic.
11. A  working in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences is student-directed and integrating known work to new.
12. L  dividing words into syllables is an isolated skill.
13. L  completing a worksheet by drawing a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound is explicit, conscious and skill work.
14. A  making alphabet books on different topics is authentic, skills embedded, and student-directed.

The teacher:

1. L   preteaching vocabulary is explicit, teacher directed, and conscious.
2. A  doing a shared reading with a big book promotes meaning.
3. L  making sure that students read only books that are their level is teacher-directed.
4. L  having students segment words into phonemes is teaching a skill, and isolated.
5. A  writing words the students dictate for a story and having students help with the spelling of difficult words is authentic, student-directed and skills are embedded.
6. L  asking students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter is teacher-directed, explicit, and isolated.
7. L  using decodable texts is practicing decoding skills, conscious and lacks student choice.
8. A setting aside time for SRR each day is authentic, student-directed, and meaningful.
9. L  teaching Greek and latin roots is explicit, reinforcing conscious understanding of words.
10. A  having students meet in literature circles provides exposure to a variety of books, and uses meaning to promote learning. Skills are embedded in the reading.
11. L  conducting phonics drills is teacher-directed, conscious and isolated.  
12. L  choosing predictable texts takes away opportunities for deeper comprehension and student-choice.
13. L  teaching students different comprehension strategies is direct-teaching of a skill.
14. L & A  doing a picture walk of a new book helps students gain meaning and also is an opportunity for the teacher to teach vocabulary prior to the first reading.
15. L  using a variety of worksheets to teach different skills is explicit, isolated, and conscious. Errors are corrected.

Information retrieved from Freeman & Freeman, Essential Linguistics,Chapter 2 and classwork on 9/16/10.