As I read this chapter, I found myself thinking about myself as a young learner. Reading was something I did because it was an assignment. I would rush through the words on the page so I could say that I had read the assignment. Most times there was very little comprehension or understanding. It was until later in life that I had a teacher that helped me “respond” as I read, as described on page 163 of this chapter.
Thinking back on my teaching career in a middle school science classroom, I consistently used discovery and inquiry activities to help students gain an understanding of the content being covered, but I failed my students by just expecting them to read the text with no modeling or guidance. I failed to have students use some of those same inquiry strategies as they read the assigned readings. I was guilty of making the assumption students are taught how to read and interact with text at the elementary level. It was not my job to teach them to read. I didn’t make the obvious connection that helping access the information would in turn help their comprehension. Although students were taught literacy required for elementary texts, I didn’t consider that as student advance grade levels the difficulty level of the text is also increasing.
Teachers should model the strategies required for comprehension of informational texts at the middle school level. There has been some discussion of using an academic response journal to encourage writing across the curriculum. I can see many points made in this chapter being very useful in PD at the middle school level.
I found it interesting that discussion between reading for content and knowledge vs. reading for pleasure. Rosenblatt sees reading as a transaction between the reader and the text. We might read a text strictly to gain information or efferent stance vs. "live through a book" or aesthetic stance. Readers can read for both purposes but with a given text readers tend toward one end of the continuum or the other.
For any given text, no single meaning exists. Each reader uses their prior knowledge drawing on their personal experiences to make meaning. When readers talk about their reading, they expand their reading power. Reader's notebooks are one opportunity for the teacher and students to engage in inquiry through dialogue.
Teachers must be trained to look for evidence that their students are revealing genuine, honest feelings about the texts they read. The use of a rubric has always been used in the Language Arts classes for the teacher to share expectations with the students and to help the teacher determine the degree of student learning.
Text books are written for students who read on grade level. However, so many of our students haven't been taught to read for knowledge. We are grateful at the MS level to have been given training in MAX strategies which help students read for content. However, that is not enough. Our students must be given the opportunity to read, write, discuss and listen to the material being taught in our content texts. I definitely plan to use literacy skills as a focus of PD at the middle school level next year.
I feel like I am blogging to myself but it has been 3 days with no reply and I thought of more to say so here goes...
I was reading some notes from UALR with Dr. Doug Beuhl's and the levels of knowledge, how poverty affects knowledge, frontloading the lesson, etc. I found him very interesting and worthwhile to listen to. I was very impressed with him and his knowledge. I definitely plan to use what he taught me in next years Professional Development.
Angela...you are exactly right. We have to be grateful for MAX and Dr. Beuhl's strategies. It's our door into the literacy world in the middle school! Our teachers will actually use these strategies to improve reading comprehension in each classroom. I think that we must look at other literacy components, but these strategies need to be of utmost importance.
Your quote on reading for pleasure and reading to learn something Angela. Our kids have to be taught that there is a difference and different ways to read each. In the elementary schools shared reading would be an excellent time to demostrate this. Response journals is another way to reinforce this. I too Rae feel like I've done a disjustice to my kids, but when you know better you do better. As I look back I should have the kids do more writing to response to their reading. In my comprehension focus groups the kids really enjoy their logs and it's a great way for me to assess their learning. Suzi has been working with my fourth grade teacher. One thing that she's help her with is having the kids write in their own words what they're learning. We've both seen their comprehension improve.
As I read this chapter, I found myself thinking about myself as a young learner. Reading was something I did because it was an assignment. I would rush through the words on the page so I could say that I had read the assignment. Most times there was very little comprehension or understanding. It was until later in life that I had a teacher that helped me “respond” as I read, as described on page 163 of this chapter.
ReplyDeleteThinking back on my teaching career in a middle school science classroom, I consistently used discovery and inquiry activities to help students gain an understanding of the content being covered, but I failed my students by just expecting them to read the text with no modeling or guidance. I failed to have students use some of those same inquiry strategies as they read the assigned readings. I was guilty of making the assumption students are taught how to read and interact with text at the elementary level. It was not my job to teach them to read. I didn’t make the obvious connection that helping access the information would in turn help their comprehension. Although students were taught literacy required for elementary texts, I didn’t consider that as student advance grade levels the difficulty level of the text is also increasing.
Teachers should model the strategies required for comprehension of informational texts at the middle school level. There has been some discussion of using an academic response journal to encourage writing across the curriculum. I can see many points made in this chapter being very useful in PD at the middle school level.
I found it interesting that discussion between reading for content and knowledge vs. reading for pleasure. Rosenblatt sees reading as a transaction between the reader and the text. We might read a text strictly to gain information or efferent stance vs. "live through a book" or aesthetic stance. Readers can read for both purposes but with a given text readers tend toward one end of the continuum or the other.
ReplyDeleteFor any given text, no single meaning exists. Each reader uses their prior knowledge drawing on their personal experiences to make meaning. When readers talk about their reading, they expand their reading power. Reader's notebooks are one opportunity for the teacher and students to engage in inquiry through dialogue.
Teachers must be trained to look for evidence that their students are revealing genuine, honest feelings about the texts they read. The use of a rubric has always been used in the Language Arts classes for the teacher to share expectations with the students and to help the teacher determine the degree of student learning.
Text books are written for students who read on grade level. However, so many of our students haven't been taught to read for knowledge. We are grateful at the MS level to have been given training in MAX strategies which help students read for content. However, that is not enough. Our students must be given the opportunity to read, write, discuss and listen to the material being taught in our content texts. I definitely plan to use literacy skills as a focus of PD at the middle school level next year.
I feel like I am blogging to myself but it has been 3 days with no reply and I thought of more to say so here goes...
ReplyDeleteI was reading some notes from UALR with Dr. Doug Beuhl's and the levels of knowledge, how poverty affects knowledge, frontloading the lesson, etc. I found him very interesting and worthwhile to listen to. I was very impressed with him and his knowledge. I definitely plan to use what he taught me in next years Professional Development.
Angela...you are exactly right. We have to be grateful for MAX and Dr. Beuhl's strategies. It's our door into the literacy world in the middle school! Our teachers will actually use these strategies to improve reading comprehension in each classroom. I think that we must look at other literacy components, but these strategies need to be of utmost importance.
ReplyDeleteYour quote on reading for pleasure and reading to learn something Angela. Our kids have to be taught that there is a difference and different ways to read each. In the elementary schools shared reading would be an excellent time to demostrate this. Response journals is another way to reinforce this. I too Rae feel like I've done a disjustice to my kids, but when you know better you do better. As I look back I should have the kids do more writing to response to their reading. In my comprehension focus groups the kids really enjoy their logs and it's a great way for me to assess their learning. Suzi has been working with my fourth grade teacher. One thing that she's help her with is having the kids write in their own words what they're learning. We've both seen their comprehension improve.
ReplyDelete