On Reading, Learning to Read, and Effective Reading Instruction

There are several statements in this article from NCTE that ring critical and true with me. The first is, "Learning to read is a life-long process." I think of how I have changed as a reader over many years. My habits have changed, my tastes have changed, and my abilities have changed. I am more able to comprehend complex text than I was as a younger student. My abilities have matured.

The second statement is, "The more children interact with spoken and written language, the better readers they become." Studies have shown how many words the average student comes across depending on the amount of time that he/she reads. It is vital that, as high school teachers, we work to make up some of the time that they have missed. Yet, I think back on my classes that I taught, and I'm not sure how much reading was going on. Were my students playing the same game I did and waiting for me to tell them? How are we encouraging reading habits and text interactions? How are we exposing our children to more words?

Lastly, the word "authentic" is most important to me. As I read more, as I study more, and as I work in more classrooms, I see that we have to relate everything to our students' lives and those lives are changing more and more every day. The world that these students live in does not look anything like the world that I grew up in and I can only imagine how different it is from my parents' generation.

What lines from the article hit home most with you? Do you agree or disagree? Why? How are we implementing the policies that promote learning to read at our school and in our classes?

Remember to post prior to our next class meeting, October 20th.

Welcome, study group members!

This year, the professional reading blog will be used for responses to study group readings. I look forward to reading your ideas!