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.
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6 comments:
I also believed that the statement that rang clear to me is "Learning is a life-long process." I believe that we need to show students how reading effects them throughout their lives. I have seen interest grow in the students at Newberry High School since we have made a push towards fining books that interest students. Most of my students enjoy reading and are eager to find new books to read.
Another statement that grabbed my attention was "The more children interact with spoken and written language, the better readers they become." Teachers have to actively engage students in lessons enriched in language that is familiar with students. If we can hook students on a topic they enjoy, they are more likely to be involved in the spoken and written language of the topic.
Do you think that reading enhances student language as well? The more text we are exposed to, the more language we are exposed to. So why are some of us still not committed to SSR?
This is going to sound repeatitive, lol....the sentence that stands out the most is "learning to read is a life-long process." I agree with Ash that we need to show them how reading affects them BUT I don't know if we remember to show them that it doesn't have to be in book form. My best friend HATES to read! She has a MFA, is married to a PhD/engineering prof at a major univ, and has two kids who are voracious readers...but she draws the line at anything more intense than People...
As for why some of us aren't doing SSR, I think the loss of the set time and directive of "all will do" really hurts. Plus there just wasn't/isn't a penalty for the teachers who don't participate.
Many of our 9th graders this year are avid readers. "Can I go to the library?" They always want to return and check out new books! This year's 9th graders also have the highest incoming test scores (MAPS/PACT). I see a correlation!
I found several quotes that I thought were very intriguing. First, the article stated "They read more on topics that interest them than on topics that do not interest them." I find this to be very true. The kids this year love reading Bronx Masquerade and will analyze all sorts of literary devices because they are interested in the book. Take the same lesson and apply it to one of the classic stories from the textbook and they all go blank from boredom.
Another quote I found rather interesting was "Their reason for reading impacts the way they read." Students will read if they know why they have to read. If the students already read for pleasure, you usually don't have too much trouble getting them to read for information or for analyzation. The kids who hate to read, however, really need to know exactly what they are supposed to learn from a text before they start reading. Sometimes, this means a list of questions or a focus questions, but, hey, it gets them reading. You have to start somewhere, right?
The SSR is very helpful, and as Tina pointed out, the 9th graders this year LOVE to read. I can't tell you how many times I've already taken my FF classes to the library to check out books. I also think we need to encourage our SSR to lead into discussion/writing. I find that my students are more willing to read during SSR if they know I expect them to be able to explain/discuss/dissect whatever they read. Reading is great, but we need to also make sure the students are actually using the time appropriately. As, I stated before, some students are willing to read for absolutely no reason at all; others need the extra push.
"Children read more when they have access to engaging, age appropriate books, magazines, newspapers, computers and other reading materials."
I wonder if the students we are graduating who already are parents are seeing ANY value in reading to their children. And can they read well enough to do that kind of reading? The infant doesn't know, of course, if teenage mom or dad is reading well, they just know that there are words being spoken - and there is a bonding time. But when "children" are reading to children - first do they think they have the skills to pass along this (reading) skills and second, are they taking the time - what with the temptations to go to the club or McDonalds on Friday night to hang out.
Plus in tough economic times what's the first thing to be sacrificed in household budgets - newspaper and magazine subscriptions, if there are any in the first place.
One thing I couldn't understand in this quote is why computers are listed along with "reading materials". Sure you can read the news on CNN or SI or even blogs but is there ANYTHING more boring than reading the computer? (Present company excepted of course) I'm an old-school reader, obviously, I want that paper in my hand. I guess I just have to get over myself.
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