So reading this chapter was one of those that seemed like it should be common sense, but isn't. I think that it was at least. I am a person that may take more time than others to read what we are expected to read, but I am a decent reader. There was this time in middle school that we had a substitute in our literacy class and three of us were chosen by the regular teach to read the book aloud to the other students in our class. We would read two pages at a time and then the next person in the rotation would read. Well I was taking too long in my class mate's opinion, so she cut me off after I was done with one page. Well you can imagine how self conscious that made me feel. So, to me it makes sense that a lot of behavior problems would start with people's difficulty with reading. This skill is something that we take for granted and when we see when someone slips up, it can be so easy for peers to point it out. Being able to read is a skills that umbrellas many different subgroups. The different types of text that we all read is so vast that it can be forgotten that people can be good at reading somethings, and have difficulty with reading other types of text. Then when we have difficulty with one thing, we don't want to admit it, so to avoid being vulnerable, people act out.
So we want to avoid those issues, obviously. So we should be teaching the students how to read the types of material that will be read in our class before expecting a student to read something out loud. In every subject we focus around knowing that the students should be able to read. Where, maybe we shouldn't be. For some we should breakdown everything for them, and the other students who may not need that lesson, would still benefit from it being taught. So I think it is important to demonstrate to the students how to read math articles and how to read word problems. I would think this could be done while demonstrating how to do the problems, in the actual lesson. I think that teaching the students how to read is something that can be quickly taught, and can make the year much more successful.
So we want to avoid those issues, obviously. So we should be teaching the students how to read the types of material that will be read in our class before expecting a student to read something out loud. In every subject we focus around knowing that the students should be able to read. Where, maybe we shouldn't be. For some we should breakdown everything for them, and the other students who may not need that lesson, would still benefit from it being taught. So I think it is important to demonstrate to the students how to read math articles and how to read word problems. I would think this could be done while demonstrating how to do the problems, in the actual lesson. I think that teaching the students how to read is something that can be quickly taught, and can make the year much more successful.
Hi Alix!
ReplyDeleteYour personal anecdote about reading really got me thinking about how students can act out when they're feeling vulnerable in an academic situation. It's so important to make our students feel comfortable and safe within their learning environment, and it's just so sad to think how some students don't have a welcoming, nonjudgmental place to learn. Having a supportive classroom of learners (including the teacher) is the key to valuable learning, so thanks for sharing.
I love how you articulate, "Being able to read is a skill that umbrellas many different subgroups." You explain this as exploring texts of varying levels of difficultly, but I also think that it speaks volumes about how reading exists across content areas. In Chapter 11, there's the example of the physics teacher becoming upset because it's not his/her job to teach reading. I disagree with this! As a teacher, we must incorporate reading within our curriculum, because reading is a literacy that exists in the real world. This reading can take the form of a newspaper article or magazine story, but it's still reading. That's why it's so important to keep our students reading in every content course. As you said, teaching reading strategies (when applicable) will make the year run that much more smoothly.
Hi Alix!,
ReplyDeleteI agree with teaching the reading strategies first. Spending a little time on this even in the beginning of the year will ensure that your students understand your expectations for their reading. I really think that it is important, even if it takes an entire class. You could even do a think aloud, where you read a question and think out loud about how you would approach it. I think this would make students a lot more comfortable tackling those intimidating math problems!... If you're not a math person, they are definitely intimidating!
I agree with Dominique above. I liked the idea of the umbrella effect and how being able to read is important for various different reasons.
I'm sorry you had that experience in the classroom :/ But, having that connection could help you later in your career when you run into a student like you that takes their time reading.
Hey Alix, I was interested in how you should breakdown lessons for the students who need it, and those who don’t need to have it broken down also benefit from hearing it. It reminded me of inclusion classrooms for young children. I know this is apples and oranges, but I have a young nephew and nice who are twins. My nephew is autistic, and he and my niece go to an inclusion based preschool. My niece gets much of the same instruction from the special educators, and she is amazingly advanced for her age. I know I’m talking about special education and preschoolers, but I think all students benefit when things are explained with techniques to help struggling learners. I always found the easiest math teachers to follow were the ones who never assumed everyone understood the material, and either used think-alouds or effective demonstrations on how to tackle a problem.
ReplyDeleteI think think-alouds would a great way to breakdown the lesson and then if they needed it broken down further, I can use solid objects as representations so that they can see actual materials being manipulated. That is where I would start at least.
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