Chapter One: Expanding Our Paradigm of Reading
What I loved...
I happened to love the same thing Kimberley did. "The strongest safety net of all is the classroom teacher." When I think of my struggling readers, I can typically list off several reasons why they struggle and none of them have anything to do with my instruction. Those struggles are valid and relevant, but I can only control what I can control so I need to look to myself and the way I teach in order to meet their needs, in spite of the stuff I can't control.
How I connect this learning to my teaching...
I don't want to ignore outside factors, but I need to resist the urge to focus my energies there and instead focus them on finding a way to make my classroom instruction so powerful that it meets the needs of all my students.
Chapter Two: How Reading Works
What I loved...
"We are very much opposed to the deficit model that blames the child for his or her reading difficulties. If struggling readers are not learning how to read, then we need to look at ourselves and our teaching, searching harder and longer to discover how to teach them better." I'd say that goes hand in hand with what I loved about the first chapter. I'm seeing a pattern here. The authors are inviting us teachers to pursue best teaching practices for all our kids, not just the 80% who will learn to read just be showing up.
How I connect this learning to my teaching...
I can teach the 80% to read with my eyes closed, hands tied behind my back. They're going to learn to read no matter what, it seems. It's the 20% who are the challenge. What am I doing for them? How does my instruction change in order to teach them better? I believe it takes some nitty-gritty research that comes with spending quality time with these readers and their struggles and then making a plan as to how I can teach and reach them better.
Thanks Kimberley for letting me join you. You've got my juices flowing.
Thank YOU for joining in. It's lovely to have a mutual fan club. I think you are on to something with this idea that we can know what the outside world missing piece is for children, but we can't control it. We might be able to shorten the gap if we understand it well enough though. I think I need a better record keeping system so that I remember all the little things I see that make a huge difference in connecting to the words on the page. I'm really looking forward to sharing our ideas this summer!
ReplyDeleteKimberley
First in Maine
Kimberley, you make a very good point. We should strive to understand all the factors that are involved. We just can't use them as excuses. I think that's what gets a lot of into trouble and does no good for the kids. Thanks again for hosting this book study!
DeleteThis book sounds like a great book! A classroom teacher's job is all encompassing and can be hard to manage at times and still be able to meet all the students needs. I like your thoughts on teaching them all and not just to the 80% who will get it no matter what.
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
Lori, it almost seems like I hardly have to work to get the 80% to succeed. That 20% though is a different story.
DeleteI agree with the idea of not giving things beyond our control too much focus.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's that 20% who always challenge us as teachers. Every year I try and tweak things just a little bit more so I can hopefully help the strugglers.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Tammy.
Barb :)
Barb, the 20% keep us on our toes. Hopefully we become better teachers in the process. :)
DeleteYour comment about spending quality TIME with our struggling readers jumped out at me. In order to support these kids, we really need to know them and spend the time figuring out from their reading behaviours what part of the reading process they are missing or have learned incorrectly. Excellent point.
ReplyDeleteSandi
Sandi, it does take some investigating on our parts for sure. Thank you for coming by.
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