LeeAnn Rigau
Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:24:20 -0700
I find it hard to believe that Strategies That Work first edition could be improved upon...but here it is...the Second Edition!
WELCOME to the book chat and discussion board for Strategies That Work, second edition, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. Both Bonita and I hope this will be an effective, lively, educational and thought provoking discussion of a wonderful text and timely topic...reading comprehension.
The book chat will be four weeks long, with the first week focusing on introductions and Part 1: The Foundations of Meaning. Some of the discussion questions and prompts may be "borrowed" from the Strategies That Work 2nd edition Study Guide, Harvey & Goudvis, 2007.
My name is LeeAnn and I teach at a fairly large middle school in VA. I have worked in Special Education for 17 years and am currently the Reading Specialist. This will be my fourth year in that position. Enough about me. Let's Talk!
First, I have to say that the dedication to David Pearson reminds me of how important his work was and how it continues to influence so many professionals. I also love the organizational format of the text. Reading the intro to the 2nd edition really peaked my interest, especially regarding the Active Literacy thread throughout. That's probably why my Chapter 4 has so many pink highliter marks...which, according to Harvard, I should stop doing! Who Knew!
The new section on Comprehension Across the Curriculum looks like it is going to be extremely beneficial. I never really thought, or was resistant to admit, that test reading is a genre. I know I have spent hours on "test taking strategies", but never considered it to be a separate genre. Again, I am really looking forward to the insight gleaned from this section.
The first thing about Chapter 4 that started my pondering was the obvious:"...the most effective instruction is conversational rather than didactic in nature." (pg. 45) OK, I knew this, but I often feel that if I allow student to student conversation, especially with Middle Schoolers, there goes what little control I was lead to believe I had. I also had to read and re-read how our (my) use of language can "...create a climate that encourages kids' participation or shuts them down." I certainly remember being embarrassed by a teacher's comments, either to myself or to others, that sent the warning flag up...It's not safe to share your thoughts in this class; you might get burned. Having been reminded of those personal feelings left me feeling a bit guilty as well. I need to reflect on the simple act of using language to create a positive and sharing culture, particularly with middle schoolers.
I was so psyched reading the section: Beyond Dioramas: Responding to Reading; especially the section on Talking About Reading. "Purposeful talk", (pg.53) addresses the issue I was worried about with too much talk, or unfocued talk. The description of purposeful student-to-student talk is underrepresented, as the authors state, at least from my perspective. However, it is crucial to have those structures in place, and to set expectations. The 6+ discussion structures described are so simple, yet allow students to truly engage with the text and with their peers in a non-threatening way. It is not possible to know if our kids understand what they are reading using multiple choice assessments or fill-in-the-blank responses.
One topic that I found interesting was the idea of common language (pg. 28). I think this is so important, but I have seen teachers overuse the lingo, and it becomes almost something that they "teach to". Vertical alignment of strategies, building upon each other, makes sense to me. Why should we re-invent the wheel every year? I believe that "the cumulative effect of teaching comprehension strategies from kindergarten through high school is powerful" (pg. 29). However, I have seen many students fulfilling what David Pearson cautioned...just because a student says they are using a strategy does not mean they really are using it, and the opposite holds true as well.
Question: How much do we allow our students to use "purposeful talk" within our classrooms? I do not use it enough, or it feels as if I do not set enough of a purpose. How do you establish an environment of trust so everyone feels at ease to share, especially those teachers working with difficult students and/or secondary students.
Question: How do your students use written as well as other kinds of responses to show their evolving thinking?
Question: Does your school/division use common language to address strategy instruction? Does your schoo/division have a structure in place for vertical alignment of strategy instruction?
Let me know what you think, and PLEASE join in the conversation. The more, the merrier!
Happy Reading! LeeAnn
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