SDCTeacher
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 08:56:52 -0700
In a message dated 7/16/2007 11:24:20 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I find it hard to believe that Strategies That Work first edition could be improved upon...but here it is...the Second Edition! LeeAnn, I have to agree with you. Or maybe it's just that I now have the BK to really appreciate all of the nuances of what is being discussed. Strategies That Work was my first plunge into this new way of thinking and teaching reading. I can't even remember how I found it, but what a journey it started for me! I was the only one at my school to hear of it. I tried to do it on my own, but seeing the necessity of having a common language, I recommended the book to our curriculum specialist who eventually had it adopted by our entire elementary school. I picked up this one before I even knew about Mosaic of Thought! Now to what I am thinking so far... First of all, it's nice to know that I have my own books to use for introducing the power of connections. Up North at the Cabin was not my set of memories! But "I was a kid who loved summer," was true of me,too, in my own way.. That's why I use Fireflies and Roxaboxen. These books reflect such happy memories for me. pg. 12 "It is not enough to merely think these thoughts. Strategic readers address their thinking in an inner conversation that helps them to make sense of what they read. They search for the answers to their questions. They attempt to better understand the text through their connections to the characters, the events, and the issues." and again on pg. 13 "Getting readers to think when they read, to develop an awareness of their thinking, and to actively use the knowledge they glean are the primary goals of the comprehension instruction outlined in this book. In this way, reading shapes and even changes thinking." It has really hit me this time around that we are to "acquire and actively use knowledge" pg.14. I have often been discouraged by the fact that my students might demonstrate the use of a strategy, but so what? It doesn't seem to make a difference in their lives. Many don't appear compelled to answer their own questions or to develop their own lines of thinking. It was a great "A ha" moment for me as I read this section and reflected that I am probably putting too much emphasis on the strategy and not enough emphasis on the reason for the strategy, which is deep understanding that leads to some sort of change in thinking, enhanced thinking, or maybe even a call to some sort of action. pg. 39 deals with past instruction. "What kids learn depends on how well we have taught it. If kids don't get it, we need to rethink our instruction and change it accordingly." Touche! The ball is in my court now! I, like LeeAnn, am impressed by the talk of Active Literacy. Literacy doesn't stop with the act of reading itself. pg.16 "Active literacy is the means to deeper understanding and diverse, flexible thinking. Reading, writing, drawing, talking, listening, and investigation are the cornerstones of active literacy, and comprehension instruction is more effective when it takes place within an active literacy framework." One of the ways that I want to increase active literacy this year is better use of the Reading Notebook. I intend to buy the book Notebook Know-How by Aimee Buckner (pg.58) that has been mentioned by our group before, but I have bought so many books lately, that I was feeling very guilty about spending more money! If my husband were to open one of these professional books and see how many times I have written in the margin the word BUY, he would probably take every writing utensil he could find out of the house each day before he left for work! The Reading with a Purpose section (pg.25) really had me thinking also. I love Cris Tovani's book and her lesson where the same story is read for different purposes. I use that lesson every year. But I once again had an "A ha" as I thought of purposes for reading different genres of literature. I "mention" some of these as I teach about a genre, but I want to emphasize much, much more that students use a purpose for their reading that is meaningful to them. Some purposes that come to mind for realistic fiction: to see if any of the characters or situations connect to their own life, to understand points of view which might be different than their own, to experience vicariously other places and lives. Historical Fiction: How life and people were the different than today, how life and people were the same as today, how we can learn from the past, how parts of the past were better than they are today, etc. High fantasy: Read to see how the "heroes" choose the good, hard, or right route over the easy one, compare choices made by some characters to choices you would make. Pg. 7 says, "We read to connect the text to our lives, to let our imagination carry us away, to hear the sound of narrative language, to explore age-old themes, to glean information, and to acquire knowledge. Engaged readers interact with text, other ideas, and other people. Reading prompts thinking and even spurs action." I love the emphasis on learning! See page 15. I know that I want to emphasize these aspects mare as I teach kids to reflect on their reading: What am I reading? What am I learning? What insights have I gained from this learning? Do I question its truthfulness, applicability? See the importance of it? See how I can use it? etc. The whole Rosenblatt aesthetic/efferent discussion is addressed on pgs 58-59. I plan on having more discussion in the classroom on kids doing what it takes to fulfill their purposes for reading. I am also planning on teaching kids to read nonfiction with many more "fits and starts" and "to read it with a pencil gripped tightly in hand." I loved the whole Harvard thing! So encouraging that we are helping to do exactly what they need to be doing. I've gone on too long, but one question. Does the way synthesis is talked about seem to be different to you? I As you can tell, I am loving it! How about everyone else? Sherry ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour _______________________________________________ Stw2chat mailing list Stw2chat@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/stw2chat_literacyworkshop.org. Search the STW2 Chat Archives at http://snipurl.com/stw2archives.