leadteacher13
Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:40:37 -0700
I think that 'new' denotes change on a certain level. I believe that when a book evokes introspection, self-reflection, empathy and/or activates schema, change is destined to occur.
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-----Original Message-----
From: suzie herb <sz_h...@yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:30:15
To: Special Chat List for To Understand: New Horizons in
ReadingComprehension<understand@literacyworkshop.org>
Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter seven (Nothing as certain as change)
We need to be more specific about what change means discussed in this context
of reading. Books bring us new points of view, new understanding, new
knowledge but what type of change is Ellen writing about? To what extent do we
believe the books we are reading children changes them?
--- On Mon, 23/3/09, jvma...@comcast.net <jvma...@comcast.net> wrote:
> From: jvma...@comcast.net <jvma...@comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter seven (Nothing as certain as change)
> To: "Special Chat List for \"To Understand: New Horizons in Reading
> Comprehension\" <understand@literacyworkshop.org>
> Received: Monday, 23 March, 2009, 7:58 AM
> pg. 172 " I wonder---are we explicit
> with children about how the books we
> read change us,causing us to act, to read more, to write,
> to change our
> previously held beliefs? Do we ask--"What happened at the
> end of chapter five or
> questions like these: "In what ways were you changed by
> this book? How will you
> approach people differently because you read this book?
> ....How have you
> revised what you thought you believed or understood?"
>
> This really is a fascinating proposal. Here I am
> considering that I'm achieving some small success by getting
> kids to really think about what they're reading, to really
> connect to text...and good ol' Ellin Keene ramps it up
> another notch.
>
> (This is part of another question you ask, but) I am
> consistently amazed by how much deeper kids can dig than I
> expected. For the last 2 weeks my third graders studied
> Historical Fiction in reading. The first week, we read a
> different picture book every day, looking for and discussing
> the elements of historical fiction; then we read the
> historical fiction selection from our reader ("Across the
> Wide Dark Sea") and did the same with that. Last week we
> continued with picture books, now looking for elements of HF
> AND discussing what we'd learned. Instead of an anthology
> selection, I read them "The Ballad of the Civil War" over
> the week. And, for both weeks, all kids were reading leveled
> HF in guided reading. The kids surprised me at every turn
> with their willingness to explore the unknown. I wish I
> could remember all they said to share with you, but I do
> remember one comment the day we finished the (very)) short
> novel "The Ballad of the Civil War." One child vehemently
> stated how angry he was. I was puzzled by anger in response
> to a book, but I'm learning to keep quiet. (We have a steady
> stream of observers in Room 12 and they ALWAYS comment on
> the lengthy wait time I allow/encourage). He elaborated: he
> was ANGRY (I wish you could have seen his face!) because he
> didn't learn more about one of the minor characters--he
> really wanted to know what happened to him; and he was ANGRY
> because he felt too much was left to inference (his word
> choice) at the end of the book. But if I'd asked him how he
> was changed by the book, I'll bet I would have been further
> startled by the depth of his response. As it was, I
> complimented him on his involvement/immersion, but all I
> could think to say to the other kids was, "Wow, readers,
> you're lucky to be listening to a proficient reader who is
> really interacting with the text." I knew I wasn't helping
> them get deep enough. How I wish I'd thought to ask them how
> they were changed by the book--how much more enchanting is
> that question than the old workhorse, 'What did you learn?'
> We're pretty good about considering how our thinking
> changes, but I'm ashamed to say it never occurred to me to
> ask how one is changed by a book. Just wait...
>
> Judy
>
>
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