Thank you for sharing your experience. Your motherhood sure came out and I applaud that. Perhaps they are learning but I just don't see the trees for the forest. Perhaps I need to give them more credit, listen a little more, be patient and put my mom hat on as well. I have been successful in getting these very challenged students, many of them, to discuss our stories and when I relate the themes to life and them and the world, I do think some of them 'get it.' It is so very difficult for them to put it in writing.
---- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > I am putting on my motherhood hat to put my two cents in on this one. I am > the mother of an eighteen year old boy with > significant developmental delays. He reads at a mid-second grade level and > comprehension is a huge issue for him--not just > reading, but sort of getting things in general. This year he is in a reading > workshop with students very much like those you > describe and his teacher is focusing hard on comprehension strategies. My > son is simply not going to achieve in the same > way that other readers do, but this class and this year have impacted his > thinking skills. Case in point. He was watching the > Nebraska=Oklahoma game on television, and I was sort of (and mostly not) > watching with him. I had not been paying > attention to the game, but a questionable call against our team (NE) caught > my attention and I was surprised how quiet the > crowd was. Both teams are big on red, so the crowd wasn't much of a clue as > to where they were playing (I did tell you I > wasn't paying attention) and I asked my son where they were playing. He said > he did not know and then began watching > intently. He turned to me and said, "I infer they are playing in Oklahoma > because it says OU on the field." You have to realize > that the question could just as easily have frustrated him and resulted in a > bit of a melt down. I honestly believe his > thinking--his ability, to best of his ability, to think critically and to be > patient in doing so has been significantly impacted by > this class. > > Now my literacy coach cap. I have modeled in this classroom and seen amazing > things happening among a group of > disenfranchised and underabled readers. I recently met a young man who > entered high school unable to read and found him > to be the most involved and eager speaker, wanting to help me model by doing > the oral reading and doing so quite capably at > a fourth grade level. He has been in this class for three years and a > thinking fourth grade level reader vs. a child on the > outside of the literacy club is proof positive for me. > > Lori > > > On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:36 , <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sent: > > >It has been a while since I have written but I do have some thoughts and a > >question or two. > > > >I am teaching English to 7th graders in San Diego. I have three Honors > >Classes (Proficient and Advanced) and two Basic > English (Basic, Below, Far Below, ELD and Resource). All of my classes read, > write, and discuss. We use graphic organizers, > group discussions, essays, debates (more on the debates). Naturally, I > format a different style / strategy for the two different > classes. However, as high as my Honors students are in critical thinking and > writing; as much as I help and aid my Basic > Classes, when it comes to the Assessments they have a difficult time doing > well on their own, independently. Am I doing > them a disservice by discussing and teaching literary skills to the point > that they cannot do it very well on their own?? > > > >Debates - I am for a resource book of step by step lessons and activities > >that would help me to teach my Honors Classes > how to debate. I think it would help them when they have to write the > District Persuasive Essay in the Spring. > > > >Thanks to all of your advice. > > > >Mrs. Mac > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >---- Bill IVEY [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Hi! > >> > >> I seem to have a knack for scheduling these discussions to start when my > >> son's athletic life requires me to drive many hours to cheer the team on > >> at far-distant away games (particularly ironic today because he has a > >> badly strained calf muscle and can't even play!). So while I'm off to > >> central New Hampshire, here are a few thoughts and questions to get things > >> started. > >> > >> First, I feel as though any discussion of literacy has to, at some point > >> in time, discuss what literacy actually means. The article brings up these > >> factors (page 5): > >> - including purposeful social and cognitive processes > >> - helps individual discover ideas and make meaning > >> - enables functions such an analysis, synthesis, organization, and > >> evaluation > >> - fosters the expression of ideas and opinions > >> - extends to understanding how test are created and how meanings are > >> conveyed by various media > >> - builds on, but is not limited to, phonemic awareness and word > >> recognition > >> What are your thoughts and reactions on these points - straight-on > >> accurate, besides the point, good but incomplete, all of the above!? > >> > >> Secondly, I find myself focusing on the specific strategies for adolescent > >> literacy outlined on pages 6-7 and focusing on: > >> - motivation > >> - comprehension > >> - critical thinking > >> - assessment > >> Again, what are your thoughts and reactions here? Where are your schools > >> particularly successful? Where do your schools need to be strengthened? > >> Are there other specific areas of strategies to promote adolescent > >> literacy which your schools are doing well and which aren't mentioned in > >> this article? > >> > >> Thirdly, of course, if you have a burning question of your own, please > >> don't hesitate to ask it! > >> > >> As a reminder, the article is entitled "NCTE Principles of Adolescent > >> Literacy Reform" and is a .pdf file downloadable at: > >> http://www.ncte.org/middle > >> > >> See you this evening... > >> > >> Take care, > >> Bill Ivey > >> Stoneleigh-Burnham School > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > >> > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > lit_literacyworkshop.org. > >> > >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > >Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. 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