Hello Mary Helen! What are the teachers already doing to help w/comprehension?
Lisa 2/3 IL --- Mary Helen Chappetto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This 'conversation' is so interesting! We just > finished our 2nd quarter and > we completed 1on 1 reading tests on all students > k-3. We are finding that > comprehension is holding many of them back....it is > in the coversation about > their thinking that really holds them back, as well > as recalling > information. The types of questions that require > explanation (inferential > and critical thinking) really require having > experience talking about our > thinking and how the text and/or our own experiences > have influenced our > thinking. If any of you have great suggestions as > to how to really deepen > our conversations within our day and how to get > across to our parents the > importance of having conversations about what they > may be reading with their > child, I would greatly appreciate it! My winter > break is going to focus on > this topic! > > Thank you! > > Mary Helen > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jones, Rex" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies > Listserv" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 1:38 PM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] when comprehension strategies > become the > reasonforreading. . . > > > > Ellin, I agree about the importance of > discussion--and it can't just be > > unthoughtful discussion. I think we need to > reflect on and continually > > try to elevate the quality of the talk in our > classrooms--and to expect > > our students to be able to rise to that level. > I'm reading Around the > > Reading Workshop in 180 Days by Frank Serafini. > He cites Martin > > Nystrand's suggestion that the quality of student > learning is closely > > linked to the quality of classroom talk. And at > some point, that talk has > > to translate into written response. When my > students take the Connecticut > > Mastery Test, and I get the results, I'm always > shocked at the scores of > > students who should have done so much better > because I know those students > > are smart and chock full of content knowledge. > What they lack, however, > > is a sense of urgency about being able to > communicate what they know in > > the social process that reading is. They > completely get the cognitive > > part of reading--they don't get the social part of > it. > > And typically, those students are boys. My > girls seem to be much better > > at written response than my boys. > > > > I envy you that snow in Denver! We haven't had so > much as a flurry in the > > Northeast all season. I'm ready for some snow! > > > > Happy Holidays! > > > > Rex Jones > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Ellin Keene > > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 1:38 PM > > To: 'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies > Listserv' > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] when comprehension > strategies become the reason > > forreading. . . > > > > > > I have read with interest everyone's comments > about strategies becoming > > too > > much the focus of children's reading and want to > just throw in a quick > > thought or two. I, too, am concerned with the > strategies assuming too > > prominent a role in children's understanding and > that is the central idea > > in > > the book I just finished, To Understand, which, > like the second edition of > > Mosaic, will be out in 2007. In it, I argue that > the strategies are > > necessary tools to enhance children's > comprehension, but that we need to > > discuss (with colleagues and children) what > results when someone uses the > > strategies and understands. I pose the question - > what does it really mean > > to understand and write about some "mentors" - > writers and artists - I've > > studied in an effort to discover how people come > to understand deeply. > > > > > > > > In To Understand, I argue that it is fruitful to > have the discussions with > > children about what happens when we really know we > comprehend. In it I > > talk > > about what I've observed, cognitively and > behaviorally, when children and > > adults are truly understanding and that we talk > explicitly with kids about > > those behaviors in order to increase the > likelihood that they understand > > at > > deeper levels. Ultimately, I think you've all > been right - the point > > isn't > > the strategies, the point is what they help us > understand that we may not > > have understood without them. > > > > > > > > I'm not a big fan of prompts - I think that > children have much more > > authentic conversations when they are focused on > the ideas in books and > > when > > we have modeled what great book conversations look > and sound like. I just > > try to think about what the talk is like in my own > book club and to > > articulate some of those characteristics to > children. > > > > > > > > I'm so fascinated that you all started posing and > responding to these > > questions because I have found them important > questions, too, and though > > there aren't any "right" answers, I've tried to > explore the very thing > > you've been talking about in this book. I do so > hope it will shed some > > additional light on your important conversations. > > > > > > > > As I write today, Denver is buried under more than > 2 feet of lovely, soft > > snow and everyone is home and loving the fire, the > Christmas tree and > > books > > we've been hoping to read. My best to everyone > for a magical holiday. > > > > > > > > ellin keene > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > [email protected] > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go > to > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > [email protected] > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go > to > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
