Your messages sound like the "old Bill" is back--the optimistic about youth learning one, who sounded pretty discouraged about that concept a few months ago. I'm glad as I get a lot out of your insights. Laura C
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Roberts Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:44 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] fluency v. comprehension - another POV Maybe I am really missing the boat on the fluency thing...but I > probably belong with the "old school" way of teaching...even though I have > only been teaching for 8 years. I have a friend who...taught me so much > when I took over in her classroom. She retired and I took her class over > mid-year as my first teaching position. She said, "You will find that > programs and ideas about teaching come around and come around. > Guaranteed, > if you teach as long as I have, it will come around a couple times. Hang > on > to what you know to be good practice for you and for your kids. Stay > flexible....calm...and wait. It will come around again." > > Look at any Reading textbook from the 18th or 19th century and you will see that they recommend reading orally until fluent. It's been around for a long time. When the idea of "silent" reading appeared, many scholars were skeptical of the practice, claiming that the written word was meant to spoken aloud. NOTHING is new.....BUT if we are to help a student become a better reader, then we must be prepared to work with whatever skill is necessary (comprehension, visualization, fluency, etc.) to help that child. My main question is this: What is your ultimate goal? Is it reading well out loud? Is it better comprehension? Passing the state test? Or is it to make them better thinkers, because thinking makes them a better person? As teachers, we need to reflect on OUR perceptions and goals as well as the students' needs. I can't remember the quote exactly, but there is a quote that goes something like this: "The goal of Education is about making a life, not making a living." I love it when a child walks out of my classroom saying they are a better reader, but I also love it when they leave my class a more confident, more positive, more caring individual....and I think that in a world of scores and charts and data, we sometimes get bogged down in discussions of lessons when we need to remember that we are more than teachers of content --- we are teachers of youth. Bill _______________________________________________ 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.
