And, I would add, that engaging children actively in strategies that connect them to print and start them on the path to lifelong reading seems a natural place to start. My own experience teaching and raising my own children leaves me with a sense that simply reading only reaches a percentage of our readers--those children Ken Goodman says would learn in any setting, with or without us, so to speak. Sadly, there are many children who are not drawn to fiction, some who are not drawn to reading. I am the mother of one such reader--a competant, dare I say gifted reader, who is only drawn into reading when provoked to think deeply and given the opportunity to have rich conversations about literature. Strategy instruction gave him the key he needed to unlock literary treasures that he would simply have approached mechanically on his own.
Lori On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 07:49 , Renee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sent: > >On Jun 2, 2007, at 7:21 AM, The Simants wrote: > >> This spring I read Nancy Atwell's >> "The Reading Zone" and am now very confused! >> Her basic premise is about your top-down/bottom-up debate. >> Atwell suggests that children learn to comprehend fiction by READING! >> She suggests getting the right book in a child's hands is the singular >> most important component to their learning to comprehend. She feels >> strategies such as making connections teach our children to be >> segmented distracted readers. She feels that when a reader enters 'the >> zone" >> of a great story comprehension will follow. She feels teaching >> strategies is only necessary when reading nonfiction. >> Has anyone else read this book? What are your thoughts? > >I have not read this book but it sounds like one I would like. While I >personally would not make a black/white statement like this, I find it >refreshing and stimulating. I tend to agree with the statement, overall >and in general, just from my experience in the classroom. > >Sounds to me like Nancie Atwell was teaching in the early 90s before >people went all kookoo over deconstructing reading strategies. > >I have always said that we learn to read by reading. I would add that >we learn more about thinking by talking about what we read. > >:-) >Renee > > >Deep down we must have real affection for each other, a clear >realization or recognition of our shared human status. At the same >time, we must openly accept all ideologies and systems as a means of >solving humanity's problems. One country, one nation, one ideology, >one system is not sufficient. >~ The Dalai Lama > > > >_______________________________________________ >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.
