Is there an argument between shorter text and longer text? Shouldn't readers..... ALL readers... have some of each?
Renee On Sep 6, 2008, at 7:58 AM, Lyndsay Buehler wrote: > I've just been reading Lucy Calkins' "The Art of Teaching Reading," > and I've been reminded that shorter texts have greater social > currency. They're accessible to a greater number of readers and can > be passed around the classroom in a shorter period of time (i.e. when > one classmate recommends it to another, in terms of choosing books > from the classroom library). > > -- > Lyndsay Buehler > Grade 1 Literacy / Grades 1-6 Music, Ontario > > "There is no end to learning." -- Robert Schumann > > > > > On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 10:03 PM, Laura Cannon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: >> Why don't you make your own tests for those books and put it in your >> AR >> system? I have done that for quite a few books that weren't AR >> books, or >> we hadn't purchased the tests. Your students could even help in >> creating >> some of the tests. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of William >> Roberts >> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 10:27 PM >> To: 'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group' >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] text length >> >> Believe me when I say I understand completely how you feel. >> >> The problem is if one strategy works, then the powers that be decree >> that >> ALL must do it. I have kids who are fluent readers well above the >> 150-170 >> wpm of their age group, but we have to do daily fluency practice >> regardless. >> I understand what you are going through. I've had to revise college >> level >> samples for them in order to challenge them during the fluency >> practice. >> I've gone to my principal and have shown her the data proving my >> students >> are all fluent, but as a school, we didn't show growth in fluency >> last year, >> so she is insisting that everyone will do fluency. >> >> I like AR for students who don't read much, but when you have students >> reading Vonnegut, Grisham, King, and THE HITCHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE >> GALAXY, >> those aren't all AR books. Do I force AR on my students? No, but we >> are >> required to read AR books daily for 20 minutes SSR. I'd rather a >> student >> read a non AR selection that challenges them, than a boring series >> book >> written for children, but when they are required to have an AR book >> with >> them daily....I just tell them to have 2 books with them. >> >> In fact, I teach my kids 2 types of reading: SCHOOL and REAL WORLD. >> In >> school, we read nonsense and stuff that has little or no meaning in >> our >> lives at the present moment. In real life, we read what we enjoy, >> what we >> are interested in, and what has meaning in our lives. Many times I >> have had >> to make the distinction when teaching a strategy or lesson.... >> >> But as far as short texts go, there are many that lend themselves to >> deep >> discussion and debate. Opinion pieces, poetry by Langston Hughes or >> Robert >> Frost, speeches, short stories like "The Lottery" and "The Monkey's >> Paw" can >> all bring out the kind of teaching you described. I agree that >> larger works >> can enhance a reader's strengths, but don't discount the short texts. >> I >> like exposing them to more works and authors to enhance their >> backgrounds. >> I an just concerned that a longer work may turn off a reader who has >> to wait >> for the book to be finished, while shorter works may keep them >> interested >> with the variety of choices. >> >> I know there is some support for it, but I don't remember where I saw >> it. I >> tend to discount most research anyway since Reading First has been >> found at >> fault. I think sometimes we spend so much time worried about whether >> a >> teaching strategy has research or documentation, we tend to forget >> what's >> happening in our classrooms. A program or strategy is only as good >> as the >> teacher teaching it. A great researched program given to a bad >> teacher is >> not going to work as well as a good teacher teaching by the seat of >> his or >> her pants... >> >> 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. >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > "The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of the mountain, or in the petals of a flower." ~ Robert Pirsig ~ Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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