I think it's more of a developmental process. We start with short texts to teach the strategies,etc. Then we move on to longer texts, chapter books, novels, etc. Otherwise how will a child learn to hold on to a story line through chapters, and be able to put it together. Myra
----- Original Message ----- From: Renee Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008 11:12 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] text length To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > 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 > > > 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. > > 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. 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