I think you'd love to read Nancie Atwell's The Reading Zone, or at least the part of it where she wrestles with this very issue!! Is there a library you could get it from? If not, I'd be willing to loan you my book or try to xerox some pages. Have you read it yet?
On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 8:34 AM, STEWART, L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > I hold your comments in high regard. In fact, you are all so well-spoken > and often well-researched, that I often would prefer to read than respond, > but I have a question that concerns me. I have read many of the recommended > books on guided reading instruction. I admit that I am still not comfortable > and/or fluent with all of the different aspects of the guided reading > format. I understand the whole accountability to state tests, etc. I even > understand the need for data collection (although I don't always feel that > the data we collect, such as teacher made tests is valid collection > criteria), but what I don't understand is that it seems that all we do is > dissections. We dissect the literature, we dissect comprehension > strategies, we dissect each child as we try to identify the particular > strand that needs strengthening. The other day I followed a lesson using a > read aloud to determine theme. Of course, I did not read the entire > picture book because we are told we don't need to do that. Then I expected > the children to connect to the text and determine the main idea or author's > purpose or theme (aren't they pretty much the same thing?) and most of my > children looked at me rather blankly. I am almost wondering if dissection > shouldn't be it's own block and reading and writing should remain untouched > and sacred as a workshop. Does anyone find it difficult to dissect the > reading strategies to determine if a child isn't asking good questions, or > making solid connections, or inferring correctly? By third and fourth grade > many of my students are synthesizing all of the strategies and applying them > when they read. I know that they need more practice, particularly in > inferential understanding. Doesn't a steady diet of teaching these skills > in isolation over and over again, year to year, grade to grade, eventually > kill the literature and the joy that used to be a part of the workshop > format? I am a learner so I am trying it all out, but I am not convinced > that independent reading takes the place of literature discussions across > all levels of the classroom. I think that sometimes we take explicit > teaching where it doesn't need to go so often and for all readers. > > Leslie > _______________________________________________ > 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.
