With all due respect, I don't think anyone in replying to this post about explicit strategies is saying not to teach them but rather how we are teaching them. The focus in the last number of posts has been about developing 'reader's thinking' and isn't that what teaching strategies is all about? I doubt very much that you did not teach comprehension strategies when you were teaching reading....anyone who has ever talked about what has been read with their students has been teaching comprehension strategies but just not giving all the 'elements' a name. Asking your two year old, 'what do you think is going to happen?' is teaching a strategy. It starts from the day we start reading to and with our kids. We just never thought to call it 'inference' or 'making connections' or identifying which 'megacognitive' strategy was being developed at a particular time. We never thought to teach a 'strategy' a week because we were using all strategies all the time. Tell me a teacher who has never said to a class with a picture story book, 'what do you think this is going to be about?' or, 'what is the picture telling you? Or have you ever felt like this, when and why? And I'm not talking about superficial questions and answers but when children are probed to explain their thinking and why. The questions that are coming up over and over about teaching strategies has to do with the 'contrived' nature of it that we are feeling now with teaching reading comprehension. I'll never forget one of my students saying to me this year when he was deeply engrossed in reading to please, please not talk about it or ask him to stop and think about it as he was so enjoying what he was doing? I didn't stop him. Was I wrong? --- On Sat, 13/6/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Do we really need to teach explicit strategies? To: [email protected] Received: Saturday, 13 June, 2009, 11:21 AM Well... I have been in the teaching business long enough to have taught both ways...comprehension strategies and no comprehension strategies. I will say this. I have richer talk and better conversations because of the strategies. We need to give kids the language to talk about books. I think we miss the point when we say either teach the strategies or talk about books. Strategies are a tool...for comprehending and talking about books... one that readers should be able to draw on and use consciously or subconsciously to help deepen understanding and enrich a discussion. We DO over do things. I agree...but I think many, many kids need to see different ways of thinking and talking about books. That is where modeling strategies comes in. Decoding strategies have to be taught. Why would we ever think we don't need to teach comprehension strategies? Jennifer In a message dated 6/12/2009 9:32:17 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: An earlier post really got me thinking about this. Do we REALLY need to teach explicit strategies? **************Shop Dell’s full line of Laptops now starting at $349! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221881320x1201406166/aol?redir=http:%2F%2 Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B215218036%3B37264217%3Bz) _______________________________________________ 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. Need a Holiday? Win a $10,000 Holiday of your choice. Enter now.http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTJxN2x2ZmNpBF9zAzIwMjM2MTY2MTMEdG1fZG1lY2gDVGV4dCBMaW5rBHRtX2xuawNVMTEwMzk3NwR0bV9uZXQDWWFob28hBHRtX3BvcwN0YWdsaW5lBHRtX3BwdHkDYXVueg--/SIG=14600t3ni/**http%3A//au.rd.yahoo.com/mail/tagline/creativeholidays/*http%3A//au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/%3Fp1=other%26p2=au%26p3=mailtagline _______________________________________________ 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.
