Sally, You've hit on a concept that is near and dear to my heart - approximations. If more people would understand that approximations is what we're after, that the growth and learning is somewhere in the approximations. It's those little changes, the slight adjustments, the tiny shifts in thinking that move children forward. "You can't be perfect and learn at the same time," is something Marv Marshall says that is so true, because if you were perfect the first time, there is nothing to learn.
I have this discussion with parents who are hyper-focused on their kids achievement, pushing them to perfection in every task they attempt. They think they are having high expectations, when in fact they aren't allowing them to struggle and come to the understanding naturally. Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org ________________________________ From: thomas <[email protected]> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:44:04 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesizing with younger ages What is amazing is that the Debbie's students WERE able to think in such beautiful and complex ways. By not simplifying, by believing they were/are capable, and by using some of the approaches described in the book (and other books by keene, Harvey, et al) children can do this! Debbie would say "don't simplify" but show them how you do it, gradually release the strategies to them, expect approximations (that's how we learn).... Watch Debbie and her class on video. Many or most of us on this list have seen other children do it too. Don't simplify or lower your expectations. Children have enormous potential. Sally On 6/17/09 10:27 PM, "Katherine M. Salvia" <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello, > My name is Kate Salvia and I am a elementary school teacher and high school > theatre teacher. I am taking a literacy course right now towards my masters. > We just completed reading Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller, and the last > chapter struck my interest especially, Synthesizing Information. What is the > best way to introduce synthesizing to the younger grades? Some of the > techniques in the book seemed very advanced, and I was wondering if anyone had > recommendations to simplifying so it can be introduced to younger grades. > Thank you, > Kate Salvia > > _______________________________________________ > 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.
