Mary: A voracious >reader will be able to juggle. However, 4th grade students can also be book >hopping and never connecting to any book. The more the reader struggles the >less they can handle.
As to fiction and non-fiction -- many people speak of how boys prefer non-fiction. Maybe I've just worked with low kids so much, but in my experience the boys *also* liked non-fiction because you didn't have to make a commitment to the book -- you could look at pictures, read captions, read chunks here and there. (And if you skipped 'the hard words', who knew?) There's something about following an author's lengthy and sustained argument in the case of non-fiction that must be "worked at" (from page 1! ;-) ) -- and then you might find the pleasure in your increased power to follow? (See Nicholas Carr's great recent book, The Shallows.) Of course, "boys like non-fiction". But maybe the argument is overstated? and Renee (and others) It looked to me, in the article, that it is being shifted to the content areas, that it would be addressed specifically in the content areas. I have no problem with this. I am not a middle school teacher, but frankly it seems weird to me to have a "reading" class in middle school, although maybe it is just what they used to call "english" >class and if it means that the kids are no longer going to be reading any >fiction, then I say it's a big, big mistake. > The article does state supplementary classes would be given to students needing it so I guess the devil is in the details? Again, it all depends on the teacher. English (and novel reading etc.) remain a required subject throughout middle and high school here in BC. Much lip service is given as well to "all teachers must be reading teachers as well" -- regarding content areas like science, socials, etc. However, in practice, it appears this happens very little (time constraints etc.). Years ago, we worked to develop a provincial media literacy curriculum. In its wisdom, our provincial leaders chose not to designate it as a separate curriculum, but sprinkled the PLOs (prescribed learning outcomes) into other subject areas, primarily being English and Social Studies. Now, it appears it is taught very little (and those outcomes are not taken seriously) -- except where a teacher has a particular interest. Yet you could argue we need it more than ever? Linda Rightmire South Central British Columbia _______________________________________________ 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
