Cindy wrote: I'd like to find a way to word the question better and see if I can get them to think deeper about it.
Cindy, I think that is the beauty of the question, it can't be reworded. It has to stand as is. "Understand" means different things to each of us at different times. THINK about how many times we, as teachers say those words...to our children...to our peers...colleauges, etc. The complexity of it lies within its simplicity. Jamika wa s "right on." Many of my first graders answered with ideas surrounding decoding. For many of them the struggle is still just figuring out what the word actually says. They really believe that if they could just "read" it they would be able to understand it. Now we all know that isn't true. My more sophisticated readers attempted a more complex response, but they kept coming back to the word UNDERSTAND. After much discussion they finally were able to articulate that it meant knowing what the author was trying to tell them. Now that is a loaded statement and they certainly don't yet understand the different levels of the author's message, but the conversation was priceless. My kiddos know that there is a certain expectation with reading now. It is not enough to word call. The Reader must engage with the text before, during and after reading. We all shine at different parts of this process, but together we come to "understand" just a little it better each day. Nancy _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
