Jennifer: Still...I think we need to think long and hard about Ellin's idea that strategies are simply a way to give kids the language to talk about the text and their understanding of it. If we want kids to learn from each other by talking about text and what they do to understand, what are we doing to help them express their thinking successfully?
Judy: What a wonderful question! For me, the language of comprehension strategies was the godsend. Hadn't we all, as proficient readers, used these strategies? Employing and teaching that language truly has been the way for me to help my kids think more deeply. For me, it wasn't enough to try to get kids to emulate the thinking I model, I must give them a way to start. I think through modeling and thinking aloud we are giving the kids insight into what proficient readers do; then we give them the language to try it themselves. My goal, as Ellin so perfectly states it, is to assist my students in "creating meaning for themselves." (This is just my opinion and I could be way off. I hope you don't mind my joining your conversation mid-stride, but you've made it irresistable.) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
