Hello all- Id like to respond to Jennifers comments about thinking.
I would just give you one thing to continue to think about---what would happen if we model not only strategies and language to speak about the strategies, but also model what changes in our heads and in our lives when we understand. What would happen if, tomorrow, you go back to your kids and told them what you did to understand this thread?...what emotions you were feeling, how you were changed or how your thinking was changed...the questions you still have and what you are going to do about them?" MY RESPONSE: I have been working the last three years at the middle school level in a packaged reading program. It is absolutely the most horrible thing ever. We are to NEVER digress from the manual. The people who come to train are not teachers. AND better yet the program does not like reading teachers to be hired to facilitate their program. The trainers come into my room seven times a year to make sure I am following the manual. The manual even has free comments that are allowed to be said. The program mostly stresses fluency and claims to cure everyone. In fact when the owner was in our district this fall, I asked many questions and was very persistent. She became very flustered. Later she told my superintendent that I had a bad attitude. Okay my point - -part of the problem is these types of programs do not allow for thinking. This program does very little with comprehension and claims that once the student is an excellent reader their comprehension will kick in a year later?? Hhhmmmm There is so many days I feel mentally dead and so do my students. What are districts thinking when they purchase this crap? My principal and I have gone around and around with the superintendents for years about this and they do not get it! And now they are upset because the reading scores and gains are not being made. WOW! What a shock! AND guess what they are blaming it on??--- The teacher not following the manual. JUST PLAIN YUCKY! So what keeps me going? It has been finishing my masters in reading, colleagues, list serves like this and my principals tremendous support. Now, this book by Ellin Keene has reminded me how important it is to keep the kids engaged and focused on understanding (which I am sneaking in when trainers arent looking). Thanks so much to you all for keeping me focused on what is important and listening to me. I loved how Ellin called them "program du jour". It is more like "program de junk" heehee Rhonda _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
