Something that I found helps my struggling readers read something that is too difficult, but they want to read, is to teach them several strategies for reading difficult texts. One is reading while listening. They listen to an audio version of the book while following along in the book. They can partner read, where both partners read simultaneously, slowing down when needed by subtly signaling each other. The most popular method in my class is reading while listening, and it really helped my students.
Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org --- On Fri, 6/27/08, Carol Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Carol Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Understand] leveled texts... To: "Special Chat List for "To Understand: New Horizons in Reading Comprehension"" <[email protected]> Date: Friday, June 27, 2008, 10:51 PM Wow, this leveling thing really has been a struggle for me, too. When I first began teaching reading workshop, I, too, felt that students needed to be in independent text. That's what I thought was recommended in professional texts I read. Also, my students were struggling readers and middle school students. Truthfully, I was more concerned that they READ. I didn't really check through oral reading whether or not the text was easy enough. During conferences, we worked on comprehension. If students appeared to understand, then they continued the book. Now I am in a district with students who achieve above average. I heard Ellin last year talk about the necessity for students to practice strategies on challenging text. That makes a lot of sense to me, but I also think we need to think about the needs of the readers. Students who already are readers could certainly benefit from reading challenging text. Our parents complain that their children aren't being challenged in school. One way to do that is present them with challenging text where they do need to use strategies. For children who struggle, I want them to read. So, it becomes a balance between finding them text they WANT to read and text they CAN read. If the text is too difficult, they won't comprehend. But, sometimes, the motivation to read outweighs the need to have a book they can read. I remember a girl who was identified as a resource student. We combined the classes for a literature circle study. She choose the most difficult by Cynthia Voight called Izzy Willy Nilly. It was a very thick book and one that I thought she wouldn't be able to read. I checked in with her after the first week, but she wanted to continue reading it with her group. She did finish it with all the others. She beamed that she finished such a large book. She did get some meaning from it, but she gained confidence in her reading ability. Leveling has always made me leery. I think we need to look at the child, their needs, their motivation; then make decisions on how to best match them to text they will want to read. Because don't we want children to read, read and read? Carol La Grange, Il On Jun 21, 2008, at 4:00 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > In rereading chapter six today, these passages also smacked me > right in the > forehead...pg 149 > > "I fully support the need to have a clear idea of a child's current > performance level in reading. I understand that if children > consistently read texts > that are too easy or too difficult for them they may well become > disinterested, frustrated and disengaged. I understand that, too > often, teachers have not > paid close enough attention to the level and quality of the books > children > read. However I want to argue for a more moderate approach to book > selection > and especially to leveling given its limitations." > > Then later on page 150, Ellin talks about using different levels for > different purposes...varying text difficulty depending on what you > are teaching. > Ellin writes "I propose that at any given time students have books > in their > possession that address at least two levels of challenge: first a > book at their > instructional reading level...second a book they may find > challenging...at > least with respect to ideas." > > The reading specialist in me is having a hard time with this...I > have read > so much research on the importance of the volume of reading...of > reading lots > of instructional and independent leveled text and I know that a > difficult book > slows you down as a reader and so you read less...and that isn't > good for a > struggling reader. YET...I totally understand that ALL kids need rich, > difficult text to practice comprehension strategies...and to learn > to value the > struggle. > > I read all of Ellin's arguments here, and I get the idea of reading > for > different purposes, of scaffolding difficult books for kids but the > tiny reading > specialist voice in my head keeps saying "Yes, but..." > > I would love to hear everyone else's thinking on this topic... > Still struggling here in Maryland... > Jennifer _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
