AND...this is exactly why I think To Understand it the most important book I have read in ten years. Ellin argues that we can help children find the joy in learning...we need to start teaching in the ways Ellin describes and start now! :-) Jennifer Palmer Reading Specialist, National Board Certified Teacher, FLES "Reading is not a duty, and has consequently no business to be made disagreeable!" -Augustine Birrell
________________________________ From: understand-boun...@literacyworkshop.org on behalf of suzie herb Sent: Mon 2/2/2009 5:12 PM To: Special Chat List for To Understand: New Horizons in ReadingComprehension Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter six? >From one lurker to another......you need to 'patent' this comment because it >is esactly what the 'research' is going to tell us ten years from now. --- On Mon, 2/2/09, Ljackson <ljack...@gwtc.net> wrote: > From: Ljackson <ljack...@gwtc.net> > Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter six? > To: > Received: Monday, 2 February, 2009, 11:55 PM > > As a lurker in this conversation--and as a teacher who > knows the power of eavesdropping;-), I have to say that the > primary discomfort I have with relying exclusively on levels > in matching books to readers is that we seem to neglect the > passion. It has been my task, as of late, to review > children who have 'flat-lined' as readers--children stuck in > basic and below basic categories over the course of two or > more years. What I am noticing is that many, many of > these children achieve a reading level of 20-24, as > determined by DRA2 assessments, and then they level out, > stuck in a holding pattern or one of only minimal > acceleration (they may gain some levels across grades but > only enough to hold the status quo). I find this trend > alarming, because a child who attains that level of reading > has already had so many doors opened to them--how is it, > then, that they stop reaching for those open doors? Looking > closely at the children, and having the opportunities to > know their classrooms and their teachers, I honestly feel > the difference is an utter lack of passion and interest. As > a former classroom teacher, I certainly encountered some > children over the years for whom that 'one book' or > that 'one topic' was elusive, and for just a couple, never > found. However, the case is more likely to be this, in > my opinion based on informal investigation: a failure > of the classroom environment to foster passion (lack of > books organized by topics, a focus on silence or moritorium > (sp?) on book chatter, and often a teacher who has not been > taught to look beyond the level of the book to see other > types of supports--passion and prior knowledge, familiarity > with an author or a series, sheer dogged > determination. I truly believe that the use of leveled > readers provides teachers an important tool but that we have > emptied the classroom tool boxes in some cases, and that > when this is the only tool in the box, there will be many > children left behind. > > > Lori Jackson > District Literacy Coach and Mentor > Todd County School District > Box 87 > Mission SD 5755 > > ----- Original message ----- > From: Janice Friesen <jani...@jfriesen.net> > To: Special Chat List for \To Understand: New Horizons in > ReadingComprehension\ <understand@literacyworkshop.org> > Date: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:33 AM > Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter six? > > > I am really curious about this question. Now > that SO much reading is > > done online it is harder to "level" the reading and > find just the > > right sites with the right reading level for the > kids. A friend of > > mine with lots of classroom experience said that when > she started > > using the Internet kids read what they were really > interested in and > > that they stretched to read passages that she would > have thought too > > high for them. What do you experience with your > classes? > > > > Janice > > > > > On page 149 Ellin argues for a more "moderate > approach to book > > > selection." > > > She says she understands how students who > consistently read things > > > that are too > > > easy or too hard can lose interest in > reading but also believes that > > > readability formulas are very limited in > utility and do not > > > account for student > > > schema and interest. What are your views on > book selection and how > > > do you handle > > > this in your classroom? What is your belief > system and how do you > > > use what > > > you believe to make decisions about what > reading materials you use? > > > > Janice Friesen > > jani...@jfriesen.net > > > > "An adult can't expect to teach a 6 year old how to > > swim without getting wet." > > > > We can't expect to effectively prepare students for > their future > > education, > > career, civic and personal activities without fully > embracing Web 2.0 in > > schools. > > > > Quote from Nancy Willard in email > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Understand mailing list > > Understand@literacyworkshop.org > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > Understand@literacyworkshop.org > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > Stay connected to the people that matter most with a smarter inbox. 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