1. “This supportive beginning allows students to read text beyond their instructional reading level; therefore, the teacher assess performance after instruction, waiting at least 20 minutes before asking the student to read part of the selection for an assessment. The student should be able to read the text at independent level. The assumption is that if the student is learning, a text that would have initially been at frustration level will convert to independent reading level when taught using the supportive reading techniques of shared reading, language experience, and collaborative reading.”
This theory or assessment does two very important and specific things. One, it creates early success opportunities for students who are struggling to read. By doing this the reader will continue to be engaged and strive to become a fluent and active reader. Secondly by going through the three reading levels the student will become an independent learner who takes an active roll in making modifications to their program or reading ability.
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2. “After the text is read, the students respond to the passage as a whole. This requires the students to analyze the story in terms of the characters’ motivations, the author’s purpose for writing the story, and other stories and experiences with similar themes.”
When students look at a variety of aspects and situations regarding the stories that they read this requires them to look at the whole story instead of just a few parts. This in turn will benefit the overall understanding and comprehension of the story for the reader. We know that the main purpose of reading is comprehension and understanding and when students can analyze the story as a whole these concepts of understanding and comprehension greatly benefit.
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3. “After stating how the strategy or skill works, the teacher gives students a rationale for its inclusion in their program and tells them why doing these specific activities will increase strategic reading.”
It is important that students always know why they have to do an activity. When a student cannot fore see using a skill later in life the same question always seems to present itself “why do we have to know this?” Thus not only does giving a rationale help the student to see how they may use this skill later in life but it also can serve the purpose of being a motivating factor for the future. If a student has aspirations of being an architect later on in life, they are more prone to being and staying engaged in math, problem solving and technology classes. This thought can be applied to any subject area.
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4. “If the students do not experience “choosing to read and write, “they may not define literate activities as a part of their lives.”
Very often students that struggle with reading and writing look at literary activities as a punishment rather than a learning experience. Therefore we as teachers need to support student’s reading and writing from an early age and foster the fact that these two concepts are vital and invaluable tools towards learning. We need to dispel the rumor that these two concepts are punishments and reiterate the fact that they are tools that they will continue to use throughout their life.
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5. “This time gives students an opportunity to pursue their interests, responding personally to literacy.”
When students have an interest in what they are learning it keeps them engaged and active. While there are students who will be active just because they are good students, most or the majority of the population in schools need topics and activities that are going to spark, and keep their interest. Any time a student can provide personal stories it is beneficial because when one student does this it evolves into many students adding to the conversation which makes for great discussion.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Chapters 5 and 6
1. “The ultimate goal of reading is to construct meaning with text.”
If a student is not comprehending what it is that he or she is reading then the whole reading experience if allowed to continue is a waste. Reading is not done to simply pass a test or satisfy some sort of requirement. Reading is a skill that will hopefully serve a person for a lifetime and when one is not understanding or comprehending what it is that they are reading then change need to be made.
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2. “The student’s independent reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the student can read fluently with a high level of comprehension. The student’s instructional reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the student experiences a mild amount of stress between the text and his present reading strategies. It is assumed that that classroom instruction would increase the students understanding of the text. The student’s frustration reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the reader is not fluent and has little recall of textual information.”
It is vitally important for students to encounter all of these areas or reading levels. In saying that I mean that teachers should make every effort to set up students for success. Success breeds encouragement and when a student feels this sort of attitude it makes them more willing to play the game of school. It is important for students to encounter the instructional reading level because it makes students stronger as not only a student but also as a person because that have to put effort and hard work into succeeding. This is the level at which the teacher find those certain teaching moments that substantially help students. Finally the frustration level is also important to encounter because it shows a student what they need to work on. With that said the frustration level should only be encountered after there have been many, many instances of success so that the student is not starting off with a negative or frustrating experience. This could cause the student to shut down or become disengaged.
3. “Thus, their literacy emerges out of the social situations in which they encounter literacy.”
Just as reading and writing go hand in hand as do social interactions or student conversations. Many students learn better by being able to interact socially with peers as they are able to bounce ideas off of one another. I found this to be especially true at the high school level but to varying degrees. For this type of environment to work the students must bring a certain amount of respect and thoughtfulness to the discussion. When students act in a mature matter this style of teaching can be very effective and at the same time very engaging.
4. “To formulate hypotheses about a readers strategies, the diagnostic teacher selects a text that is expected to be in the borderline area, or moderately difficult (90% oral accuracy and 60% comprehension), for the student. He also decides whether the major concern is print processing or meaning processing. Then he prepares an extended passage that is to be read either orally or silently. In either case, he constructs questions that require the student to understand the main idea or theme, identify supporting details or events, infer relationships between ideas, and explore how the key words are used in the text.”
This makes the sentiment of “What I’ve Learned about Effective Reading Instruction” ever more true. Hiring effective, qualified teachers is of the utmost importance. Teachers who are well versed in strategies and techniques that will help students to become successful should be growing in number year after year. Teachers must be fluent in a variety of strategies and techniques to be an effective educator.
5. “To analyze comprehension, the diagnostic teacher evaluates how the reader thinks through the comprehension of a passage. Using a think-aloud format or interrupted reading, the teacher observes how the student uses the text and what she knows to interpret the passage.”
It is important that all teachers, not just reading teachers include stop time into their leading lessons. This stop time allows teachers to perform non-formal assessments quickly and effectively and it greatly increases comprehension because students are able to then bounce ideas off of one another in the process.
If a student is not comprehending what it is that he or she is reading then the whole reading experience if allowed to continue is a waste. Reading is not done to simply pass a test or satisfy some sort of requirement. Reading is a skill that will hopefully serve a person for a lifetime and when one is not understanding or comprehending what it is that they are reading then change need to be made.
________________________________________________________________________
2. “The student’s independent reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the student can read fluently with a high level of comprehension. The student’s instructional reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the student experiences a mild amount of stress between the text and his present reading strategies. It is assumed that that classroom instruction would increase the students understanding of the text. The student’s frustration reading level provides an estimate of the level at which the reader is not fluent and has little recall of textual information.”
It is vitally important for students to encounter all of these areas or reading levels. In saying that I mean that teachers should make every effort to set up students for success. Success breeds encouragement and when a student feels this sort of attitude it makes them more willing to play the game of school. It is important for students to encounter the instructional reading level because it makes students stronger as not only a student but also as a person because that have to put effort and hard work into succeeding. This is the level at which the teacher find those certain teaching moments that substantially help students. Finally the frustration level is also important to encounter because it shows a student what they need to work on. With that said the frustration level should only be encountered after there have been many, many instances of success so that the student is not starting off with a negative or frustrating experience. This could cause the student to shut down or become disengaged.
3. “Thus, their literacy emerges out of the social situations in which they encounter literacy.”
Just as reading and writing go hand in hand as do social interactions or student conversations. Many students learn better by being able to interact socially with peers as they are able to bounce ideas off of one another. I found this to be especially true at the high school level but to varying degrees. For this type of environment to work the students must bring a certain amount of respect and thoughtfulness to the discussion. When students act in a mature matter this style of teaching can be very effective and at the same time very engaging.
4. “To formulate hypotheses about a readers strategies, the diagnostic teacher selects a text that is expected to be in the borderline area, or moderately difficult (90% oral accuracy and 60% comprehension), for the student. He also decides whether the major concern is print processing or meaning processing. Then he prepares an extended passage that is to be read either orally or silently. In either case, he constructs questions that require the student to understand the main idea or theme, identify supporting details or events, infer relationships between ideas, and explore how the key words are used in the text.”
This makes the sentiment of “What I’ve Learned about Effective Reading Instruction” ever more true. Hiring effective, qualified teachers is of the utmost importance. Teachers who are well versed in strategies and techniques that will help students to become successful should be growing in number year after year. Teachers must be fluent in a variety of strategies and techniques to be an effective educator.
5. “To analyze comprehension, the diagnostic teacher evaluates how the reader thinks through the comprehension of a passage. Using a think-aloud format or interrupted reading, the teacher observes how the student uses the text and what she knows to interpret the passage.”
It is important that all teachers, not just reading teachers include stop time into their leading lessons. This stop time allows teachers to perform non-formal assessments quickly and effectively and it greatly increases comprehension because students are able to then bounce ideas off of one another in the process.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Chapter 3
1. “At the core of effective teaching is a teacher who reflects on her instruction, rethinking her instructional adjustments.”
This speaks to the fact that for students to benefit from a teacher, that teacher must be a reflective practitioner. When I was doing my two student teaching placements that is one thing that I always tried to put first and foremost after each period, is what I am doing working and are the students getting what I expected them to get out of it, if not how do I change it.
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2. “The diagnostic teacher plans for the engagement of all individuals in the literate community. Realizing that learning is a social activity, the diagnostic teacher creates a classroom that invites all cultures, all types of learners, and all types of disabilities to engage in literate activities as she honors their personal histories.”
Differentiated learning is one of the most vital parts of an effective classroom for students. When a teacher uses a variety of teaching methods he/ she are setting up their students for success. In this way all students will feel that their learning is of the utmost importance to the teacher as well as all students will become and continue to be engaged in the learning process.
________________________________________________________________________
3. “Effective diagnostic teaching results from monitoring the effects that instructional adjustments have on reading performance.”
Not only do teachers have to be reflective practitioners but they also must have a large repertoire of strategies and techniques to employ in the classroom so that changes can be made when necessary. One must continually perform on going assessments to ensure the accuracy at which the new strategy is working and also to see if any further adjustments are needed.
________________________________________________________________________
4. “Self-assessment, therefore, directs the students’ attention to the use of various strategies and to the effect their implementation has on their reading. It also helps students draw relationships among their strategy use, skill knowledge, and personal effort.”
This quote is evidence that it is crucial for students to take an active role in the learning process so that they know what changes they themselves can make to their learning style so that they become more efficient readers and overall learners. When students are able to make changes on their own this will serve them well in the future as problem solvers not just in the area of reading but as well as in other subject areas.
________________________________________________________________________
5. “In fact, personal reading and writing are both major sources of knowledge about word meaning and sentence and text structure. Further, once students have written their thoughts on paper, they can reflect on their thinking, elaborating on their personal ideas.”
Reading and writing go hand in hand for students. When students are able to better understand the text that they are reading they are able to elaborate on it more. Furthermore when they are interested in the text they are able to write about it at greater lengths as well as incorporating their own outside knowledge of the subject or topic. When students take the time to reflect on events that have happened they are better able to understand it as well as understand it in a variety of ways. They are able to consider other point of view on the topic as well which also leads to the overall understanding of the topic.
1. “At the core of effective teaching is a teacher who reflects on her instruction, rethinking her instructional adjustments.”
This speaks to the fact that for students to benefit from a teacher, that teacher must be a reflective practitioner. When I was doing my two student teaching placements that is one thing that I always tried to put first and foremost after each period, is what I am doing working and are the students getting what I expected them to get out of it, if not how do I change it.
________________________________________________________________________
2. “The diagnostic teacher plans for the engagement of all individuals in the literate community. Realizing that learning is a social activity, the diagnostic teacher creates a classroom that invites all cultures, all types of learners, and all types of disabilities to engage in literate activities as she honors their personal histories.”
Differentiated learning is one of the most vital parts of an effective classroom for students. When a teacher uses a variety of teaching methods he/ she are setting up their students for success. In this way all students will feel that their learning is of the utmost importance to the teacher as well as all students will become and continue to be engaged in the learning process.
________________________________________________________________________
3. “Effective diagnostic teaching results from monitoring the effects that instructional adjustments have on reading performance.”
Not only do teachers have to be reflective practitioners but they also must have a large repertoire of strategies and techniques to employ in the classroom so that changes can be made when necessary. One must continually perform on going assessments to ensure the accuracy at which the new strategy is working and also to see if any further adjustments are needed.
________________________________________________________________________
4. “Self-assessment, therefore, directs the students’ attention to the use of various strategies and to the effect their implementation has on their reading. It also helps students draw relationships among their strategy use, skill knowledge, and personal effort.”
This quote is evidence that it is crucial for students to take an active role in the learning process so that they know what changes they themselves can make to their learning style so that they become more efficient readers and overall learners. When students are able to make changes on their own this will serve them well in the future as problem solvers not just in the area of reading but as well as in other subject areas.
________________________________________________________________________
5. “In fact, personal reading and writing are both major sources of knowledge about word meaning and sentence and text structure. Further, once students have written their thoughts on paper, they can reflect on their thinking, elaborating on their personal ideas.”
Reading and writing go hand in hand for students. When students are able to better understand the text that they are reading they are able to elaborate on it more. Furthermore when they are interested in the text they are able to write about it at greater lengths as well as incorporating their own outside knowledge of the subject or topic. When students take the time to reflect on events that have happened they are better able to understand it as well as understand it in a variety of ways. They are able to consider other point of view on the topic as well which also leads to the overall understanding of the topic.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Chapters 1 and 2
1. “The diagnostic teacher identifies specific instructional alternatives for struggling readers to enhance their literacy. As a reader begins to experience success, he attributes his reading improvement to using strategic processes. This attribution, in turn, increases his engagement during subsequent literacy events.”
The actions and strategies of the diagnostic teacher almost force the student to be an active, attentive learner. From this exercise the student is about to understand how to be a better and more effective reader. Thus they can begin to formulate their own problem solving strategies.
________________________________________________________________________
2. “The diagnostic teacher is an active problem solver. She is much more than a test giver. She is first and foremost a teacher. As she teaches, she explores how a particular student reads and responds.”
This passage serves the purpose of proving to the reader that the diagnostic teacher must have a wealth of strategies and ways to help students to become better readers. A diagnostic teacher must continuously dissect and look at what a reader is doing positively, what the reader is having problems with and ways in which the teacher can help the reader to become more successful.
________________________________________________________________________
3. “After an extended period of failing to combine sources of information or elaboration strategies, struggling readers become accustomed to understanding only bits and pieces of what they are reading.”
When a student understands only some of what they are reading, the overall comprehension of the story suffers. This speaks to that fact that the key to literacy is early intervention. This ensures that students are taught useful reading habits instead of ever picking up negative and pointless coping techniques.
________________________________________________________________________
4. “Teachers need to choose activities that will show children the variety of functions that reading can serve; reading for pleasure, reading for information, or reading to remember. There are days we do all three.”
Knowing the various purposes that reading can serve will help students to better appreciate and recognize the fact that reading is beneficial in more ways than one. This will make students more prone to wanting to read rather than looking at it as an assignment or a punishment.
________________________________________________________________________
5. “Furthermore, asking students to relate story comprehension to their own experiences can prompt them to associate what was read to what they already know and thereby increase their comprehension of the text.”
Students jump at the opportunity to share their own experiences with the group. When students are able to share their own experiences and how they relate to what the group as a whole is reading, it gives the group the opportunity to understand a sometimes complex idea in a more concrete way. When students are given real world experiences as a way to associate those experiences to the situations in the book or story that they are reading, it is a more positive experience for everyone.
The actions and strategies of the diagnostic teacher almost force the student to be an active, attentive learner. From this exercise the student is about to understand how to be a better and more effective reader. Thus they can begin to formulate their own problem solving strategies.
________________________________________________________________________
2. “The diagnostic teacher is an active problem solver. She is much more than a test giver. She is first and foremost a teacher. As she teaches, she explores how a particular student reads and responds.”
This passage serves the purpose of proving to the reader that the diagnostic teacher must have a wealth of strategies and ways to help students to become better readers. A diagnostic teacher must continuously dissect and look at what a reader is doing positively, what the reader is having problems with and ways in which the teacher can help the reader to become more successful.
________________________________________________________________________
3. “After an extended period of failing to combine sources of information or elaboration strategies, struggling readers become accustomed to understanding only bits and pieces of what they are reading.”
When a student understands only some of what they are reading, the overall comprehension of the story suffers. This speaks to that fact that the key to literacy is early intervention. This ensures that students are taught useful reading habits instead of ever picking up negative and pointless coping techniques.
________________________________________________________________________
4. “Teachers need to choose activities that will show children the variety of functions that reading can serve; reading for pleasure, reading for information, or reading to remember. There are days we do all three.”
Knowing the various purposes that reading can serve will help students to better appreciate and recognize the fact that reading is beneficial in more ways than one. This will make students more prone to wanting to read rather than looking at it as an assignment or a punishment.
________________________________________________________________________
5. “Furthermore, asking students to relate story comprehension to their own experiences can prompt them to associate what was read to what they already know and thereby increase their comprehension of the text.”
Students jump at the opportunity to share their own experiences with the group. When students are able to share their own experiences and how they relate to what the group as a whole is reading, it gives the group the opportunity to understand a sometimes complex idea in a more concrete way. When students are given real world experiences as a way to associate those experiences to the situations in the book or story that they are reading, it is a more positive experience for everyone.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
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