The reading classes that I have taken to this point have all emphasized that comprehension is one area in which struggling readers tend to be weak. From my own experiences as a student, I remember having teachers who devoted lessons to different comprehension strategies even though I didn't fully realize their ties to comprehension at the time. What made these lessons beneficial was the fact that they were direct and explicit. My teachers modeled the strategies and showed my classmates and I how to use them. Chapter 4 showed me that as a teacher I must teach comprehension strategies directly and explicitly so that my students can learn to create meaning from texts just like I did as a student. Also, I like the fact that Beers offers her readers six steps to teaching comprehension strategies in a direct and explicit manner. Her process helped me to understand how to start teaching this way and what the end result should look like.
One thing that I was unfamiliar with in this chapter is the notion of direct instruction versus scripted instruction. I have frequently heard of direct instruction, but I can't recall hearing about scripted instruction. Scripted instruction appears to lay out word-for-word what a teacher says when giving a lesson. I can't imagine feeling comfortable using this method, and I can't imagine students feeling engaged when a teacher is essentially reading a script to them.
Finally, I liked the section that discusses the difference between a strategy and a skill. I was introduced to this idea last semester, but I never quite felt like I had an adequate handle on the distinction between the two terms. This section helped me to see a reading skill as the product and a strategy as the process. The strategy helps readers get to the skill. The skill is the end result of using a strategy.
I also liked the section on strategy vs. skill. I had never really thought of the difference between the two,but I think Beers makes it really clear and interesting. I liked her comment that the strategy leads you to the skill. I think a lot of times teachers are so focused on teaching students "skills" and lose sight of teaching them strategies to help them develop the skills.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree the whole scripted versus direct instruction seems very odd to me. I suppose in some situations scripted instructions could be valuable and helpful but I don't really see it over powering direct. A students knows when a teacher is simply reading something they memorized or if they are speaking on more free form level. Direct just seems to be more beneficial for the students and more enjoyable for the teacher.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, only certain school districts use scripted instruction - usually they use scripted instruction if they have very low test scores and have concerns with teacher accountability. Certainly not my preferred method of teaching.
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