As I read Chapter 13, I found myself highly engaged and trying to put myself in the shoes of the struggling readers I will be working with in the future. I especially liked the example Beers used from one of the workshops that she led. The teachers participating in her workshop were hesitant and often reluctant to participate in sharing their thoughts with the larger group as a result of feeling inconfident sharing in front of peers they did not know. This really made me think about how struggling readers must feel when expected to participate in front of their seemingly more capable peers. As teachers I think it's important that we never lose sight of the fact that our students have feelings and many of the behaviors we don't like are designed to mask their feelings of incompetence in front of their peers. Also, I've realized how important it is to create a classroom that encourages risk-taking on the part of students by making sure they know each other's names, making sure diversity is celebrated, and making sure that students know it is unacceptable to make disrespectful comments to each other.
One additional insight I gleaned from this chapter is how important it is to make sure reading is about something more than just being able to answer a few questions at the end of a chapter. I especially liked the lists of possible questions to use that help students figure out what a text means to them.
Finally, the five stages of literary appreciation helped clarify for me where students are at with reading in what grades. I thought the shift from one stage to the next was interesting in terms of how a student's viewpoint changes as he grows older and moves from one grade to the next. I think this information can be very useful when it comes to choosing appropriate texts, as well as finding questions to use to guide students in creating meaning.
I loved the example of the workshop Beers hosted, too. If these adults were reluctant to participate in discussion because they didn't know each other, how do you think our students feel? What about those students who struggle and are in full inclusion? These are the type of things we need to take into consideration with our struggling readers. I really enjoyed this chapter.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea that reading is more than just being able to answer questions at the end of the passage. It is so much more than that. It creates an entire world that students only get a glimmer on while they are in school. It is our jobs as educators to open to world up to them.
ReplyDeleteThe questions that Beers suggests as possible "conversation starters" are great. While sometimes students are reluctant to participate without some coaching, they may be more likely to respond to structured questions that allow them to apply their thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThis also helps to create an environment where a student may be more inclined to take a risk and answer a more tailored question. These questions would definitely be useful when holding an open classroom discussion.