Ellin,
As a 4th grade teacher, I have found that my jump is to teach (as you
said) how the strategies help you to understand what you've read. I
think the teachers in the younger grades have done a good job in
teaching what the strategies are but I don't think that they realize
that good readers really do use the strategies. So we tak about which
strategies help us comprehend which texts. Students really get inot
great discussions about which strategies they have used a particular
partof a text. In my modeling, I try to show that I could use a number
of strategies to comprehend one piece. New 4th graders seem to think if
you are inferrring, you'd better not ask a question. So I really agree
with you, now that teachers know what the strategies are, let's teach
how and when to use them to improve our comprehension.
Sue
Sorry if this rambles. I made gingerbread houses with my class today
and I think I'm shell shocked! Meery Christmas and thank you for all
you do to move us to the next place.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Sent: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] when comprehension strategies become the reason
for reading. . .
I have read with interest everyone's comments about strategies
becoming too
much the focus of children's reading and want to just throw in a quick
thought or two. I, too, am concerned with the strategies assuming too
prominent a role in children's understanding and that is the central
idea in
the book I just finished, To Understand, which, like the second edition
of
Mosaic, will be out in 2007. In it, I argue that the strategies are
necessary tools to enhance children's comprehension, but that we need to
discuss (with colleagues and children) what results when someone uses
the
strategies and understands. I pose the question - what does it really
mean
to understand and write about some "mentors" - writers and artists -
I've
studied in an effort to discover how people come to understand deeply.
In To Understand, I argue that it is fruitful to have the discussions
with
children about what happens when we really know we comprehend. In it I
talk
about what I've observed, cognitively and behaviorally, when children
and
adults are truly understanding and that we talk explicitly with kids
about
those behaviors in order to increase the likelihood that they
understand at
deeper levels. Ultimately, I think you've all been right - the point
isn't
the strategies, the point is what they help us understand that we may
not
have understood without them.
I'm not a big fan of prompts - I think that children have much more
authentic conversations when they are focused on the ideas in books and
when
we have modeled what great book conversations look and sound like. I
just
try to think about what the talk is like in my own book club and to
articulate some of those characteristics to children.
I'm so fascinated that you all started posing and responding to these
questions because I have found them important questions, too, and though
there aren't any "right" answers, I've tried to explore the very thing
you've been talking about in this book. I do so hope it will shed some
additional light on your important conversations.
As I write today, Denver is buried under more than 2 feet of lovely,
soft
snow and everyone is home and loving the fire, the Christmas tree and
books
we've been hoping to read. My best to everyone for a magical holiday.
ellin keene
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