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 _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.