On 7/8/07 10:07 AM, "kimberlee hannan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I don't have all the research to back me up. I just have several years'
> experience. Experience tells me that with most kids: When a kid
> understands what he/she is reading, fluency shows it. I use myself as an
> example. I see fluency as a performance. I have always told my kids I was a
> frustrated actress, and my novel or book is my chance to perform. With
> experience, as Tim said, with poems, songs, discussions, etc, the fluency is
> unavoidable. I feel reading a nonsensical passage, reading a passage cold,
> and timing a kid reading adds undue pressure on the reader and does not give
> an accurate measure of anything. The comprehension is the goal.
>
I think all of the discussion points to the need to understand the messages
children get from the experiences we provide. They interpret in unique ways
depending on their own unique literacy histories. So no matter what
research says in some sense .... Combining results to try to generalize
about any particular strategy or approach....we still always have to take it
back to individual kids and what we do with the knowledge we have of them in
something as complex as reading and writing and so on!!!
I remember a series of answers I got in my early fall interviews with
students who all spoke to me about how they understood reading aloud as
compared to silent reading, how they felt about it and so on.
John told me he comprehended better when he read aloud as it made him focus
on what he was reading. His mind wandered when he read silently. We did go
on to talk about ways to focus in silent reading as well of course.
Rory told me she couldn't understand a thing when she read aloud even though
she enjoyed it. She was a wonderful little actress - literally - did drama
outside of school and her dad was a drama professor! She read beautifully -
with wonderful expression - yet still said she couldn't comprehend. Now she
must have comprehended at some level to get the "interpretation" so well.
But it evidently didn't transfer to short term memory/recall or whatever.
Abigail didn't read aloud fluently though she comprehended in very
sophisticated ways. It made her feel like a poor reader even though we
discussed in depth her accomplishments as a reader, what reading realy
means, and so on. She had "learning disabilities" and was in special
education though she was very bright. (the old discrepancy criteria...we
won't go into that here.) You could see this in her spelling. She also
had huge problems memorizing her multiplication tables. Ugg. Anyway She
wanted to practice! And did improve through readers theater, choral reading
and all.
I would say flexibility in all this is key as well as knowing our students
well including hearing their opinions and perspectives!
Sally
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