In a message dated 7/15/2007 8:58:37 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Paying attention to your inner voice interrupts the flow of your reading but it also helps you comprehend better. Elisa If I am a proficient reader, reading aesthetically, why would I want to slow down? I think we are so used to hearing about kids that struggle with reading, that we don't take into consideration the proficient reader. Many of my kids are proficient aesthetically, but not efferently. Kim I have been reading the 2nd edition of Strategies That Work, getting ready for the conversation that begins tomorrow, and the book addresses not slowing down for aesthetic reading unless you feel a need to slow down for something. In that case, it's nice to have paper and pencil nearby for writing and thinking. An example that comes to mind is a book with many characters. I sometimes have trouble keeping them straight at the beginning of the book until I have enough information about each character to form a mental picture. I have a tendency to write down names and a little something about them until that image is formed. I have also found that as I have forced myself to slow down and listen to my inner voice, just the fact of slowing down helps me to think much more deeply about the themes, the lessons, the comparisons or contrasts to my own life, my own hopes and dreams. I tried to find a snippet that I thought was in The Art of Teaching Reading by Lucy Calkins, but I couldn't find it. It was written by a very proficient elementary school girl saying that she had never really read before she started taking the time to slow down and think. She named many books that she had read easily, but it was her reflection that she would like to go back and "really" read them. I think that's the gist. Maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about more than I do! Anyway, I have found that slowing down at times, even for aesthetic reading, has helped me a great deal, and I think that giving all of my students, even my great readers, the idea and the permission to do that themselves, shows them that it is deep reflection that can give them the most pleasure. Of course, some books are just for fun with no deep thinking required! Those are fun to read at times as well. Sherry ************************************** Get a sneak peak of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour _______________________________________________ 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.
