Dear Leslie, I can't understand how anyone who knows anything about teaching or reading could say to a teacher, it is not your job to have children like reading. Oh my gosh. And, to use the same books, over and over. That doesn't make sense. My advise to get your children to internalise what you have spent all this time on is to spend a lot of time on quality picture story books. Get for example a pile of Eve Bunting's books picture books from the library and start reading one every chance you can get but for each book design your questions/comments in a way that the kids are not thinking 'strategy' but are responding naturally to enjoing the story and at the same time, 'doing what your school expects'. If the kids are missing the book, they are not my dear girl, getting the strategies as the strategies are all about comprehension. And, when we talk about good practice in our teaching, it's about modelling joy, passion and enthusiasm for the kids whether it be in reading and or writing. Read, Eve's "Rudi's pond' for example and ask your kids to respond at the end. I'm sure, just positive that in their natural responses to you and your questions they will demonstrate every single 'reading strategy' a school or district would ever want them to have but it will be done reflectively and 'authentically'. Start grabbing some good poetry, and have the kids respond to that. Not writing in isolation but as a group listening and sharing the responses. Comprehension at every level, child, adult is enhanced by the conversations of those around you so that everyone finally gets an 'ah ha' moment. How many times have your heard or been with adults discussing a book and something that seemed so 'obvious' was missing to you. And then when that connection is made, off go the train of thoughts. With your kids go back to, how does this story relate to you (text to self), to life in general (text to world) and how does it remind you of other books (text to text). in doing this, you are enhancing comprehension, engagement, and discussion. I hope this helps. Suzanne
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of STEWART, L Sent: Wed 5/7/2008 3:42 AM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: [MOSAIC] Critical concern: the results of a steady diet of readingstrategies I have a new critical concern. I teach third grade in a school that is all about teaching reading strategies. We have been told not to teach novels - better to have quantity than quality - and we have been told to stick to teaching the strategies from grades K-4, often times using the same texts! We have even been told that it is not our job to make children like reading. I am now noticing that my children can recite the strategies and even apply them and write to them but they are missing the book. They aren't looking at the book as a whole anymore. It has been delivered to them piecemeal and they are reading it that way. Many of them are missing the entire point, theme, lesson, importance, etc of the story. I am trying frantically to correct this before the year is over. Are any of you experiencing anything similar to this? Leslie _______________________________________________ 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.
_______________________________________________ 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.
