Joy, You asked what grade I was teaching when I was thinking through and writing in about teaching my students to be metacognitive. I was teaching third or fourth grade during those years when I was evolving into a strategic teacher. But..... what I have come to believe/know (and remember I had that one year where I was working with K-5 students building wide each week in the library setting and then the one year with second graders the following year) is that ALL kids need the explicit work in knowing and hearing their inner thinking voice.
I've even modeled in classrooms in other districts with middle school and high school kids and I would do basically the same sort of lessons, with the talk adjusted for the age group of course. One thing that helped me transfer the teaching to all grade levels was reading and watching videos from Cris Tovani. (Author of "I read it but I don't get it" and "Do I really have to teach reading?") She works with secondary students. And yet, when you read her work and see/hear her on the professional video sets, you will quickly realize that the talk is the same. The purpose of the teaching is the same. Especially if you work at a school where this teaching is not in place in the grades previous to your grade. Which I did from many years. Now I am fortunate to be working in a building where strategy instruction (teaching kids to THINK) is building wide. But even if it is not, do not be discouraged. You CAN be the first teacher to bring this amazing thinking work to your students. And you can go deep with it and have a great year. So, all that to say, my musings about teaching the inner voice and self monitoring, etc. can be adjusted to all grades and ages. Even adults. When I am out training parent groups (a dream of mine is to make that a full time job----!!!!) I talk to the participants in the same way, about the same things, as I do with my students. The difference is most adults (especially if they read for pleasure or work) DO realize they have an inner thinking voice. It's teaching them to capture it and use it to model with their children what a reader should be doing when they are reading the words that is my challenge with parents. I love to teach people to think aloud. Remember, we can't hear if our students are doing it inside their heads so when we become the models for them first, and then have them practice and share aloud (always talking it out first but eventually moving to writing it down) what they are hearing that thinking voice say. Then and only then do we know if they are comprehending. Oh I could go on and on but I'll stop. :) O.k. Now, I'd LOVE to hear what the rest of you are doing to help your kids know and hear their inner thinking voice. Jump right in!!! Ginger Mosaic _______________________________________________ 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.
