I hold your comments in high regard. In fact, you are all so well-spoken and often well-researched, that I often would prefer to read than respond, but I have a question that concerns me. I have read many of the recommended books on guided reading instruction. I admit that I am still not comfortable and/or fluent with all of the different aspects of the guided reading format. I understand the whole accountability to state tests, etc. I even understand the need for data collection (although I don't always feel that the data we collect, such as teacher made tests is valid collection criteria), but what I don't understand is that it seems that all we do is dissections. We dissect the literature, we dissect comprehension strategies, we dissect each child as we try to identify the particular strand that needs strengthening. The other day I followed a lesson using a read aloud to determine theme. Of course, I did not read the entire picture book because we are told we don't need to do that. Then I expected the children to connect to the text and determine the main idea or author's purpose or theme (aren't they pretty much the same thing?) and most of my children looked at me rather blankly. I am almost wondering if dissection shouldn't be it's own block and reading and writing should remain untouched and sacred as a workshop. Does anyone find it difficult to dissect the reading strategies to determine if a child isn't asking good questions, or making solid connections, or inferring correctly? By third and fourth grade many of my students are synthesizing all of the strategies and applying them when they read. I know that they need more practice, particularly in inferential understanding. Doesn't a steady diet of teaching these skills in isolation over and over again, year to year, grade to grade, eventually kill the literature and the joy that used to be a part of the workshop format? I am a learner so I am trying it all out, but I am not convinced that independent reading takes the place of literature discussions across all levels of the classroom. I think that sometimes we take explicit teaching where it doesn't need to go so often and for all readers.
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.
