and Beverlee Paul, I would like to work for someone just like you. Imagine the possibilities!
Leslie R. Stewart Grade 3 Teacher lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX ________________________________________ From: mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org [mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Beverlee Paul [beverleep...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:13 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] philosophical wonderings A very wise college prof I had says, "Anything that can be used, can be abused." I feel the same about cooperative learning a la those extremists or extremists with math manipulatives, etc. My favorite example is from a teacher in Colorado, who had a zap right as she heard herself say, "Boys and girls, shush up! No talking!! It's time for oral language!!!" I'm glad she could laugh at herself and share because I think about that statement a lot. If you have to break apart a group functioning beautifully and assign cooperative roles, think again. If you have to keep dumping out those unifix cubes onto the table of a child who's trying to explain to his near neighbor how you can mentally do "that" in at least 2 different ways, and "let's see if there's even another," think again. If you take a group of book lovers who have come to you starving for literature to feed their passion and who thoughtfully and collaboratively discuss at a higher level, don't get out the role sheets, for heaven's sake. Think again. I agree with my old college prof. And we in education could do with a little benign neglect in our teaching methods and a good pair of eyes and ears to observe with. Sometimes our kids slip past us. On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Stewart, L <lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us>wrote: > "In my experience, strategy instruction works. For all kids, not just > strugglers. I do not believe it is only for struggling readers. I would > like to see the list discuss what aspects of strategy instruction, as it is > currently being implemented, turns kids off from the love of reading so > that we can all learn what to avoid." > > I never meant to imply that only struggling readers need strategy > instruction. Certainly all of my students need experience determining theme > and author's craft, etc. But I think if I hear one more child say I can > make a text-to-self connection and then make the most minimal connection to > the text they are reading I may go crazy! I hear mind-numbing conversations > and weeks of instruction on one strategy in multiple classrooms across > multiple grade levels. I certainly think children should find ways in which > they relate to text but that will come with more exposure to text and a lot > more CONVERSATIONS with peers as well as teachers. Strong readers don't > think about the strategies in isolation. Our school is advocating a model > where the child reads with me in a small guided group for maybe 20 minutes > once or twice per week and then reads their independent reading book, > attempting to utilize the same strategy we discussed in guided and then > writes about it in a letter to me. Sorry Fountas and Pinell...I just don't > think that is what authentic reading is about. I don't follow the plan. I > do pull guided groups, but afterwards my kids go back and read a book with a > small group of their peers and talk about it and they may or may not discuss > the strategy they practiced with me. Writing about reading flows naturally > after conversations about reading. The teachers on this site all love > reading and teaching reading. What about those teachers who don't? I think > the model can be deadly and it is difficult to implement by even the most > experienced teacher. I know that I am not supposed to have read the books > my children are reading, but how can I comment and model if I don't know the > text? So, I have five reading groups and they are all in different texts. > I don't get a lot of sleep, but so far I don't think I've lost any future > readers of America to the reading war and I am proud of that. > > Leslie R. Stewart > (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 > lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us > > Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter > and those who matter don't mind." > ~ Dr. Seuss > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > -- "There is nothing so unequal as equal treatment of unequals." Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes _______________________________________________ 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.
