I have loved reading your descriptions of teaching reading. I love you all for your honesty and your firm belief that children learn to read by reading. I often wonder why the world accepts that swimmers and ballerinas and mechanics learn through practice.
I marvel at you all as teachers of reading (and I admit that PatK brought tears to my eyes--I am awed by your experience and your early expertise). I am a slug compared to you all. I taught reading the way I was told for years. Then I read Mosaic of Thought and became a real teacher. I hooted and hollered all the way through the book. I nodded constantly as I read and I made my dear husband listen as I read to him (and he is not a teacher). The first time I heard Ellin Keene speak, I listened so intensely that she approached me (in an audience of 100+) and asked if she knew me. When my California district knuckled under to politicians and told us to teach Houghton Mifflin "with fidelity" (this after sending people to Colorado to work with Keene), I knew better. I finally knew better. I used some of the HM selections to teach comprehension strategies in 3rd grade. Last year, in 5th grade, we opened HM one week to read the poetry. I am now proud of my literacy instruction. Judy _______________________________________________ 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.
