So, like I tell my students: if you are reading the words and not thinking and comprehending then you are not reading. Elisa
Elisa Waingort Grade 2 Spanish Bilingual Teacher Spanish Learning Leader Dalhousie Elementary Calgary, Canada The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. —Helen Keller The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -Former US Cabinet member John W. Gardner Visit my blog, A Teacher's Ruminations, and post a message. http://waingortgrade2spanishbilingual.blogspot.com/ Now I want to clarify. I don't mean students cannot decode. Or at least I don't think that's what I mean. I have students every year who can say every word on the page out loud. They can even explain what each word individually means. If I ask for an explanation of what the entire page means, they cannot tell me. The problem I see most often is middle schoolers who seem not to know that reading is supposed to mean something. Quoting Laura <lcan...@satx.rr.com>: > Well said--I don't think anyone has found the key for those individuals who > just can't seem to decode the words. I had a brilliant third grader this > year who read on a barely beginning first grade level--he had all the > comprehension skills if someone else could do the decoding for him. > Laura > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <kea...@aol.com> > To: <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:10 PM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] "a;Better"a; reading instruction...sigh... > > > > When a middle schooled or high school student is reading on an elementary > > level, It's easy to assume that somebody below didn't do it "right" . > > But as an elementary teacher, I just need to say that we bust our butts > > on those students who are below grade level. We meet with them daily in > > small group and and are always hovering by their desks to help them with > > added support. We provide them with as much intensive support as > > available from reading teachers,we work with parents, set up before and > > after school buddy pals, and nightly send home books at their level for > > them to practice and now with RITA. probably spend triple the amount of > > time planning lessons and assessing these students as we do our grade > > level or advanced student. > > > > We take so much abuse from the "political public" about how all we need is > > good teaching and all will be right with the students. > > I have to caution you not to buy into this. Students who struggle learning > > to read have many and varied causes, and we have yet to find the cause or > > "cure" for all of them. Please, don't play the bashing game and blame the > > other guy. Chances are, your own success with these kiddos will be as > > limited. > > > > Kathy > > _______________________________________________ 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
