And not only what our purpose is for reading it -- but what the author's purpose was for writing it.
> Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:37:01 -0400> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: > understand@literacyworkshop.org> Subject: Re: [Understand] Main Idea> > I > remember that article, Jennifer, but I don't recall exactly how it was > written either. Is that a clue to us that it is irrelevant? I don't feel like > I have to know that text structure to have understood that article. Of course > reading it ftom different points of view was terribly vavluable. Purpose. It > has to go back to purpose. Why do we ask what the main idea is? Why can't we > ask what you learned, or what that article said to you? Is main idea > essential?> > Nancy> > >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 07/30/08 9:30 PM >>>> > You > are right---'guessing' what the author believes is important is easier > in > non-fiction that is written a certain way...like those Time for Kids > > articles that little people often read. > > I don't think there is a main > idea in fiction...there are themes...but no > main idea! The text structure > is different---plot---rising action, > climax---resolution. But in > non-fiction---there are multiple text structures. > I think maybe it is > possible to have a main idea/detail text structure with > more than one > important idea! > > I keep thinking about the nonfiction article about a > house. What a realtor, > a historian and a thief would feel was important in > that article would all be > different. Our purposes for reading affect what > the most important ideas are > in that article. YET...maybe that article is > written as a description and > maybe it is written main idea/detail...> I > think I am getting even more confused!> Jennifer> In a message dated > 7/30/2008 9:22:53 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:> > > So, Dana if you are looking at the structure of the text are you really > > looking at the main idea? I am a voracious reader and writer and I have > always > struggled with the concept of main idea on a test. I can justify my > answers > orally until the cows come home, but on a test...problems. I > remember > reading Shakespeare in high school and my teacher telling me that > I was not > understanding it the way that Shakespeare meant it to be. My > question was how did > she know how he meant it to be understood? Obviuosly > there is usually a > surface main idea, but upon further readings > comprehension grows, which often > clouds the "exact" main idea. I find it > easier to identify in non-fiction > informational text, but then it depends > on the way the author writes. So, when we > don't neccessarily agree with the > author's main idea (or what the test claims > that to be) what are we to do? > Will teaching text structure help people > like me? There seems to be many > ways that an author can write the main idea. I > am not sure how to best > teach my kiddos. I still maintain that they have to > be flexible in their > thinking.> > Nancy> > > > > > > > **************Get fantasy football with > free live scoring. Sign up for > FanHouse Fantasy Football today. > > (http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020)> > _______________________________________________> Understand mailing list> > Understand@literacyworkshop.org> > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org> > > > _______________________________________________> Understand mailing list> > Understand@literacyworkshop.org> > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _________________________________________________________________ Keep your kids safer online with Windows Live Family Safety. http://www.windowslive.com/family_safety/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_family_safety_072008 _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
