Reading the first few chapters of Tovani’s book really opened my eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever really struggled with reading (unless it’s something very theoretical) so I wasn’t aware of the extent of use of “avoidance strategies” and “fake reading” of which Tovani speaks. I mean, I know that students use the Internet and tools such as Sparknotes to get information about whatever text they don’t want to read; but, I just thought it was because they didn’t want to read it (and I’m sure this is true in some cases), but I didn’t realize that some students really just don’t know how to read with comprehension. The first paragraph on page 9 really hit me. In this passage, Tovani explains how good readers often take for granted being able to read well. Struggling readers can’t finish a text, can’t enjoy a good story, etc. That was something that had never crossed my mind, and actually makes me really sad to think about it.
I appreciate that Tovani is so honest with her students, actually sharing her struggles with reading and admitting that she doesn’t always understand everything in a book. I also like how she uses Atwell’s approach of modeling reading to her students. This reminds me that I definitely need to become more reflective about my own reading process. Tovani and Atwell both seem so in tune with their thinking while they are reading; I never think about what I’m thinking when I’m reading. But, in order to become a better model of reading I suppose I need to tune in to my own thoughts. I wonder how long something like that takes to do? After reading one book? Or years of paying attention?
Tovani is so right when she discusses teachers just feeding the students the necessary information about a text. It’s no wonder students can actually pass a course and never read the book. From what I’ve seen in my field site, it seems the teacher only wants the students to know the necessary information on which they will be tested. My field site teacher also seems to be in the habit of summarizing everything for the students, so now that I think about it, why should they read the material if someone is going to tell them all about it anyway? It’s no wonder that students are accustomed to having teachers being responsible for their learning.
After Tovani’s introduction into the book, she starts discussing various reading strategies that can be used in the classroom to help students gain better understanding of a text. I like this part because it’s very specific and tells us exactly how to use the strategies. Though it seems tedious, I really like the idea of having the students highlight everything in yellow or pink based on their understanding. I think that would be a great exercise from time to time to make students really think about each sentence they are reading. With all of the strategies she discusses, I wonder if her students ever read without using a certain strategy? Do they reach the point where they read without highlighting, marking, journaling? And if so, how long does that typically take?
The final thing I’ll say about this part of the text concerns teaching our subject or teaching our students. On page 39, Tovani discusses an issue she had in her classroom about whether she should just feed the students the information about the reading that they would need to know, or should she stop and focus on teaching the students how to read better. I think that’s going to be the story of our lives once we’re out there in our classrooms. I’m glad she chose to stop and make certain her students would learn strategies to help them with the text, even if it made her fall behind on her lesson plans. In the end, I know it’s worth it, and I hope I remember to do the same thing.
Kristen I believe that in order to be in tune with your thoughts while reading takes a lot of hard work. I know that many of us don’t remember when we learned how to read but many of us can read. I feel that being in tune with our thoughts to the point where we are able to model our reading will be hard work. Some of us will never become as efficient of reader as described but this is the reason for Sparknotes and other ways of finding a way not to read.
ReplyDeleteTovani speaks of reading strategies that can help a reader get in touch with the thoughts that you ask about Kristen. I think that I like the Comprehension Constructors, because they question your reading in a way that a students must be able to recollect the information in their own words. Of course I like Double entry diaries as well, they can totally give a reader a chance to say what they think and what the author wrote. A student will be able to give their own commentary on the reading at hand, which is always a plus.
Lastly, I agree that students must learn how to read better instead of breezing through the information. This is the way students slip through the cracks. Tovani made the right choice because we cannot expect a student to know how to comprehend reading. Children may be able to read when they get to my classroom but can they comprehend… because we must make them learn how to comprehend.
Hey Kristen, in reference to your question about how long it’ll take to tune in to your own thoughts, I believe it all depends on the individual. As one says, “Practice makes perfect,” I feel that this also applies to becoming a better reader. How many books, what type of books, and how long it takes you to read books all factor into the length of time it takes to develop as a better reader. With every book, you become a better reader somehow, someway, and paying attention to your thought process throughout each book will contribute to your qualification as a reader model. ☺
ReplyDeleteNow, about the Torvani reading, I can’t seem to focus on what she is saying because I find her words repetitive. I was unable to finish because I kept getting bored and/or falling asleep. The one thing I do remember from that portion of reading was Torvani’s emphasis on tapping prior knowledge (which we learned in EDCI 3136 that this is the key to successful content reading). What I found significant is that teachers, as Torvani says, play an important role in making sure that they bridge the gap between old and new material, such as between lessons and units and across different content areas. I did not realize how much of a difference it can make if teachers would just take the little time they have to teach students what they need to know before moving on to what’s according to plan. I understand that it’s worth doing so because if we don’t, we face a great possibility of our students falling more behind. That’s all ☺