Monday, March 5, 2012

"One Size Fits All" Comprehension Strategies


My title is basically suggesting that strategies that get adults to read are very likely to get students to read. Think about it. How many times have you started a book and never ended up finishing it? Is it because you can't read? Or was the book full of vocabulary you had to keep looking up in a dictionary? Or did it simply not interest you at all? I think when children chose not to read a book that is placed in front of them, many times it is because they either aren't interested, are intimidated by the level indicated. In Prado's article, she mentioned how a very crucial transaction must take place between the reader and the text. Often this connection is based on personal interests and experiences. Comprehension is a complex process that seems to be highly achievable when students feel motivated to try. I enjoyed how  Prado explicitly described the steps to fostering reading comprehension. Rather than heaping this huge challenge on a student it is does step-by-step, with each step increasing in difficulty. In the other article I read by Gregory and Cahill, the Velcro Theory was mentioned. I am a firm believer in the constructivist approach. I believe new information  is much more easily sorted in schemas that already exist. Having conversations about reading with young will ultimately always be reinforcing what some already knew, but be completely unfamiliar to other students. What role could reteaching play in a kindergarten reading lesson?
In my classroom one day I know I will have many students in different stages with their reading comprehension. I believe this is one of the trickiest and vulnerable situations for both teacher and student. How can you appropriately scaffold lower-level readers while still engaging higher-level readers? Is it safe to find that "happy medium" and teach to that level? Or can that be damaging?

1 comment:

  1. I love your one size fits all title... I loved your point about the strategies for young readers and adult readers!

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