Chapter 8 Q.Q.I.

Quotes:

• "What is necessary in creating a productive and effective literacy curriculum is to consider that students need to be engaged in curriculum that is meaningful in their lives." (pg. 218)

This quote expresses an important over going theme in this book. Its constant presence is very reinforcing. The effectiveness of this is demonstrated in the opening vignette. Ms. Bell is able to engage her students in more active writing by allowing them to write about one of their favorite subjects.

• " In the early 1990's, researchers with a skills orientation noted that fluency was an important skill and that in order to determine fluent readers, timed reading tests were administered. Students who read fast on these test were touted as better readers than those who read more slowly or those who struggled to complete the test in the allotted time." (pg.227)

Fluency is an important skill to have. From what I have observed in classrooms, some students seem to think that fluency is strictly speed of reading. I've walked around a 5th grade classroom and I've heard students quickly reading through passages using limited to no expression. It sounds like words are pouring out of their mouths without any meaning. I think students should be reminded to focus more on being able to recognize words, reading clearly, naturally pace themselves and they should be allowing themselves to capture the meaning of what is being read.

Questions:

• On page 232, It is discussed how written expression deals with a lot of creativity with words to compensate for the use of gestures and tones used in verbal expression to convey an idea. ELL student's might find difficulty in reading when encountering interesting vocabulary that is being used to describe something. An ELL can easily be labeled as having a reading disability if this isn't looked at beyond the surface. I wonder how carefully are these diagnoses being monitored in the classroom? How often are these student's being assessed? Are student's being encouraged enough to have confidence in admitting that their not familiar with a word?
• On page 231, it is discussed how turning to easier books can raise confidence and performance in readers who are struggling with their fluency. How often should a teacher monitor a students progress? Should a teacher present the student with a variety of books that are gradually reaching their grade level?

Issue:

In pg. 242, Critical practices are discussed. It shares an example of students doing individual research on the president of the U.S. They are instructed to jot down questions and comments about the material. I felt that this isn't enough. It is great to have individual opinions and being able to write them down, but I also think that it is important to teach our students to engage in expressing their ideas. Students should be taught and encouraged to conduct discussions with their classmates. They can continue to use their journals as guides of issues that students would like to further discuss and learn more about with their classmates This will not only allow students to become more critically aware of the text but it will also give the text more meaning. Students should learn to challenge ideas at a young age. In my education, I don't recall being encouraged to challenge ideas until I started high school and college. Students should start thinking outside the box sooner than never.