"...our classrooms must become inviting places that make students want to partake of what we offer. Reading must be seen as helpful, interesting, and a means to achieve the big-picture goals in their lives. The task for teachers, then, is not selecting work that is particularly exciting, but rather work that is meaningful and helps students to be self-motivated" (Tankersley 15).
What language should teachers be using? What language should students be using? It is important to remember that many struggling readers are not familiar with key words and terms that we use on a regular basis. We need to provide meaningful lessons, including modeling and helping to build background information . This allows students to make connections therefore making the material meaningful which is key to student learning. A variety of reading materials should be used to accomplish this. Textbooks are only one piece of the puzzle--they should not be the only resource nor should they be read cover to cover. Try magazines, newspapers, websites, picture books, etc.
Some of the common language shared between teachers and students should include: compare, contrast, infer, predict, analyze, similarities, differences, discuss, explain, support, describe, trace, evaluate, formulate, and summarize. Students should also be practicing the technique of "in my head" and "in the book" as well as using these terms.
Classroom Word Walls (word webs) provide the perfect display of these words. Students can create their own word web using technology...this would make a great topic for another post!
Chapter 1 of the book Literacy Strategies for Grades 4-12 Reinforcing the Threads of Reading covers struggling readers. Classroom activities to promote reading starts on page 21. Many teachers in our building already have student theater productions/reader's theater. On page 21, the book takes this a step further having the students write their own reader's theater production and performing it. This can easily be done in content areas or Rooster Reading (teachers can also turn script in to a production). Need more help with reader's theater? Try: http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/stratReadersTheater.html
Reflect on your reading strategies and experiences in your content area and Rooster Reading. What in particular has been successful when working with struggling readers? What can you change or improve to help all students become successful readers?
I like what you said about using a variety of materials to support literacy strategies. I think it is easy to focus only on novels and textbooks. 21st Century literacy is so overused but this is what it's about--teaching our students how to be literate in all types of reading material, whether it is on paper or on a screen, fiction or non-fiction, graphic or text. Great first post!
ReplyDeleteI used Reader's Theatre almost every day in summer school with grade 4-6 of sped kids. They loved the plays. They wanted to be creative and act them out in the room with chairs and boxes as props.
ReplyDeleteI plan to use plays in Rooster Reading this year.
We also use Reader's Theatre and the students really enjoy it. They are engaged in this reading activity.
ReplyDeleteWe also did a class sequel to "Sarah, Plain and Tall" as a Reader's Theatre.