I think you are right that by focussing too much on individual words instead of comprehension of the "big picture" it is not helping kids to succeed in the process of reading. It can also hinder students by showing them that understanding a single word is more important than understanding the reading itself.
I, too, am sure that I have been guilty of applying some of these rules that we should not do. While I agree with Smith's principles of learning to read, I also remember the manner in which I was taught. It is hard to undo that because it's something that is unconscious for me - probably for you, too. And it is something that we carry with us from many years of being "groomed" in the art of reading. You are right... if we spend too much time focusing on what a student is NOT getting right (especially in a public setting) it can cause very negative feelings to be associated to reading by our students. It then becomes too stressful when reading should be fun and informative.
Stacia- I understand and agree with you that students should not be focusing on just one word before moving on. I think that even if a person does not understand what one word means, by moving onthey can still get the big picture of what the text is saying. I was always taught that I should know what every single word meant before moving on and that definitely slows down a reader and makes them forget about what it is they are reading about. It disrupts the flow of the reader. -Mayra
I think you are right that by focussing too much on individual words instead of comprehension of the "big picture" it is not helping kids to succeed in the process of reading. It can also hinder students by showing them that understanding a single word is more important than understanding the reading itself.
ReplyDeleteHi Stacia,
ReplyDeleteI, too, am sure that I have been guilty of applying some of these rules that we should not do. While I agree with Smith's principles of learning to read, I also remember the manner in which I was taught. It is hard to undo that because it's something that is unconscious for me - probably for you, too. And it is something that we carry with us from many years of being "groomed" in the art of reading. You are right... if we spend too much time focusing on what a student is NOT getting right (especially in a public setting) it can cause very negative feelings to be associated to reading by our students. It then becomes too stressful when reading should be fun and informative.
Stacia-
ReplyDeleteI understand and agree with you that students should not be focusing on just one word before moving on. I think that even if a person does not understand what one word means, by moving onthey can still get the big picture of what the text is saying. I was always taught that I should know what every single word meant before moving on and that definitely slows down a reader and makes them forget about what it is they are reading about. It disrupts the flow of the reader.
-Mayra