I completely agree with you that reading should be a positive experience, and that students should be eager to want to read, and be to read to, new stories on a consistent basis that challenge their brains and open up their experiences of the world. But it's not just people like Caden, who struggle with learning to read, who find reading unsatisfying and disappointing. In addition to ineffective, dull teaching, the material being used needs to be useful and meaningful, either reinforcing or challenging what students know about the world. You're a concerned teacher-to-be, and you have every right to be worried about the way so many teachers approach reading and writing in schools.
I agree with you about students thinking negatively when it comes to reading. I worked at an elementary school for four years where we had the "Success For All" reading program, and it was awful. The teachers disliked it so much because it focused on some of the things Smith says not to do. At first grade, the kids were supposed to read their SFA books at home for twenty minutes, besides the ninety minutes of SFA class they had every day with the same book. Then, you put an extra twenty minutes of tutoring in reading for the kids that were struggling, and they really start to shut down. So many of the kids really began to dislike reading because of how SFA is conducted. It's terrible when a child, at the age of six or seven, already hates to read.
You sound like a teacher already. :) Then again, I think we all do. I like your attitude of how all your students will want to be in the club and your ideas for how that will happen. I think, depending on what grade you are planning to teach, it might be tricky enticing a few, if their reading enthusiasm has already been beaten down. This could happen either from other teachers prior to your class or even parents. Good work!
I completely agree with you that reading should be a positive experience, and that students should be eager to want to read, and be to read to, new stories on a consistent basis that challenge their brains and open up their experiences of the world. But it's not just people like Caden, who struggle with learning to read, who find reading unsatisfying and disappointing. In addition to ineffective, dull teaching, the material being used needs to be useful and meaningful, either reinforcing or challenging what students know about the world. You're a concerned teacher-to-be, and you have every right to be worried about the way so many teachers approach reading and writing in schools.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about students thinking negatively when it comes to reading. I worked at an elementary school for four years where we had the "Success For All" reading program, and it was awful. The teachers disliked it so much because it focused on some of the things Smith says not to do. At first grade, the kids were supposed to read their SFA books at home for twenty minutes, besides the ninety minutes of SFA class they had every day with the same book. Then, you put an extra twenty minutes of tutoring in reading for the kids that were struggling, and they really start to shut down. So many of the kids really began to dislike reading because of how SFA is conducted. It's terrible when a child, at the age of six or seven, already hates to read.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a teacher already. :) Then again, I think we all do. I like your attitude of how all your students will want to be in the club and your ideas for how that will happen. I think, depending on what grade you are planning to teach, it might be tricky enticing a few, if their reading enthusiasm has already been beaten down. This could happen either from other teachers prior to your class or even parents. Good work!
ReplyDelete