Learning Log 1/21/09

1) "They found that effective teachers focused on higher level questioning strategies like prompts to use background knowledge and figure out a theme. This possibly indicated that they believed that readers in high poverty schools could actually read and think." pg. 5

I think that this statement is very true. Working in an urban setting, I see this everyday. I find that when I can pull from experiences in the students lives they respond very well. I believe there are some teachers that believe these kids do not know how to read or think. With that negative attitude I don't know how they can expect students to be successful in any subject area.

2) "Rather than looking for causes of reading disabilities the diagnostic teacher focuses on what students can do, then coordinates their strengths with suitable reading experiences." pg.5

I think that many times when a student is struggling with reading we sit and wonder what went wrong. We often analyze the negatives without promoting the things that the student did right. If we work on the negatives while accentuating the positives, I think we may get an overall better result.

3) "Assessment is continuous. As the student learns, diagnostic information is immediately incorporated into the lesson. The teacher thus deals with the problems as she teaches, not after she has gathered the facts." pg.12

I think that this is a very interesting point. I agree that we should deal with the problems as they come up and that there is no point in continuing the lesson if the student does not understand. However, what about when multiple students have various problems? Or only one student struggles while the others are all ready to move forward?

4) "Reading difficulties can arise from interactions among the task, the text, technique and situational context." pg. 15

I never really thought about all of the pieces of an assignment that a student might not understand and how one piece of the equation can throw a student's reading off kilter. If a student simply doesn't understand the assignment, then they could be viewed as a poor reader or slow learner when they simply just needed further explanation.

5) "If students come from homes where reading is valued, they are likely to value it too." pg. 29

For several literacy classes I have looked further in depth at this topic. Jim Trelease's "Read-Aloud Handbook" gives great insight on this topic. He suggests that motivation and engagement towards reading must start at an early age and that it should come from the parents or other family members. If children have not been exposed to the act of reading by a parent they will be at a significant disadvantage when they start school.