Readacide-- What are the implications for lower el?

[Heather G]

I teach 1st grade. For many years, I thought being a good reading teacher, besides teaching kids how to read tricky words, was teaching them comprehension strategies. I thought teachers who were in-the-know taught kids about schema and text-to-self connections and questioning. Then I read 2 books: Readacide and The Reading Zone and I feel so confused. It no longer sits well with me to teach these explicit comprehension strategies to 6 and 7 year olds. But is it enough to just create a culture of kids who LOVE reading?...To just do book talks and have the kids make recommendations for each other? ...To make sure readers are reading at their perfect level so that they CAN comprehend a text naturally?

I would love to get some feedback about what all this means for kids who are just learning how to read. I can't do "One-Pagers", so what can I do instead that would be appropriate, hold them accountable, help them reflect, but not make them hate reading?

[Gayle K. Hobbs]

Geeze, I am not an Elementary teacher, so this answer might be off kilter some. I am a high school level teacher. But, I am a parent of 6 wonderful people. As a parent, I took my kids to the local library every other week or so and had them pick out books that interested them. I allowed them time to sit and read. I read to them and made sure that I was into the story myself. I commented on the actions that were happening, I read with feeling as they read along. I made sure that I inflected my voice with the different characters.

One pagers.. you could do those, just enlarge the type. Have the kids draw what they hear when you read. Have them write their favorite sentences from the story and draw a picture that goes with it. You could have a few of the more creative students write either a different ending to the story or add to the story using the same characters. I would caution to do this within your allotted time for reading and alternate strategies to fit different styles of learning for each student. These are just off the top of my head. I am sure others will add to these ideas and flesh some out a bit more for you.

I think the biggest thing is to show that you love reading. Modeling is very important at this age. If you show a passion for the story, then I think they will join you in that passion. Kids love to make their teachers proud of them, especially at that age. Most important... have fun!

[Heather G]

In the past I have done reading responses where we do a read aloud and then students write about a connection they had, about their favorite part, most surprising part, etc. We also write story summaries with a frame (This story was about (characters), It took place..., The problem was...But in the end....). Do you think these are appropriate in regards to the ideas in "Readacide"? I am having trouble seeing the line between necessary reflection and overkill.

[Gayle K. Hobbs]

I see those as appropriate questions to ask the kids. I think the overkill would come in when you dissect the piece and question each individual line. Sure... we need to have kids learn to question the texts, but at this age we need them to enjoy the story and not examine motivation of the protagonist. That is a skill that needs to come later. Maybe I am wrong with this, but I think we are too eager to get them to do everything before it is time for them. We are too into the competition of the thing and bring into our classrooms skills that are not appropriate for the level our students are in at the time. We are shooting ourselves in the foot when we try to move them ahead too quickly. That is where we are screwing up. The basic foundations are missing many blocks in the flurry to get our kids to be better than the rest.

[John Klein-Collins]

I have to agree with Gayle. I teach eighth grade language arts and I'm the father of triplet boys who will enter third grade in the fall. My job, as I see it, is to help kids gain a love of reading and writing. Students seem to lose the love when standardized testing starts in third grade. My sons love reading, which I believe is a byproduct of our frequent trips to the library and the enjoyment that has been instilled by their exceptional teachers. Those teachers have run reader's and writer's workshops. They lose the love of reading, I hypothesize, because the focus turns from choice, time, and access in reading to forced reading, forced-choice tests, and canned responses to literature

My wife and I are avid readers, and my boys see us model what we all hope our parents model - reading what we love, choosing what we read, and discussing the bigger issues authors present in the text. It's important that you model those reading habits in class, which I'm sure you do.

I was caught off guard a few years ago when my students told me they loved that I read what they read. (Yes, I'm a reader of young adult fiction.) Eighth graders are very observant, and they recognize the hypocracy of teachers who grade or answer e-mail while they are required to read. I was disheartened to learn that I was the first teacher who acually practiced what I preached and demonstrated an interest in what my students were reading. They depended (and still do) on my recommendations.

If you show your students how to read by exposing them multiple times to as many words as possible, allow them time to read, recommend books to them, and praise them for reading, you'll create children who love to read.

[Ramona Lowe]

It's been a long time since I looked at beginning reader materials, but when I went to grad school to become a reading specialist, I realized why my jr high students never became readers: the material they were reading in basal series was stupid. It was artificial and contrived around whatever phonics concept was being taught. There was no dept to the story at all and for me, no reason to even "go there" if I were the reader. I think using good quality text--oftentimes "real" text--that supplies not only the need to learn those concepts, but also give something to the reader (cultural knowledge, a question for further thought, a "moral", just something that shows the reading was worth it) is a key in whatever method you use. And I don't think 1st grade (or K, pre K) is too soon to ask those critical questions about the text in age appropriate fashion.

[Heather G]

I agree about the importance of creating a reading atmosphere. That is what's easy for me to do. I love books, and my students can tell this. Whenever we end our silent reading time, they groan because they want to keep reading. They really do love reading. So I guess my question is-- do you think that teaching comprehension strategies has any place in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom? If so, what kind of place do they have? Should we model them? Think aloud about them? Ask students to perform them for us while they read their books to us? Ask students to write about them before during and after reading? Require students can name the metacognitive strategy they are using?

[Teresa Bunner]

Heather-
I have taught elementary, middle and high school. One of my years in elementary was first grade. I also spent several years as a reading specialist. Based on my experiences, I think the answer is "yes" to all of your questions. I was in a district that went to a phonics based reading program with little emphasis on comprehension. I strongly believe that this is what created the reading diffficulty for many of our older readers. They completely lacked strategies for attacking text.

I think Kelly makes a great argument for the 50/50 approach. I truly believe that balance is the key. Students should have time to read strictly for "fun" and students should have time to read and learn to be strategic readers. I don't know how much I would stress being able to name their strategy, if they can great, if not, as long as they can begin to identify where they struggled and how they made sense they can begin the road to being strategic readers.

Good luck!