on Cutting Childrens' Reading into Tiny Pieces for Them

[thefish30]

“But in school ONE of our requirements in the teaching of reading is to teach the skills of reading. One of the goals of the reading assigned inside and outside of school is to get the students to stop and think about what they are reading (ask questions, make inferences, make connections, understand the author’s purpose and possible bias). As

Comments

Reading instruction

[anonymous]

As a reading teacher, I just want to make sure you know that the tools of comprehension are not related to vocabulary worksheets. I VERY RARELY see a teacher use a vocabulary worksheet any more. There are so many amazing ways to teach vocabulary and comprehension that do not involve worksheets. Most teachers use a wide variety of real life methods to help kids increase understanding. We read similar stories, we think across genres, we act out stories, we relate to characters.

You said, "What kids who don’t comprehend are missing is not “tools & strategies”, but experience and context." I think this is true in part but it isn't the whole picture. Through reading strategies we teach them to use their experiences to increase understanding. We also help them relate one story or character to another to build understanding.
Not all students infer on their own. And many students do need to be taught to "stop and think" because they will speed through reading without a thought to what the words mean or to the meaning.

I've been a teacher for 26 years and believe that reading instruction is better than ever! Reading instruction is approached as a science now and we are better for it.