What is the difference between Learning to Read and Reading to Learn? That was the question that guided the Teacher Assistants today.
Last week we talked about the HOW. How we learn to read. Our conclusion was that reading is a highly complex process and this process is unique for each student.
So this week we talked about Reading to Learn
Here’s what we came up with:
Reading is about making meaning of text. Reading IS thinking.
We read to learn by making connections with what we know to new knowledge.
We dig for information while inferring meaning from the text.
We retell, summarize, and analyze text.
We do all of this to make meaning of what we are reading.
And guess what? We begin this in PK! (and even earlier) Mrs. Bordan does this by asking her students to make connections to the text. She talks about the pictures, and title, and words of a book. She models retelling and asking questions about the stories. Most important Mrs. bordan develops a LOVE of reading in her class by setting aside reading time every day.
Finally, we talked about the conferring model.
Compliment-Build on Strengths (”I noticed…”)
Teach ONE thing (”Watch me while I…” “Let me show you what I mean.”)
Practice (Now it’s your turn.”)
Link (”Today when you are reading…”)
We watched a video of Mrs. Voge conferring. (This recording is one of the most entertaining you will ever see!)
Why is all this information important to us as teachers? How can we apply this to our students? (Whether it is in reading, PE, the Library, Language Learning class) What questions do I still have?
Thanks Mrs. Voge for letting me use your work. You can see more of Mrs. Voge on her BLOG especially in the Performance Evaluation tab.
I loved that we saw a video of how an actual conferring with kids looked like, and how we talked about it afterwards! This really helps to break it down and make it easy for us to understand what should happen in a RW conference.
I believe it is important for us know the difference between learning to read and reading to learn because, as teachers, it is our job to do both. First, we teach them how to decode the words, and then eventually after we’ve given them the strategies to figure out the words, punctuation, the pictures, etc.- it is our task to move them forward and help them think about what they read.
I was wondering if it’s ok to teach a strategy to a student, even though it has not been taught in the mini-lesson yet? What do you say to a child who insists on reading a book that is not “just right” for them?
The conferring model gives us great tips how to lead students to read and learn. Many kids, like the girl in the video, would like to work on what they’ve already known. One thing I’ve learned from this section is that teachers should decide and teach what the kids need to learn, instead of teaching what the kids tell you.
Afar Magazine, March edition
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe
Jamie's Cookbook by Jamie Oliver
Igniting a Passion for Reading by Steven Layne
Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems
Matched by Ally Condie
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Pressured Child by Michael Thompson
Journey by Patricia MacLachlan
The Twits by Roald Dhal
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky by Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng and Judy Bernstein
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsberg
The Friends by Kazumi Yumoto
How's it Going by Carl Anderson
Blubber by Judy Blume
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Kid in the Red Jacket by Barbara Park
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
I loved that we saw a video of how an actual conferring with kids looked like, and how we talked about it afterwards! This really helps to break it down and make it easy for us to understand what should happen in a RW conference.
I believe it is important for us know the difference between learning to read and reading to learn because, as teachers, it is our job to do both. First, we teach them how to decode the words, and then eventually after we’ve given them the strategies to figure out the words, punctuation, the pictures, etc.- it is our task to move them forward and help them think about what they read.
I was wondering if it’s ok to teach a strategy to a student, even though it has not been taught in the mini-lesson yet? What do you say to a child who insists on reading a book that is not “just right” for them?
Thanks again and see you soon!:)
The conferring model gives us great tips how to lead students to read and learn. Many kids, like the girl in the video, would like to work on what they’ve already known. One thing I’ve learned from this section is that teachers should decide and teach what the kids need to learn, instead of teaching what the kids tell you.