Something to Think About

Question: What is the most important element in teaching reading?

Answer/Quote: “Bringing compelling motives to reading is as important as direct teaching of reading strategies.” P. 581.

Comment: Emphasizes purpose in reading. The best way to help children establish purpose for reading is by completing a survey of the textbook chapter: The students read the title, subtitles, the first paragraph, the last paragraph, the first sentence of each intermediate paragraph, establish what they have learned and then establish what they want to learn from the chapter.

But how would you help establish purpose for reading nonfiction books, novels and short stories?

Nonfiction books: read the foreword, first and last paragraphs of each chapter. Establish what they have learned and speculate on what they want to learn from the nonfiction book.

Novels: Read for ten minutes near the beginning of the novel, for ten minutes half way through the novel, for ten minutes three-fourths through the novel and for ten minutes near the end. Establish what they have learned and speculate on what they want to learn from the novel.

Short Stories: Read a paragraph a page or a paragraph in each column if there are two or more columns to a page. Establish what they have learned from the short story, and determine what they want to learn from the short story. RayS.

Title: “Reading, Writing, and Thinking Like a Scientist.” G Cervetti and P D Pearson. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (April 2012), 580-586.