Current Literacy Practices and Struggling Readers
- Submitted by: rascal570
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 02/25/2012 07:52 AM
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Current Literacy Practices and Struggling Readers
This subject of changing curriculum for students that are struggling readers is one that is close to my heart. I see this as not only a middle school and high school concern, but with NCLB and all the students being held back, an elementary school concern. As you know I teach 4th grade and though the average age of most of the students are 9 or 10, I also have a growing population of 11, 12, and 13 year olds in my class. These students are struggling readers and their maturity levels are much more developed than my students that are of younger ages. It’s is a constant juggle to find independent reading material for all of the students. I’m a firm believer that interest is the number one motivator for all readers. If the students don’t have a personal interest in a piece of text, whether it is a book, magazine, or manual, they won’t read it; and more importantly they won’t comprehend it.
“Struggling readers seldom experience how great it feels to finish a book. Or how helpful it is to read and understand a chapter in a textbook. They don’t know how much fun it can be to escape day-to-say life by jumping into a good read. By ninth grade (and in lower grades), many students have been defeated by test scores, letter grades, and special groupings.” (Tovani, 2000) As I re-read this statement by Tovani, it brings a great sadness to me and an even stronger conviction to get my students to enjoy reading.
Ivey (Ivey G. &., 2005) discusses the strategies that don’t work for these struggling readers, yet as I read these I realize how many of these strategies are in play in schools and classrooms across the nation. Along with each “don’t” I’ve included a bit of a personal thought or two.
1. Don’t let students read. Obviously they haven’t mastered the basics, so let’s continue to skill and drill them….because it’s worked so well the years prior!?! This brings to mind the saying, “if you keep doing what you’ve...
This subject of changing curriculum for students that are struggling readers is one that is close to my heart. I see this as not only a middle school and high school concern, but with NCLB and all the students being held back, an elementary school concern. As you know I teach 4th grade and though the average age of most of the students are 9 or 10, I also have a growing population of 11, 12, and 13 year olds in my class. These students are struggling readers and their maturity levels are much more developed than my students that are of younger ages. It’s is a constant juggle to find independent reading material for all of the students. I’m a firm believer that interest is the number one motivator for all readers. If the students don’t have a personal interest in a piece of text, whether it is a book, magazine, or manual, they won’t read it; and more importantly they won’t comprehend it.
“Struggling readers seldom experience how great it feels to finish a book. Or how helpful it is to read and understand a chapter in a textbook. They don’t know how much fun it can be to escape day-to-say life by jumping into a good read. By ninth grade (and in lower grades), many students have been defeated by test scores, letter grades, and special groupings.” (Tovani, 2000) As I re-read this statement by Tovani, it brings a great sadness to me and an even stronger conviction to get my students to enjoy reading.
Ivey (Ivey G. &., 2005) discusses the strategies that don’t work for these struggling readers, yet as I read these I realize how many of these strategies are in play in schools and classrooms across the nation. Along with each “don’t” I’ve included a bit of a personal thought or two.
1. Don’t let students read. Obviously they haven’t mastered the basics, so let’s continue to skill and drill them….because it’s worked so well the years prior!?! This brings to mind the saying, “if you keep doing what you’ve...