Finding the Sweet Spot

     In reading Readicide, I am always looking for the statement on how to fix the problem. Gallagher speaks of the problem but without some hope of a solution it is too easy to become depressed by the size of the problem. The subhead, "What you can do to prevent Readicide," speaks of finding the sweet spot. This is the same idea of finding the spark to light the creative fuse. Finding the prompter or key to the student desire to read seems to be an individual experience. Every student is different and thus there is not simple way to find the spark or sweet spot that will work for all students. The use of a journal is a possible way to look into the interest of each student to find a subject area that will prompt an interest in reading. Once the teacher can find the students interests, then a list of readings for the student can be presented. If just one of the selected books can be of interest then the student will look for more things by his author or subjects in this area.
     At the beginning of each class term, I think it would be useful to have the students fill out a short survey on themselves showing their interests, hobbies and books they have enjoyed. Even knowing what movies or videos they have enjoyed can give some insight into what may spark their imagination.
    

Reading Aloud Thrill

To me this is a tried and true strategy, which is not used to its fullest at this time of instant gratification. The ability to hear text, poems, or prose read to you gives you deeper meaning to the feel of the text. Some of it is in the way a person speaks or accents the vocabulary. There are so many new words that you hear from some one reading and your understanding of the meaning of those words comes from how they are used in the work. I have always loved hearing poetry spoken and that carries over to books. I have gotten into listening to books on tape in the car as I go places. I love to hear different voices give life to novels and works I may have already read but have new feelings for when I hear new voice speak.

Vocabulary: The paints of the mind's vivid imagination

The readings for the Vocabulary Module make me realize how unfortunate it is that so many students have gotten into the secondary level of school without having enough knowledge of how to decipher and unravel the meanings of words they do not recognize. How few have a working knowledge of dictionaries or thesaurus. Their knowledge of words comes from spoken language in school and at home. Most of the time when they have heard of a word they would not recognize the word in text or can not look up the word in a dictionary because they do not know how to spell it or take apart it's sounds to try to spell it. These same students can decipher a digital apparatus and learn how to operate it less than a day. So the root problem must lie in the manner in which vocabulary words are presented to them. With most learning processes the student must have some ownership and interest in the learning process or they will not even make the effort to learn. This is the question...how to make words interesting?

Do I Gotta Read This: Random Thoughts about Class, Kids, and my Life as ...

Do I Gotta Read This: Random Thoughts about Class, Kids, and my Life as ...: "*** Read these and take them with a grain of salt. I am a new teacher (less than 2 months experience) *** I listened to a podcast about clos..."

I will agree with a state in the beginning about students desire to read books on the approved school list. I feel that our choices as teachers of what the student is to read is in part a reason for the students lack of desire to read. I know there are books they must read but these may need to be paired with books of similar topics that are related to ideas that are in their area of ownership.

A good article to stimulate critical thinking.

Asking the Question

Today I spoke to a class about the method of learning that they enjoyed the most. One by one, they spoke to me of the use of creative strategies that sparked their desire for inquiry. They all professed that they enjoyed projects that involved their abilities to choose what they wished to pursue over the tried and true lecture form. The feeling of ownership and choice of subjects of interest winning out over the idea of choosing the easiest path. This seemed to follow into the realm of reading. When given choices, the student seems to desire to read the material more than if it is chosen for him. We should think more of the idea of book lists with books that are important to the student as much as to the faculty.