The teaching of reading must be ongoing throughout a child’s education. Continuous efforts are needed for middle school students that will help them acquire the necessary reading skills that will allow them to accomplish the task of proficient reading and meeting state standards requirements. This includes all areas of reading, but primarily comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar.
As students enter middle school they are expected to already know the basics and should be reading on grade level; however this is rarely the case. Those who are reading below grade level, are increasingly at a disadvantage as they progress through school when the ability to comprehend text becomes more vital for academic success. How can we help these students through this crisis?
Please share your thoughts.
Angelia
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9 comments:
This is a great topic and has a lot of merit. Currently in my school, every teacher during the 1st period class is teaching reading. The reading coordinator has gone as far as to provide a "word of the week" for teachers to surround their focus. Because reading is a part of everyone's schedule, the school has shown a significant gain in the area of reading on the CRCT. The 8th grade students writing scores have even increased because of the reading as well.
The only problem with this is that in my opinion, it needs a little more structure, particularly for the teachers are who not reading certified.
I must say that because of this, the students enjoy reading, though you still have some that don't.
I like what is being done at Chariese' school where reading is a team effort as evident by the participation of all the teachers there. I agree however, that not all teachers know how to help students overcome reading problems. My suggestion would be to continue encouraging all teachers to have reading time, but when there are students that struggle they can be referred to reading specialists.
Also, it has been my experience that reading for example, scientific textbooks and reading novels requires a different approach when it comes to reading comprehension. This can also be an asset, having teachers of different subjects exposing students to a variey of written material.
Possible solutions would include incentives for a parent/pre-teen reading program and more frequent visits to the library. Teachers could also hold monthly themes attractive to that age group as shown by surveys (Examples: Nancy Drew, American Girl, etc.) Finally, a reading half-day could be held at the school where students are allowed to bring a pillow, a mat, healthy snacks and their favorite books to read. Our school has done that and the students absolutely enjoy it!
Unfortunately, there is a Middle School Reading Crisis" in my school as well. Several years ago, my district implemeted 20 minute Sustain Silent Reading (SSR). During the initial first 20 minutes of each Language Arts class, students are to read literature of their choice for at least 20 minutes. This is a dilemma for me because there is a plethora of non-readers in the district. My concern is, if students can not read, how can they possibly read silently for 20 minutes. Robin (circular) reading is not permitted in the district, nor is permitting students to read aloud at anytime. This to me is destined for failure.
How will we know that students can not read, or are improving their reading skills unless we hear them read periodically throughout the school year.
I am against SSR because many students are pulling our legs. The results of State assessments prove my theory.
Great blog Angelia! I thought reading your blog was very interesting. This was my first time making a blog and I thought this was a good experience. Reading is fundamental. If teachers are unable or unwilling to focus their instruction on what research has proven to be the key elements of reading, then students will continue to struggle with in their efforts to read. By providing the staff at the researcher’s school with a complete analysis if the “Big Five” and how effortlessly it can be incorporated into their instruction, the writer believes that students of all grade levels will begin to see gains in fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Reading instruction has become paramount in school districts, with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. With increases in the demand for educational accountability and many states moving towards high stakes testing, professional development is the key to reconciling high expectations and standards based academics to assist students challenged by academic deficiencies. Reading is essential to growth and development in other curricula and opens doors of success for students to enter into the workforce and society.
Reading really is becoming obsolete. The only thing you can get kids to read nowadays is text messages.
The truth is, we have a phenomenal English teacher who not only gets her kids to read, she gets them to enjoy it. She reads exciting books with them that will teach them something, that will move them in some way. When you walk into her class you realize that the students understand why they are reading, and the answer is not because they want a good grade. They are reading because their books are somehow relative to their own lives. The teacher does a great job of always getting them to relate to their stories. We need to get our kids to enjoy reading, not just reading for the state.
There is a book called "Teach like your hair is on fire" by Rafe Esquith. There is some great stuff in there about reading, and about how the government, state regulations, and standardized testing has ruined the language arts altogether, and what we can do to help rebound.
Joseph Kastan
There are several ways in which teachers can use technology to help enhance student's reading skills. First, students love technology it is often a motivator for student learning. When you can successfully intergrate technology into your reading curriculum with programs designed to help readers, you will have student success. Plato learning software is a great way to start. Plato has excellent reading activities that can help students read and also help special needs students gain adequate reading skills. Check into this software program because it is used by many school districts and they have experienced success.
Children should be introduced to reading as soon as they are born, parents can start reading to the infants the day they bring them home. It should be instilled in children that reading is the key to everything in life. They should be told that if the can read, then their possibilities in life are unlimited. My son’s Pre-K teacher tells him that reading can take him anywhere. When he tells me this, I often reflect upon the show, Reading Rainbow. Reading can be and should be fun for children, so that they will develop a great attitude about towards learning. Enjoying reading must me foster by fun activities associated with reading and learning. As students get older, if they have difficulties reading, they tend to become more and more disinterested in reading, but it is the responsibility of educators and parents to promote positive attitudes by providing successful experiences. Educators should enforce more reading in our schools today. It is important to start early with environmental print, talk to them about simple things like being to read a signs on the streets in airports, in office building, hospitals, or even in a restaurant or an application for employment etc.
Children should be introduced to reading as soon as they are born, parents can start reading to the infants the day they bring them home. It should be instilled in children that reading is the key to everything in life. They should be told that if the can read, then their possibilities in life are unlimited. My son’s Pre-K teacher tells him that reading can take him anywhere. When he tells me this, I often reflect upon the show, Reading Rainbow. Reading can be and should be fun for children, so that they will develop a great attitude about towards learning. Enjoying reading must me foster by fun activities associated with reading and learning. As students get older, if they have difficulties reading, they tend to become more and more disinterested in reading, but it is the responsibility of educators and parents to promote positive attitudes by providing successful experiences. Educators should enforce more reading in our schools today. It is important to start early with environmental print, talk to them about simple things like being to read a signs on the streets in airports, in office building, hospitals, or even in a restaurant or an application for employment etc.
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