Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Module 6: Reading Reflection
In Chapter 15, Weaver argued that whole-part, comprehensive, literature based instruction is undeniably more effective than part-whole, skills based instruction for every reader, regardless of their existing skill set. All of the research that she presented has reaffirmed for me that reading is a holistic experience and that the primary purpose for reading is for gaining meaning. Of course students are more motivated when learning to read is within a context that they can understand, consistent with their familiar language, and materials are available for them to independently select from based on their own interests. Reading her text and related materials along with research this semester has encouraged me to redesign some aspects of literacy instruction in my own classroom to introduce my students to a greater variety of strategies for gaining meaning from texts.
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Heather,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you'll agree with me when I say that Weaver does an excellent job of including convincing research to support her points. While I scored a 100 on the DeFord test, putting me on the high end of skills-based instruction or the low end of comprehensive instruction, I definitely agree that her book has given me plenty of ideas for redesigning my classroom. For example, I will be more diligent about giving students plenty of time for independent and shared reading, and I will also communicate more regularly with parents about my expectations for reading at home.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteYou summarized the key points of Weaver's text very well. I also see the undeniable benefits of the comprehensive approach to literacy instruction. It seems like all of the information that Weaver presented is very logical. It makes me wonder why more of this type of instruction is not being used in the classroom. I plan to incorporate more choices with regard to text and reading activities in my classroom this next year. Also, I plan to work harder to link my classroom instruction with "real world" applications. I think this is a very important factor when motivating students to learn in any content area. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI agree that through all of the different readings we have done this semester, they all relate back to Weaver's beliefs and encourage us to learn more and accept this whole-language approach. I am excited to implement some of this learning into my new, first classroom this fall. I feel like Weaver explained every concept very clearly, making our application of the whole-language approach very easy. I hope to find time to interact with my students this fall in small and large group, utilizing read alouds, guided reading, and shared reading for instance as much as possible.