Thanks for that link Joanne - I have read the article and it makes some valid
points that are global
issues, and which started to be addressed recently in the "Getting teens to read"
thread.
Clearly there is no simple answer but from a DownUnder perspective, I wonder if
part of the problem
lies in all the testing (such as AR and Star and whatever else you have) that
appears to encourage
the students to just skim read a text so they can answer quite literal questions or
fill in a cloze
passage to prove they have 'read' the book to gain points for some reward. Are
kids learning from
this model and expectation that this is what reading is?
I am not familiar with the type of testing you do to determine 'reading scores' -
whatever they
are - and what the purpose of particular tests are or their criteria- do they just
measure the
ability to read along the lines, or do they look at how a student can read between
and beyond the
lines?
I believe, we, as teachers and librarians, need to continually look at the sorts of
task we are
asking the kids to do and make sure that there is always an element that uses the
higher order
thinking skills. For instance, instead of asking "What was Ron Weasley's hobby?"
(Harry Potter &
the Philosopher's Stone) we could ask "How did Ron Weasley's hobby contribute to
Harry uncovering
the secret of the cellar?" then "Identify three unique talents/ interests/ skills
that you and two
friends have. Devise three barricades that could have been put in place to guard
the Philosophers
Stone that could only be overcome by a combination of those talents/ interests/
skills. Describe how
you would use them to get through."
Or be even less specific by posting a generic task that requires similar sorts of
evaluation,
analysis and synthesis but which can be applied to the book of the student's choice
- no
one-size-fits-all reading. An example might be "Identify and words or phrases that
the characters
use that are not part of our everyday language. What do the words mean? Why are
they used? Why is it
important to the characters to use them? Identify words or actions that you use to
show your
membership of a particular group. How do the circumstances and the people present
alter how we
speak?"
We need to have the students reflect on their reading and what they have learned
from it - not just
the content. It's easy to say 'keep a reading record' but too often that just
becomes a competition
and is more important than the reading. So reflection and evaluation needs to be
built into the
task - as a part two that transfers the message to their own lives.
Reading at home is reading for choice and pleasure. It's up to us to encourage the
readers to be
able to really understand and enjoy what they read.
Barbara
Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA
T. 02 6205 7241
F. 02 6205 7242
E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
>
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