>Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 22:37:00 -0400
>From: Karen's Work <kdefrank@GLASSBORO.K12.NJ.US>
>Subject: Re: ELEM: teaching reading skills
>Dear Valerie,
>I am posting this to the list because I think it is a >great topic.
>I have an BA in elementary ed, along with my library >degree. And I've
been a school librarian for twenty >years, one in a k-5 school, 7 in a
5th-8th grade
>school, and the rest in my present position 1st thru >3rd. I hope that
qualifies me to address your q>uestion.
>My job is not to TEACH reading. My job is to get the >kids interested
and excited about all the wonderful >stories that are in books. I do
this by showing them a >Curious George doll, talking about the word
Curious, >reading Curious George, showing a claymation video of >the
same story, talking about other Curious George >books, showing the kids
how to find the book on the
>library shelves by looking for the first letter of the >author's last
name in the picture book section and >encouraging them to borrow the
books. I am the
>Curious George Cheerleader!!
>The next week I am the Arthur cheerleader. What >wonderful stories!
You can see them on tv! You can do >fun games on the internet. You can
hold my Arthur
>and DW dolls! We can watch a movie about Marc Brown!
>Then I am the alphabetical order cheerleader! Order is >the key to the
library and YOU can find anything you >want in the picture books if you
just know the >alphabet!
>And there is Franklin the Turtle! The Three Little >Pigs! Officer
Buckle and Gloria! Frog and Toad! >Little Critter!
>If you are excited about your books and your program >the kids will be
excited about reading, excited about >coming to see you and borrowing
your wonderful books. >They will beg adults to read to them and
eventually >they will read.
Whoa! Hang on!
While the rest of that post was wonderful, had me cheering along,
unfortunately there's really no reason to believe that the last
statement is true. Cheer, get kids excited... but please, please,
please try to reconsider the idea that "eventually they will read."
Some of them will -- but others are the ones who are in middle and high
school and beyond stuck at about a fourth grade reading level. Whether
it's your job to teach them or not, please don't pretend that somehow it
happens without the teaching, *or* that those people wouldn't have
learned anyway.
Sounds like the school in question has pretty major problems in the
teaching reading department -- what's at the root of the problem? Will
the others in the school listen to you? Are you there for the long haul
or will you burn out in two years and move along, as perhaps many
teachers do in schools like that (or is it a school that's a haven for
burned-out teachers :( )
As a reading specialist who works mostly with teens and adults, a
certain percentage of whom have simply never been taught reading skills,
I am *so* glad you recognize that basic need. However, I would spend
some time getting the lay of the land before I tried to reform the place
:-) Find allies - ask around to see who else perceives this problem and
find out what they do and what they know. If kids can get instruction --
and then get it supported and reinforced throughout the day (or at least
somewhere besides "the reading teacher") -- amazing things happen.
"Catch Them Before They Fall"
(http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/torgeson_catchthem.html ) is
a good article for getting started, but again, before I started handing
out articles I'd be asking for others' input. This school did not get
this way in a year and people may not take kindly to the new person from
the high-falutin' school with whatever real or perceived advantages,
coming in and telling htem what to do. OTOH your energy and enthusiasm
may be exactly the injection needed -- just dont' send 'em into shock :)
Susan Jones
Academic Development Specialist
Academic Development Center
Parkland College
Champaign, IL 61821
sujones@parkland.cc.il.us
http://www.resourceroom.net
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