Chapter 9: Vocabulary

“It only took my struggling readers about one week to figure out that if they were honest and listed all the words they didn’t know, they would have very long lists; so instead. They didn’t choose any.” P. 177

Vocabulary to me means getting out flashcards and reviewing them until my brain can’t possibly hold anymore information for the day!! I think calling certain vocabulary work ‘TV Work’ is completely correct, since in college and in high school I would sit in front of the TV or be chatting with friends while I was reviewing my flashcards.

The Word Across strategy is really cool, since it makes the students think about how differently one specific word can be used in different contexts.  This will not only expand their vocabulary, but hopefully expand their comprehension with different meanings of words. 

The Word Collection is a great strategy in classrooms.  I observed and taught in a classroom where the teacher used this strategy, and would then put up the words all around the room, by the end of the year she would have a ‘boarder’ of words around her room.  This was really neat because the students could look around and really get a feel for all the words they now knew.  This was also in a US History class, in which the students needed to know a lot of vocabulary for the OGT. 

The Logographic Clues is a great way to give the ‘flashcard’ a makeover.  Drawing a picture to connect with the word, and still writing the definition and other information about the word is a great alternative to typical flashcards.  I can see this being used in a Social Studies classroom, or specifically in a geography classroom.

Vocabulary is important and so many teachers have always done it in the same way, but I do think these strategies can be used to enhance student vocabulary….without the specifically knowing we are working ON vocabulary!!

Yours Reading,

Sara

Chapter 8: Extending Meaning

"That limited vision is particularly damaging to dependent readers.  These students, more than any others, need activities that bring the invisible process of comprehending to the visible level." p. 175

This chapter was once again very useful when thinking about using strategies in a Social Studies classroom.  While I have been reading I have been trying to envision myself using strategies in the classroom, because for me I have to come up with my own ideas how to use the strategies to incorporate them into a content area classroom.  This has helped me, but it also takes me a little time to sort things out in my head to find a place for some strategies in the classroom. 

Scales
The Likert scale would be good in the classroom because it concentrates on the idea of themes, conflicts, and symbolism.  These are always concepts that Social Studies teachers are trying to get students to grasp.  Creating the scales doesn't always seem as easy as one would think.  Beers talks about how you have to use scales that require reflection and thought, which not that creating one wouldn't , but I feel that the scale would be something that would/could be tweaked each year (like almost all other things) to better the learning experience.

Somebody Wanted But So
I love this for the Social Studies room.  The scale and the process, would work really well in a history, geography, government, economics, and MANY other Social Sciences classes.  This would eventually push the student towards the concepts of the time period.  I am looking forward to using this in a classroom....someday....someday. (If I can obtain a job :-P)

Save the Last Word for Me
Once again...never heard of this strategy, and really like it!  Like Beers says, it is completely perfect for those students who are afraid to speak up in class for fear they are wrong or shy.  This is also a very good way to make sure when students are in group work, there isn't only a few students participating. 

Over the span of reading this book, I keep finding myself more anxious to get into MY OWN classroom!! I hope the opportunity will come soon for an interview and I can talk about my knowledge, and I can eventually whip out my arsenal of strategies and really make a difference.  Now I just need an interview....

Your Reading,
Sara

Chapter 7: Constructing Meaning

"For too long we've told them to "think carefully" about what they've read without showing them how to do that thinking." p. 137

This chapter was a nice link to Chapter 5, since we were actually able to read strategies to help students with the ability to inference while they read.  The idea that Beers presents about beginning to inference before the reading even starts is a very good point.  How should we expect students to comprehend and predict what will happen without even knowing a basis about the text. 

The examples I really liked were Say Something, which just happens to be one of the strategies my group is working on in class.  The chart with the stem starters was a really good idea to place in the classroom or on the overhead during a Say Something activity. 

The Rereading section of the chapter really made an impact on me, and I was actually able to implement it into a classroom today.  One of the volunteers in the Kindergarten class I was subbing in began talking about how the students had already had a book read to them the day before, and I was able to talk about Beers's book and how rereading can actually be beneficial to students.  I LOVED  the example Beers gave about her daughter and reading To Kill a Mocking Bird through the different school years.

The post-it notes activities I have used frequently in the classroom with my students during my student teaching and practicum. It was very nice to know I was doing something in the classroom, which was reinforced in Beers book to helping students with comprehension and the ability to inference. 

Yours Reading,
Sara

Chapter 5: Learning to Make an Inference

"This transactional nature of reading often escapes dependent readers who expect the text to provide everything." p. 69

This chapter made me think a lot about how grateful I am to be a good reader.  I don't know when it happened or how it happened but I am a good reader, I have always been the girl who LOVED going to the library and was always doing the Pizza Hut reading books, and the library reading challenges.  I guess I should thank my parents for being the ones who took me to all of those, and supported me through all my reading conquests. 

Being a dependant reader and 'expecting' the text to provide all the answers for you HAS to be extremely frustrating when the text doesn't.  It is SO true in the classroom that when a student doesn't comprehend and/or the meaning isn't directly presented the student will either stop reading, or come and as us (as the teacher) to explain the story or the answer they are looking for.

I have found myself during subbing thinking about how I am HELPING the students.  Am I HELPING them, or am I GIVING them the answer.  I do have to admit, now that I am really starting to think about helping vs. giving I don't get as frustrated with students when I hear the same questions over and over and over again.  Instead I really think about how can I find a different way to approach the students to help them figure out or find the answer. 

I know my thoughts aren't all about the 'inferencing' talked about in this chapter, but I think that teaching inferencing has to do SOOO much about HELPING the students, since we have to learn how to teach the students how to draw inferences while reading.

Yours Reading,
Sara