Ch.6 Front-loading Meaning

When Beers asked 300 teachers what they did before reading a text with their students; I was surprised to find that she found something wrong with teachers telling kids something about the text. However, after further reading I can see how this can be a problem for dependent readers.

All of the exercises Beers lists help students think about the text before reading it. I really liked the anticipation guides, and the tea party. I think that the anticipation guide will make students want to read because they will be curious as to why they were asked the questions on the guide, as well as develop their own opinions before reading the text. I think that students in the class would really enjoy the tea party because they get the chance to move around and talk to their classmates and try to connect the messages together to find meaning. While students are engaged in these activities they will learn how to become good readers and improve their reading strategies. I thought the other strategies were useful, but I can definitely see myself using anticipation guides and tea parties in my class.

After reading the chapter in its entirety, I can see why it is so important to prepare students for the text before they actually read especially dependent readers. These exercises give dependent readers the opportunity to see how comprehension works and how to develop their own ideas. As for independent readers, these exercises will only improve their reading strategies and will help prepare them for a difficult text.

Ch.4 Explicit Instruction in Comprehension

 Beers brings up a good point when she states that teachers spend more time testing comprehension, then actually teaching comprehension strategies. This brings me back to my school years when I read a story silently and answered the questions at the end of the chapter. The only way I could tell if I comprehended the story is if there were no big red X’s on my homework.

Like Kate, my high school experience with comprehension was the teacher eventually telling the class what he or she wanted us to know; which is why Al’s response to the worksheet made perfect sense to me, “how do I know unless I already know?” Beers than defines the difference of instruction and instructions, as I teacher I will need to know how to instruct students rather than just giving instructions.

Beers also mentions how teachers must take time out of teaching content to teach strategies. After reading her response I felt that this was a small sacrifice for teaching kids comprehension; something they need to know to be successful in life.My initial thought after reading this section was teaching comprehension seems easier said then done; however, after reading the scripts from Kate’s lessons this task did not seem so difficult. It was amazing to see the progress the kids made when Kate “thought out loud.” The students also seemed more excited about the story and even made their own comparisons.

Seeing the difference in Kate’s first and second showed how sharing your thoughts with students and telling them how you got your answers rather than just telling them the answers made such a difference. It was great to see the changes in the Kate's students' test scores; clearly her lessons in comprehension made all the difference.

Ch.3 Assessing Dependent Readers' Needs

When reading the list of what might define a kid who can’t read, I was a bit overwhelmed. Before reading this chapter, I could probably count on one hand what I thought defined a student who could not read. At the same time, the list is useful in that it would help teachers pinpoint what difficulties a student might have when reading. Beers also includes a chart on page 28 which helps teachers’ take the next step in helping students read. This section made me realize that I will have to find out how the student struggles in reading, and have a plan to help them read.

While reading about students in the classroom, I found Sharmee’s and Amy’s stories surprising because unlike Mike, their difficulties with reading were not as evident. Before reading the text I would have assumed Sharmee just liked to socialize and disliked being quiet. As for Amy, I would have assumed that she simply disliked reading. Now I am aware that when students show these signs, teachers need to know why the student dislikes silent reading or why the student dislikes reading for pleasure.

When Beers asks the students what good readers do  I, like Raymond, would have assumed students just “are” good readers; however, when viewing the list of what good readers do I noticed that I do all of these things while I read. I also see how reading can be difficult if a student lacked even one of the skills that a good reader has mastered.

At the end of the chapter, Beers listed seven of her underlying beliefs. Out of all seven of these beliefs, her seventh belief truly resonated with me. She views reading as a “social process” and an “interactive activity” which I believe is true because how much meaning could reading have if one cannot talk about what they read, or relate it to something in their lives?

Chapter 2- Creating Independent Readers

At the beginning of the chapter, Beers talks about a conversation she had with a friend’s daughter named Leah. Leah asked Beers several times what the brass ring on the carousel was. It surprised me that the question “What is it” had so many questions embedded in it. Understanding the subtext of a question is crucial for a teacher to understand because one question can have so many meanings. I can’t count how many times as a student I have heard kids say “I don’t get it” and said this myself, as teachers we will need to know how to answer what exactly “it” is.

What also surprised me is how many types of struggling readers there are. I to believed that a struggling reader typically sat in the back of the class, and when called to read out loud stumbled over the words. As a teacher, I will have to pick up on the many signs that struggling readers demonstrate and understand that a struggling reader is not always going to be the kid in the back with his head down.

Beers also mentions in the text that anyone can struggle over a text. I can see how this applies because I have struggled reading text in some of my classes. When Beers categorizes readers as independent or dependent I grasped an understanding that I did not have before this class. When I struggle with a text, I usually re-read the text and the problem is solved; however, Beers points out several ways in which people help themselves get through a text, which dependent readers lack. What really surprised me was Beers solution for helping dependent readers, which is to teach them how to struggle with a text. I always thought that the qualities of an independent reader were automatic; it surprises me that some students are unaware of strategies which help them get through a text.

Lastly, in Beers reflection she states that mistakes help one learn. This statement definitely holds truth because the more times someone gets something wrong the closer they are to getting it right; which made me realize that as a teacher, I must be patient with the mistakes my students make and at times look at them as a progression towards the right answer.