Chapter 6

A major way students to face what they are reading is by simply getting them to think about what they already know. This is also called activating their prior knowledgeable. This chapter is strongly focused on who to get dependent readers to become independent readers by using anticipation guides. "These guides activate students' prior knowledge, encourage them to make a personal connection to what they will be reading, and give them a chance to become an active participant with the text before they begin reading. I feel that these are so much productive than KWL charts. They actually take the text and apply it to the reader's knowledge, rather than a KWL chart that only uses the broadest topics possible. Even so, unless the text or novel is not going to relate to the student right away, it will be difficult to get a student engaged in this activity.

Chapter 4

As teachers, we should not assume that when a lesson plan is given, that students automatically comprehends what was said. As said in a previous blog, there needs to be more than one strategy to learn. The author claims that certain strategies can help students transform from dependent to independent readers. I feel that a lot of these strategies can be done both in class as a reading activity and also has a way to get students to think deeper into a reading. The author also gives a “play by play” instruction of how to teach certain strategies. Although I like this idea of actually showing students how to become active and independent readers, I also feel like this waste so much class time. Being a high level teacher, I think I feel this way because I am implying that should already be strong readers by the time they come into my classroom. When I find students who have slipping through the cracks of the education system and have yet to learn certain strategies then I feel that if will be crucial to create or explain a strategy based on where they are having difficulties and their learning style. That is why I find this chapter an important one; it helps prepare teachers for all aspects of comprehension, whether it is early or later in a student’s education.

Chapter 3

I think that the most important parts of this chapter were mostly the author’s opinions than the actual data. Although I did like the list of what constitutes as a struggling reader, I feel that there were so many aspects to it that it could pertain to anyone. For instance I read out loud all the time, but I do not necessarily identify myself as a struggling reader. Perhaps that a struggling reader has a collection of these aspects. But I did enjoy her mentioning that a teacher must be able to teach in more than type of instruction. English grammar and reading has so many options for how students learn that I feel that this is so important to be brought up. If we have so many students with different characteristic of being a struggling reader, a teacher must realize how to accommodate those learning styles. “Reading is a social process.” I love this statement. It brings the entire chapter together. A student must understand what his is reading to enjoy it. Some comprehension can come from simple discussion, whether it is because they do not understand the content, or bringing other ideas into the conversation. Having reading become a social matter in the classroom is such a strong notion in the class.

Chapter 2

One of the most important ideas that I learned from this chapter is that not all students act the same way. For example: the author brought up the idea of what a struggling reader looks like. Most would think of a student that slumps down in their desk, not paying attention with their heads down, or turned around completely. But any student could be a struggling leader. This suggestion can be extended further than just noticing when a student is struggling. Not one student has the same body language as another; each is going to react to a situation at home, in the classroom, and in a social situation differently. It is important as teachers to recognize the difference. I also liked that idea of transforming a dependant reader into a independent reader. Again this can take place after the teacher has taken the time to notice an issue or setback in a student’s reading ability. But as the chapter wrapped up it mentioned one very important point. A person must make mistakes in order to learn. I believe this is so true. Furthermore a teacher must know the balance of making a student feel comfortable to make mistakes and learn from them, and when a mistake is simple a lack of effort.