Cheri Parker Dec. Blog #5

Cheri Parker  Blog #5:  Reading Essentials:  by Regie Routman Ch 8 Teach Comprehension

     The author mentions we “… want readers to be critical thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers, we need to introduce challenging, interesting texts.”  I believe that teaching children to become critical thinkers … is so very important for students to become our future.  Long ago we had critical thinking books to teach this skill.  They were good and needed but as Routman stated, we need to teach the students to apply beyond the skill.  I like her lessons of teaching us to teach application of comprehension.

     Making the reading/thinking process visible to the students is extremely helpful.  I recently pondered reading without stopping to ask questions, to think out loud, to wonder during my read aloud because I felt; ‘let them enjoy the story.’  I felt I was always telling my young students what I was doing as I was reading, thinking about: ”What would happen next?”, “I wonder if I were in this character’s place if I would do the same thing?”, “What would it be like if I saw a real anaconda?”  I tried to just, hush and read.  I can’t; it doesn’t work for me.  I want the little people to get into my head so they can learn to get into their own heads as they read.  I want them to see/read everything I am reading in a read aloud or a class reading selection.  It is reaffirming that I should be doing this: Think out loud and share what I do as a teacher who reads.

     Interacting with peers reminds me of my homework assignments for my children.  I tell them if Mom/Dad are busy they can always read to themselves in the mirror or to a buddy (little sister, dog, or stuffed animal) in a closed room.  I then remind them to talk about the 5 elements of a great story with their buddy.  They giggle with the thought of talking to a cat or a dog about a book.  In the classroom allowing time for buddy reading knee to knee and talking about the selection makes sense as one child may understand something different about the selection and they can teach each other.  Gaining comprehension is more important than pronouncing the word; although pronouncing the word correctly lends to full comprehension without translation.