Part 1: Close Reading Activity Summary Throughout my 14-year teaching career, I have recognized a transformation of teaching reading skills to upper elementary students. It has gone from measurement of comprehension through comprehension questions to one that compels students to put thought into their reading and rely on their reading strategies (Boyles, 2012). Students were required to make more personal connections, however it was not leading to a deeper understanding (Boyles, 2012). This led to a shift of more a focus being put on the text through the use of close reading. Shanahan states that the purpose of a student using close reading as a method to slowly and repeatedly focusing on the understanding of the divergent parts of the …show more content…
The name of the activity is “Relationships from Because of Winn Dixie”. The activity objective is that students will read and reread a given passage closely and focus their reading through questioning and discussion to identify the relationship between the dog and Opal. The following CCS standards are the focus of this assignment: RL.3.1, 3-5; RF.3.3-4; W.3.2, 4-5; SL.3.1-2; L.3.1-5. Materials that are needed for the activity are a set of iPads, highlighters, pencils and copies of the text Because of …show more content…
Anderson stated that by using metacognitive strategies it will allow students to magnify their thinking skills, which will lead to better performance (as cited in Rasekh & Ranjbary, 2003). Being able to understand and control the cognitive process also allows ELL students to develop (Rasekh & Ranjbary, 2003). This certainly meets the needs of my particular group of learners because although they are on a 5th grade level, English is their spoken language at home. A variety of strategies need to be presented to these learners as well as opportunities to think and talk about how they are used during group discussions (Rasekh & Ranjbary, 2003). Students will be discussing how given vocabulary words are used in the text as well as identifying synonyms and antonyms that relate to those given
Metacognition can be complex; however, it is essential to teach at an elementary level because it’s an intellectual habit that can be obtain by the teacher’s method of teaching and the student’s consciousness of learning. Thinking about thinking is necessary in elementary level because of the awareness of the student’s thinking process. The teacher must be conscious of the different aspects of learning of each student and be able to work with them with different strategies that are the best to make their learning process more effective and interesting.
Donald M. Murray, in this article entitled “Reading as a Reader” is talking about how reading is an unique, an essential, and a necessary aptitude for human beings in their society. While illustrating his point of view, the author stresses on the idea that our attitudes towards reading is directly linked to the systematic approaches we have while facing a article or a book. In this article, he said that: “If we approach a text believing that we are not readers, or that we can’t read, that attitude may make it more difficult for us to understand the challenging text.”(Murray, 2). Throughout those words, Murray emphasizes that we should consider the process of reading as a learning process, and as a way of deepening the capacity we have as readers. We should have an open-mind while engaging with a reading, and understand that it may always not be our fault if it comes that the text we are reading is difficult. In clear, it is all part of the process of improving ourselves. Then, Murray, in his well structured writing, portrays differents types of reading and also gives us some tips on how to approach them.
“The Ethics of Close Reading: Close Encounters” is an article written by Jane Gallop for the 2000 Journal of Curriculum. It discusses the topic of close reading itself, the social impact of the concept, the ethical aspect of reading, and the various ways close reading can be applied to daily life. The term “close reading” is used in the article more than fifty-one times, and defined on twelve separate occasions, generally being defined as, “looking at what is actually on the page, reading the text itself, rather than some idea “behind the text.” It means noticing things in the writing, things in the writing that stand out” (Gallop p.7).
...t comprehension, it is important to analyze and view all aspects of the text, this will ensure the education you’re receiving, as well as the personal ties you make while reading.
I have seen my students trying very hard to make sense what they read and use it to construct their new knowledge. I have seen their frustration for not achieving the demands of reading at a college level. I have also seen them overwhelmed by “big” textbooks which were not meant to be read. The experience I have gained during these years as a case manager has made me realized that the reading challenges of college students are sometimes underestimated. It is my responsibility to enlighten my students’ reading challenges, to reflect on them, and to provide the support and guidance they deserve to overcome their reading
Burns, Paul C.,Roe, Betty D., and Ross, Elinor P. (1992). Teaching Reading in Todays Elementary Schools. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Metacognition is the understanding of one's thought process. The way Dr. Saundra mcguire explains the way of learning should actually be makes it more relatable. She helps you realize the little things that you're doing in your study habits are wrong and generates easier ways to study. Dr. Saundra Mcguire talks about studying at the right level not how you should actually be studying because everyone studies differently. She talks about how you should not be procrastinating and you should be studying little bit every day and doing homework the same day. And not to rush your work and take your time with doing it. She explains the right ways to study as well go through all of the examples of the answers and she wants you to recognize your mistakes
From my prior experience as an educator, the collaboration between a teacher and a student is evident in retrospective miscue analysis discussions as it results in a dynamic instructional intervention. As a future TESOL educator, I will employ retrospective miscue analysis approach in my classroom with my English language learners and also use this approach to support students with diverse learning styles, including students with learning disabilities. Hence, through RMA assessment approach and discussions, aspects of metacognitive discussions, motivation and revaluing are intertwined and iterative thereby building understanding about reading in helping students become more effective and efficient readers.
Zakin, Andrea. (2007). Metacognition and the use of inner speech in children’s thinking: a tool teachers. Journal of Education and Human Development, 1(2), Retrieved February 25, 2011 from http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2007/articles/1179.pdf
While I believe every child is a reader, I do not believe every child will be enthralled with reading all the time. All students have the capability to read and enjoy reading, but just like any other hobby, interest will vary from student to student. The students in my classroom will be encouraged in their reading, be provided with choice, taught how books can take you into another world but, my students will not be forced to read. This paper will illustrate my philosophy of reading through the theories I relate to, the way I want to implement reading and writing curriculum, and the methods I will use motivate my students to read and help them become literate.
There are several reading and writing strategies in the classroom that encourage a student’s literacy development. One of the seven focus methods is known as modelled reading. Modelled reading occurs when a teacher “models, demonstrates and verbalises the behaviours for reading and writing” (Flint, 152). When demonstrating modelled reading, the teacher is responsible to lead the focus method by using “big book, picture book or an enlarged version of a poem” (Flint, 151). Whilst reading this text, the teacher selects a teaching point (eg. phonics, vocabulary, comprehension skills) and identifies any challenges and supports in the text and for students.Within modelled reading there are two key terms to be aware of; whole-part-whole and a mini lesson. The whole-part-whole strategy is an instructional strategy where the teacher alters the focuses between the whole text and smaller sections of the text. A mini-lesson focuses on introducing and discussing strategies in a short instructional session.
For some students, reading comprehension does not develop normally. Many factors play a part with having difficulties mastering each reading skill to understand text. Children who struggle with reading face the challenges of working at a slower rate, relying on interventions and adjusted instruction to meet individual needs, and experiencing great frustration (Afflerbach, Pearson, & Paris, 2008; Strickland, Boon & Spencer, 2013; Watson, Gable, Gear & Hughes, 2012). Once the basic reading and language skills are acquired and learned and problems with reading comprehension are identified, students can begin to make meaning of text. Researchers believe that using specific reading comprehension strategies help students understand text and become strategic readers.
In this information–driven age, preparing students to read a variety of texts with complete understanding should likely be one of our educational system’s highest priorities. Understanding is more than just the ability to produce information on demand (knowledge) or the ability to perform learned routines (skills). “Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” (Active Learning Practice for Schools, n. d.) A review of the literature in the area of reading comprehension of elementary-age students shows two principle areas of focus. There is a body of literature that examines the development of proficient vs. struggling comprehenders and another body of literature that compares methodologies for teaching reading comprehension.
The before, during, and after reading strategy can be used for reading comprehension. The teacher can use this reading strategy the first time a new story is read. Before reading the story, the teacher previews the story by discussing the topic, using key vocabulary words, activating the student’s prior knowledge, and setting the purpose for reading. During the reading passage, the teacher will stop and use context clues to help students figure out the main ideas, word meanings, and vocabulary terms. After reading the entire passage, the teacher has the students write a short summary of the story by using evidence from the text. By previewing and reviewing, the teacher can utilize a number of resources to help promote reading comprehension through discussion. The before, during, and after reading strategy increases students’ comprehension, and is effective for those students’ with below average reading levels (Boardman, Vaughn, Buckley, Reutebuch, Roberts, & Klingner,
Taking a close look at a text takes much more than looking at words or fining word and phrases to answer questions. Close reading is define as the mindful, disciplined reading of an object with a view to deeper understanding of its meaning (Cummins, 2013). According to Fisher & Frey (2012), the practice of close reading is not a new one, and in fact has existed for many decades as the practice of reading a text for a level of detail not used in everyday reading. Therefore, teachers need to foster this skill on students in early stages of literacy skill to become proficient in comprehension. In order for students to examine complex text, teachers need to model and guide them through various strategies that would support their understanding