What's the Point?

Each time I read a section from the book* that our class is using as a "textbook", I learn more about what it looks like to be a good reader. Many things that good readers do, they don't even notice. For example: Good readers ask themselves questions while they are reading to make sure that they understand the content. If they don't, they go back and reread the section. I don't know about you, but I did not even realize I did that. If someone had asked me last year what I did to be a "good reader", I probably would not be able to tell them. Now, I have begun recognizing some of the strategies I use that make me a good reader.

Something that Tovani discussed was the fact that good readers are able to recognize a purpose for every text that they read. Sometimes the purpose is pleasure or to let our minds escape to another world. Most of the time reading in a classroom does not have either of those purposes though. Usually the purpose sounds more like "to learn about this topic" or "to gain understanding of a subject". Those sound incredibly, mind-numbingly boring. I don't even want to read things that have that as a purpose and I'm a growing teacher! So let's change the purpose of the readings that we give to our students. We need to help our students find value in reading the texts that we give them. They need to see a reason to read the texts.

Tovani also introduced these things called a "conversation voice" and a "reciting voice". Our reciting voice is the voice in our head that reads the words, but that is all. The words go in one ear and out the other. It's what causes us to have to go back and read the whole chapter over again. Our "conversation voice" is the voice that helps us to have a conversation with the text. It asks questions and looks for understanding. Helping students to be able to recognize the different between these voices will help them to comprehend what they are reading and stay focused. I've done this my whole life and never had the correct words to describe it, but now I do! Thanks Tovani!

In addition to this, I have had something else that has been heavy on my heart this week. Recently, a bill entitled "SB 167" has been passed in the Senate. It is basically a bill that will keep Georgia from using any nation-wide curriculum such as Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. It will also prevent students from being able to take any testing not created in Georgia including AP tests as well as the SAT and ACT. This bill is very scary to me both as a student and future teacher. I encourage you, if you're reading this, to contact your local representative about this bill as it is going to the House for a vote soon. I contacted the two representatives in my city and actually got an email response from one of them. Who knows what we can do when we all join together and share our concerns?

"Content Literacy - the ability of someone to interact with and use strategies to interpret the content of some subject (in its own language) including being able to speak, listen to, read, and write in that language"

{Sassy}

*Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani