Make the Children Read
As a future high school English teacher, I recognize the crucial role reading plays in a student's education; however, feeling confident enough to instill in them good reading habits and strategies is a completely different story. Having started my practicum last quarter, I realize that there are more struggling readers in my classes than I predicted. This is one of the reasons why I decided to pursue a minor in Literacy. An Education degree with an emphasis in English is not enough for me to feel comfortable with reaching below-level readers. The articles we read for this week, "Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning" and especially "Assignment Template," provided me with practical tips for teaching and assessing reading comprehension.
The tips I found most useful for aiding students in the reading process were the pre-reading strategies from "Assignment Template." I can't count how many of my middle school and high school teachers did not adequately set up the book we were going to read or even neglected to set up the book altogether. It is such an important step in the process, however. My favorite examples listed were "Make a connection between their own personal world and the world of the text" and "Consider their opinions or biases before reading" (4). These preliminary steps ensure that students are processing themes and ideas in the text before, during, and after the reading.
One aspect of evaluating reading comprehension is knowing how to properly evaluate journal/blog responses and formal essay writing. In doing so, it is important to make sure the prompt is clear enough to assess student responses. It is also important to clarify the criteria which will be used to measure how well students met the target. There should be no ambiguity concerning the goal of the assignment. A couple methods of stating the assignment targets are rubrics, checklists, etc. The idea of measurable assessments is one of the most valuable things I have learned in the Education program. It is the only way to ensure that the student is set up for success.
The tips I found most useful for aiding students in the reading process were the pre-reading strategies from "Assignment Template." I can't count how many of my middle school and high school teachers did not adequately set up the book we were going to read or even neglected to set up the book altogether. It is such an important step in the process, however. My favorite examples listed were "Make a connection between their own personal world and the world of the text" and "Consider their opinions or biases before reading" (4). These preliminary steps ensure that students are processing themes and ideas in the text before, during, and after the reading.
One aspect of evaluating reading comprehension is knowing how to properly evaluate journal/blog responses and formal essay writing. In doing so, it is important to make sure the prompt is clear enough to assess student responses. It is also important to clarify the criteria which will be used to measure how well students met the target. There should be no ambiguity concerning the goal of the assignment. A couple methods of stating the assignment targets are rubrics, checklists, etc. The idea of measurable assessments is one of the most valuable things I have learned in the Education program. It is the only way to ensure that the student is set up for success.
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