Access All the Tools
Considering the alarming number of struggling readers in my placement, I found I Read It but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani to be incredibly useful. I really enjoyed the hands-on access tools provided in Part 3. Most of the tools I had either never heard of or never used before. Although I never struggled as a reader I think it would have been enriching for me to use the access tools as a way to deepen my comprehension of the text. My two favorite tools that were covered in this section are coding sheets and double-entry diaries. They are two types of reading comprehension enhancements that I can see myself using in the classroom--potentially in my lesson next week.
What I like most about the coding sheets is that they ask students to dialogue with the text. In my mind, coding sheets are a kind of guided annotation. What I like better about coding sheets is that they go one step further than annotation. I remember one of my high school teachers telling us to annotate a book over summer break, but I had no idea what he meant by 'annotate.' As an annotation beginner, I would have appreciated something more structured--like coding sheets. The sheets ask students to summarize what they have read and write a response. When students create responses to the text, they are relating their thoughts and experiences to what they have read. This personalizes the reading experience for them. Eventually students should be able to annotate independently, but coding sheets are a great place to start.
Double-entry diaries are something I had only heard of since I joined the Education program at Eastern, but until reading I Read It but I Don't Get It, I had no idea what they were. After seeing examples of them, I like that these diaries ask students to cite a direct quote and the page number and write what they visualize, wonder, or what they're reminded of while reading. I like that this activity allows students to be creative. They can take these diaries in any direction. It is their time to be inspired and to play around with ideas. I can't wait to start using these in my classroom. I can already foresee them benefiting my struggling readers in particular.
What I like most about the coding sheets is that they ask students to dialogue with the text. In my mind, coding sheets are a kind of guided annotation. What I like better about coding sheets is that they go one step further than annotation. I remember one of my high school teachers telling us to annotate a book over summer break, but I had no idea what he meant by 'annotate.' As an annotation beginner, I would have appreciated something more structured--like coding sheets. The sheets ask students to summarize what they have read and write a response. When students create responses to the text, they are relating their thoughts and experiences to what they have read. This personalizes the reading experience for them. Eventually students should be able to annotate independently, but coding sheets are a great place to start.
Double-entry diaries are something I had only heard of since I joined the Education program at Eastern, but until reading I Read It but I Don't Get It, I had no idea what they were. After seeing examples of them, I like that these diaries ask students to cite a direct quote and the page number and write what they visualize, wonder, or what they're reminded of while reading. I like that this activity allows students to be creative. They can take these diaries in any direction. It is their time to be inspired and to play around with ideas. I can't wait to start using these in my classroom. I can already foresee them benefiting my struggling readers in particular.
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