Blog #3

Response to Readicide

What is the message? The message is pretty much what I thought it was going to be: the strategies of many English/Language Arts/Literacy teachers are currently destroying students' interest in reading. Students no longer know how to read. Students no longer wish to read. Students no longer read. Period.

What is your reaction? I am not surprised in the least. For as far back as I can remember my classmates have been uninterested in diving into any text - whether it be for pleasure, school, or a combination of both. The constant vocabulary quizzes, post-chapter questions, comprehension tests, and other traditional methods of assessment drove my fellow students into a literature-less state of being. I was similar to my compatriots, but not in this way. I have always been addicted to the written word - vocabulary, short stories, novels, poetry and anything else with words. I thrived in a situation where many failed.

What are your connections to school experiences? I preface this answer with this: my answer is directly associated with English/Literature. In our reading group, I posed the following question to the other members: What is the true purpose of Literature class? I'm not sure if we truly touched on it during the few minutes we had, but I believe the answer is a combination of many possibilities. Knowledge of literature is a route to social acceptance. Having a knowledge of classic works often times diverts awkwardness during conversation. Knowledge of literature is also lends itself to the transferability of information across all disciplines. The ability to read and comprehend becomes easier. The ability to regurgitate facts becomes easier. The ability to improve grades and understandings becomes easier. Having an understanding of the structure of different literary works has a direct correlation to an improvement in writing skills. Sentences become easier to write. Subject verb agreement becomes second nature. The flow of writing becomes natural.

What are ways you now understand will help students read more effectively in your discipline? I believe this concept is directly related to differentiated instruction. Sure, vocabulary quizzes and post-chapter questions are a way to assess, but so are storyboards and acting sessions. Teachers must find a way to connect each student to the text, whether it be by having the student listen, speak, draw, or act.