Do I Really Have to Teach Reading Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content Comprehension, Grades 6-12 workshop by: Jack Decker , Deb Keeler summer 2008 Cris Tovani 2004

Morning Agenda 9:00 – 12:00 9:00 – 9:30 Introduction, Review, Activity 9:30 – 10:30 – Engaged Reading with group. 10:30 – 10:45 Video Clip Tovani 10:45 – 11:30 – Video Clip 11:30 – 12:00 – Wrap up & Challenge

A Review from Academic Literacy I GOOD READERS HAVE MORE EARNING POWER UPON GRADUATION! Strong readers use strategies to help them understand text (any text). These students become aware of their own thinking processes & monitor their comprehension. It is all about holding their thinking so that they can reuse the content. Reading becomes more complex as students enter middle & high school. Strong readers activate prior knowledge, self-question,draw inferences, determine what’s important, employ fix-up strategies, and use images. Find a purpose for reading!

READING REASONS Kelly Gallagher Reading is rewarding Reading Builds vocabulary Reading helps you become a Better Writer Reading is Hard & Necessary Reading makes you Smarter Prepares you for work ($) Financially Rewarding Opens door to University Arms you against Oppression Develops a Moral Compass

The Question? How comfortable are you modeling a strategy to help students become better readers of your content area?

QUESTION? What Kinds of Text do you have a difficult time reading? Use this to your advantage when teaching struggling students

The Challenge! Being pressured to cover so much material in so little time makes it almost impossible to teach anything well. “Everyone involved – teachers, students, parents, - would benefit from a leaner, meaner, comprehension curriculum composed of a handful of key strategies taught well and frequently applied to read text.” (Tovani) Teach Students to READ for a PURPOSE. Students Question what & why they read different text.

It’s Not That Simple!

Final thought before Reading Teaching strategies for the sake of teaching strategies isn’t the goal The only reason to teach PEOPLE how to be strategic readers is to help them become more thoughtful about their reading. Teach the value of being a good reader. We will teach students how to read, BUT let’s try to teach them why we need to be good readers as well. PURPOSE, PURPOSE, PURPOSE!

Meaning doesn’t arrive because we have highlighted text or used sticky notes or written the right words on a comprehension worksheet. Meaning arrives because we are purposefully engaged in thinking while we read!

Purpose of this Class Literacy II To become engaged in the reading of Cris Tovani’s book, Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? To become an expert in one chapter of this text. To teach others about your thinking and how you could implement these ideas within your classroom. Question Tovani’s ideas. Try an idea from Tovani’s book and implement in your classroom.

Double – Entry Diary Quote or description from reading “School should not be a place where young people come to watch old people work.” Record of your thinking I wonder This reminds me of My thinking has changed I’m inferring A question I have

ACTIVE READING Find a partner and review the statements from the chapter you are given. Discuss the concepts mentioned in your chapter. Interact with the text (connect, agree, disagree, image, talk to text, Think Aloud). Be prepared to make a brief presentation to the group

CHALLENGE! Take a concept from Cris Tovani’s book, Do I Have to Teach Reading, and implement one or more of her ideas in your classroom in the beginning of the school term 2007-2008. Be prepared to share with the class during session two in October 2007

Three Cups of Tea By Greg Mortenson